model railroading operations 101: part 2 – yard switching

Model RailroadingOperations 101:

Part 2 – Yard Switching

Tom CrosthwaitPresident, Mogollon & Southwestern RR

&Fred Bock, MMR,Chief Dispatcher, M&Sw

http://www.nmra.org/achievement/apc7.html

YARD SWITCHING

• A Yard is a collection of parallel tracks.• It is controlled by the Yardmaster.

• A Yard is used to:– receive an arriving train– break down cars in an arriving train– sort cars into groups going to next destinations.– make up a train going to a destination

• It is NOT used as “storage” for cars not in use.


M&Sw – Globe Yard


M&Sw yards -- Globe, Arizona

Arrival Track

caboose track

yard ladder track

yard run-around track

Makeup/departure tracks

Yard (switching) lead

road locoescape track

(to

Yard Limit)

SP interchange track

SP branch (to Bowie, A

Z)

loco ready track


Globe yards – arriving train

Arrival Track

caboose track

yard ladder track





(to

Yard Limit)



Z)

Incoming trains proceed to the Arrival Track.

loco ready track


Globe yards – arriving train

Arrival Track

caboose track

yard ladder track





(to

Yard Limit)



Z)

loco ready track


Moving arriving loco & caboose

Arrival Track

caboose track

yard ladder track





(to

Yard Limit)



Z)

#1: Road engine goes tolocomotive servicing area

loco ready track



Arrival Track

caboose track





(to

Yard Limit)



Z)

#2: Switch engine runs down ladder . . ..

loco ready track



Arrival Track

caboose track





(to

Yard Limit)



Z)

loco ready track



Arrival Track

caboose track





(to

Yard Limit)



Z)

#2: Switch engine runs down ladderto Arrival Track.

loco ready track



Arrival Track

caboose track





(to

Yard Limit)



Z)

#3: Switcher throws turnout, couples to caboose.

loco ready track



Arrival Track

caboose track





(to

Yard Limit)



Z)

#4: Switcher uncouples caboose from train;pulls caboose off Arrival Track.

loco ready track



Arrival Track

caboose track





(to

Yard Limit)



Z)

#5: Switcher moves cabooseto caboose track

loco ready track


Breaking trains, sorting cars

• For an arriving train, once the locomotive and caboose have been removed, the cars in the train must be broken up and sorted.

• Cars from a train are sorted according to the departing trains that will take them to their next destination.

• The yard crew uses a switcher to do this.


Globe Yard Sorting tracks– Track 1: Arrival track – all inbound cars arrive here.– Track 2: Way Freights – cars for northbound way

freights are sorted to this track.– Track 3: Flagstaff Express – cars being routed to

Ayers Jct and the ATSF in Flagstaff go here.– Track 4: Globe Local – cars being set-out at

industries within Globe go here.

– SP Interchange: Cars routed to the SP at Bowie are sorted to the Globe Local track #4; the Globe Local switcher then drops them at the SP Interchange track.

– (Arizona Southern: cars routed to AZS and FCP are sorted to the Way Freight track #2).


Breaking train & sorting cars

caboose track





(to

Yard Limit)



Z)

4

32

1

Way FreightsFlagstaff Express – to ATSF

AZS & FCP

to SP loco ready track

Globe Local switching

Arrival Track

yard ladder track


Sorting Cars – step 1• Review waybills, switch

list, manifest, car cards (depending on the system you are using) for all cars on Arrival Track.

• Find out where each is destined to go next: to interchange, to another town, or locally.

• Decide to which track each car should be sorted.

• M&Sw Switch List 4/4/06

– SP 123456 Globe– ATSF 38432 Flagstaff– GN 33498 Happy Jack– UP 3353

Flagstaff– B&O 43987 SP Intrchg– SPC 361 Miami– PFE 35498 Miami– PFE 43826 Mary Lake– SFRD 2348 Miami



Arrival Track

caboose track





(to

Yard Limit)



Z)

SPCATSFPFE SP B&OSFRD GN UPPFE

4

32

1


AZS & FCP



Globe Switch List 4/4/06SP 123456 GlobeATSF 38432 Flagstaff

GN 33498 Happy JackUP 3353 Flagstaff

B&O 43987 SP IntrchgSPC 361 Miami

PFE 35498 MiamiPFE 43826 Mary Lake

SFRD 2348 Miami



Arrival Track

caboose track





(to

Yard Limit)



Z)

