Ed Chambers is getting close to the answer for how did a road crew with a 
block of cars to s/o or p/u at an intermediate larger yard know where to put 
them 
in pre-radio days. The operator would indeed be involved but at least on the 
Q at places like Eola,and W Eola, there was a specific methodology used. It 
did not involve the operator going outside to hoop up a note,nor the crew 
stopping to talk to someone or a note with orders when starting out as that 
would 
have been too many hours in advance and things changed. What did  these places 
and more physically have in common ?     
I suspect this method of communicating was in widespread use across the Q and 
other RR's. Probably was used at Cicero to advise inbound road crews what 
trk. to pull into in 'D' yard.
Again here's two clues: you could model this on your layout and be able to 
see it. At least at one location in Chicago on the Q/BN it was used well into 
the 70's to communicate track(unloading side) information to passenger trains. 
Remember as in many things on the RR is was suprizingly simple and immediately 
understood.
Leo
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