Hump Yards

[Uncle Jake]

Given the recent flurry of attention that hump yards have been getting, would it be too much to ask for an in depth article, or even a whole issue, covering hump yards? Topics covered could include the history and development, economics, operational planning, and perhaps a "24 hours in a hump yard tower" or some such thing. Trains used to do an annual all diesel issue, maybe they could do an all hump yard issue. Or just yards in general.

[BaltACD]

Kielbasa

The retarders are very expensive to maintain and humping adds significantly to car dwell time. Once you break a block, the car needs to be inspected and brake tested again, adding more time. They won't let us hump in groups of 4 or 5 any more because the TYT can't handle it so almost every car gets humped out individually. I've seen 20 cars go into the same track one at a time.

Switching a train car for car adds to dwell time.  Using a Hump Yard to perform the switching expedites the switching of said train, over the speed of flat switcing the same train and if volume warrants more than pays for the technology necessary for the running of the Hump Yard. (A efficient Hump operation can 'theoretically' switch 1000 cars per 8 hour day.  A good flat switching crew is hard pressed to switch more than 200 cars per 8 hour day.)

We are in a period of declining car load merchadise business for all carriers.  The carriers are seeking out train load business opportunities these days, not car load business opportunities.  Train loads of commodity do not switching or humping.

With 'proper' Service Design a carrier can then concentrate traffic that needs car for car switching to a facility that best performs the function, taking into consideration switching that is needed at origin from customers siding to outbound train and the destination of the outbound train vs. the actual destination of the car(s).  Some carriers have been known to minimize switching at origin and transport cars 200 miles to a hump yard to get switched to their next on line destination and retrace 150 of the miles they went to the hump yard in the reverse direction to get to that next destination. (I am not in possession of the costing figures that determined that this was the most cost effective way to handle the business - but this decision was made on a cost basis).

Handling business within a carriers Service Design Plan may not be as straight forward as it may appear on the surface.

[Kielbasa]

The retarders are very expensive to maintain and humping adds significantly to car dwell time. Once you break a block, the car needs to be inspected and brake tested again, adding more time. They won't let us hump in groups of 4 or 5 any more because the TYT can't handle it so almost every car gets humped out individually. I've seen 20 cars go into the same track one at a time. 

[PJS1]

SPer

Now why railroads are getting rid of hump yards? 

I have the same question.  To elaborate, what are the advantages and disadvantages of a hump yard compared to a flat-switching yard?

[Deggesty]

Quoting SPer: "Now why railroads are getting rid of hump yards."

As I read your post, I have the impression that you are going to tell us why railroads are getting rid of hump yards, for you made a statement. This has been discussed on other threads. Did you intend to ask why they are changing the yards to flat-switching yards?

[SPer]

Now why railroads are getting rid of hump yards.