SPCATSFPFE SP B&OSFRD GN UPPFE

4

32

1


AZS & FCP







SFRD 2348 Miami

22 2 2 3423 4

234

34

2222


Step 2 – look for “cuts” of cars

caboose track



(to

Yard Limit)



Z)

4

32

1

loco ready track

SFRD2PFE2 PFE2 SPC2 UP3B&O4GN2ATSF3 SP4





SFRD 2348 Miami

234

34

22

2

MostlyTrack 2

AllTrack 2

MostlyTrack 4

2


Step 3 – switch each “cut”

caboose track



(to

Yard Limit)



Z)

4

32

1

loco ready track

SFRD2PFE2 PFE2 SPC2 UP3B&O4GN2ATSF3 SP4





SFRD 2348 Miami

234

34

22

2

MostlyTrack 2

AllTrack 2

MostlyTrack 4

2



caboose track



(to

Yard Limit)



Z)

4

32

1

loco ready track

SFRD2SPC2 UP3B&O4GN2 SP4





SFRD 2348 Miami

234

34

22

2

MostlyTrack 2

AllTrack 2

MostlyTrack 4

PFE2PFE2

ATSF3

2



caboose track



(to

Yard Limit)



Z)

4

32

1

loco ready track






SFRD 2348 Miami

234

34

22

2

MostlyTrack 2

AllTrack 2

MostlyTrack 4

PFE2PFE2

ATSF32



caboose track



(to

Yard Limit)



Z)

4

32

1

loco ready track






SFRD 2348 Miami

234

34

22

2

MostlyTrack 2

AllTrack 2

MostlyTrack 4

PFE2PFE2 ATSF3

2



caboose track



(to

Yard Limit)



Z)

4

32

1

loco ready track






SFRD 2348 Miami

234

34

22

2

MostlyTrack 2

AllTrack 2

MostlyTrack 4

PFE2 PFE2 ATSF32



caboose track



(to

Yard Limit)



Z)

4

32

1

loco ready track






SFRD 2348 Miami

234

34

22

2

MostlyTrack 2

AllTrack 2

MostlyTrack 4

PFE2PFE2

ATSF32



caboose track



(to

Yard Limit)



Z)

4

32

1

loco ready track






SFRD 2348 Miami

234

34

22

2

MostlyTrack 2

AllTrack 2

MostlyTrack 4

PFE2 PFE2

ATSF32



caboose track



(to

Yard Limit)



Z)

4

32

1

loco ready track


2





SFRD 2348 Miami

234

34

22

2

MostlyTrack 2

AllTrack 2

MostlyTrack 4

PFE2 PFE2

ATSF32



caboose track



(to

Yard Limit)



Z)

4

32

1

loco ready track


2





SFRD 2348 Miami

234

34

22

2

AllTrack 2

MostlyTrack 4

PFE PFE

ATSF2


Step 3 finished – like this:

caboose track



(to

Yard Limit)



Z)

4

32

1

loco ready track

SFRDSPC

UP

B&O

GN

SP2





SFRD 2348 Miami

234

34

22

2

PFE PFE

ATSF2


Step 4: blocking a train:

caboose track



(to

Yard Limit)



Z)

4

32

1

loco ready track

SFRDSPC

UP

B&O

GN

SP2





SFRD 2348 Miami

234

34

22

2

PFE PFE

ATSF2



caboose track



(to

Yard Limit)



Z)

4

32

1

loco ready track

SFRDSPC

UP

B&O

GN

SP2

Flagstaff Local Switch List

4/4/06

SPC 361 MiamiSFRD 2348 Miami

PFE 35498 MiamiGN 33498 Happy Jack

PFE 43826 Mary Lake

PFE PFE

ATSF

OBJECTIVE: get the cars for the local to be grouped in blocks, one block of cars for each town, to be in the order of the stations along the way where they will be switched.



caboose track



(to

Yard Limit)



Z)

4

32

1

loco ready track

SFRDSPC

UP

B&O

GN

SP2


4/4/06



PFE 43826 Mary Lake

PFE PFE

ATSF

Miami Happy Jack Mary Lake



caboose track



(to

Yard Limit)



Z)

4

32

1

loco ready track

SFRDSPC

UP

B&O

GN

SP2


4/4/06



PFE 43826 Mary Lake

PFE PFE

ATSF

Miami Happy Jack Mary Lake

uncouple here



caboose track



(to

Yard Limit)



Z)

