No. 8
Gene
Collora Advisor
Thomas
Flagg Advisor
A single buff-colored card with a pocket from Old
Line Graphics represents each freight car on our layout set in
Our waybills are “cycled” (moved from one of their four destinations to the next) between sessions. Operators never need deal with this “model railroad thought”. For operators, each waybill shows the car’s destination for the current session. Each destination is shown by the city or community name as well as a location (i.e. freight house) and or industry (e.g. Astoria Lumber). In the simplest sense, operations on my LIRR consist of moving cars to destinations shown on the waybills.
For each track or industry, a Plexiglas “pocket” is
provided on our layout fascia, labeled with the appropriate name. Each neighborhood
has a box labeled “conductor” for cars currently being worked. As cars are left
on these tracks, your car-card/waybill combination should be dropped in the
appropriate pocket. In general, car-cards and waybills should stay with our
cars.
Occasionally, operators will discover a car already
sitting in the location called out on its waybill. This simply represents a
not-yet-loaded car which should be left in place until our next session, or, if
it must be moved to facilitate switching other cars, must be returned before
session’s end.
Waybill symbols provide you, the operator with cues
as to the destination of each individual car. The number (1 – 4) in the upper
right-hand corner of each waybill represents the waybill cycle but has no
meaning for operations. Cars bound for destinations on the layout’s modeled
portion (currently
For other destinations, a
geometric symbol is added to those waybills. For traffic bound beyond our
layout to the west, a triangle is added around its waybill number. Destinations
off the layout to the east add a rectangle. For transfers to the
On-layout destination - no symbol
Beyond layout west (car
float staging) - triangle
Beyond layout east (Yard A staging) – rectangle
In setting up a session, we must cycle waybills (including for LCL at Arch Street) everywhere on our layout, build yard transfers at Sixth Street, build staged locals in Yard A and Blissville Yard, and prepare appropriate paperwork for each train and Jamaica Dispatcher (for modeling purposes, the Trainmaster for North Shore Yards will assume the Jamaica Dispatcher role).
We must cycle car waybills at their final
destinations, representing cars being loaded or unloaded; set up LCL
operations; and build locals for our next operating session. Cycling waybills – involved in nearly
all situations – means moving them from 1 position to 2 position, or from 2 position to 3 position,
and so on. Generally, this will reveal an appropriate next destination.
Important general note on waybills: Although traffic patterns
are generally set up so cars will flow smoothly, temporary imbalances may
occur. For example, after cycling waybills at Yard A, you may find you lack
sufficient cars billed to on-layout destinations to build all trains needed. In
this case, check some waybills showing off-layout destinations to see if
cycling them once more (e.g. from
As a first step, go around our layout checking
various tracks and industry spots. Cars in locations specified on our waybill
are considered delivered and loaded and our waybills are cycled (turned to the
next destination). Set up some operating challenges by simply not
cycling your waybill so some cars don’t get moved. If you feel charitable,
these can be cars at the far end of a track, so our switch crew doesn’t need to
disturb them. To offer our switch crew more of a challenge, pick a car that
must be pulled so other cars may be switched and then the original car
replaced.
To provide challenging operations, a few car-cards
temporarily carry 2 waybills in the pocket. The front waybill is a “secondary”
waybill with specific instructions on two or three cycles. We use secondary
waybills for creating some specific traffic flows such as transporting special
atomic waste loads from Brookhaven National Laboratory out east on
Waybills printed on orange paper represent RIP Track
operations. The Yardmaster inserts into the car card pocket
The Jamaica Dispatcher’s area holds a box with these special waybills, referenced in the set-up instructions below. Slips can also be added to tell operators that a car should stay at an industry for a few days just as in the prototype.
In general, this involves cycling waybills on cars
already in staging, inserting secondary waybills as appropriate, then making up locals to meet the next operating session’s
requirements. At the start of our operating session, the following locals are
set-up: MA-6, The Maspeth and MA-7 in
Yard A staging and the First Trick, Float One are complete with engine and
caboose (as appropriate). The Blissville Yard Drill should be ready by
2.
Staged trains at session start
Prototype
Notes
1.
