Operations on my SP Cascade
Line have settled into recognizable patterns with most operator roles defined. With an upcoming regional operations event
scheduled in May, the railroad will host a crew of guest operators. Let’s take a tour of the railroad from the
perspective of the jobs performed. The
photo illustrations are from several operating sessions in the Winter of 2017,
so several operators will appear in different positions.
DISPATCHER
We begin the tour in the
Dispatcher’s Office. The Dispatcher
works with the line-up of trains and notifications of availability of both crew
and train. His orders (granting mainline
block authority) authorize trains to proceed across the railroad. The SP Cascade Line currently uses Direct
Traffic Control (DTC), which was Southern Pacific’s system for train control
using radio. It is similar to Track
Warrant Control, but is limited to authorization for block occupancy.
Mike Y. dispatches a recent
session.
The Dispatcher’s tools
include a radio, a clock (fast time used), Dispatcher’s Train Sheet and Block
Authority Sheet, and a track schematic panel.
The train line-up lists the trains to be run, their priorities, and call
times.
The Dispatcher’s Panel
displays a track schematic for the mainline and sidings. The mainline is the central continuous
straight line. Sidings are displayed on
the appropriate side of the mainline.
Yards are rendered simply, with incomplete detail. Vertical lines (in blue) separate the named
blocks. Magnetic tags are available to
display basic train information and can be moved as mainline block authority is
granted.
ASSISTANT CHIEF DISPATCHER
and CREW CALLER
Over the past year, it became
evident that an additional level of “management” was needed for the
operation. The Assistant Chief
Dispatcher (ACD) oversees the operation of the railroad and works with the
Dispatcher, Yardmasters, and Crews to keep trains rolling while the layout
owner trouble-shoots problems. The ACD
also serves as the Crew Caller.
Assistant Chief Dispatcher
Rick K. confers with Dispatcher Dave H.
EUGENE YARD CREW
As with the SP prototype, the
Eugene Yard serves as the hub of operations, commanding a sizeable crew. The Yardmaster oversees a crew of two yard
switch crews, the Santa Clara Tower Operator and the Eugene City Switcher. His principal concern is with Classification
Yard activities, while the Santa Clara Tower Operator oversees operations in
the Arrival/Departure Yard and the yard throat track complex. The Yardmaster needs to be mindful of the
track needs of the Eugene City Switcher and coordinate exchange of cars between
that job and the classification yard.
EUGENE YARDMASTER
The Eugene Yardmaster has
responsibility for oversight of all Eugene area operations. As noted above, his principal interactions
are with his West and East Yard Switch crews.
He needs to work with the train line-up to ensure local freights are
ready for their call times and cuts of cars for the appropriate destinations
are made and transferred to the Arrival/Departure Yard. As with any yard, he needs to keep the
mainline mostly clear of his yard traffic—especially when First Class trains
are due. For the 1984 nominal operating year used right now, the only First
Class trains are the AMTRAK Coast Starlight, Trains 11 and 14. Though not formal First Class trains on the
timetable, he should be particularly mindful of trains with “F” and “T”
symbols, as well. Those are trains SP
Headquarters wants moved expeditiously.
Eugene Yardmaster Dave H.
(wearing hat and radio headset) confers with his yard switch crews while the
Eugene City Switcher, Mike L. (right) looks on.
The Classification Yard has eight tracks close to the aisle. Two City Yard tracks are further in (to the
left), followed by the Mainline and the WP Siding (closest to the depot).
The two City Yard tracks
serve both the City Switcher and are used as the arrival/departure tracks for
local freights. A crossover is in the
middle of these tracks.
EUGENE YARD SWITCH CREWS
Two yard switch crews
normally work the Eugene Classification Yard.
Nominally they are a West and an East Switcher. They classify blocks of cars per instructions
of the Yardmaster. They also transfer car blocks between the Classification
Yard and the Arriva/Departure Yard. They
move cabooses between the caboose track and local freights.
East Switcher Scott B. brings
a block of cars out of the Arrival/Departure Yard toward the Classification
Yard. The caboose track is behind Scott,
to his left.
EUGENE CITY SWITCHER
The Eugene City Switcher
serves the industries near the depot in Eugene.
Normal practice has the switcher pulling cars from industry first and
then spotting new cars from a block of cars transferred from the Classification
Yard. The City Switcher needs to be
particularly careful to keep the Mainline as clear as possible, though some
occupancy is needed, all within Yard Limits.
Eugene City Switcher Rick K.
(center) works industries at the RR-West end of the depot. Yardmaster Rick A. (left) watches both of his
yard crews off to the RR-East end of the yard.
SANTA CLARA OPERATOR
The Santa Clara Tower
Operator works the switch panels controlling switches on both sides of the
reverse loop yard ladders for the Eugene Arrival/Departure Yard plus the rest
of the complex trackage in the throat area between the A/D Yard and the Depot
and Classification Yard. This role effectively
makes him the gate-keeper for the RR-East end of the railroad. He prepares RR-West trains by ensuring they
are filled out to capacity (normally 25 fifty-foot cars) and have locomotives
and caboose coupled on. He works with
the Eugene Yardmaster to get the car cuts he needs in a timely manner. He also breaks up inbound (terminating)
trains so the Eugene Yard crew can access cars needed in the Classification
Yard.
