Operational Enhancements for Terminal Warehouse & Cold Storage

 Greetings All,

Operational Enhancements for 

Terminal Warehouse & Cold Storage

Back in 2018 I expanded the Terminal Yard yard limits to include an engine terminal, TOFC /COFC Track, Terminal Warehouse & Cold Storage, Bruce Electric Equipment, the Empire Power Authority Power Plant, Pier 16, the Pier 16 Grain Silos and some additional trackage to support these industries.

As operational interests increased I was less than satisfied with how I was using these industries and tracks, especially the three building flat Terminal Warehouse & Cold Storage with its eleven car spots.

Looking to increase plausible freight traffic and realism for Terminal Warehouse & Cold Storage(TW&CS) I thought that adding tenants to the large building flat similar to those found throughout the big cities would work and maximize the usage of the industry and tracks. 

After some mulling and research the following new tenants are renting lofts within the complex.

Building #1

Four Car Spots

Bendix Corporation. Manufacturer of auto and truck parts, mainly brake components and compressors. Manufactures and receives brake parts and compressors. Ships same to on layout Bedford Park Ford Plant and off layout consignees.

Fingers Printing Company. Receives bulk paper, bulk ink, and pallets from on layout Drywell Ink and City Pallet. Ships printed materials and waste paper.

Empire Millwork. When doing my operations research I noted that railroads ship a lot of lumber products and my two online lumber industries, Neal's Lumber & Hardware and University Millwork, were getting overwhelmed. Empire Millwork will receive and ship lumber products from off layout, PCCM and on layout industries.

Building #2

Four Car Spots

Montgomery Ward. The amount of freight traffic in and out is enormous. 

Brach's Candy Manufacturer. A throw back to my Dad's days of working at Bush Terminal in Brooklyn NY. Received a lot of sugar, packaging materials etcetera and shipped out finished candy.

Building #3

Three Car Spots

Birdseye. Receives produce, cans, bags, food grade pallets, cleaning solutions and more from on layout and off layout shippers. Ships canned and frozen food products to on layout and off layout consignees. 

Consolidated Grocery Warehouse. Receives and ships all types of wholesale food products including meat products, candy and anything else found in a grocery store.

Annexation

The annexation of Terminal Yard and Pier 16 into the newly formed city of East Bedford was a long time coming. I finally found a name that I could easily adjust and give the location a defined location. What's in a name? In railroading a lot!!

The passenger train station and platform at Terminal Yard track #1 now has an identity and will become East Bedford Station.

Operational Procedures

Opening Terminal Warehouse & Cold Storage to spotting cars at specific door spots opens up some operational challenges and safety issues. With one long siding switching cars in and out needed to be done plausibly, efficiently and safely. I didn't like the idea of just switching the siding whenever a car for one of the tenants came into Terminal Yard thinking this wouldn't be safe and would lead to dock worker injuries and damage claims.

Yard A Is Established

Bush Terminal Railroad (reporting marks BUSH) Operated two float bridges, seven long piers and a large yard known as "A" Yard or Yard "A". At one time this yard handled over one thousand cars a day. A bit much for my needs but an idea took hold.

Yard A would be a two track yard using a pair of seldom used tracks at the edge of the layout and in front of the Pier 16 Grain Silos and used to serve the tenants in the Terminal Warehouse & Cold Storage Complex, Pier 16, thePier 16 Grain Silos, Empire Power Authority and Bruce Electric Equipment.

Traffic Management Needed

We now have tenants and a freight yard and now we need a safe way to get the cars to and from the TW&CS complex. Here is what I think will work for my operations; A TW&CS traffic manager that works with the Yard A crew and provides lists of cars to be switched in and out similar to other big rail served industries. 

Switching Agreements Put In Place

A contract between the switching railroad, owners and tenants of the TW&CS complex is agreed to and stipulates the following; ALL switch moves will take place between midnight at 6:00 AM when the bulk of the industries are closed. Cars requested for delivery, hold at industry, movement within the complex and movement from the complex are to be submitted to the Yard A office by 10:00 PM. We now have an accord to safely move the freight cars in and out of the complex but we do not yet have these freight cars. 

Yard A gets a temporary office to begin operations.

Handling Inbound Freight Traffic at Terminal Yard

Freight traffic for the TW&CS Complex coming into Terminal Yard will be forwarded to Yard A for subsequent delivery to the TW&CS complex. To accomplish this a switch engine and crew will work three tricks out of Yard A. The Terminal Yard yard job will set out cars for complex consignees on a designated track for pick up by the Yard A crew. All cars picked up will be transferred to Yard A.

