ATSF Pekin switcher

The ATSF Pekin switcher is an all day job.  The primary purpose is to make up outbound trains, break down inbound trains, and handle transfer runs to the P&E and P&PU.

Typical day on the job:

• Prepare/Build #14 Chicago Express for 7:00am departure. Include express boxcars and any P&E baggage/express cars going to Chicago / ATSF staging.
• Prepare/Build eastward extra local freight for departure right after #14. Only include cars going to Morton (including IT and PRR interchanges), Crandall (NKP interchange), Washington, and Roanoke.  
• Receive transfer run from PPU.
• Receive and break down #47 around 9:10am.  The reefers contain perishable traffic and should be hurried to their destination railroads.
• Make transfer run to P&PU, including cars destined for C&IM. Ask P&PU operator for permission before entering P&PU trackage at Big Four Junction.  Feel free to coordinate with P&PU operator to time-shift transfer run as traffic dictates.
• Prepare/Build #48 Eastbound wayfreight for 10:00am departure.  Include cars going to ATSF staging only.
• Transfer run to/from P&E. Use the ATSF / PE interchange track in Pekin for this.  Feel free to coordinate with the P&E operator to shift transfer run as traffic dictates.
• Receive #17 mail and express train around 1:20pm.  Remove any cars destined to freight house, or P&E, generally found on the rear.  Other cars are unloaded at passenger platform for an hour and their waybills flipped.  The passenger station track must be clear for the arrival of #13 at 4:15pm.
• Receive and break down westward extra local freight once it arrives in the afternoon.
• Prepare/Build #50 for 3:30pm departure.  Include cars destined for Morton (including IT and PRR interchanges), Crandall (NKP interchange), Washington, Roanoke, and ATSF staging.  If you have too many cars (14+) for one train, send #50 out with only cars for ATSF staging, and run an extra afterwards handling local work on the way to Streator.
• Receive #13 around 4:15pm.  Turn train and place in storage track(s).
• Receive and breakdown #49 around 6:20pm.
• Build #18 Ft Madison Fast Mail for 7:00pm departure.  Include any baggage/express cars from P&E destined to ATSF staging or ATSF Ft Madison.  At the rear, Include the connecting sleeper car for the Super Chief at Streator.  Train #18’s departure cannot be delayed for any reason due to needing to connect the sleeper with the westbound Super Chief.
• Prepare/Build an eastbound extra freight if traffic warrants it.