I live north of Houston in Spring. We have a decent sized yard here (Lloyd Yard) which has easy viewing from 3 bridges and a road running parallel to the main. There is also a wye at Spring Jct just north of the yard which is in the heart of Old Town Spring. A road runs through the middle of the wye so it's very easy to stop and watch when power is being turned around. I often go out here a couple times a week and tonight was no exception. There was lots of action to watch and the scanner makes it even more fun. There was one move though that really confuses me as it seems there is a much better, more effient way to do it. I'll link an aerial view of the yard at the bottom of this post so anyone can see where I'm referring to.
If you look at the aerial view you can see 2 parallel leads, known as the east and west leads, coming from the north that go to the main body of the yard. There is a lead north of these 2 that goes to the back (east) end of the yard which is used for SIT. The south end of the yard has a lead referred to as the south lead. This lead is at the far south end where the SIT section of the yard to the east joins back in. You can see the wye just north of the yard.
I was watching 2 engines come off of the north lead onto the main. I was listening to the scanner so I knew where they were heading. Both engines were facing the same direction which in this case was north. They pulled onto the main and stopped just short of the wye so the switch behind them could be thrown and they could proceed south on the main. They backed onto the east lead and entered the yard. They proceeded down the lead and down one of the arrival/departure tracks (7 of them total) that was empty. When they arrived at the south end of the yard, they uncoupled from each other. One engine proceeded back onto an adjacent a/d track and coupled onto a train. Due to their orientation, each engine was facing the train. The other engine, now alone, proceeded down the south lead and out of the yard. It joined the mainline and then proceeded back up the eastern mainline past the yard to the wye. At the wye it was turned and then proceeded all the way back to the south side of the yard, back up the south lead and coupled, now facing south, onto the other engine. I watched and listened to the whole thing.
Why would they do this? Both engines were right at the south end of the wye. Why not uncouple them there, turn one engine, recouple, and then move to the south end of the yard? That was an extra few miles that could have been saved. With today's fuel prices that sure seemed like a huge waste of time and money. I also notice very often that engines are left running while sitting in the yard. They could be there for hours this way too. Again, why?
This just didn't make sense to me tonight and a better way sure seemed obvious. What am I missing? Here's an aerial view from Google to show the distances I'm talking about. You'll have to zoom in and move around.
http://maps.google.com/maps?f=q&hl=en&geocode=&q=spring,+tx&ie=UTF8&ll=30.065826,-95.415015&spn=0.017902,0.043087&t=k&z=15
Part of the reason is that the two legs of the wye are parts of main line...the west leg is the entrance to the Navasota sub...and you don't want to occupy it any longer than you have to, plus getting permission from the dispatcher to cut up a consist on the wye is a pain...add in the fact that cutting apart and then MUing the locomotives takes time, and you never know if there will be a problem.
MU cables fail, or glad hands are chewed up, simple things like that can delay you a long time.
My guess is that they wanted one locomotive on the train to pump up or charge the brake line while they turned the other locomotive...that would be a yardmasters call, but it makes sense.
This way, if there is a problem with the MU, it is in the yard where it can be fixed, not out on the wye in the way.
23 17 46 11
I'm not sure what you mean when you say that the dual leads are a part of the main. There are dual mains that run next to the yard but the dual leads both combine into the east main. Each are approx half mile long and independent of the mains. There is a crossover just south of the wye so that anything coming to or going from the Navasota sub can enter the yard. The west main is the main track running north and what the Navasota sub branches off of. The east mainline joins into the west main just north of the branch to Navasota in the wye. This way trains can run north to Palestine on the east main at the same time another is coming from the Navasota on the west main. Both yard leads are independent. The north lead joins in north of the east/west leads but just south of the crossover.
They could have easily stayed off of the main with one engine while the other turned. This would be far less time on the main than having 1 engine run the length of the yard in both directions on the main. If they'd have separated on the north end, only 1 engine would have ever seen a main, except for moving from the north lead to the east lead, and of course when turning on the wye.
What is the reason for turning only one engine instead of both? I know they were ultimately going to head south but I don't know where to. I guess if they were going to Galveston they'd want an engine to remain pointing the other way as there are no turning facilities but I can't think of anywhere else that would require this.
joegreen wrote:They did it cuz they wanted too....
csx engineer
The why part of your question, as in why they wanted an locomotive pointed in each direction...you answered that one yourself...most places do not have any facilities to turn engines, no wye or turntable, so having one facing each way makes sense, all the crew has to do is swap from one locomotive to another to be facing the correct way.
As for the reason they went about it the way they did...again, the only guess I can come up with is the yardmaster wanted one locomotive on the train to start charging the air, so he ordered them to do it that way.
If not, then this is one of the little mysteries of railroading!
fredswain wrote:I'm sure there's some logical reason for it. It just looks really odd when the only information you have is watching the physical movements.
csxengineer98 wrote: fredswain wrote:I'm sure there's some logical reason for it. It just looks really odd when the only information you have is watching the physical movements.thats why we are the pros and know what we are doing... there is a reason for everything we do..sometimes we crews dont see the big pic..but i was told there is one...csx engineer
I've heard that same thing, just that the picture is usually of a black hole. I know we make a lot of moves that seem illogical to us, however, there is the crews who don't see the bigger picture and then there is ever present big brother management that has a very clear focus on the big picture.
Holy Pin Lift, Batman,
You mean there is a big picture?
edblysard wrote:Holy Pin Lift, Batman,You mean there is a big picture?
edblysard wrote: Holy Pin Lift, Batman,You mean there is a big picture?
I think it was painted by Picasso.
Jeff
Something "Running Trades monkeys"(quoting the local superintendant. "Monkeys with switch lists".) aren't privy to I guess.
Or, as I'm fond of saying, "I love it when a plan comes together. When does this one come together?"
Got me a really dirty look from the boss one day, then I had to take the sign down....
Larry Resident Microferroequinologist (at least at my house) Everyone goes home; Safety begins with you My Opinion. Standard Disclaimers Apply. No Expiration Date Come ride the rails with me! There's one thing about humility - the moment you think you've got it, you've lost it...
Oh no!
First there is a big picture...
Now theres a plan too?
What ever are we going to do, Toto?.....
tree68 wrote: Or, as I'm fond of saying, "I love it when a plan comes together. When does this one come together?"
Ooh! I LIKE that saying. Gonna use it on my teenagers!
-Don (Random stuff, mostly about trains - what else? http://blerfblog.blogspot.com/)
edblysard wrote: Oh no!First there is a big picture...Now theres a plan too?What ever are we going to do, Toto?.....
The "big picture," along with the "plan" fell into the black hole. It's being transferred to Area 52. (Area 51 is an empty distraction)
oltmannd wrote: tree68 wrote: Or, as I'm fond of saying, "I love it when a plan comes together. When does this one come together?"Ooh! I LIKE that saying. Gonna use it on my teenagers!
Say it in George Peppard's voice while chomping on a cigar.
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