Working the switch job

[Anonymous]

Here are you work orders;

You have locos 107, a SW900 and 1489 a S4(note, neither loco is powerful enough to move the train by itself, and the units cannot be MU'ed). Your job is to break up a train that came in via the PRR behind loco 6759, it must be done that the main line is clear... all while getting the caboose in the engine house stall # 2, and LV goldola in stall # due to a hotbox, as well as the two gondolas, D&H and CNJ parked infront of the scrap yard.

Heres your locomotives

107;



1489;



Engine that draws your train in;



Train passing;







107 comes to the south end of the yard with 1489;



Grabs caboose and 4 cars;



4 cars dropped off at the first siding, handbrake tightened so no cares can fowl the track;



Caboose is put in stall #2 of the engine house;



107 run to get another cut of cars, the conductor steps onto the rear deck to check time;



The cars that were set out;



Flat car that had to be moved due to get the gondola into the shop;



Gondola set out due to a hotbox problem;



Finally the two gondolas parked infront of the scrap yard;



Both switchers back in the yard off the main line;



Hope you enjoy!

[Big_Boy_4005]

Wow Chris, that's pretty cool. I like switching.

[Anonymous]

Nice show!!

But I have a question:
How do you unhook the cars from each other to break up the train that came in? Do you have a series of uncoupling track sections, or do you just have one on each siding?
Thanks,
Dan

[Big_Boy_4005]

Dan, you could use the "one finger conductor" and just reach in and hit the tab on the side of the coupler. We have that great advantage over the smaller scales. Doing Kadees without a magnet is much harder.[swg]

[dougdagrump]

Elliot, The new style tabs on the couplers, scale cars, are almost as bad as the smaller scales.

[spankybird]

Great job Chris,

So what are you going to do for Sunday Photo Fun.

tom

[Anonymous]

Love it.....Tim

[flyingyankee616]

[tup] Great pictures,hope you have more....

[Anonymous]

Thanks guys!

Dan,

I have electrocouplars on the locos and caboose, other wise, Elliot has it with the "one finder conductor"

Chris

[Anonymous]

Thanks Chris. I am in the process of building my layout, and I have a rail yard, and some sidings. I am trying to figure out how many uncoupling track sections I will need, and where to put them on the layout for "switching" purposes. I will have a few operating car spots, such as milk car unloader, and a few coal loaders, so I need them there, but was wondering if I needed them throughout the yard and the sidings too. One could, quite literally, pave the whole railroad with them, assuming one had unlimited funds, which I do not. Then, one could uncouple mechanically anywhere along the layout! I can't, and will not quite do that, but I am relieved to know that I "can" uncouple by hand too at times, and not everything has to be electromechanically operated. I envision picking up a load of boxcars at the Lionel train factory outside of town and delivering them to the siding behind the Lionel hobby shop in town. Likewise, I have a bunch of beer box cars and I can see picking up a load of them at the brewery complex, loading them with the MTH operating station platform that is outfitted with beer kegs (I love that thing !) and then delivering them to the O'Grady's Tavern downtown. Then there are the coal operations, including transferring coal from the Reading freights to the PRR freights which will then deliver it to the coal station at the PowerPlant. I will not be done building this layout for a while, I had thought it would take until the spring or summer, but might take until the fall. But I am going to have a lot of fun with this! Glad to know that the experienced model railroaders don't stick to the "you can not touch the cars" rule. I do not have enough sidings or space to house everything on the tracks at all times. If I want to run my Reading Crusader train, I'm going to need to put it on the tracks by hand, and that's been bothering me for a while now. I am starting to feel better about that kind of stuff.

[cnw1995]

Great job,. Chris. I find the great five-fingered skyhook to be the best uncoupler there is.

[Anonymous]

like fernando lamas use to say,"marvelous darling,simply marvelous."

[csxt30]

Chris, Very nice, I used to have a command aquarium car with the electro couplers too, & could set out cuts of cars. I saw your command cab there, just got another one of those. Also, I think I just heard your Hot Box detecter go off on your mainline again!! The carknockers are gonna be busy. They need the overtime, though! Sure enjoyed Your pictures! Thanks, John

[1688torpedo]

Hey Chris! Nice Photo's. Looks like a real railyard operation in progress. .....Keith

[FJ and G]

Very nice pictures, Chris,

Brings back memories in 60s of watching LV in western NY.

I use a shelf layout so that I can switch by hand.

Very nice!

Dave V

[Anonymous]

Thanks for the nice words guys!

--Chris