The Setting

 

Rail Xpress Railroad (RxRR) is a terminal switching railroad with a CTC controlled double track beltline configuration surrounding a metropolitan area of Gotham.   RxRR interchanges with several class I railroads with major interchange yard at Logan.  Industries served by RxRR enjoy good competitive transportation links to the world.  The great success of RxRR operations can be attributed to their prescription to effectively and economically serve over150 customers in 22 switching districts to quickly and timely freight operation.  RxRR layout is a switching layout with industrial and interchange car spots to be over 700. On RxRR yard transfer rail traffic originates and terminates at Logan interchange yard and or Gotham Yard with intermediate stops at Havana and Sexton Yards, in addition to work at Ada, Double, Lake, Doyle, Lee, Oneida, Plymouth, Dundee, Randall, Urbana, and Liberty Interchanges.  There is a major classification yard at Gotham and minor yards at Sexton, Havana, Hudson and Rowan.

 

Customer base is primarily manufacturing, bringing in raw materials like steel, plastic pellets, crude oil, chemicals, lumber, and food stuffs.  RxRR ships finished goods like appliances, machinery, furniture, truck parts, metal shelving, printed materials, chemicals, toys, sporting goods and bicycles to name a few products.  Also, RxRR handles various agricultural products such as grains, fresh produce, canned fruits and vegetables, and meats.

 

A typical crew would be CTC Dispatcher, Gotham Yard Master, Havana/Sexton Yard Master, and eight 1 or 2 person road crews operating locals and yard transfers.  A typical session will have 12 yard transfers trains, 20 local switching jobs, and 6 units trains (i.e., coal, aggregate, grain, and petroleum products) plus a lonely Doodlebug passenger train. There are 12 locals out of Gotham, and 5 out of Sexton and 3 out of Havana.  Crews utilize telephone intercom system to communicate with Dispatcher and Gotham Yard Master.   

Operational Overview

Yard transfers originating in Logan or Gotham have two uses.  First, they provide cars to fulfill “car requests" at each of the yards from local freight agent.  The cars are placed on destination tracks for local trains.  Second, yard transfers pick up outbound cars that were set out by local train crew after completing their assignment and take them to Logan interchange yard.  Thus, yard transfers provides the mechanism for taking care of in and out bound traffic.   The local turns pickup and setout cars at the various industries.  This car forwarding system is self staging and errors by crews are easily corrected.   A more comprehensive description can be found in the "General Operating Information and Procedures" section.

The Dispatcher is responsible for moving rail traffic in division in a safe and effective manner.  The dispatcher relies on his training and information displayed on dispatcher's panel as well as information from road crew via radio.  Both train crews and dispatcher have a copy of Train Orders and are required to review before departure.   Please take note of any special instructions indicated on train orders.

 

THE LAYOUT

RxRR occupies an “F” shaped 2700 sq ft room.  Track configurations is a figure 8 folded onto itself.  The 830+ ft double track mainline is CTC dispatcher controlled, utilizing a  3 serial node c/mri detection and signaling system.   Dispatcher panel is three LED monitors.