While all LIRR freights ran as extra
movements not listed in the timetable, freights did operate on a schedule.
Throughout most of the 1960s, most LIRR yard jobs worked seven-days-a-week.
2. LIRR symbols are: LIC –
3. With the exception of Blissville, this entire modeled
railroad is
4. During the era modeled, the 1960s, the LIRR owned no revenue freight cars as online industries shipped out comparatively little.
5. On
6. Blocking refers to the arrangement of freight cars in LIRR trains. All cars for a particular setout should be grouped together. Generally, air brakes are not used in yard switching. Normally, car inspectors bleed off the air before switching. Only engine brakes are used. When switching is completed, hand brakes may be used on one or two cars at the end of a string to hold the cut.
7. “Hack” is LIRR speak for a caboose. As with any train, a cut of cars for the Feeder or MA jobs should never be backed into a caboose whenever possible.
8.
The Change of Engines job is not modeled; Yard Engines stayed at Yard A
and were changed one for one as needed by CE crew. A tank truck from Morris
Park serviced yard engines where they worked; this truck usually serviced
whichever engine was on the P.M. Bliss Drill at Blissville Yard in the
afternoon. Most road jobs (MA-xs) returned their engines to Morris Park after
the job.
9.
Modeled freight cars should be weighted on scales at Eighth Street Yard
(modeled as a siding only).
10.
When spotting cars to industries, leave enough time to set the air in emergency
mode and set the handbrake.
Dispatchers Callboard
TRAIN TIME ORIGINATION TRACK DESTINATION TRACK |
|
Feeder
Job |
Feeder Job ?:00 PM YARD A FLOAT YARD MA-6 1:00 AM Dpt YARD A Big Middle MASPETH via BLISS ? MA-6 ?:00 PM Ar BLISSVILLE TBD YARD A ? MA-16 Ladder
Drill Bliss
Yard Drill ?:00
PM YARD
A BLISSVILLE MA-7 WB MA-7
EB ? Ar BLISSVILLE TBD
YARD A A/D TRACK MA-8 WB MA-8 EB ?:00 AM BLISSVILLE ? YARD A |
|
|
Let’s start at the east end of the layout in Yard A. We’ll talk about each train individually, starting first with our four (4) modeled road jobs and then covering our three (3) modeled yard drills.
All MA-designated trains pulled a
caboose. Without a caboose, back up moves made at many locations over main
track would be dangerous, so hacks were used. The Hack also served as locker
room for the crew, conductor’s office, as well as a place for the flagman at
the rear of the train.
Orientation: Facing Yard A on our model railroad, you are facing north; MA-6 would
travel to your left. At
Orientation:
Orientation: Facing our modeled Long Island City Yard A, you are facing north; your
MA-8 local would travel WB to your left. Goes to work at
Orientation:
*On the LIRR, a 16-hour
work rule was in effect in the early 1960s.
Orientation: Facing our modeled Sixth Street Yard, you are facing north; Float One and Two would travel to your right and return traveling left. Float One and Two pulled westbound freight cars from the Eighth Street Yard into the leads to be loaded onto the next floats by an S-2 westward occupying the Long Island City Float Bridge. No hack was used on any of the three tricks of either of these two yard transfers. As modeled, these tricks will be combined for operational purposes with the Feeder Job unless actual experience dictates otherwise.
Orientation: Facing our modeled Sixth Street Yard, you are facing north; Feeder Job would travel to your right and return traveling left. B&O hoppers carrying Tioga No. 5 bituminous coal from Tioga Coal Corporation, Tioga, West Virginia are switched by an S-2 eastward from the Long Island City Float Bridge (Sixth Street Yard) to Yard A east end to eventually form a South Side Extra to Island Park’s LILCO (Long Island Lighting Company); first move was pulled up and dropped on the Feeder Track. Empty B&O hoppers are switched by this eight (8)-hour Yard Transfer from Yard A westward to Long Island City’s Float Bridge (space limitations prohibited modeling the sister float bridge). Feeder Job did not use a hack as it would only have gotten in the way.
On three-track floats such as the modeled LIRR float # 26, we follow prototype crew designations whereby tracks were known as “North”, “Middle”, and “South” (the layout track closest to the operator’s aisle).
