Switching Saturday

[santafewillie]

Since I don't do videos, I will subject you to a series of pictures for Switching Saturday.
Among my seven grain elevators on the layout, I have one particularly large (for a layout) one for ADM. The elevator operator has 14 loaded covered hoppers to be picked up, and needs some empties. This is a big customer and the railroad generally takes good care of them.
Here's a pair of SD40-2's heading in with 16 empties.

The full hoppers are on both the storage track and the loading track.

Leaving the empties on the main, the power makes the run-around on the siding.

The crew removes the caboose and shoves it down the siding.

Then they remove the cars from the loading track and push them down the siding as well.

Then it's time for the ones on the storage track which were moved over there a few days earlier by the local passing by.

Then empties are moved from the main to the storage track and the loading track.

Power is attached to the full cars waiting on the siding, brake test is made and off they go.

That's it for this week.

 

[gjslsffan]

Great Model Switching everyone.
I have a short line outfit that switches part of the MRR here, the Hindsight Industrial RR (HIRX). Here it is with a couple units they own, two CF7's switching a tank farm at Morh Oil Co.

Thanks for taking a look.

 

[Snowman]

Wow. A "snoot!" (your road number 5140).

I remember SP and UP both ran them either using, or just testing the then cutting edge "Locotrol," which was an early version of today's distributed power. Not very successful...back then.

I didn't know Santa Fe tried that experiment too. Or did they just buy them from one or both of the other two aforementioned roads? I confess I really don't know.

In any case, it's nice to see a variation. Almost a throwback, too, to the low nose SD-24's or the Alligators.

--------------

As to the caboose, would you remember the name of the (long since removed by the era you depict here)...that metal disc used to signal the head end that the rear end was ready to go...or not go? The one that was raised up over the top of the train so the head end could see it (raised up using the physical armstrong method by the rear end crew).

IIRC it was painted orange, perforated, and something like 3 ft. in diameter. This would be back in the pre-radio era--probably WWII and and a few years after that.

The Santa Fe had a distinct name for it I remember. An "Orange Ball," or something like that.

 

[Snowman]

Great Model Switching everyone.
I have a short line outfit that switches part of the MRR here, the Hindsight Industrial RR (HIRX). Here it is with a couple units they own, two CF7's switching a tank farm at Morh Oil Co.
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Thanks for taking a look.

Really nice, your CF-7s. IIRC those were Santa Fe units, redesigned (with he higher, full width--then new standard or common--cab. But still with the narrow forward projecting nose of "yesteryear."

I THINK those came out of the SF's Barstow shops. Yes? No?

 

[gjslsffan]

Really nice, your CF-7s. IIRC those were Santa Fe units, redesigned (with he higher, full width--then new standard or common--cab. But still with the narrow forward projecting nose of "yesteryear."

I THINK those came out of the SF's Barstow shops. Yes? No?

Thank you!
They were re-built from F units, but thats about all I know about them .
Here is a link to better explain.

Santa Fe CF7 - Wikipedia

en.wikipedia.org

 

[BigGRacing]

Simply awesome photos, thanks for sharing everyone, and the tanks are awesome !

 

[santafewillie]

I didn't know Santa Fe tried that experiment too. Or did they just buy them from one or both of the other two aforementioned roads? I confess I really don't know.

Santa Fe ordered 40 snoot noses from EMD, among the 187 that they had overall. Theirs had the 123" nose, which contained Locotrol, equipment, which was ultimately a failure. They were numbered 5020-5027, and 5109-5140. Even numbered ones were "masters" and odd numbered ones were "slaves". Locotrol was an early form of DPU which didn't work well due to the analog technology.

 

[santafewillie]

I THINK those came out of the SF's Barstow shops. Yes? No?

No. They were rebuilt "F7" units that came from the Cleburne shop, hence the "CF7". Tom's link should explain it all.

 

[TrucTrain55]

Thanks for sharing yesterday guy’s beautiful pics. Here’s mine just a little late though. This is a old Lionel NW2 that I restored and Custom painted. It’s doing some Piggyback switching.

 

[santafewillie]

Did some switching yesterday. It wasn't a busy day, the crew only had one empty covered grain hopper to switch out for a full one at the Lewiston Grain Coop.
Here they are approaching with a pair of CF7's providing the motive power.

The target industry.

Dropping the caboose off on the passing siding.

The full car lurking behind the elevator.

The hookup to pull it out. It will be spotted on the main.

Empty in place.

Running down the main to retrieve the caboose from the siding.

Caboose being shoved down the main to be attached to the full hopper. Then the motive power will head back to run around and hook up to the hopper on the other end. It's too far to push all of the way back to the yard.

Then they will head back to the yard. The grain hopper will then head down to the port of Houston for export loading.

 

[TrucTrain55]

Happy Easter here’s a Weaver RS-3 hauling some Easter goodies for tomorrow.

 

[kjd]

Here's one from an Aprils Fools joke back in the day. Evan, the roundhouse foreman, overheard the crew on the local say they could use just a bit more power coming up out of the industrial area. Ever the practical joker, he grabbed a brand new GP60B off the ready track and stuck it in between the two GP39Es the local used, nearly doubling the hp available. Seen here, they are dropping down to pick up one of the pink covered hoppers off the team track and then need to switch the warehouse tracks. Hopefully, they get done before the 60B is expected to leave on an eastbound stack train or the joke will be on him.

 

[TrucTrain55]

Here’s some switching on the O scale layout with my Post war Lionel NW2 that I custom painted and decaled

 

[skyliner]

Switching, you say? Alright, here's a pair of GP40-2's working the (relatively small) South St. Paul yard in 2017.

 

[TrucTrain55]

Switching, you say? Alright, here's a pair of GP40-2's working the (relatively small) South St. Paul yard in 2017.

Nice thanks for sharing

 

[McLeod]

CN locomotives heading home out of the yard, following some switching work commitments. A poor photo from last year.

 

[TrucTrain55]

Here’s a Katy H16-44 bringing in a small manifest to be switched out.

 

[hunslet040]

Another load for the factory from the Quarry.

Waiting for the steam railcar to pass before going for some more.

 

[Rico]

Neat!
I have a few of those ore jennies with the strange little couplers.

 

[hunslet040]

I have a few of those ore jennies with the strange little couplers.

The couplers are just a smaller version of the "Loop and Peg" type used by the majority of European H0 manufacturers since the 1940s.
The train in the top photo is an original Eggerbahn set from 1963 so is 60 years old and works perfectly although with only one axle driven it's haulage capacity is limited - probably like the real thing !
The lower photo is of a later version of the same thing but with all axles driven.
I have never heard of the wagons called "Jennies" Over here they are usually called "Vee-skips" and the type with a box body which does not tip are called "Tubs".