Managing Layout Operations Part 2

Greetings All,

Last installment we looked at the virtual ops and actual ops vying for layout supremacy. Today let's take a look at running and enjoying actual ops trains while trying to balance actual ops freight traffic, virtual ops freight traffic and time management.

We'll start with Train DOJN, a thirteen car transfer run from Putnam Junction to Terminal Yard. Putnam Jct was an interchange point with the New Haven RR and DOJN was a daily except Saturday train.

Using the OPSIG Industry database I focused on New England states for the DOJN rail traffic. I put together two trains worth of waybills for freight cars coming and going from Putnam Junction.   

Train DOJN makes it's way thru the lower level of 

Empire City to Terminal Yard. 

DOJN has arrived at Terminal Yard and counterpart JNDO is ready to depart for Putnam Jct.

This New Haven RR interchange train is a good train for my NH equipment!

Train JNDO leaves for Putnam Junction

These cars will return in a future op session. For now they can be enjoyed as they run the lower level of the layout.

With JNDO headed to Putnam Jct the car cards and waybills are placed in the PUT JCT slot.

The Yard Job couples up to the caboose and gets to work on the thirteen inbound cars from Train DOJN. The PRR boxcar will be going to Empire City and a transfer caboose for that train is
is on the adjacent track.  

Boxcars for Empire City get shoved into track 4.

11:09 AM: After the inbound cars are blocked the first local freight train out of the yard is train BT-27, the Bedford Turn.  

11:11 AM: BT-27 with five boxcars is on the Bedford Secondary to work four industries, that include University Millwork to the left and Berk Enterprises 

Hostess and Heileman Brewery make up the other two.

11:21 AM: BT-27 has completed the work at Berk and Hostess. The TP&W boxcar at Berk, the covered hopper and PC boxcar at Hostess are virtual ops cars. Not in the way they were left in place.

BT-27 gets ready to work Heileman Brewery. The black Hoschton Railway 40' boxcar is a virtual ops car.

11:29 AM: the work at Heileman is done, the HRC boxcar is now the last car on the Heileman siding. BT-27 waits for clearance to enter the mainline.

11:31 AM: BT-27 has shoved a P&E 40'boxcar on the Bedford Park lead and heads back to Terminal Yard.  

11:36 AM: BT-27 is OS at Terminal Yard with six cars.
Total time: 28 minutes. 

11:41 AM: Lite engines head for Selkirk for inspection and minor repairs if needed. Final run before they gets cycled off the layout.

11:48 AM: Time to work Bedford Park Yard. 

11:59 AM: P&E boxcar from BT-27 and NYC Early Bird boxcar from Bedford Park Yard are spotted at American Hardware and BP-12 is ready to depart for Terminal Yard.

 12:01 PM: BP-12 arrives at Terminal Yard with three boxcars.

12:07 PM: BP-41 departs for Bedford Park Yard with two boxcars.

12:20 PM: Industry switching done and it's time for beans.
Total Time: 32 minutes. 

12:45 PM: Back on duty at Terminal Yard.
12:52 PM: Train EC-3 departs for Empire City's North Side Yard. 

1:08 PM: EC-3 has dropped the train in North Side Yard.
1:12 PM: EC-3 returned to Terminal Yard caboose lite.
Total Time: 20 minutes.

1:17 PM: The last car from our inbound train is a NYC boxcar for the Water Street Freight House. It is ready to depart with a trio of REA cars for the REA building. Both are on the lower level of Empire City.

1:29 PM: After the derailment of an REA car and subsequent repair the NYC boxcar is spotted at the Water Street Freight Terminal. 

1:33 PM: Freight House and REA switching is complete and the train departs for Terminal Yard.

1:38 PM: 6718 arrives back at Terminal Yard. 
Total Time: 21 minutes. This concludes the operations for today.

Layout Status:

Our next inbound train from Putnam Jct is running on the lower level. It's ready for another op session or to be put away. Until either happens it can be rail fanned on the lower level.

Terminal Yard is in good shape. A train for Selkirk is ready to go with cars being cycled off the layout, a Coal Job waits to be dispatched and a track cleaning MOW Train is also ready to go.

The engine terminal still has plenty of motive power available after nine engines were cycled off the layout.

Two EBRR engines have been cycled onto the layout and will handle the next ops session at North Side Yard. 

Conclusions

Our inbound train consisting of thirteen freight cars provided enough freight traffic for four local trains that took a combined 101 minutes of run time. All told the entire op session took more than two  hours. 

Seven of the inbound freight cars have been interchanged with the Empire Belt RR and still need to be delivered to their respective consignees. That is where I'll pick up the next ops session and this will be a good test of the actual and virtual ops living in model railroad harmony.

For the next session I plan to run the EBRR trains in and out of North Side Yard, an LIRR transfer and the Coal Job if there is time. I'll file a report after this session.

Thanks for reading and watching!!

See ya Soon!!