4

32

1

loco ready track

UP

B&OSP2


4/4/06



PFE 43826 Mary Lake

PFE

ATSF

SFRD

SPC

GNPFE

Mary Lake



caboose track



(to

Yard Limit)



Z)

4

32

1

loco ready track

UP

B&OSP2


4/4/06



PFE 43826 Mary Lake

PFE

ATSF

SFRD

SPC GN PFE

Mary Lakeuncouple here



caboose track



(to

Yard Limit)



Z)

4

32

1

loco ready track

UP

B&OSP2


4/4/06



PFE 43826 Mary Lake

PFE

ATSF

PFE

SFRD

SPC

GN

Mary Lake



caboose track



(to

Yard Limit)



Z)

4

32

1

loco ready track

UP

B&OSP2


4/4/06



PFE 43826 Mary Lake

PFE

ATSF

PFE

SFRDSPC GN

Mary Lakeuncouple here



caboose track



(to

Yard Limit)



Z)

4

32

1

loco ready track

UP

B&OSP2


4/4/06



PFE 43826 Mary Lake

PFE

ATSF

PFESFRD

SPC

GN

Mary Lake



caboose track



(to

Yard Limit)



Z)

4

32

1

loco ready track

UP

B&OSP2


4/4/06



PFE 43826 Mary Lake

PFE

ATSF

PFESFRDSPC

GN

Mary Lake



caboose track



(to

Yard Limit)



Z)

4

32

1

loco ready track

UP

B&OSP2


4/4/06



PFE 43826 Mary Lake

PFE

ATSF

PFE

SFRD

SPC

GN

Mary Lake



caboose track



(to

Yard Limit)



Z)

4

32

1

loco ready track

UP

B&OSP2


4/4/06



PFE 43826 Mary Lake

PFE

ATSF

PFESFRD

SPCGN

Mary Lake



caboose track



(to

Yard Limit)



Z)

4

32

1

loco ready track

UP

B&OSP2


4/4/06



PFE 43826 Mary Lake

PFE

ATSF

PFESFRDSPC GN

Mary Lake



caboose track



(to

Yard Limit)



Z)

4

32

1

loco ready track

UP

B&OSP2


4/4/06



PFE 43826 Mary Lake

PFE

ATSF

PFESFRDSPC GN

Mary LakeMiami Happy Jack


Globe Yard: Departing train

caboose track



(to

Yard Limit)



Z)

4

32

1

loco ready track

UP

B&OSP

PFE

ATSF

PFESFRDSPC GN

Departing Train: M&Sw Train #341: the “Flagstaff Local” Class: 3rd Class (freight), Northbound Departing: Track #2



caboose track



(to

Yard Limit)



Z)

4

32

1

loco ready track

UP

B&OSP

ATSF


PFEPFESFRDSPC GNPFE

PFE

SFRD

SPC

GN



caboose track



(to

Yard Limit)



Z)

4

32

1

loco ready track

UP

B&OSP

ATSF


PFE

PFE

SFRD

SPC

GN

PFEGN

PFE

SFRD

SPC



caboose track



(to

Yard Limit)



Z)

4

32

1

loco ready track

UP

B&OSP

ATSF


PFEGN

PFE

SFRD

SPCPFE

PFE

SFRD

SPC

GN



caboose track



(to

Yard Limit)



Z)

4

32

1

loco ready track

UP

B&OSP

ATSF


PFE

PFE

SFRD

SPC

GN

PFEGN

PFE

SFRD

SPC

PFEPFESFRDSPC GN



caboose track



(to

Yard Limit)



Z)

4

32

1

loco ready track

UP

B&OSP

ATSF


PFEPFESFRDSPC GN



caboose track



(to

Yard Limit)



Z)

4

32

1

loco ready track

UP

B&OSP

ATSF


PFEPFESFRDSPC GN

<<Conductor must request permission to depart.>>



caboose track



(to

Yard Limit)



Z)

4

32

1

loco ready track

UP

B&OSP

ATSF


PFEPFESFRDSPC GNPFE

PFESFRD

SPC

GN

PFE

GN

“TOOT-TOOT!!”


End of Part 2(to be continued)


M&Sw yards -- Globe, Arizona

Arrival Track

caboose track

yard ladder track





(to

Yard Limit)



Z)

loco ready track


Turnouts – Ground Throws

Main route – usually straight

Diverging route – usually curved


model railroading operations 101: part 2 – yard switching

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