Greetings All,
September 2024 Layout Operations
Get Them On, Get Them Over, Get Them In
The focus of this series of op sessions is based on the baseball strategy above. Get the rolling stock and trains on the layout, move them as needed to their intended industry or interchange and then get them moving back off layout and into their boxes (staging) so other rolling stock and locomotives can be added to the operations on a recurring basis.
Beginning on September 12, 2024 I embarked on and documented a series of model railroad operations to focus on train sequences, rolling stock and motive power cycling on and off the layout. I am looking to improve the overall operational continuity of the layout and determine what works well, what needs improvement, what needs to be dismissed and what could and should be added.
Day 1
September 12, 2024
LIRR Train MA-3
The September Operations started with Long Island RR Train MA-3 delivering twenty one freight cars from Fresh Pond Yard to the Empire Belt RRs North Side Yard. The LIRR had the lead off spot simply because North Side Yard had a block of cars there awaiting pick up.
Fresh Pond Staging
Fresh Pond Yard trains run from North Side Yard to Terminal Yard where they are placed in the LIRR staging box until a future MA-3 runs since I lack a staging track for the LIRR. My operations scheme has all the LIRR freight traffic moving from Fresh Pond Yard to North Side Yard so what goes out must come in.
Train NY-4
The next train heading to Terminal Yard is Train NY-4, the meats product train that originates in Chicago. Today's NY-4 is powered by four GP20s and features seven cars of livestock and nine iced reefers of dressed meat.
NY-4 Arrives and Terminates in Terminal Yard
After arriving in Terminal Yard the NY-4 power will head to the engine terminal and the freight consist will require special handling due to the livestock and iced reefers.
B&O 16th Street Yard Transfer
The B&O 16th Street Yard power was called out and ran caboose lite to Terminal Yard. After arriving in Terminal Yard and hopefully in accordance with RR rules the NY-4 cars were picked up by the B&O and moved to 16th Street Yard
16th Street Yard
This is the only place on the layout where the livestock will get water and rest and the ice hatch reefers will be iced. The B&O will be paid for this service.
A look at the 16th Street Yard and Pier 16 freight cars and paperwork. This is getting to be a busy area on the layout.
Train VN-4
The last train of the day is Train VN-4 from Selkirk which is powered by a quartet of GP38s and brings 14 cars of mixed manifest traffic from Selkirk to Terminal Yard.
VN-4 Arrives and Terminates At Terminal Yard
After arriving at Terminal Yard the VN-4 power heads to the engine terminal.
Terminal Yard Yard Job
The Yard Job power for this op is a pair of PC SD40s. The Yard Job classifies and blocks the VN-4 freight traffic. The work also includes delivering one Southern Railway Flexi Van from the VN-4 to the TOFC /COFC track and pulling four Penn Central TOFC cars back to Terminal Yard for later movements.
Freight Yard Status End of Day 1
Terminal Yard
42 freight cars waiting for local and symbol train movement.
16 Street Yard
16 freight cars. 9 reefers and 7 livestock to be moved to Terminal Yard once the livestock is deemed rested and the reefers re-iced.
Empire Belt North Side Yard
28 freight cars. 2 boxcars from MA-3 awaiting movement to local industries. 14 cars from MA-3 and 12 additional cars that started the op in the yard awaiting movement to Terminal Yard.
Day 1 Totals
86 freight cars in yards, 61 from this op session trains. 2.5 hours to run the op.
Day 2
September 13, 2024
B&O 16th Street Yard Transfer
Day 2 started off with the B&O 16th Street Yard Transfer delivering the NY-4 rested and watered livestock and re-iced reefer cars from Day 1 to Terminal Yard.
Train EC-1
Next train out of Terminal Yard is Train EC-1 that will be powered by five PC F7s and will be delivering 21 freight cars to the Empire Belt RRs North Side Yard. The freight consist features 17 cars for the LIRR including the live stock and reefers and four cars for the Empire Belt served industries.
PC Train EC-1 heads to North Side Yard
Empire Belt Train EB-2
As Train EC-1 above is departing Terminal Yard Train EB-2 is departing North Side Yard powered by three GP18s with 26 cars for Terminal Yard. The dispatcher has arranged the EB-2 and EC-1 to pass each other at Bedford.
Train EB-2 heads to Terminal Yard
EBRR Train EB-3 and PC Train EC-2
After dropping their freight cars at Terminal Yard and North Side Yard respectively EBRR Train EB-3 and PC Train EC-2 traveling caboose lite pass each other in Bedford on their back to their home road yards.
LIRR Trains MA-3 / MA-4
Last trains of the day were LIRR MA-3 from Fresh Pond Yard delivering 16 cars to the Empire Belt RR at North Side Yard and MA-4 below from North Side Yard heading back to Fresh Pond Yard with 16 cars for Long Island based consignees.
End of Day 2
Totals for the day
9 trains, 16 locomotives and 85* freight car movements.
Time to run op 3.5 hours.
Two Day Totals
15 Trains, 16 locomotives and 171* freight car movements
* Freight car tallies are based on the number of freight car movements used to move trains during the op session and not necessarily the number of freight cars on the layout. In most cases freight cars were moved from an off layout origin to an on layout railroad's freight yard. Many of these cars would need additional movements for interchanges and final deliveries.
Example:
Movement #1: Train NY-4 from Selkirk used four (4) locomotives to get the freight train of sixteen (16) cars from Selkirk (off layout) to Terminal Yard.
Total Locomotives: Four (4)
Total Freight Car Movements: Sixteen (16)
Movement #2: The sixteen (16) reefers/ stock cars in that train were moved to 16th Street Yard by three (3) B&O locomotives.
Total locomotives: Seven (7)
Freight Car Movements: Thirty two (32)
Movement #3: On day 2 the B&O 16th Street Yard Transfer delivered the sixteen (16) reefers/ stock cars to Terminal Yard for their next move to in Train EC-1.
Total Locomotives: Seven (7)
Total Freight Car Movements: Forty Eight (48)
If the above calculations are wrong please let me know. I'm basing the counts on the "touches" each time a car is moved which would be billed and incur revenue in most cases.
We'll pick this up again tomorrow with additional train movements and then close it out in episode three.
Thanks for reading!!!
See you tomorrow!!!
Very interesting operations for both days. Nice to see the string of APRR stock cars on the move, thanks for having them earn revenue for the railroad.
ReplyDeleteAlso, interesting the way you document car counts. Need to delve into that a little more...
Overall, great operations recap!
Thank you very much Sir Neal!!!
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