Re: [CBQ] Switch Lists

["jpslhedgpeth via groups.io" <jpslhedgpeth=aol.com@groups.io>]

Thanks for the compliment Leo...Something I should have added....actually, by now most of you know that...ALL OF MY GROUND WORK  WAS DONE BEFORE THE COMPUTER.  In those days the "waybill" was the "holy grail" of everything.  If you didn't have the "bill" you were totally blind as to the car's contents, weight or commodity.   

In the event that a car had to be set out at other than a "manned" station you had to ALWAYS tell the DS or other reliable person as to the location of "THE BILL"

Also the only way that the destination for the cars in a train could be determined by the station receiving the train was by a "consist" prepared by the train conductor and "thrown off" at a "manned station" between the origin and destination where the "OP" would  "WIRE" ie telegraph t;he train's consist car by car including contents and destination.  This was especially important in cases where a close connection for perishable commodities was impending.  

Here's an example:   On the Rock Island  (pre computer)  ie early 60's.   Every night several trains hauling fresh fruit and vegetables as well as meat would leave Silvis Yard...near Rock Island IL headed for Blue Island (Chicago)  These  the "perishables" had to make a 4:30am deadline connection for the eastern roads which was to forward these loads on to New York, Boston etc.

The yardmaster at Blue Island had to have sufficient jobs  (switch engines) available "out on the hill"  (just west of Blue Island) to take these perishable loads off the inbound train and over to the Indiana Harbor Belt), Grand Trunck RR's etc for icing and switching.   

The only early evening information the YM at BI had was ie  98...4 perishable, 6 meat etc.  He had no information as to what "eastern connection" these perishable loads went to untll he got a "consist" Itrain list..car by car 

Here's how it worked to get the operation to work.   When the trains left Silvis Yard the conductor would make up a "consist" from the waybills showing car by car how his train "stood"  ie the location of the cars in his train and in what order.

The train conductor would make up a consist and throw it off at Bureau where the OP would "wire"  ie Telegraph the train consist car by wire to the Operator at Blue Island passenger depot.  The BI YM would be in his 'coop" office sitting literally and figuratively  "in  the dark" regarding how these trains were going to come to him.  The regular YM was a real "old timer"  Mel Voitek of the Czechoslovakian persuasion and somewhat a bit "high strung"  Mel would be calling the BI depot operator about every 10 minutes as to  whether he had the "consists"...Finally when said consist was received Mel would "dispatch" one of the office clerks to "race" down to the depot and get the consist.  When that was done the clerk..or maybe the trainmaster  "Namely Me" would run over to the BI yard office and back with the consist for Mel.  Once he had said consist by car number and destination he could set up his engines "out on the hill" with instruction as to how many cars for each connecting road there would be in the train(s) and also the  "CUT NUMBER".   It was high pressure operation every night to make things work out, but it usuallyl did.  

Remember this was all "pre computer" and everything done was in "real time" and by "men on the ground".

Railroading is now just TOO EASY AND SEEMS TO LACK THE EXCITEMENT OF THOSE DAYS.    

But the best part of it now is the privilege of talking and telling about it.

Pete

-----Original Message-----
From: Leo Phillipp via groups.io <qutlx1=aol.com@groups.io>
To: CBQ@groups.io
Sent: Fri, Apr 15, 2022 5:26 pm
Subject: Re: [CBQ] Switch Lists

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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