First Trick, Bliss Yard Drill
Orientation:
LOCAL SWITCHLIST, BLISSVILE AREA
Van Iderstine Received: (truck
deliveries) meat scraps, carcasses. Van Iderstine South track took box
cars for loading of processed material and on the North side Shipped
out: Animal Feed
Shaw Walker Furniture Received: ? Shipped out:?
Orientation:
Yard A Job, a utility job, did cleanup work on the
yard’s west end such as doubling cuts of cars over to put in their
proper position in a train, to get outgoing trains ready or switching cars out
of, into, and respotting the two cripple (RIP) tracks. In the RIP tracks, cars
were parted individually so car repairmen could walk around them or jack them,
if necessary, to make repairs. The
conductor on the East End Job “owned” Yard A. The
For modeled operations, our East End Ladder Job
combines three (3) jobs: its own, the separate prototype Yard A Job, and
the Freight House Job. As with the prototype, modeled pickup moves
should be made first with crews finishing by dropping arriving cars at their
destinations.
LOCAL SWITCHLIST, YARD A AREA
As modeled /West
to East
Spot 9 Sternberger Warehouse Shipped: empties Received:?
Spot 10 Bickford=s A co-tenant in the
Spot
13a CN Building /West Chemical Products/West Disinfectants (where the
Stink Track got its name)
Spot
13b West
Chemical Products - Shipping Dept.
Spot 15 Astoria Lumber Shipped:
empties Received: Lumber
Spot 17a Louis Sherry Ice Cream
Spot 19a Roto Broil Shipped
Received:
Yard A Schedule
Time |
Description |
Notes |
First
Trick |
Feeder
Job |
Yard
Transfer Eastward to Yard A; B&O Hoppers to form South Side Extra to
Lilco, |
|
Blissville
Yard Drill |
Departs
Yard A WB to Blissville Yard and then returns EB to Yard A |
Each
weekday 1:00
AM Dpt. Each
weekday |
MA-16* MA-6* |
Round
trip to Pond (not modeled) WB via Montauk Cutoff to Blissville Yard and returns
EB to Yard A To
Maspeth (not modeled) on Montauk Branch WB via Montauk Cutoff ends at
Blissville Yard and returns EB to Yard A |
12:01
AM Dpt. |
MA-7* |
Takes
meat to VD Yard/Flatbush (not modeled) via Montauk Cutoff ends
at Blissville Yard and returns EB to Yard A |
5:00
AM Dpt. |
MA-8* |
To
Pond (not modeled) via Montauk Cutoff where it picks up it train for the Bay
Ridge Branch (not modeled); ends at Blissville Yard and returns EB to Yard A |
All times are when engineer
is called to duty at Morris Park.
Blissville Yard Schedule
Time |
Description |
Notes |
|
Blissville
Yard Drill |
Switches
tank cars for Van Iderstine North (industry) and returns light to Yard
A during same trick. The later |
|
MA-6 MA-16 MA-17 MA-8 |
Arrives
WB from and returns EB to Yard A Arrives
WB from and returns EB to Yard A Arrives
WB from and returns EB to Yard A Arrives
WB from and returns EB to Yard A |
Time |
Description |
Notes |
|
Float
One First Trick** – Drill (switching crew) |
Pulls
freight cars from floats to be made up into MA-6 and MA-8 |
|
Float
Two First Trick** – Drill (switching crew) |
Pulled
westbound freight cars from Eighth Street Yard to be loaded on floats |
|
Yard
Transfer Eastward to Yard A |
Feeder
Job; B&O Hoppers EB to form South Side Extra to Lilco, |
Finishes
|
Yard
Transfer Westward from Yard A |
Feeder
Job; Empties, B&O Hoppers from Lilco power plant to LIRR Car Float #26.
All told, it is an 8-hour trick |
Arch Street
Time |
Description |
Notes |
|
Freight
House Job |
LCL
in the 1960s; box cars are spotted at platform |
*Trains entering Yard A must receive permission from the Yard A Yardmaster (wearing brown badge).