Santa Clara Tower Operator
Vic N. shows John D. procedures for this yard and position.
Road crews awaiting
assignment at the Eugene Arrival/Departure Yard, as ACD John B. (left) looks
on.
Switch Control Panels used by
the Santa Clara Tower Operator.
TRAIN CREWS
Train crews are called for
road freights, AMTRAK, local freights, and helper locomotives. Road trains arrive and depart from the Eugene
A/D Yard (RR-East end) and Crescent Lake (RR-West end). All local freights
originate at Eugene, typically from the Classification Yard area, and return
there. Helper engineers entrain at
Oakridge, assist road freights to Cascade Summit, and then return light to
Oakridge. Given enough crew members, we
prefer to have two-man crews on the local freights, followed by doubling up on
the road trains. Helpers typically work
single man.
Tom D. and Harry B-H. work
the First Springfield local. This train
works the depot side of the mainline.
The Second Springfield Turn works the aisle side of the mainline.
Bill M. works the Oakridge
Turn solo. He is using the Pope and
Talbot spur as a switch lead, staying off the mainline. His train arrived on yard track four (caboose
showing). Tracks at Oakridge, left to
right are House, Siding, Main, Yard 1 – 4, Engine Lead. Normal Oakridge operations have the Turn
using yard tracks three and four. Most
road freights use yard track two, which provides the best placement of the
helper using the crossover from yard track one.
ROAD CREWS
The road crews handle trains
between Eugene Arrival/Departure and Crescent Lake—the full length of the
modeled railroad. RR-West trains enter
the yard at Oakridge to cut in a helper.
The desired helper position is two thirds of the way back, leaving about
eight cars behind the helper. The
crossovers among the four yard tracks at Oakridge allow helpers to cut in
without using the mainline. Helpers are
cut out at Cascade Summit. Trains
proceed from there westbound into the Crescent Lake staging tracks. RR-East (downhill) trains originate at
Crescent Lake and proceed downhill to Oakridge and then on to the Eugene
Arrival/Departure Yard.
Joe B. and John R. guide a
Roseville train (PFE reefers at the head end) RR-West through the RR-West end
of Springfield.
A RR-West train enters
Oakridge as the Oakridge Turn holds in the yard.
Helper Engineer Bob Y.
(right) brings his power down Oakridge Yard Track One, preparing to entrain in
an arriving train. Meanwhile, the
Oakridge Turn occupies Yard Track Four as its Conductor, Pete J. (center),
looks on.
A meet at McCredie
Springs. The RR-West (uphill) train has
taken the siding. We see its
caboose. The RR-East train coming
downhill is on the main track. This is
normal practice, supported by the DTC blocks.
It is easier to get a train restarted uphill than to get the brakes
recharged for a downhill train stopped on the mountain grade.
A wider view of that meet at
McCredie Springs. Norm A. (left) is the
helper engineer. Joe B. (right) is the
conductor for the RR-West train.
Sometimes railroading involves a lot of waiting.
A RR-West train has made it
to Wicopee, just short of the Salt Creek Trestle. The full crew consists of Dave C. (center)
Dick E. (to the right) and Helper Engineer Norm A. (right). Above in the background is a RR-East train
descending the grade with Greg P. as Conductor (red shirt).
Continuing a meet set up for
Wicopee. Conductor Greg P. (left) is
getting his block authorization from the Dispatcher while Engineer Rodger C.
(behind him) guides their RR-East train down through Cruzatte. The RR-West train and crew await them down at
Wicopee.
Normal practice is to
prioritize the RR-East trains so they do not need to brake to a full stop on
the mountain grade. This preference
carries over into the block limit designations on the mountain grade. The Wicopee DTC Block extends from the
RR-East (downhill) switch for Cruzatte (in front of Engineer Rodger C. in the
photo above) down through Wicopee to just short of the RR-East switch at
Wicopee (just behind Greg P. in the photo above). The RR-West train had the McCredie Springs
DTC block and either was instructed to take siding or did so on their own
authority. Without authority for the
Wicopee mainline DTC Block, they had to get off the mainline into the
siding. Their McCredie Springs DTC Block
authority allowed them to do so.
Every once in a while, I get
called into service on my own railroad!
I am guiding AMTRAK No. 14 through Cruzatte.
Engineer Gary N. (left)
guides his RR-West train into the Mountain Siding at Cascade Summit while
Helper Engineer Scot B. watches the slack point in the train.
A helper is cutting out at
Cascade Summit. The train is on the
Mountain (West) Siding. The helper is
crossing over to the mainline and soon will cross over to the Lake Siding
(closest to the operator platform). And then likely into the Beattie Spur
(actually a short siding) used to collect helpers before sending them downgrade
back to Oakridge.
Engineer Brigg F. is pulling
a train out of Crescent Lake into Cascade Summit. He is standing on the Cascade Summit operator
platform.
Engineer Gary N. and
Conductor Dick K. are preparing to take a RR-East train out of Crescent Lake.
Crescent Lake switch control
panel. The throat switch at the far
right now has LED direction indications.
Best practice for setting switches is to start with the track you want
to use, then move your finger to the right, setting each switch for that route
until you reach the throat switch as the last one set.
