CREW Positions

Coal Ridge Dispatcher

Working from the DS office (located in Ricksburg, WV), the DS moves traffic over the Coal Ridge Sub using a CTC machine, train sheet, and telephone communications. This DS coordinates with the CM Tower Operator for traffic movements on/off the Coal Ridge Subdivision. The DS also coordinates with the Linnwood and Ricksburg YMs for traffic movements in/out of their yards.

Kayford Coal Branch Dispatcher

Located in the misty town of Brooks, VW, this DS dispatches trains over the Kayford by verbal track warrant. A magnet board serves as a Train Sheet. A fast clock and telephone between Brooks and Kayford, WV enable safe movement on this dark territory. This position also operates a switcher, loading hoppers at the Brookstone flood loader, (yes live loads), and assists with the arrival/departure of coal trains at Brooks.

CM Tower Operator

Using CTC-like panels at CM Tower, OH and New River Diamond, Willow Creek, WV, this Tower Operator coordinates with the Coal Ridge Dispatcher the Millport YM, and the Traffic Manager for traffic movement to/from CTC territory. Operation of Millport’s, A/D Havens Yard South End switcher is usually also a part of this position.

Traffic Manager

This position is often managed by the Grand Poobah, (but I can be talked out of it.) It involves observing operations and seeking to follow the planned schedule of trains, with or without the time clock. Crew calling (hunting) happens frequently. It may also involve the moving of trains within the lower level staging yards in preparation for their next departure. And, it can also involve adding waybills to empty cars/cards in staging, along with appropriate loads to open top cars.

Millport Yard Yardmaster

Coordinates all movements within Millport’s A/D Havens Yard Limits. Directs 16th St. Hump Yard Crew, Havens Yard Switch Crew, and South End Switcher. Yardmaster adds waybills to appropriate empty cars from Industry Car Order File. This position typically doubles as Havens North End Switch Crew.

16th Street Hump Classification Operator

Classifies cars over the 16th St. hump, keeping car cards organized, and pulls/sorts cars for departing trains.

Millport’s - Havens Yard Switch Crew

Assists North and Sound end switch crews under the direction of the Millport YM, i.e. -Takes orders.

Linnwood Yardmaster

This position operates the yard classification switcher, and coordinates traffic in/out of rainy Linnwood Yard, including trains entering/exiting the Kayford Coal Branch. Working the A&O industries in Linnwood is also done. It may also operate the C&O Connector that comes out of C&O staging, interchanges with the A&O, and works C&O industries at Ridge.

Ricksburg Yardmaster

Oversees all movements within Ricksburg yard limits, coordinating with the DS as needed. The YM acts as Ricksburg Switch Crew, classifying and preparing trains according to “schedule.” As a solo position, the YM hostles power and manages waybills. The YM calls the Crew Lounge or the Traffic Mgr. for departing crew needs.

Morrison Switch Crew

Receives trains of raw coal, routes hoppers thru the car shaker and into the prep plant. Clean loads are then classified into trains for their specific destinations as per their car card and waybill. (The A&O is set in 1968 where coal is still sold by the individual carload for specific destinations.) The Morrison switch crews adds motive power and caboose and calls for a train crew.

Extra Board- Train Crews

Operates as engineer and conductor to perform the specified operations of the Train Description Card. Trains range from thru freights, pusher assignments, switch turns, and the Grand Floridian passenger trains. There are coal shifters, coal drags, and coal barge/rotary dumper runs (again, live loads!)

Deer in the Headlights

Everyone most of the time.

Some photos to flesh out Millport operator positions (can’t wait for the structures to arrive).

#262 has arrived and sits on the Thru track. Behind on Yard 1 is it’s opposite train, #261, running late, but ready to depart. The panel shelves and pull-out work trays are ready for work.

Seen from the other/north end of Millport’s Havens A/D Yard. Bob’s engines populate the scene.

While the panel shelves have rope lighting behind the fascia for night ops, the pull out shelves are left in the dark. Answer, LED light strips encased in styrene fixtures to focus the light on the shelves, not the layout. The knob on the right edge of the photo is a pot for dimming to suit.

Mission accomplished.

A view of the dimmable workspace for night ops at the north end of the yard. Eventual layout lighting will dramatically change the scene.

A night view of the 16th St. hump work shelf and panels. Dimmable rope light provides the light.

The Millport Yardmaster “Office”. Left to right- Waybill drawer, work space, industry card order file, panels.

Adjacent is the hump operator’s work station.

Arriving trains have their car cards advanced (or removed, see Car Forwarding pg) by the train crew, then the Train Packet is given to the YM. Car cards are scanned for any “Do Not Hump” cars. These are placed on Yard 3 and card filed. Specifically in this case, the stack bed truck was pulled.

Also any woodchip, pulpwood, or coal hoppers are pulled and placed. These are bound for Int’l. Paper and the south end switcher (CM Tower Operator) handles these as time permits. From the looks of #262 in slide 2, he’s going to be busy!

Cars being held in Havens for future train movement are noted in grease pencil at the YM workstation. It’s his responsibility to get them on their assigned train. Reefers pulled off for icing are likewise noted.

Such “alert cards” are added between sessions to reefers that are enroute and as noted on their “Special Instructions” line on the waybill. “Alert” card is removed once icing is completed.

Some cars may arrive with requirements for repairs or cleaning. A&O 3446 would be in need of a good cleaning.

“Action Cards” are added to a few cars between sessions just to keep things interesting.

A similar sheet at the YM “desk” keeps track of this. YM will alert crews when it’s time to pull the card and put the car back into it’s routing.

The Yardmaster’s “Desk”.

