Heavener Yard Yardmaster s Playbook

Heavener Yard Yardmaster s Playbook Warning: Do not drive or operate heavy equipment or machinery while using this guide. May cause drowsiness and/or extreme boredom. Welcome to Heavener Yard on the Kansas City Southern, 3 rd Subdivision, 1982! You ll find the yard exactly as it was configured in 1982. Jobs at Heavener Yard Heavener Yard is the main yard for KCS s 3rd Subdivision (there is a smaller mid-point yard in Sallisaw, OK). There are two primary train crews working the yard: the Trim job, to the left (north end) builds all local trains ( Dodgers ) originating in Heavener, and marshals cars to add to trains stopping at Heavener for Block Swaps. The Drill job, to the right (south end) breaks down all local trains terminating in Heavener, and pulls cuts off trains stopping for Block Swaps. After pulling cars, the Drill job then classifies those cars according to their destinations (as shown on the Switch List). The Yardmaster is responsible for managing the yard and yard track usage, and overseeing/directing all yard operations, plus communicating via radio with the Dispatcher and any train crews scheduled to arrive or mark up in the yard. The yardmaster may also help move/hostle locomotives to/from service and perform other train duties as needed. Primarily, the Yardmaster pays attention to the Heavener Yard Work Schedule as well as activity occurring on the subdivision that will impact the yard, and insures that the yard crews are prepped for activity and activities are properly prioritized. There is also a local switch job that services local Heavener industries (and has its own switch list). This job is typically run by the Drill crew, however the yardmaster can assign others, or run the job himself, at his discretion. Typical Cadence of Heavener Yard Operations During a typical day shift, when you arrive on duty there will be a couple of northbound trains holding on the main and siding ready to head out of your limits as soon as their crews mark up. Additionally, if the night crew did their job, the Ft. Smith Dodger will be built and awaiting departure. It will be last out. Finally train #82 should be sitting on your RD track, ready for its block swap. The Drill job can immediately start pulling cars off the

south end of that train, while the Trim job starts adding cars to the head of the train. There will be no crew for that train initially; the pool runs between Watts and Heavener, so an engineer will arrive off a southbound train out of Watts. There is nothing the Drill job can really do to work ahead, since he can t pull cars off trains that haven t yet arrived! So if there is a down time, have the Drill crew run the local Heavener Switcher. The Trim on the other hand can assemble the cuts going outbound on the next train. Since it is hard to predict whether the northbound or southbound will arrive first, a good approach is to pull the cut for the next northbound train and store those cars on track 4, and pull the cut for the next southbound and store those cars on track 3. Then all the trim job has to do when the train arrives, is tack the cars on the north end of the train. It is important to get the two Dodgers built by 11 am, so the crews have time to complete their switch jobs. The Trim can begin to build those whenever there is some down time. The two trains are the Sallisaw Dodger, and the Waldron Dodger. You could build the trains and store them on the same tracks that the cars came from the Dodgers will take most, but not all, of the cars in their associated yard tracks. Remember the Waldron Dodger heads SOUTH, so put the locos on the south (right) end of that train! If things get busy, you can wait on block swaps for southbound trains, since they are run by the 4 th sub crews, not our 3 rd sub crews (so not really our problem!). Keep them there as long as you need to, but eventually you ll want them out of your yard. The Drill gets busier later in the session as locals return from their work and need to be broken down. You ll have 2 NB trains with block swaps, 2 SB trains with block swaps, 2 locals to build, and 3 to break down. Heavener Work Schedule and Switchlists. Take a look at the Work Schedule (latest can be found in the Appendix, under Heavener Work Schedule and Printed Switchlists. The first job shown on that list is the Ft. Smith Dodger, but, that train will usually have already been built by the night crew by the time you come on duty. This may be the first page in your collection of printed switchlists, which cover one train per page, in the order in which that train FIRST arrives at (or is built by) Heavener Yard. Page 2

You will still want to keep the sheet: the drill man will be breaking that train down when it returns from the day s work. The switchlists are one page per train so if a train visits twice, like the locals you build, you ll use the same sheet twice. You can organize the sheets in order or however you like. But the Trim job only uses each sheet once: when he BUILDS the train. The Drill job likewise only uses the sheet once, when he BREAKS DOWN the train. So the order the sheets need to be in, could be different for the Trim and Drill. It s your job as Yardmaster to be aware of the order in which trains will need to be worked, by which crew. Remember the Trim job does all work in RED on the switchlists, the Drill job does all work in Blue. Block swap trains only visit once, so when you re done, you re done the only sheets you ll use twice are those for the Dodgers. Yard Control Panels and Procedures. 1. The operation of Heavener Yard is as follows: a. The Drill job pulls cuts off incoming trains and breaks down terminating trains, and works on the right-hand end of the yard (South on the KCS). b. The Trim job adds cuts to trains that have block swaps, and assembles outgoing locals (for your convenience, and like the KCS 3 rd, the first local out, the Ft. Smith Dodger, will already be built and sitting in your yard. 2. Take a look at the HV North schematic. On the panels, most buttons are black, and the LEDs are green or red. H in a circle indicates a hand-throw switch. You ll see a row of buttons on the right, starting with caboose. Those work like a traditional diode matrix, except they only throw the switches as far as the Scale track. So if you press the button for track 8 for example, you ll get a route to the left of the Scale track. If you push the button for track 3 (for instance) you ll get the route all the way to through the scale track, but no further. To throw the turnout to the left of the scale track, there is a separate button and two associated LED indicators. The buttons work as a toggle in this case: press to throw the switch to the opposite position. 3. Likewise the switch at the yard throat, because it touches dispatcher-controlled territory, is not part of the diodematrix. You have to throw it manually. 4. Your yard lead is the black track on the left. 5. You CANNOT throw the DS controlled switch at CP N. Heavener without Dispatch authority (he can unlock it for you if needed). 6. The theory on the south ladder (drill end) is similar: the diodematrix buttons are on the far left of that panel, then the other buttons control individual turnouts. Page 3

