Cane River and Winnfield Rock.

[danielb]

Over the weekend I spent some time switching the layout and - inspired by Broadoak on RMWeb - I took photos of each stage along the way. Over the next few posts I'll add photos and descriptions of how a switching job on Cane River takes place.

We catch Southern Pacific SD9 #3914 as it rumbles down Monroe Avenue with a short train of freight cars for the industries at Clarence, on the Cane River branch. Here it can be seen running between Frye's scrap yard and the large Samson Distribution warehouse.



Another view, this time from along the tracks as the train slowly approaches the camera, bell chiming and horn blowing. Here the ill maintained trackage so typical of a shortline railroad is painfully apparent:



The crew prepare to brake as the locomotive emerges from the trees and enters the run around loop at the end of the branch.



The locomotive slowing to a crawl, the brakeman departs the caboose and walks along the train ready to cut the cars.



Within minutes, the locomotive has spotted the centerbeam flat on the run around, and the crew prepare to leave their caboose beside the Samson Distribution factory, leaving the loop clear for the car movements to come.



Caboose now secured, the train backs into the team track beside Frye's scrap and spots a loaded box car beside a pair of empty covered hoppers...



...leaving the train free to spot an empty gondola to the scrap yard track ready to be loaded with shredded and crushed metal.