**Prototype
railroaders work in 8-hour shifts called “tricks”
***Recall engine crews reported at Morris Park (not modeled) and took 45 minutes to get to Yard A, so train crews worked 1 ˝ hour shorter shifts than LIRR engine crews.
In the early 1960s, a LIRR freight train
would have six employees on board: a conductor, engineer, fireman, head
brakeman, rear brakeman, and if the train were longer than 25 cars, a seventh
employee the flagman. We will model only these positions:
Crew
members must take an engraved clip-on name badge from our call board (badges
have a magnetic strip on the back so they adhere to magnets on call board). We
follow these operating positions to allow both visitors and regular crew members
to participate without being locked into one of the more humorous identities.
All LIRR identities modeled from Gene
Collora’s “1966 Was a Time of Change on the Railroad” Semaphore,
April 1991, page 6. Other period nicknames included: “Clinker Joe”, “Lying
Tom”, and
“Pudding Head.”
Management anticipates this layout will operate with far fewer than the fourteen (14) positions listed below. In that likely event certain positions will be consolidated as per the direction of your trainmaster.
Position Freight
Trainmaster Engineer Conductor* Brakeman Yardmaster Freight
Agent Dispatcher Bridge
Tender |
Badge Color Gold/White PineGreen/White Azure
Blue/White Burgundy/White Black/Yellow Brown/White Red/White Gray/White White/Black |
Engraved Names/Location Hiram
F. Slocum MA-16
“Swine Butt”, MA-8 “Soup Greens” MA-6
“Bat”, MA-7 “East and West” Iron
Hat, Flat Day Yard
A Yardmaster Arch
Street Freight House Blissville† Cabin
M Bridgetender |
*The
conductor was in charge of the train, in theory, at least.
†No yardmaster was assigned to the prototype Blissville Yard.
In charge of all the
North Shore Yard(s) (term encompassing all prototype yards from
If there are sufficient operators, the Jamaica Dispatcher will [1] assign positions to each operator/distribute badges; [2] distribute throttle(s) and explain decoder addresses; [3] be responsible for collecting badges and throttles, [4] reversing the polarity of 9V throttle batteries and returning all throttle(s) to their cradles; [5] assist Trainmaster with turning all waybills at the operating session’s end; [6] maintain RIP track secondary waybills; and [7] shut down Empire Builder II by turning off power to the system.
A
Switchtender, located at the Thompson Avenue Shanty located beneath the
Queensboro Bridge Approach, is responsible, as in the prototype, for all
switches [1] coming up the #1 Lead from the floats, [2] the Montauk Cutoff, [3]
from the leads to 8th Street Yard (modeled in abbreviated form),
Wall, Little Middle, Eastbound and [4] The Run Track (held 50 cars) into and
out of Yard A. Modeled position follows
prototype duties.
CABIN M Bridgetender operated
both the double-track, skewed, deck plate-girder
Scherzer rolling lift
Montauk Cutoff traffic ran to the left. By thus running directly into the long tracks on Yard A’s north side, westbound freights could enter Yard A without interfering with other yard activities. This is followed on our model.
Interesting terminology – A swing bridge, such as
the one over Dutch Kills, rests on a “turning pier” and its protective timbers
are called “fenders”.
The “draw rest” is the whole center island including
not only the turning pier but the rest of the island.
Signals : 3 high eastward home signal, 6 low eastward signal, 7 low westward signal, I high westward signal on signal bridge with high automatic signal M12 which is distant signal to Bliss, M16 is automatic distant signal to Cabin M.
In charge of his yard, this yardmaster is responsible for the efficient operation of this terminal including: blocking of trains, switching cars, efficiently using available tracks to expedite the movement of trains and switch crews, communicating with the Trainmaster and Jamaica Dispatcher concerning the need for crews, locomotives, and joint decisions involving the operation of the railroad and this terminal yard.
Yard A
Yardmaster must [1] remove all modeled coal loads from our B&O Hoppers
before they are sent back WB to our car float; [2] turn the related waybills;
[3]Yard A fiddle office holds secondary waybill boxes for each red card gateway
and an additional large-capacity box for local green card shipments. The
Yardmaster shuffles green waybills and deposits them at random into
“Big Middle” Track is used
as Yard A’s arrival/departure track.
