Re: Military train all screwed up or UP ??????
Author: Nudge
Date: 08-12-2017 - 10:33
Well, there is another answer but the UP doesn't have people who know about switching. That train never been allowed down the Coast unless it blocked the right way. I put the blame on the dispatchers AND the UP officers that ordered the train. Its not the Army's fault. And they should of had a military caboose on the rear to watch for open doors, etc. Oh, the UP will bill Uncle Sam, but its their fault it would up this way.
They need to take a cut of cars, off the main (not to many, L over V) and shove them towards the balloon. Go back and get another cut, repeat. Keep doing this until the first part gets close to fouling the track they were shoving on. Then cut the engines off, go to that track and pull the train back out to the main. Before they foul No. 2 siding, set one of the engines out on No. 2. Go back and pull the rest of the train all the way out to the main. When they clear No. 2, stop and shove the train into a joint with that engine. Now you have turned the train and have an engine on either end. All they need is a crew on the west (north) unit and they can take a cut over to east garrison (to be able to clear the main over there). The rest of the train can clear in No. 2 at McKay or double over if need be, to clear the main. They could even put that engine on the east (south) end of the cut so they would have power to pull the mty cut back.
It would be a lot cheaper than taking the whole damn train back to SJ just to turn it.
Its easy to do but crews that UP have now and a lot of officers only know how to go from point A to point B. Sad day. They need to find an old head switchmen. If anybody knew how to move cars around with the least amount of switching and time it was a switchmen.
Nudge