1. The closest three tracks are the main line, siding, the RD (arrival/departure) track. We use the siding or RD track for all trains that block-swap in Heavener. Then the classification tracks are numbered from 1 9 - see the schematics at the end. There is also a magnetic + dry-erase yard board that shows which track is used for what, and I encourage you to use that to mark where you ve stored cuts for arriving trains, etc. As for the tracks, we have moved to a color-code system and the buttons in the yard panel match the colors associated with the tracks, so the drill job can put color i-beams on each car as per the switchlist and then just classify the cars to their appropriate tracks. 2. The trains do run on a loose schedule and we have a fast clock, but it is a guideline not a rule and the trains will run roughly in sequence but not necessarily at the indicated times. The most important thing for the Yardmaster, time-wise, is to get the Sallisaw Dodger and Waldron Dodger built by around 11 am RR time. 3. Yard limits, shared limits, and CTC. I ve marked up the yard limits on the schematics at the rear. Here is the way things generally work: the dispatcher may send trains to/from the main line, ONLY, without contacting the yardmaster (you). He may contact you as a courtesy. Also before releasing a train that has work in Heavener from the last passing point, the DS should check with you and ask if you can take the train and whether you d like that train on the siding, or the RD track. On the schematic, black yard tracks are all yours. You control them 100%. Blue tracks are dual control yard limits trains must contact you, but you share control of the switches and use of the tracks with the dispatcher. The Red main-line track is full CTC, you have no authority over that and if you need it you need to contact the DS. Most of the tracks in the yard are earmarked for specific destinations/trains. Check the magnetic yard board. You are free to use tracks 3, 4 and the loop (runaround) track as you wish. 4 th Sub Crews Our operators work the 3 rd sub only they don t run south of Heavener yard onto the 4 th sub (towards Shreveport). The KCS engineer pool runs from Heavener (your yard) to Watts, or vice versa. Southbound train crews terminate in Heavener, then mark up for another northbound, or a local if it s time, and head out. So, switching out southbounds is your LOWEST priority, since, nobody on our 3 rd Sub crew is waiting on those. But you do want to get that done as they take up valuable space in your yard. When you have finished assembling those, contact the dispatcher, and the 4 th sub crew (the computer) will run Page 4

that train into staging. It doesn t always work and if not contact the Maintainer or Superintendent. Northbound trains are the opposite. The dispatcher will call you alert you to a northbound (coming out of staging/shreveport to your right) if that train will go on the siding or RD track and ask if you can take the train. He ll let you know if the train has work in Heavener (but you ll also know since you have your schedule). He *may* notify you of through trains that will go on the main but that s a courtesy and he isn t required to do so. Once you give the dispatcher the ok, the 4 th sub engineer (that pesky computer engineer Hal ) will run the train to the appropriate track, and (hopefully!) stop in the right place. Once he stops and sounds his horn you can take control. Tips & Pointers You will be the only person in the yard with a radio. You give direction to the drill and trim jobs and communicate w/ inbound road crews, the dispatcher, the 4 th sub, maintainer, etc. Try and keep the Drill and Trim crews aware of what is coming up and what they should be working on, so they can concentrate on pulling the right cars or putting those cars in the right spot(s). You ll have a wireless throttle you can use to help hostle/move locomotives etc. There is a whiteboard near the engine facility (on the valance) that shows the stabled motive power. Use the CIRCLED number for the consist to dial up on any throttles (so if the consist says 4004 799, dial up 0799 on a throttle to operate that consist/lashup.) IMPORTANT: Remind crews terminating in Heavener to release their locomotives when they stop, so you (and later the 4 th sub crew) can control the train. 90% of the so-called computer problems have been the result of an operator having that train still on their throttle set for 0 speed. The computer will be unable to move that train because the human operator always takes precedence. Likewise, after you hostle an engine or re-assemble a train (you may be doing that a lot to help out the drill and trim jobs, especially for NB trains since the 4 th sub engineer will mark off immediately upon arrival), BE SURE AND RELEASE THE LOCOMOTIVE AFTER USE. To release a locomotive, simply dial up 0000 on your throttle. Page 5

Train Heavener Yardmaster s Playbook Heavener Yard Work Schedule Note: Times are estimated and will vary based on traffic and workload. Make every effort to build trains by scheduled departure time. Specific cars to pull/add are on the daily switchlist. Lead Unit Direction Time Event Work/Notes Crew FSD NB <- 6:30 DP 82 686 NB <- 8:25 DP Ft. Smith Dodger departs (typically built by night crew). Block swap (train may be sitting in yard at start of shift). Trim Both 1 675 SB -> 8:35 AR Block swap. Both HVS 9:00 DP Heavener Switcher: local moves, run as convenient, time is just a suggestion. Both FSD SB -> 10:00 AR Terminates, Drill breaks down train Drill WD SB -> 11:20 DP SSD NB <- 11:45 DP Build Waldron Dodger, ready to depart by 11:20. Locos go on the south (right) end. Build Sallisaw Dodger, ready to depart by 11:45. Please block in town order. Trim Trim 81 708 SB -> 12:10 AR Block swap. Both 2 705 NB <- 12:25 AR Block swap. Both WD NB <- 13:50 AR Terminates, Drill breaks down train Drill SSD SB -> 14:24 AR Terminates, Drill breaks down train Drill Page 6

Heavener Yard Schematics/Control Panels Page 7