How does one work with a single stub-ended industrial spur? Do you cut the caboose on the main and then back the rest of the train into the spur?
I'm curious about this as I'm tight for space in some spots and have a double-track main, and this seems like a solution.
Julian
Modeling Pre-WP merger UP (1974-81)
Yes, if you're dealing with a trailing-point spur (where the spur points toward the caboose). In most cases, cars to be set out first would be blocked in the train nearest the locomotive. The crew would cut off most of the train and leave it on the main while backing the car(s) to be spotted into the spur. The exception would be if the spur being worked has weight or clearance restrictions that would limit the access of a locomotive; in these cases, the car(s) to be spotted would be blocked farther back in the train, and the cars ahead of them would be used as a switching "handle" to shove the car(s) to their spots.
The other case is a facing-point spur, which points the other way, in front of the engine. The only way to work this kind of spur is to drop the train on the main before a passing siding or other runaround, pull the car(s) to be spotted onto the runaround, circle around behind it, shove it ahead of the locomotive into the spur, drop it there, then go back for the rest of the train. Train crews don't like having to do these extra moves, especially if the runaround track isn't located near the spur, so they avoid it if possible. One way is to assign delivering that car to a "turn" (an out-and-back local) that can work the spur as a trailing-point on its return leg, or drop it on an interchange where it can be picked up by a local that works in the other direction.
--Steven Otte, Model Railroader senior associate editorsotte@kalmbach.com
That actually helps quite a bit with my design. Thanks!