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How do I handle a facing point interchange

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  • Member since
    November 2015
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Posted by ATSFGuy on Wednesday, June 5, 2019 7:16 PM

These rules apply if you're doing an OPS Session where freight cars are being picked up, then dropped off. 

Our Club has done a couple of these, the train should be no longer than five/six cars and you have a brakeman riding in the caboose who dosen't want to walk too far.

  • Member since
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Posted by cv_acr on Tuesday, May 28, 2019 1:29 PM

Switch it in the direction that the train can actually access it and just haul the cars through to the next yard and then backhaul as necessary. Or, haul the cars for the interchange past the interchange to the next yard and switch them to the interchange on the next train heading in that direction.

  • Member since
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  • From: OH
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Posted by BRAKIE on Monday, May 27, 2019 9:16 PM

What we would have done is pick the interchange car(s) on the return trip making it a simple switch and no extra work would be needed by making a unnecessary runaround.  If the local return the next day then that's when the interchange would be picked up.

Larry

Conductor.

Summerset Ry.


"Stay Alert, Don't get hurt  Safety First!"

  • Member since
    August 2003
  • From: Collinwood, Ohio, USA
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Posted by gmpullman on Monday, May 27, 2019 8:58 PM

Generally, a "turn" or a local is a well orchestrated operation. Sidings (or interchanges) are worked trailing point on the way out, and the opposite ones worked on the way back.

I have seen "Dutch Drops" where a car is kicked in order to get it in the proper orientation and I have seen "rare" occasions where a car might be shoved ahead of the locomotive until it can be run around but this is the exception rather than the rule.

Regards, Ed

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Posted by zugmann on Monday, May 27, 2019 8:55 PM

xdford
The scenario is a way freight that needs to pick up a car at an interchange point where the train is heading towards a facing turnout. The nearest run around is two or three miles away.

I'm a little confused on terminology.  What's considered a way frieght?  Is it returning to where it started, or does it end another terminal?

 

We have a branch line that has an interchange that is facing point.  But since that is near the end of the branchline (and end of where the crew does work), they either (a) hop off the branchline to the mainline and run around their train on a siding a mile away, and then pick up/set off  the cars on the return, or (b) set up push-pull with an engine on each end and swap ends at the interchange to set off/pick up. 

 

Of course (b) only works if you have 2 engines and are able to split the power beforehand.

 

It's been fun.  But it isn't much fun anymore.   Signing off for now. 


  

The opinions expressed here represent my own and not those of my employer, any other railroad, company, or person.t fun any

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Posted by mbinsewi on Monday, May 27, 2019 8:30 PM

xdford
take its train to the passing siding and go back and fetch it?  Or does it leave the train at the previous passing point and fetch the car?

Probably one of those.

You called it an interchange, is this an interchange with another railroad?  where cars are routinely interchanged, from one road to the other?

If it is, the engineers better get busy at their drawing boards and figure out how to make a regular used interchange  more user friendly. 

Mike.

  • Member since
    December 2001
  • From: AU
  • 713 posts
How do I handle a facing point interchange
Posted by xdford on Monday, May 27, 2019 7:21 PM

The scenario is a way freight that needs to pick up a car at an interchange point where the train is heading towards a facing turnout. The nearest run around is two or three miles away.

Does the loco pick up the car and push it to the nearest passing siding then arrange it into the train or does it take its train to the passing siding and go back and fetch it?  Or does it leave the train at the previous passing point and fetch the car?

Hope this is clear but being where I am I cannot readily work out where and how this might have happened,

Thanks in Anticipation, 

Cheers from Australia 

Trevor

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