Author Topic: North End - South Hammond Yards - 1948 - 1954 Purpose of Tracks  (Read 4689 times)

0 Members and 1 Guest are viewing this topic.

Don Kuhlman

  • Monon Brakeman
  • **
  • Posts: 59
North End - South Hammond Yards - 1948 - 1954 Purpose of Tracks
« on: February 29, 2012, 11:45:46 am »
Hi folks. I've been studying the South Hammond yards using the Profile CD, etc. to learn about the yard tracks and their purposes.
I'm modeling the timeframe 1948 - 1954.
There will be 4 or 5 classification tracks on each end in the yard.
Besides the basic classification tracks, I have these questions:
1) Were there A/D (arrival/departure) tracks on both ends of the yard?
2) Which tracks were used as the A/D tracks?
3) Were there Caboose tracks (again, if so were they on both ends of the yard)?
4) Were there other specific tracks and can anyone tell me their purpose and location?

Thanks!

Don K
Don K

Ron Marquardt

  • Guest
Re: North End - South Hammond Yards - 1948 - 1954 Purpose of Tracks
« Reply #1 on: February 29, 2012, 12:28:53 pm »
Don, that wasn't exactly the way it worked.  They may have had certain tracks where they generally yarded inbound trains, and generally built outbound trains, but that wasn't set in concrete.  Depending on the requirements of the business on any given day, any of the yard tracks could be used for anything.

For example. they might usually build the south local in track #6 (or whatever) because it was a short track, but today they had alot of extra cars so they might build it in track #2.  Then #70 arrives, and they normally yard him in track #2 because it is a long track, but the local was late getting called because of power problems, so they might have to yard #70 in track #4, and have him double over to track #7 because he wouldn't fit in track #4.

To understand railroading you need to accept that things weren't the same day after day after day.  They were always changing depending on the requirements of the service on any given day.  Yes, there were certain tracks that they preferred to use for certain moves when things were running normally, but they usually weren't running normally, so they adjusted accordingly.

Another thing to consider was that some tracks were used for certain moves on one shift, but not the other shifts.  Case in point was the scale track at McDoel.  They would always yard the South Stone Train in track #13 because that's where the scale was, but the SST usually came in late on 1st. shift or early on 2nd.  Then, they weighed the stone on 2nd. shift, switched it out, and after that #13 could be used for anything until the next day.  If the next day was Saturday or Sunday, it all changed again because the SST was a five day job.

As far as the caboose track was concerned, they usually had a designated track where the cabooses could be serviced, and back in the old days when the train crews slept on the caboose, it was located where the crews wouldn't be disturbed.  Same thing for the rip track where they made running repairs on cars.  / Ron
« Last Edit: February 29, 2012, 12:35:49 pm by Ron Marquardt »

Don Kuhlman

  • Monon Brakeman
  • **
  • Posts: 59
Re: North End - South Hammond Yards - 1948 - 1954 Purpose of Tracks
« Reply #2 on: February 29, 2012, 01:43:36 pm »
Thanks Ron!  That helps to clarify some of my confusion :)  and leads me to ask more questions...
I understand that a particular class track - eg #6 could be used for whatever purpose it was needed for by the shift or crew on duty at the time.  From what I can tell, there are 10 tracks on each end of the yard that I would call classification tracks(those coming off the ladders?).

Then there are some other stub ended tracks, along with some that seem to run all the way around the class tracks on the east or west of the main yard class tracks.

I'm curious about those tracks more than the ones that were what I'm calling the class tracks.

For example, would the caboose(s) or is it cabeese ;) have been stored right near the yard house or crew quarters at the South end of the yard ?

When an engine finished it's run at the yard, would it be cutoff from the train and go to the roundhouse or service tracks using one of those "through tracks" I'm seeing on the yard diagrams?

Don K
Don K

Tim T Swan

  • Monon Engineer
  • ****
  • Posts: 302
  • Modeling Bedford in 1948
Re: North End - South Hammond Yards - 1948 - 1954 Purpose of Tracks
« Reply #3 on: February 29, 2012, 06:28:26 pm »
Well, my previous response to Don's post was apparently obliterated when it was re-classified (at my suggestion) to the new Operations category.  So here it is again, restated after reading Ron's response.

As a 12 to 14-year old kid in the early 50's, I often watched trains arriving and departing the south end of South Hammond yards.  I don't remember much about the north end; rarely getting up that far.  This is what I do remember:

Trains arriving from the south would usually switch onto the south-end yard ladder adjacent to the yard office and proceed directly onto one of ten or so classification tracks.  The train would first split to clear the 173rd St. crossing, then the yard switcher would pull the caboose and temporarily set it out on one of the two R.I.P. tracks paralleling the ladder track before immediately starting to classifying the cars.  At some later point, the switcher would move the caboose over to the caboose track, which was at the top of the yard ladder (photo attached).   The first and second tracks next to (east of) the mainline were used as departure tracks.  And they WERE set in concrete in that they were both fitted with air couplings between the rails, just an engine length north of that 13-track 173rd St. crossing.  A number of  times on long summer evenings I rode my bike back and forth over all 13 tracks before departure time of what I now know were Trains No.71 and 75.  Sometimes the road engines were already coupled up, fronting the crossing, with their engines rumbling and their numberboards seening to be brightening in the darkening dusk.  What a thrill that was!

South Hammond’s yard ladders at both ends were double-tracked, as seen in this shot (see the attached photo) of the south ladder.  These I believe served as run-arounds when needed.  There was also a double set of ladders separating the north and the south halves of the yard.  But keep in mind Don, that there were usually two yard jobs working simultaneously in two switchers, one from each end, so I would think run-around movements weren't usually needed.

