Re: [CBQ] Switch Lists

["ken thompson" <mailboat4@gmail.com>]

For Leo and Pete 

I model the Peoria Sub. in 1964.

I'm particularly interested in how the yard in Peoria may have been run.

As for some background     information:

I was a yard conductor/foreman for the UP in the early 2000's at a couple of yards up here in WI.

In that time period we'd get a switch list from the yardmaster and go out and complete whatever classifying was on the list.  When done we'd report back to the YM and he would move whatever cars we had switched around in the computer accordingly.  This would usually be around 80 cars or so.  After that we'd get another list and go back out for more. Depending on the time of day you might get a lunch break.

Some jobs were one man with a remote control locomotive.

The last yard I worked at still had a partitioned rack of shelves with each cubby hole numbered for a track in the yard.  I was told that back in the day the waybills for the cars on each track were sorted into the appropriate hole.

We also broke down the inbound trains and built the outbounds and doubled them out with the road crew.  We also worked the nearby industry jobs.

Jump back to 1964.

I wonder if there was an actual YM at Peoria, or more probably a couple of clerks that made up the switch lists, along with an operator working in the depot/yard office.  I'm thinking that the yard foreman acted as a footboard yard master.  Does this sound plausible? I know that larger yards back then had car checkers as well, but with Peoria only having around 14 tracks I wonder if one of the clerks was assigned that job  too?

To add to this there were also a dedicated piggyback track or two that held five total 85' piggyback flats at Peoria. These were serviced by BTL (Burlington Truck Lines).  Would they have had there own agent working in the Peoria yard office too?

Ken Thompson

So. Milwaukee

On Fri, Apr 15, 2022, 5:26 PM Leo Phillipp via groups.io <qutlx1=aol.com@groups.io> wrote:

To add to Pete’s excellent description…. Later as things began to be computerized a bit by the Q (mid to late 60s) the Condr received a printed wheel report of cars in his train with info. about L/E, destination station, industry. He may or may not get waybills to go with the cars depending on whether there were agents at the stations being served, a mobile agent, or not, if there were not and the job was a turnaround returning to the same initial terminal. You could still receive a switch list, piece of stationary or something from the agent as to what was to be done at his station or stations with cars on hand.

By BN SPINS days all the Condr. On the local received was the wheel report with the destination customer info. But again if there were on line agents then the bills went with the cars. Here again you could still be handed a piece of paper by the agent or with your trains orders that at……. p/u ABCX or respot this or that,etc.

Surprisingly on through trains all the trains waybills went with the wheel report to the Conductor. Then if there were in route set outs on the trip the bills were wrapped up in a copy of the wheel report and tossed off to the agent or OP at that station. There’s a whole story in itself as to what that involved with some colorful stories. Stay tuned for those in an upcoming BRHS article about Congress Park that is now in the queue for publication. 

Leo Phillipp

Ps- yard jobs had a totally different way of handling which car goes where. 

On Apr 15, 2022, at 4:13 PM, jpslhedgpeth via groups.io <jpslhedgpeth=aol.com@groups.io> wrote:



Things may be different now, but "back in the day" here's how it worked.   Let's assume that the "local" leaves it's IT  (Initial terminal)

The conductor has his waybills in a big pile..hopeflully in "'train order"   He will make up his "consist"  ie a list of cars by "Initial and number" that are in his train.  The top of the list is the "rear end"  From this "consist" he knows what work is to be done at each station.

When he gets to his first stop he gets a "switch list" from the agent.  Said list shows what cars are where in his yard and what is to be done with these cars...ie  spotted to a different business, mty...taken with the train or whatever the case may be.

When the train arrives at each station  the Con gets the list from the agent.  Gives the list to his rear brakeman...goes into the depot and sits down to visit with the agent while the two brakeman do the "Station Switching.  ie   Setting out and spotting the cars the local brought in..picking up the cars that are mty or  loaded as the case may be to be taken with the train.

The brakemen get the train together.  The conductor has the bills for the cars he is taking and has left the bills for the cars he left at tlhe station.

As the train approaches the terminal the conductor makes up a train list of what cars are in his train and where they go.  He takes it into the OP or whoever is in charge and that's it.

Pete

-----Original Message-----
From: Robert Herrick <rdherrick@gmail.com>
To: CBQ@groups.io
Sent: Fri, Apr 15, 2022 12:48 pm
Subject: [CBQ] Switch Lists

There is a point of confusion I have about switch lists, which I'm hoping someone can clarify for me. I have read that conductors are handed a list when leaving the yard for local work on the cars in the train and where they are to be spotted at each town and I have also read that conductors were handed a switch list at each town by the agent/operator of cars to be switched. I've long looked at Form 1645 in Bernie's book and wondered which it is.

Bob Herrick

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