Operating Session 14

After a long break due to Covid, operating session #14 took place on Sunday 11/21/2021.  I had 7 operators in addition to myself.

A recently added track in the ATSF East Yard has helped to hold the ATSF #17/#18 trainset that now is staying in Pekin longer after the recent-ish time-table change.  I still need to add another track behind the Pekin depot to give better access to the team track when the depot house track is loaded with cars.  This will also make room to store a few cabooses by the depot, like the Santa Fe did in real life.

The clock came on at 6:30am, and went off at 4:28pm.  It ran at the usual 4:1 ratio.

Here were the assignments for the session, Wednesday 9/16/1959:

• Clock on at 6:30am
• 6:30am ATSF/P&E/C&IM/P&PU Dispatcher on duty.  Dan J, all day job.
• 6:30am ATSF Pekin switcher on duty, all day job. Bob H.
• 6:30am PPU yard switcher on duty, all day job.  Mark V.
• 6:30am ATSF Eastward extra local freight from East Yard.  Frank S.
• 7:00am ATSF#14 Eastward passenger from Pekin.  Bob M.
• 7:30am PE #94 Eastward freight from East Peoria.  Bill S.
• 7:45am ATSF #47 Westward green fruit express from ATSF staging (Streator).  Kurt V.
• 8:00am PE Corn Products switch job.  Did not run.
• 9:30am ATSF Westward extra local freight from Streator.  Mike A.
• 10:00am ATSF #48 Eastward through-freight from East Yard.  Bill S.
• 10:15am CIM #6 Northward freight from CIM staging.  Bob M.
• 12:05pm PE #11 Westward passenger from PE staging (Bloomington).  Bill S.
• 12:20am ATSF #17 Westward mail and express from ATSF staging (Streator).  Bob M.
• 12:50pm PE #95 Westward freight from PE staging (Bloomington).  Kurt V.
• Afternoon TPW Eastward coal extra from ATSF staging to TPW staging (East Peoria).  Did not run.
• 2:00pm PE Pekin switcher on duty.  Bob M.
• 2:00pm PE #12 Eastward passenger from East Peoria.  Frank S.
• 3:05pm CIM #7 Southward freight from East Peoria.  Bill S.
• 3:15pm ATSF #13 Westward passenger from ATSF staging (Streator).  Mike A.
• 3:30pm ATSF #50 Eastward way-freight from East Yard.  Delayed, did not run before end of session.
• Clock off at 4:28pm
• 4:30pm PE #90 Eastward freight from East Peoria.  Did not run before end of session.
• 4:45pm ATSF #49 Westward way-freight from ATSF staging (Streator).  Did not run before end of session.
• 7:00pm ATSF #18 Eastward mail and express from Pekin.  Did not run before end of session.
• Evening extras on ATSF if needed.  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 x707 West at Streator, C+E x2395 East at East Yard.  Body:  Extra 707 West meet extra 2395 East in Morton.  Complete: 6:15am.
2. To: C+E Eng 707 at Streator.  Body: Eng 707 run extra Streator to East Yard.  Complete: 6:17am.
3. To: C+E Eng 2395 at East Yard.  Body: Eng 2395 run extra East Yard to Streator.  Complete: 6:19am.

Thoughts on how the session ran:

• Overall the session ran well.  7 people in addition to myself dispatching is the right number of people.  4:1 seems to be the right clock ratio.
• I'm going to try running smaller follow-up sessions where a smaller crew runs the ~ 4:30pm - midnight part of the railroad day.
• Not having the P&E Pekin switcher come on duty until 2pm has some pros and cons.  This does however match reality.
• Pro: The people running the ATSF Pekin switcher and the P&E Pekin switcher spend less time being in each other's way.
• Con: The P&E Pekin yard tracks end up getting more congested.
• Neutral: The passing P&E way-freights end up having to handle their own car pick-ups and drop-offs in Pekin, which my operators need to get used to.
• Even though the P&E Pekin switcher is no longer on duty in the mornings I may need to try having a morning P&E switch-job for American Distilling and Corn Products.
• We had less Digitrax radio issues than in the past, but still got a couple of reports of iffy radio.  I'm now using the new UR93 radio receiver.  I may need to set the older UR92 back up, to see if having both in operation fixes things.
• The new UT6D throttle ran well and was liked.  I will likely get more of these.