 

Alan Keightley

  • Monon Fireman
  • *
  • Posts: 2
Re: North End - South Hammond Yards - 1948 - 1954 Purpose of Tracks
« Reply #4 on: February 29, 2012, 07:24:46 pm »
Tim has the matter pretty well covered as he usually does. The only thing I would add is that the east 3 or 4 tracks in the north yard were always used first with the 6 or 7 adjacent tracks to the west (toward Lyman Ave) only used if necessary with the exception of the one or two tracks adjacent to the main line (east of the main line) which were also used as arrival and departure tracks for the half of trains 70, 71 72 and 73 that would not fit in the south yard. As I remember from previous posts here the eastern most track in the north yard was a "hold" track for no bill cars, grain cars waiting for inspection, etc. I don't know why this sequence of yard track useage was done that way. I am speaking of the time frame 1956-1960.

Don Kuhlman

  • Monon Brakeman
  • **
  • Posts: 59
Re: North End - South Hammond Yards - 1948 - 1954 Purpose of Tracks
« Reply #5 on: March 01, 2012, 03:51:51 pm »
Great. Thanks for the replies and explanations folks!  I'm going to study your explanations more so I can get a better handle on what I should try to represent in my space.

Regards,

Don K
Don K

Ron Marquardt

  • Guest
Re: North End - South Hammond Yards - 1948 - 1954 Purpose of Tracks
« Reply #6 on: March 01, 2012, 05:06:13 pm »
To quote Tim, "And they WERE set in concrete in that they were both fitted with air couplings between the rails, just an engine length north of that 13-track 173rd St. crossing".

So, what your telling me Tim is that, if there was a track problem in either of these tracks, or there was a problem with the ground air, that they couldn't run their trains out of any other track in the yards, and they were just out of business until the problem in these tracks was fixed.  Why do I find that hard to believe??

You just don't seem to understand the part about making adjustments according to the requirements of the service.  I will concede that they preferred to use these tracks because they were equipped with ground air, but you need to concede that it WASN'T actually set in concrete.  Loose gravel maybe....    ;)  LMAO,  / Ron

PS, Tim, I wish you'd been my yardmaster at Lafayette or McDoel when I was running an engine.  I'd have made enough in initial and final terminal delay to retire when I was 50 years old. 

Rick Dreistadt

  • Guest
Re: North End - South Hammond Yards - 1948 - 1954 Purpose of Tracks
« Reply #7 on: March 01, 2012, 08:50:30 pm »
Amen, Ron, about nothing is set in concrete.  As a yardmaster you built the trains to leave on time from whatever track was available at that time.  One example was at Osborn yard in Louisville.  Many times it is necessary to build a 100 car train in the "L" yard where the tracks hold about 40 to 60 cars each.  When the outbound train doubles up to leave he can tie up part of the yard for 30 minutes to an hour.
Rick

Gene Remaly

  • Inactive
  • Monon Conductor
  • *
  • Posts: 150
Re: North End - South Hammond Yards - 1948 - 1954 Purpose of Tracks
« Reply #8 on: March 01, 2012, 08:53:34 pm »
Tim
Is that switch target on the South yard throat an L@N type ?

Tim T Swan

  • Monon Engineer
  • ****
  • Posts: 302
  • Modeling Bedford in 1948
Re: North End - South Hammond Yards - 1948 - 1954 Purpose of Tracks
« Reply #9 on: March 02, 2012, 11:42:27 am »
I'm not saying that at all, guys.  The concrete reference was just a play on Ron's wording, given that those air fittings actually were set in a bit of concrete.  I realize any track might have been used for anything, according to the circumstances.  All I was saying was that those first two tracks were set up as departure tracks and were usually used for that purpose, even though at other times of the day they could have been and probably were used for other purposes.

Sit down and relax with a nice, cool one. 

Tim T Swan

  • Monon Engineer
  • ****
  • Posts: 302
  • Modeling Bedford in 1948
Re: North End - South Hammond Yards - 1948 - 1954 Purpose of Tracks
« Reply #10 on: March 02, 2012, 11:44:15 am »
Tim
Is that switch target on the South yard throat an L@N type ?

Gene, I took those photos in 1970, before L&N took over.

Ron Marquardt

  • Guest
Re: North End - South Hammond Yards - 1948 - 1954 Purpose of Tracks
« Reply #11 on: March 02, 2012, 12:23:53 pm »
Tim says "Sit down and relax with a nice, cool one".  Tim, if I could get Burgoffs down here, I would.  I could get it in Kentucky, but not Indiana.  Go figure.  Last one I had was what you brought to the French Lick convention.

Ron

Tim T Swan

  • Monon Engineer
  • ****
  • Posts: 302
  • Modeling Bedford in 1948
Re: North End - South Hammond Yards - 1948 - 1954 Purpose of Tracks
« Reply #12 on: March 02, 2012, 01:52:16 pm »
I'll bring a case to Fench Lick.

Tom Kepshire

  • Inactive
  • Monon Dispatcher
  • *
  • Posts: 922
  • Go Blackhawks.
    • Bygone Places Along The Monon
Re: North End - South Hammond Yards - 1948 - 1954 Purpose of Tracks
« Reply #13 on: March 02, 2012, 03:41:15 pm »
That's the spirit. No pun intended  :)
Life Member #22
Visit www.monon.org

Don Kuhlman

  • Monon Brakeman
  • **
  • Posts: 59
Re: North End - South Hammond Yards - 1948 - 1954 Purpose of Tracks
« Reply #14 on: March 05, 2012, 11:17:56 am »
Well, this is a good thread and is going to be helpful to my little piece of the Monon as far as operations goes...I'll probably post something over in the modelling section about that and what I've done/doing on my version of the yard.

Thanks for the lively conversation gents ! :)

Don K
Don K