The Yard A switcher picks up five inbound cars for the TW&CS complex on Terminal Yard track #8 for movement to Yard A.

Handling Inbound Cars Arriving in Yard A

All inbound freight traffic for the various industries served from Yard A will be inspected upon arrival. Cars found with defects will be moved to the R.I.P Track. 

 

Modeling Constructive Placement and Demurrage

An imagined arrival notice would be sent to the consignee of each freight car upon placement of the car in Yard A. Once freight bills and payments were satisfied the freight car would be released for delivery. 

With the car placed in Yard A and the waybill confirmed and shipping charges paid or credited the consignee could request the delivery of his freight car to the specific door spot needed for unloading. 

If the car is not able to be delivered due to reasons beyond the RRs control the car will be considered constructively placed and the demurrage clock will start ticking.

Using older Demurrage Rules charges of one debit per day after 48 hours free time per boxcar and one debit per day after 96 hours free time for frozen loads would be charged to consignees for holding such cars. 

Special Handling Required

All Refrigerator cars containing perishable traffic will be subject to inspection by Perishable Protective Service Inspectors who will verify car temperature, mechanical refrigeration units are working properly and their fuel needs, and whether ice or heaters are needed in the older type ice bunker reefers.

 

Delivery of Freight Cars to TW&CS Complex

The Yard A crew will block the required freight cars at Yard A for delivery to the complex. Once completed the freight cars can be transferred via Terminal Yard tacks #9, #8 and #8E to access the complex rail siding. Once the switch work is complete the Yard crew will take and cars removed from the complex back to Yard A.

The Yard A switcher shoves inbound cars onto track 8E to access the TW&CS complex. Track #8 is behind the turnout throw. Track #9 is on the left.

Freight cars get pulled from TW&CS. The AT&SF and D&RGW Hi Cubes are in Whirlpool appliance service assigned to the EL at Marion, Ohio and have delivered appliances to Montgomery Ward.

A Cotton Belt "Paper Loading Only" boxcar delivers paper rolls to Fingers Printing Company in Building #1

A GM&O boxcar of furniture and an empty PC boxcar are spotted at Building #2 for Montgomery Ward.

Three reefers are spotted at Building #3 for Birdseye and the Grocery Distributor.

Handling Outbound Loaded Cars in Yard A 

Freight cars arriving in Yard A for outbound movement will be subject to the same inspection procedures as the inbound cars. Outbound loaded freight cars and their waybills will be forwarded to Terminal Yard for further movements. 

Outbound cars from TW&CS industries get shoved into Yard A. 

Handling Empty Home and Foreign Road Cars in Yard A

Empty home road cars will be cleaned and readied for local loading. Foreign road empties will be cleaned and used for existing empty car requests per car service rules. Empties not needed will be sent back to their respective railroads to minimize per diem charges. Do not hold foreign empties for possible future loading was the mantra of Penn Central to save money.

After reviewing the car cards and waybills and with the car inspections complete the Yard A switcher brings a cut of cars via track #9 to Terminal Yard for inclusion in the proper outbound trains. 

The freight cars from Yard A get shoved into track #6 which has been designated as the receiving track for the cars coming from Yard A in today's operations.

Putting the Plan into Play

I tested the above procedures by running a sample op session. It took me about 25 minutes to pick up the freight cars in Terminal Yard, complete the inbound and outbound movements for the TW&CS complex and deliver the outbound freight cars to Terminal Yard. This also included blocking the next set of existing cars for delivery to the TW&CS complex. 

No other movements were made at this time and as freight traffic arrives for the TW&CS and other industries served by Yard A I anticipate a lot longer time frame to service all of these industries.

The Yard A Switch Engine idles away as it awaits its next call out.

Final Thoughts / Pros / Cons

Relieving the Terminal Yard switcher from having to deliver freight cars around the yard limits should streamline their yard work.

Adding another railroad job with a plausible purpose should enhance the overall operational scheme and provide additional enjoyment in running layout operations.

As freight traffic starts to arrive in Terminal Yard and Yard A for the other Yard A served industries Yard A may become overwhelmed. But only time will tell and the Yard A job works three tricks to try and keep the yard and its operations fluid. We shall see...

Yard A will make its virtual operations debut next weekend in a three layout Penn Central Car Movements #95 with Sir Neal's APRR and PC Ralph's KPD.

Thank you for reading!!!!

See you soon!!!