After getting a chance to run some mock trains with Bruce last weekend, and a couple of friends commenting on my Facebook posts of the progress on the layout, I decided to focus a little more this weekend on operations. The trains are running pretty smoothly on the mainline and most of the dust has been cleaned off the sidings. The first train of the day, on the PRR Irwin District Timetable No. 4, is UN-2 known as the Uniontown Trick*.
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| First 2 eastbound trains on the timetable |
This train only has 2 jobs - pull the cars from Dailey Coal & Fuel in Uniontown, to free the spur for a delivery later in the day, and work Tracks 1 and 4 at WCC Mine No. 4 in Herminie. Since the switch leading into Uniontown is only about 12" (85 HO scale feet) from the Irwin Yard, I decided the way to "stretch" the layout is to run the train around the layout twice between servicing towns. So, UN-2 pulled out of the Irwin Yard and passed through some of the towns on the line before slowing in Uniontown. The engine uncouples and heads into the lead track to pick up the first car.
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| UN-2 engine 8604 stops at G.G.S. Cabinets as the switchman throws the switch to the Dailey track |
Dailey's typically use 2 hoppers and 1 tank car on this daily run, so the engine pulls the empty tank car (MTY) before coming back to get the two empty hoppers. There are two reasons for two trips instead of pulling all 3 cars at once. First, the track lead can only hold the loco and 2 cars. Second, PRR safety rules note that there must always be a car between a tank car and either the engine or the cabin car when running on the main.
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| Enginer 8604 comes back for the two hopper cars |
Once the train is reconnected and brake lines cleared, the train pulls out of Uniontown with 2 hopper cars, the tank car, and the empty hopper cars destined for WCC Mine No. 4. A couple of loops around the layout to cover the "distance" between Uniontown and Herminie.
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| Simulating distance, UN-2 runs around the layout twice before pulling into Herminie |
In Herminie, the engine pulls the loaded hoppers from Track 1 as well as the empty boxcar from Track 4 before pushing a new boxcar of supplies on Track 4 and the empty hoppers from the Irwin Yard on Track 1. While this sounds quick and simple, it takes a few moves to clear the tracks, put the right cars on the correct tracks and ensure the safety rule holds - idler cars between the engine, tank car and cabin car - before the train can depart Herminie and run a couple times around to return to the Irwin Yard where the engine is cut off and sent to the Engine track. Switcher 9238 then breaks the train down for the next operating session.
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| Placing the supply boxcar on Track 4 |
Overall, I was very happy with how this initial operating run performed. I did encounter a couple of hopper cars with problems - ironically, two of the newest ones I built.
A few more test runs for the other trains on the schedule and I will start holding operating sessions for my buddies. I think the layout will keep 2-3 people busy and hope there will be enough room for us to move around each other. Otherwise -
awesome!
*I am still working on the train designations so some of these may change over time.