What to do with empty cars? In my ‘68 era MTY cars were to be routed to their home road, or zone. Thus I included the car’s Zone # on the Car Card (see Car Forwarding pg.). To simulate the A&O abiding by such rules, foreign road MTYS that arrive in Millport are assigned to an A&O territory industry waiting for an MTY car. Routing a car in the “general direction” of its home road was considered sufficient, thus I’ve grouped zones together, weighting more heavily the neighboring Zones to the A&O, as would be typical for foreign cars showing up in A&O yards as an MTY.

Example: The YM looks thru the Zone 2 file for a fitting waybill for an MTY Santa Fe box (XM). He finds a request for a XM by Owens-Corning in Fillmore Hts. that’s heading west and inserts the waybill (The waybill Zone # carries the destination, NOT the loading point). The car is then classified over the hump for travel on the next Fillmore Heights switch job.

If no matching car order is found in the zone file, the car is classified over the hump toward home road as indicated on its car card.

Before each session I preload the Industry Empty-Car Order file with a variety of car types and zone destinations.

Once cars have culled out and any waybills added, the string is pushed over to 16th St. and place on the waiting track for the hump engines to pick up.

By trackplan design, this movement can be accomplished by either Havens north or the south end crews.

As an aid to the hump operator, I made a sheet that can be filled in prior to classification. Reporting marks, n order of appearance, the track # for classification, and their rolling speed- as listed on their car card. This eliminates car card shuffling all the while handling retarders and engine speed. The list tells which file to place the car card in upon completion. Crews seem to like it.

Classifying over the hump a learning curve, but it, and classification go fast- just as the prototype knows.

Route-selected class yard. Train tiles are held in place by rare earth magnets (see Construction- Electrical pg.) with each track holding up to three different train #’s. Track 1 is usually used for pulling a string of cars back up over the hump, reversing and then sorting out the desired cars onto track 1 while sending the others back where they came from. A&O MYTS are stored to fill out industry car orders not filled by foreign road cars first during the session. The colors are simply a help, matching up with the waybill train color.

I made a cradle for the hump throttle so the operator doesn’t need to hold it. A very even slow speed and it’s sweet to watch. The heft and rolling mass inherent to O scale makes rarely modeled operation possible.

The green button on the self and the red button on the corded walk about grip both do the same thing- activate the retarders. First the Master retarder, then the Group retarder, depending upon which track was selected. Works just like the prototype (see Construction, Phase 3). And the strange yellow things? They are…..

coupler plugs, which keep the coupler from opening. With knuckle held closed the engine can “trim” the class yard. That is- push all the cars into bowl of hump yard as far as they will go, leaving room for more cars to be classified. This is a very important part of hump operation between trains.

Cars can also get plugs for when sorting, but coupling up is unwanted to cars already in the track. Since some minor blocking is required of a couple trains, these devices work great.

After sorting and pulling a string of cars for departure to Havens Yard, the caboose and motive power are added. A “Train Description Card” is placed on top and a bulldog clip holds the Train Packet together for the departing crew.

The TDC tells the crew in excruciating detail what to do every step of the way. The A&O entertains many operators, and it can take many visits to be familiar with the operations. Now, to get folks to read.

Flipping the Train Packet over reveals two back-facing cards; the caboose and engine. Cabs have flashers to be managed by the crew, and the final facing engine card tells the crew how to access all the functions of the Loksound decoders. With O scale sized Tangband speakers, get ready to rumble.

For newbee crews, a small layout diagram card helps.

So what about foreign road MTYs that head home and end up in staging? One of the Traffic Manager’s jobs is to patrol arriving trains in staging for any MTYs and insert appropriate waybills. The waybill file by the Millport YM desk makes this a quick task. Now the foreign road cars arrive with a waybill and a purpose.

The photo also reveals that waybills have been prepared for MTYs arriving in connecting RRs staging tracks. These are filled between sessions.

The Traffic Manager oversees the movement of trains to/from the visible staging; from Millport/Havens Yard on the north (down to Dogtown) and Willow Creek (Taft) on the south. The staging yards are connected for run-thru operation if desired. Trains will need to be moved between staging yards on occasion for their eventual departure by crews. The Traffic Manager’s “Office” is thus mid-Millport aisle where trains, and their corresponding tiles and Train Packets can be moved.

The panels have become the preferred way of quickly identifying train locations. Crews arriving in Willow Creek advance their waybills and give the Train Packet to the Traffic Mgr. The train is checked for foreign road MTYs, waybills added as necessary, and packet filed in proper pocket.

After much thought the Dogtown staging panel was hung from the Havens Yard valence. Would that work out? Today it seems like a no-brainer.

A night shot of the south end of Millport’s Havens Yard, know as CM Tower. Here the operator hands off to the Coal Ridge Dispatcher via the Traffic Lever on his upper CTC-like panel. Note the lighting differential required.

The CM Tower operator spins 180 degrees and now he handles traffic in and out of Willow Creek and staging via the New River Diamond tower panel. Valence lighting again.

Another night ops shot of the cubbie below the woodchips, pulpwood tracks of the Int’l Paper Co. “Live” loads are removed before cars are picked up and their car cards taken with them.

The planned International Paper Mill at Point Vincent, Ohio will be festooned with LED lighting, but until then the only thing lit-up is the work station cubbie and it’s panels.

Likewise in Fillmore Heights.

The pull-out work station at Glenn Forge, Ohio needs no special light, but at night-

a small LED light shade provides the needed visibility.

Need to call the DS at night? Lights over the phone cubbies guide the hand.

The work station at the Morrison Coal Prep plant is elevated and makes for easy night ops.

A description of Coal Operations will be added to this Operations section. Of note now is that in 1968 coal was still sold by the individual car load and destination. Thus hoppers have car cards and waybill destinations. The Train Tiles give a hint of their purchasers. Coal ops on the A&O involve much more than running the same loaded or empty train over the layout.