Leave
“Stink Track” clear as switching lead and to switch the local industries
modeled.
Yard
A, Track 3 serves as the storage track for departing
freight cars.
The
spur of Track 3 should be used as the Caboose Track.
The capacity of modeled holding tracks and equivalent 40-foot car lengths are as follows:
“Stink” 5
est.
“Big Middle” 5
est.
Track 3 5
est.
Placing a cut longer than the above length on a track will make it
impossible to couple up to the cut.
Operators may wish to consider blocking certain
trains on certain tracks. Yard limits: yard limit boards absent as yard entrance
was controlled by BLISS or F(mainline cutoff to
Montauk Cutoff)
Notes for the Blissville Freight Agent
At Bliss Interlocking, Van Iderstine North at
L.I. City-Bliss Secondary Track C
Interlocking |
Interlocking Station |
Block Station |
STATIONS |
Distance from LIC |
- X |
- B |
- B |
Dutch Kills DrawBr Bliss |
0.7 1.2 |
Bliss – Yard A Secondary Tracks
Interlocking |
Interlocking Station |
Block Station |
STATIONS |
Distance from Bliss |
X - - |
B - - |
B - - |
Bliss Cabin M End of Secondary Track |
0.0 0.4 1.5 |
Note – X indicates in service continuously, B indicates in service part-time
Notes for the
LCL, small-lot freight shipments handled and billed
directly by the Long Island Railroad, does not mean a car is not full. LCL
traffic goes to freight houses where several shippers’ loads have been combined
in a car to move in local freight trains. Arch Street was an open (manned)
station.
As late as 1964 or 1965, the 3:59 P.M. Freight House
job switched and placed all sidings from Harold Avenue Yard (not modeled) to 8th
Street Yard (modeled as a siding only) as well as switching and spotting Arch
Street Transfer aka Freight House. At
Most
empties pulled from Arch Street Freight House were westbounds unless
billed otherwise. Westbounds were left at the crossover between the Arch
Street/Team Yard lead and the Eighth Street Hill. The Hill Job picked up these
cars to be put into the right track for the float that would take them to the
railroad where they were billed or in the case of empties, side tagged. Most
LCL loads were destined for eastbound destinations on the LIRR or
offline to NH and brought to Yard A, again, unless billed westbound. LCL cars
billed to the PRR, CNJ, NYC or other car float interchanges would be treated
like any other westbound and went
through the westbound yard at Eight Street, rather than go to Yard A, for
placement at Sixth Street Yard. LCL-laden freight cars are placed next to the
caboose so they can be delivered first. Cars billed to other destinations on
Paperwork modeled for LCL
freight includes: Inbound LCL waybills, made of red cardstock, one end
is labeled “Yard A” or Sixth Street (for sorting purposes), the other end of
our red card states the [1]online destination, [2]
commodity, and [3] an estimated time in minutes the shipment takes to transfer
from LCL car to station agent at Arch Street [point of delivery]). Yard
To unload cars at
Notes for the
The prototype Yardmaster must admit all trains into Sixth
Street Yard without delay and build up outgoing trains in the order most
convenient for switching at stations along the way. Freight from the South and
West arrived via car floats (towed by Tugboat) into the North Shore Yard at
The
Our modeled Sixth Street Yardmaster must assist our Feeder Job by [1] throwing switches, [2] inserting coal loads into empty hoppers, and [3] organizing all car cards and waybills under his control.
GENERAL RULES
93 This rule did not apply in
the areas modeled as neither North Shore Yards nor Montauk Cutoff, nor
Blissville were single track mainline.
99 Flagman must get out to protect rear of train
when train is stopped, performing switching duties, or when it would be
hindering other trains.
100-F When a train is disabled, stopped or delayed from any cause, on a Main
track, Secondary Track or siding, the conductor, engineer, or any member of
their crew, when authorized by the conductor or engineer, must promptly notify
the Block operator.
