Employee timetables and freight scheduling

[Anonymous]

I have some old employee timetables and am puzzled why only passenger trains are listed. I know that time freights were scheduled and am pretty sure that other freights weren't all just run as extras.

Also, were/are coal unit trains scheduled as needed based on traffic and run as extras or are they scheduled and the schedule updated as the traffic levels change?

Thanks

[Anonymous]

I have some old employee timetables and am puzzled why only passenger trains are listed. I know that time freights were scheduled and am pretty sure that other freights weren't all just run as extras.

Also, were/are coal unit trains scheduled as needed based on traffic and run as extras or are they scheduled and the schedule updated as the traffic levels change?

Thanks

[CShaveRR]

Actually, I've seen employee timetables where some freight schedules were listed. CNW's "Falcon" piggyback train had its schedule in the employee timetable as a first-class train in the mid-70s.

Even if freight service was advertised with a schedule in public places, it made more sense to annul the schedule and operate the train as an extra. The simple reason for that is that if the schedule were adhered to, there would be no way that the train could run early. And there would be no reason for a freight train to have to "wait for the timetable to catch up with it." So, yes, most freight trains were operated as extras, even though a train number might have been referred to. And that Falcon was run as an extra ("No. 245's Extra"), often beating its own schedule.

[CShaveRR]

Actually, I've seen employee timetables where some freight schedules were listed. CNW's "Falcon" piggyback train had its schedule in the employee timetable as a first-class train in the mid-70s.

Even if freight service was advertised with a schedule in public places, it made more sense to annul the schedule and operate the train as an extra. The simple reason for that is that if the schedule were adhered to, there would be no way that the train could run early. And there would be no reason for a freight train to have to "wait for the timetable to catch up with it." So, yes, most freight trains were operated as extras, even though a train number might have been referred to. And that Falcon was run as an extra ("No. 245's Extra"), often beating its own schedule.

[kenneo]

There are several ways around the schedule thing. Where traffice was heavy on a schedule, the early sections ran as Advance schedules. Thus the Starpacer (#288), when the traffic base for the schedule exceeded train capacity and sufficient traffic was available for an early departure, when the next new timetable was issued, the railroad created the Advance Starpacer with its own schedule number. As CShaveRR states, this worked when the traffic and schedule matched, but not otherwise.

Option 2 was to reschedule the Starpacer into the Advanced slot and run it as 1st 288 and the second section, departing sometime later as # 288. The First section had to operate on time, but the second section (and all other trains) would get a train order reading "No 288 run hhmm late between (station name) and (station name)".

Option three was to operate the first section as scheduled and all other sections as extras.

Before we get into option 4, we need to understand that, above, we are dealing with TRAIN ORDER RULE operation practices since they can greatly simplify dispatching and operations both for the dispatcher and the train crew. But when you have CTC, the picture changes radically.

CTC operates with signals controlled by the dispatcher (absolute signals). Any train, any time, any direction. Schedules are not welcome here. The traffic folks can sell a service on a schedule, but what it really means is "the trains will operate no later than ..." So, option 4 is extra trains only, any time, all the time

[kenneo]

There are several ways around the schedule thing. Where traffice was heavy on a schedule, the early sections ran as Advance schedules. Thus the Starpacer (#288), when the traffic base for the schedule exceeded train capacity and sufficient traffic was available for an early departure, when the next new timetable was issued, the railroad created the Advance Starpacer with its own schedule number. As CShaveRR states, this worked when the traffic and schedule matched, but not otherwise.

Option 2 was to reschedule the Starpacer into the Advanced slot and run it as 1st 288 and the second section, departing sometime later as # 288. The First section had to operate on time, but the second section (and all other trains) would get a train order reading "No 288 run hhmm late between (station name) and (station name)".

Option three was to operate the first section as scheduled and all other sections as extras.

Before we get into option 4, we need to understand that, above, we are dealing with TRAIN ORDER RULE operation practices since they can greatly simplify dispatching and operations both for the dispatcher and the train crew. But when you have CTC, the picture changes radically.

CTC operates with signals controlled by the dispatcher (absolute signals). Any train, any time, any direction. Schedules are not welcome here. The traffic folks can sell a service on a schedule, but what it really means is "the trains will operate no later than ..." So, option 4 is extra trains only, any time, all the time