Switchlists

A Switchlist is an optional form that is somewhat useful for a road freight train, and especially useful for a yardmaster/yard engineer.

When a block of cars, destined for various places, are dropped off in a yard the yardmaster must break them down and classify (sort) them onto different tracks.  A blank switchlist provides a place to list each car and its next destination in order that cars heading the same direction can be assigned to be blocked on the same track.  Further, if time allows, the cars can be further blocked for subsequent destinations.

EXAMPLE

Let’s say that 8 cars from the west were left on the arrival track of your yard this morning.  You see that cars 1, 2, 5, 7, and 8 will be heading further east on the 3PM through freight to the next division point (A) where cars 2, 7, and 8 will travel even further east to division point (B) and cars 1 and 5 will be delivered to industries served from point A.  Cars 3 and 6 will be delivered to ACME and car 4 will be delivered to B&B, both industries that are served by a local freight out of your own yard.  You have three classification tracks available.  Track 1 has room for 7 cars, Track 2 has room for only 2 cars and Track 3 has room for 4 cars.

The first thing you do is assign classification Track 1 to your “through freight” train and Track 3 for local.  You spot cars 1, 2, 5, 7, and 8 on Track 1 and 3, 4 and 6 on Track 3.  Now, if the “through freight”.  Now, you at least have all the cars that will be leaving at 3PM together on one track and the others on another track.

If you have plenty of time before the “through freight arrives, you next pull Track 1 and drop car 1 on Track 2.  Return to Track 1 and drop off car 2.  Return to Track 2 and drop off car 5 with car 1.  Next drop cars 7 & 8 with car 2.  Now you have the cars that are local to the next division point on Track 2 and the 3 cars that are going to continue east past the next division point on Track 1.  They are properly blocked.  Now, pull cars 1 and 5 from Track 2 and leave drop them ahead of cars 2, 7, & 8 on Track 1 to await the “through freight”.

Next, for your local freight, you know that ACME is a trailing point spur and the local will work it first.  Go back to Track 3 and pull cars 4 and 6.  Temporarily drop car 4 on Track 2, then return car 6 to Track 1 to complete the block heading to ACME.  Return to Track 2, pull car 4 and return it to Track 3.

You can do these moves in any number of orders, but, the first objective is to have the cars heading east ready to go so as to not delay the “through freight”.  If time allows, block their cars in case the next division point is busy when they arrive there.  The second objective in this scenario is to block the cars for your local.  Since its next run is tomorrow, it is not urgent.

Now you are thinking, that was simple.  I don’t need to use a switch list for that.  Yeah!  It’s optional.  But, how about if you have two 30 car trains on your arrival track(s), 5 20-car classification tracks, and through trains heading both east and west, as well as locals.  That’s when spending a little time organizing your moves on a switch list will ensure cars get to the correct track.  It’s your call.