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The past several weeks have been very busy, with the summer MOW season beginning to fire up. The Unorganized Problem and the Irritating Harbor Belt both have track windows most of the days, and that makes for some real interesting operations. Couple that with the fact that business down here has been very busy and the problems just compound.
We have been pumping out KCBX Boat Coal trains to the BRC at a rate of about one a week lately. There have also been some NIPSCO moves to Northern Indiana Power Company and a few moves to Iowa via the IMRL. Now I know this doesn't sound like a whole lot, but remember that this is nothing more than a glorified branch line. Storing, loading, and staging cars for these trains becomes an exercise in creative frustration. And one when one of these land barges is ready to go, we are almost bound to move it right away since there is no place to keep it once it is together.
The other roads have a different angle on this. They are already saturated with trains and the last thing they need is another train to handle, let alone a 15,000 ton 6000 foot monster. The CSX is usually pretty good, but the UP and the IHB leave something to be desired. I have been told by some crews that they are saturated as well, but the CSX can manage to move them and they are no less congested themselves. HMMMMMM.
The other factor, for the Unorganized Problem at least, is the "Bunker Factor". Being inside this fortified revetment must do some damage to important bodily tissues, specifically brain tissue. I consider myself an amateur doctor, and I have suspected there was some kind of problem out in Omie-Haw (medically speaking of course). Just this last Friday, my suspicions were confirmed. The situation played out as follows:
I had a 783 type train working north to KCBX at Cal Park. I called the UP dispatcher in Omie-Haw to clear up another train and inquired as to the possible success or failure of this iron horse reaching the KCBX stables. No problem. He should make it. Well, this is good news to me, so I go about my business with a certain level of confidence and pride knowing that 15,000 tons of dinosaur turds will make it to Cal Park with a reasonable level of efficiency. So it's about 3 hours later and I'm as happy as a clam. The usual North Pool nonsense appears to have subsided for the moment.
Now I have a friend. This friend is not in the form of a person. It is not in the form of a pet. It is not in the form of an animate object. No, my special friend is a little black cloud. It follows me to work every day. Sometimes this little black cloud piddles on me right away in the morning and then sits back to enjoy the show. Other times it piddles on me mid day, just about the time I am beginning to think I might have a good day. But on this day, my special friend decided to wait until the day was entering it's most critical phase: the pre shift change time. This is the time when we try to tie up all loose ends so our relief gets a clean, fresh start.
So it's about 15:00 and I'm starting to get my goodies together for shift change. I'm going over the train sheet getting things ready and making sure that the afternoon jobs all have what they need to get started. So I'm in the middle of this when the phone rings. Gee, it's the UP. Maybe I should make them wait 15 or 20 minutes like we do when we try to call them. No, I don't have to bow THAT low (at least not yet). So I talk to him.
Now he has me on a conference call with the BRC. About three voices begin talking all at once. Two of them stop, and the only one left is the 2nd trick guy in Omie-Haw. Where is relief for this train? It's sitting dead on the main plugging up the yard. Blah blah blah blah. OK. So move it! Well, I'll look into that and I hang up. The receiver had barely been set back into the cradle when the phone rings again. This time it's the crew on this 783 train. They inform me that they were cruising along just fine and had a clear shot to Cal Park when the UP decided to put one of their trains out in front of this coal train. Their train proceeds to die on hours with the coal train trapped in behind it at the yard throat. I love it! So I get a taxi to take the crew off the train right away and take them to the hotel. Meanwhile, you can bet I took my sweet time getting relief ordered up for them.
My diagnosis: rampant Bunkeritis. The only known cure: start over.
Latta has been a busy place lately. With all of these extra coal trains moving about, it has been a real challenge to keep everything fluid. We have been running the cutomary road switchers, as well as the obligatory 67, 118, 120, and 35s. I guess I should use some of this space to explain what these jobs are and what they do. Here's a quick run down:
Latta Roadswitchers
121- Starts at 0830 and works Fayette to Bedford. Lately it has been working Kindill and the yard.
122- Starts at 0700 and works Fayette to Bedford. Does any and all work.
123- Starts at 1500 and works Fayette to Bedford. Often times this job will go to Linton and interchange cars with the INRD and bring empties back for loading.
127- Starts at 1630 and works Fayette to Badford. A mix of work.
124- Starts at 2300 and works Fayette to Bedford.
128- Starts at 2359 and works Fayette to Bedford.
125- The relief job that works the other jobs off days.
Now when I say Fayette to Bedford, it means that they can work anywhere between those two stations doing any kind of work and are not restricted to any particular conditions.
118- The Afternoon XL. Is called daily between 11:00 and 14:00, and brings loads to Wabash River and returns with empties. This job also transfers cars between Van Yard and Latta Yard.
120- The XL. Does the same work as 118. It is called between 23:00 and 02:00.
The Turns
35- Maysville Turn. This job either takes loads from Maysville loadout (on the ISRR, just outside of Washington, IN) to the INRD at Linton for movement to CIPS-Newton, or it takes the empties from CIPS-Newton to Maysville for loading. On most days we will call at least one Maysville. Sometimes, we will have 2 or more and other days we will send road switchers to do the work. A note about the turns. As their name implies, they go from station to another and then turn and go back. Once a turn is going back to its origin, it cannot go back for more work. It's like a one way street both ways (now is that an oxymoron or what?). So work has to be planned so as to avoid this kind of situation.
67- Hawthorn Turn. This job is called between 0800 and 1000 and loads at Hawthorn and then brings the cars to Latta or Spring Hill depending on the coal being moved. Essentially, if it's Fayette coal it comes to Latta for the XL and if it's Cayuga coal it comes to Spring Hill for interchange with the CSX train T501.
