More operations on the Kings Port Division

[Ralph]

This train of mostly box cars is designated MK-3 (Mayfield to Kings Port-Southbound). It will serve all trailing sidings on the way to Williams Yard in Kings Port. Once it completes its work at Williams Yard the loco will runaround and haul it back Northbound. It’s designation will then change to KM-4 (Kings Port to Mayfield-Northbound).


Here is the kind of simplified switch list I use. It’s based on an operations system described by Tom Driscoll in the online Model Railroad Hobbyist magazine. The idea is to designate what kind of cars are being picked up and set out without bothering with car numbers. Nice for folks like me that aren’t as focused on those details. Since we're going Southbound from the Mayfield Branch at West Mill we'll follow the operations from the Southbound part of the switchlist on the second half of the page.


The first job is to pick up four loaded hoppers at the Float Yard and exchange them for four boxcars. The hoppers were staged there prior to the start of the session. Any four boxcars are acceptable for the set out. We start by uncoupling the designated boxcars from the rest of the train.


The local pulls the rest of the train ahead and then backs up to couple with the four hoppers


The hoppers are set on the main siding by the Float Yard and the four boxcars are set out on a Float Yard track.


The loco and one boxcar back up to couple to the hoppers and pull them out to join with the rest of the train waiting on the main.


Once this work is done the train moves on to pick up a loaded gon at Sal’s salvage. This was also staged prior to the session. GERN is right nearby but will be served on the return trip Northbound.


After uncoupling the caboose and pulling ahead of the turnout, picking up the loaded gon is a simple backup move....


The train then continues on to Kings Port for more work to be shown later....