OPERATING RULES
1038-G Maximum Speeds
Montauk
Cut-off Miles
per Hour
Cabin
M Bridge Freight and Work Trains 15
1151-F Montauk Cut-Off
These
tracks will be operated in the following manner:
Type of Operation Initial
Terminal Air Test Brake Pipe Leak
Test Rear-end Set and Release
Set out one or more cars - - 2
minutes*
Pick up one or more cars 1 minute per car - 2
minutes*
Change engine and/or
caboose 2 minutes per car 2 minutes 2 minutes*
Initial terminal test
with yard air 2 minutes per car 2 minutes 2 minutes*
Initial terminal test
with switch engine 2 minutes per car 2 minutes 2 minutes*
Initial terminal test
with road engine 1 minute per car 2 minutes **
Notes:
*Rear-end set and release must be made with road
engine.
** Slow (5-10mph) roll-by inspection must be made to
see that brakes have released.
After a train comes into a yard, power is cut away
from the train. Each car in the train has its brakes placed in emergency once
air hoses part.
1071 Picking Up Cars in a Yard Track (using air brakes)
Directions for Conductor
§
Get clearance to enter yard track containing cars
§
Notify crewmembers you are ready to enter track
§
Ensure all switch rails are set to desired track
§
Instruct engineer to move into track
§
Protect the end of your train by either walking, riding on the end car
or ensuring another crewmember is located where the coupling is to be made.
Keep in contact with your engineer while describing distance between cars
§
Stop the engine about one car length from the cars in the track and
ensure: one or both coupler knuckles are opened and couplers are properly
aligned
§
Instruct engineer to move towards the coupling (keep in contact with
engineer describing distance between cars)
§
Instruct engineer to stop to make the coupling, taking into account
slack action
§
Visually verify that a good coupling was made and then instruct
engineer to “slack off” (move the other direction slightly) and then stop.*
§
If your crew was notified that the cut of cars is “air ready” release
(knock off) the pre-applied handbrakes skip this next step
§
If the cut has not “had the air run,” then verify the following by walking
the cut of cars:
o
All couplings between the cars are made
o
All handbrakes are released
o
All 3-way valves are bled
o
All air hoses are connected between cars
o
All air line angle cocks are open between cars
o
The last air line angle cock on the cut of cars is closed
§
Return to the point of the coupling, notify the engineer and slowly
open the angle cock on the last car of the train to allow air into the cut of
cars being picked up
§
Get clearance to leave the yard and then instruct the engineer to pull
the cars out of the track. Protect the end (bottom) of the cut of cars by
riding (catching-up) on the end of the last car. **
§
But LIRR generally did not use air brakes in yard switching. So
instead,
§
Verify or perform the following by walking the cut of cars
o
All couplings between the cars are made
o
All hand brakes are released
o
All 3-way valves are bled.
Air hose connections and angle cock positions are of
no importance when not using/connecting air to a cut of cars being worked in a
yard. Generally speaking, trains or yard crews that are taking cars out of the
yard will utilize air when picking up cars. Switcher crews working only in the
yard will very seldom use air while switching. However, switcher crews working
cuts taken directly from or added directly to trains will commonly use air.
Also a switcher crew may “run the air” on a ct they have finished working so
that a train picking up the cars later will not need to spend time running the
air. This is the call of the yardmaster.
* Jim Mansfield, “Time for a Pull, the First Moves” Model Railroading July 2001, page 62
** Jim Mansfield, “Time for a Pull, the Last Moves” Model Railroading August 2001, page 59
1072 Superiority of Trains
Eastward trains are superior by direction to trains
of the same class in the opposite direction, unless otherwise specified.
1103-F MONTAUK BRANCH BETWEEN
At the following public highway crossings at grade,
when operating against the current of traffic, trains or engines must STOP
clear of these crossings and protect as required by Rule 103 unless it is seen
or known that crossing gates are in lowered position.
1120 Fiddled Cars
When cars are fiddled off our modeled railroad,
waybills should be stripped from the car cards and filed based on their logical
off-layout origin from which the bills would be used to route a car onto the
layout. Car cards should be kept with the cars they represent.
1280 to 1297 B
Signals located to left of track which they govern:
Montauk
Cutoff
Between
Bliss and
Eastward
home signal Cabin M.
Westward
position light distant signal M-13 located 471 feet west of Cabin M.