60- Hawthorn turn. This turn either relieves 67 and brings cars to Latta or Spring Hill (usually if 67 gets delayed) or more usually it performs the actual interchange with T501 and takes the empties back to Hawthorn and begins loading until relieved by 67 in the morning.
59- Odon Turn. This job has been called a lot lately, usually to go to Farmersburg mine and take the 100 Gibson coal loads to the ISRR at Beehunter and interchange the loads for empties, and then bring the empties back to Farmersburg and spot them for loading. The turns cannot exceed the limits of their assignment, so the next station PAST their intended turn is used for a measure of safety. In this case, Odon is the next station past Elnora and Beehunter.
57- Crane Turn. Usually used to either take a 240 type train south to stage at Crane when the CSX cannot handle it, or to bring a 241 type train north when we can handle it.
T501 is the rogue player here. This train originates light power at Danville, IL. and runs over to the Cayuga Generating station. They collect the 100 empties and come south to Spring Hill. Our train 67 will bring the 100 loads up from Hawthorn Mine and at Spring Hill will enter the CSX at Baker Siding and then back the train down the Riley Spur. When T501 is called at Danville we call a 60 to come to Spring Hill and engage in the interchange ritual with the CSX. So 501 comes up to the tower, our crew gets on and takes the whole train south to Hawthorn for loading. The CSX crew taxis to the train on the Riley, and then takes it north to Cayuga for unloading. This is a night time activity, and the power is a 4 or 5 unit set of GP38s or GP40s.
The south end has been sort of quiet lately. Not a whole lot to talk about. Trains have been engaging in their usual Louisville sojourns south. I even had a 240 train last week that made the entire trip with time to spare! They got blocks all the way from Bedrock to Louisville! Now that has to be a first!
The INRD has been keeping us busy as well. I will attempt to explain their operations as best I can One quick note- there is a certain fixation here which I think will become quite apparent as I go.
BLLI (Billy)- Runs daily from BLoomington to LInton and then the crew changes trains with the PALI (Pally) and returns back to Bloomington. The prime commodity of this train is the GE appliances that are interchanged with the CSX in Bloomington. This is the hottest move on the INRD. Power is usually a 2 or 3 unit set of ex-CSX Uceta GP16s in the 1700 and 1800 number series.
PALI (Pally)- Runs from PAlestine to LInton and changes trains with the BLLI and goes back. this train makes the interchange of loads and empties at Sullivan on the CSX. Power set is typically the same sort of thing that the BLLI has. This job will also do on line work between Sullivan and Palestine.
Rob1 and Rob2- These jobs switch the huge Marathon Oil refinery at Robinson. The day job sets the cars up and then pulls them and begins assembling the train for the afternoon job. The afternoon job then takes the cars to Newton and interchanges with the IC. Power is typically 2 GP16s. Rob 2 goes to work daily at 1930.
Effingham Turn- This IC job goes to work at 1900 daily and comes over to Newton and interchanges with the Rob 2 job and then returs to Effingham. Power has been the IC 8709 and the 9726 (?).
SALI (Sally)- Senate Avenue to LInton road freight with cars from Indianapolis to points south (geographically west). This train meets its counterpart LISA (pronounced just as it is spelled) and they trade trains at Bloomington and go back from whence they came. This job goes to work daily at 2200 and will haul the majority of the north- south trafic on the system. Usually they have 120+ cars out of Senate Avenue and have 4 or 5 SD18/ SD10s for power.
LISA (Lisa)- Brings the bulk of the north cars from LInton to Senate Ave, but as stated above the crews trade trains at Bloomington and go back on the rebound. Power is the same as the SALI. Goes to work daily at 2200.
CIPS (Sips)- Hauls the cars for CIPS generating station at Newton from Linton to Newton. They then bring the empties back to Linton for interchange with the CP. This train is then hauled by the Maysville Turn to Maysville for loading, and the loads are brought back north and another CIPS train grabs the 67 cars and takes them out to Newton for unloading.
The INRD has been running a myriad of work extras as part of their physical plant upgrade program. They are currently changing out the 90 lb. jointed rail for 115 lb. welded rail. This will raise their speed limit from 12 mph to 25 mph and more.
T540- This CSX train gets 104 loaded gons of coal at Chinook mine on the Riley Spur and brings it to Baker siding. They then run around their train at Baker and take it south to Sullivan. At Sullivan, they run over the INRD to Hoosier Junction and spot the train at Merom generating station for unloading and taxi back to Terre Haute. About 10 hours later they taxi back to Merom and grab the 104 empties and then come back to Baker, run around the train, and go to Chinook and spot it for loading. This job runs 6 days a week and usually has 4 GP38/ GP40 type units, although they will occassionally use a pair of those road slugs (ex GP30/ GP35 units) in the middle.
A special note of interest. I was talking to an INRD track inspector and he mentioned he was going out with the Speeder Club this weekend. What? Well, turns out there is a speeder club in the area that goes on weekend expeditions when the weather is nice. This weekend they were going to run on the INRD end to end (I believe). Sunday they were going to explore the tracks in Crane. Crane! You got to be kidding! I didn't think the Navy would let them in. Well, turns out they let something like 25 in and they can roam the 125 + miles of track inside the complex. It turns into an all day affair to be sure. Kinda makes me want to buy a speeder and go exploring.
The winner of the You Be The Dispatcher sweepstakes is....TJ Van Haag. He proposed the novel idea of calling in the fire department and feigning a major disaster. I particularly enjoyed the possibilities this kind of move might suggest: company injury, imminant disaster, and so on. So he wins some genuine dispatcher belly button lint, as well as a CP Latta Sub train sheet and an INRD Indianapolis Sub train sheet.
Power
See above....
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Editorial content (C) 1998 Mike Dettmers
