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| Last updated on December 1, 2020
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Another great tip from Andy. Trailing Point Switches are behind the locomotive all you do is back in and back out in one move drop the car and pick up the car that needs to be picked up without having to unhook the locomotive. Facing Point is more complicated you have to use a runaround track or turn the train around on the wye before you switch the industry. once you got the car you have to leave it on a siding until the engine is turned around before you can hook to it. With all Facing point moves the car picked up needs to be spotted from the rear or it will be cherry picking and you have to make another move. on the WSOR all switches are Trailing Point except Troy Cold Storage, Badgerland Ethenal, and and the Propane Plant. In Bay Junction all switches are Tailing Point except Corn Products.
I know that Andy can no longer comment and am sad to hear of his passing! However, since we are attempting to slow the process of operation down, wouldn't stopping close to the pick-up and waiting a moment and then slowly backing into the car be more prototypical? Anyone who knows can answer my question.
God Bless Andy and his family..
As for your other comment re: turnouts that "magically move by themselves". I guess that with any model, you have to 'imagine' some operations, such as, loading and unloading the cars. I haven't seen any passenger cars that magically leave off passengers anymore than cattle cars that magically load and unload, unless you have a '50s era Lionel automated cattle car.
I recently visited the Colorado Model Railroad Museum in Greeley, CO and guess what? I didn't se ANY ground-throw switches. Apparently, all switching is done with under-roadbed switch machines.
Upside of remote controlled turnouts: You don't have to run all around your layout when you want to do some switching!
Great Videos especially for a novice like me. Very clear and precise instructions. Thanks Andy for this and the many other videos like this.
Andy, just an idea for a future operations segment. On the way home this afternoon I saw a CSX train at the Huntington, WV yard that had numerous single tank cars separated by two covered hoppers throughout a fairly long train. After the debacle on CSX.tracks near Montgomery, WV when the tank cars exploded after a derailment looks like CSX is trying a new strategy for separating volatile loads.
How should we handle two trains meeting head to head that are both too long for the parallel siding? If the operation procedure does not give one the priority (passenger/freight, east bound/west bound) do the two conductors meet and toss a coin?
Bob Neill
Ryan; Kadee makes ones that mount below the ties. And, for the ambitious, make your own. IMHO though, The magnate between the tracks is still better than a huge hand reaching in with a pencil.
More or less off-topic: the "title picture" of this series suggests that prototypical operation is a very serious business, not to be laughed or smiled at …
Joe, it is all a compromise. Some prefer the cost savings and simplicity. Plus I have yet to see anything similar looking to a magnet on the track to uncouple a car or a switch magicly move by themselves( for Spurs and such) in real life.
I would love to see Andy show us a coal tipple operation.
Just a question: Why do so many layouts featured here require 'hand uncoupling" and manual throw turnouts? I thought the goal of model railroading was to be prototypical. You have shown layouts that are well landscaped and they have locos and rolling stock that are weathered and detailed and look very 'real'. BUT, I have yet to see a large hand reach down and throw a turnout or uncouple a car in real life.
I model in HO and use turnout motors (not cheap) and kadee magnetic uncouplers.
Well explained Andy, one question when you put the new mech reefer into cold storage the ARMN refer changed spots – intentional or not an issue?
I wish vid's like this were shot with more overhead views with illustrated arrows and not just using descriptive terms to give an Idea what runaround means. This would be also valuable in showing the "timesaver" switching operation.
I really like these operation-focused videos. I do have a question regarding the positioning of the on-layout conductor when switching facing points. The engineer will have poor/no visibility while pushing a freight car forward to spot at an industry (e.g. Troy Cold Storage). Where should the on-layout conductor stand so that he/she can communicate with the engineer how to spot the reefer? Also, in the example with Andy, when the engineer spots the reefer at Troy Cold Storage, does the engineer also take the conductor back on the loco to tie up the rest of the train? Or does the engineer reverse the loco to tie up the train while the conductor sits with the empty reeefer waiting pickup? Thanks. Brad from Australia.
Well done. I would enjoy seeing another similar video in which Andy starts with a closeup of a switch list and then works out what moves he's going to do to complete it.
Another way we used to get cars into a siding ahead of the engine when there was no way to run around it was to "drop" the car. The engine with car in tow would accelerate towards the switch points, the engineer would throttle back momentarily to give slack and the switchman pulls the pin. The engineer then throttles ahead fast enough to clear the switch so the other switchman could throw the switch and let the car roll into the other track, jump on and hand brake it to a stop. These moves were a little hair raising at times, but I was much younger back in those days. Many times the time allowed to throw the switch was just seconds. Of course this type of move is not really possible on a model RR, but might be interesting to know about anyway.
Tom MacConnell in CA
Thanks Andy for a great video. Informative every time.
Great demonstration Andy on basic railroading moves. One question….would the crew hook up the brake hoses on the cars being set out to the locomotive or would the locomotive brakes be sufficient for theses moves?
Andy, good video. Throw even more fun with some HAZMAT cars. Then you have to take in consideration Placement-in-Train and switching HAZMAT.
Love these videos and love the magazine column as well, great job as always Andy!
Thanks Andy you answered some of the questions about switching. I am always at a loss though on how the prototypes handle cabooses when picking up that last car before heading out. Do they ever leave it 'stranded' on the main if that track is used for a run around.
Cheers
Mark form Vancouver, BC