Operating Session 12

Operating Session #12 took place on Saturday 12/28/2019.  I had 6 operators in addition to myself.  With us being a bit short handed I ended up running the P&PU yard switcher in the morning in addition to dispatching.  The P&E Pekin switcher also needed to run his own Corn Products switch jobs and American Distilling switch jobs.

The recently adjusted ATSF and P&E timetables worked well.  On the ATSF we now have bigger time gaps in between scheduled trains, allowing the extra locals to do their work without as much interference.  I had previously been thinking about changing the fast clock ratio to 3-1, but the usual 4-1 worked really nicely with the new timetables.


Here were the assignments for the session, Monday 9/14/1959:

• 6:45am ATSF/P&E/C&IM/P&PU Dispatcher on duty.  Dan J, all day job.
• 6:45am ATSF Pekin switcher on duty. Rich S, all day job.
• 7:00am PPU yard switcher on duty.  Morning Dan J, afternoon Frank S.
• 7:00am PE switcher on duty. Dave H, all day job.
• 7:00am ATSF#14 Eastward passenger from Pekin.  Charlie S.
• 7:15am ATSF Eastward extra local freight from East Yard. Brad H.
• 7:45am ATSF #47 Westward green fruit express from ATSF staging (Streator).  Frank S.
• 9:50am ATSF Westward extra local freight from ATSF staging (Streator). Bill A.
• 10:00am ATSF #48 Eastward through-freight from East Yard.  Charlie S.
• 10:15am CIM #6 Northward freight from CIM staging.  Frank S.
• 12:05pm PE #11 Westward passenger from PE staging (Bloomington).  Charlie S.
• 12:20pm ATSF #17 Westward mail and express from ATSF staging (Streator).  Dan J.
• 12:50pm PE #95 Westward freight from PE staging (Bloomington).  Brad H.
• 2:00pm PE #12 Eastward passenger from East Peoria.  Brad H.
• 3:05pm CIM #7 Southward freight from East Peoria.  Charlie S.
• 3:15pm ATSF #13 Westward passenger from ATSF staging (Streator).  Brad H.
• 3:30pm ATSF #50 Eastward way-freight from East Yard.  Frank S.
• 4:30pm PE #90 Eastward freight from East Peoria.  Charlie S.
• 4:45pm ATSF Westward coal extra from ATSF staging (Streator) to East Peoria via Pekin Jct.  Brad H.
• 4:55pm ATSF #49 Westward way-freight from ATSF staging (Streator).  Dan J.  Stopped in Roanoke at end of session.
• End of session ~ 5:15pm.
• 7:00pm ATSF #18 Eastward mail and express from Pekin.  Did not run before end of session.
• Evening ATSF Eastward extra local from from East Yard.  Did not run before end of session.
• 1:20am PE #99 Westward freight from PE staging (Bloomington).  Did not run before end of session.

Train orders issued during the session:

1. To: C+E ENG 2395 at East Yard.  Body: AFTER No 14 DEPARTS EAST YARD ENG 2395 RUN EXTRA EAST YARD TO STREATOR.  Complete: 6:30a. 
2. To: C+E X707 WEST at Streator, C+E X2395 EAST at Morton.  Body: EXTRA 707 WEST MEET EXTRA 2395 EAST IN ROANOKE.  Complete: 9:26a.
3. To: C+E ENG 707 at Streator.  Body: ENG 707 RUN EXTRA STREATOR TO EAST YARD.  Complete: 9:45a.
4. To: C+E No 48 at Washington, C+E X707 WEST at Roanoke.  Body: No 48 RUN 30 MIN EARLY.  Complete: 10:32a.
5. To: C+E P&E No 12.  Body: No 12 WAIT AT EAST PEORIA UNTIL No 95 HAS ARRIVED.  Complete: 1:55p.
6. To: C+E ENG 2101 at Streator.  Body: ENGINE 2101 RUN EXTRA STREATOR TO EAST PEORIA VIA PEKIN JCT.  Complete: 4:40p.

New string diagram for the ATSF

Below is a new string diagram for the update timetable on the ATSF.  The new timetable gives more room for extra local freights to work in the morning and afternoon.

New ATSF and P&E timetables for the layout

I've tweaked the ATSF timetable to create a bit more room in the afternoon schedule to run extras.  The action on the ATSF now runs into the evening as well.

ATSF timetable

The P&E timetable has been altered to have all four scheduled freights that existed in reality in 1959.

P&E timetable

The train info pages have been updated to match the new timetables.

More P&E staging tracks built

P&E staging has been improved to support a more realistic schedule for the Peoria and Eastern.  Now with two 7ft hidden staging tracks I can support two freights each way, and a passenger train each way.  Additionally a too tight curve on the 2% grade from staging was ripped up and re-laid with about a 16" radius.  Previously a single engine could only pull 8 cars up from staging.  Now that same engine can pull 14 cars.  I've learned to never go for an excessively tight radius, even in hidden trackage by staging.