How Cars Get To Customers

I had a great question about car management. How does the railroad get cars to customers? So I did some research, and asked a good friend who's in the business.

[@peterdibble]

The RFID scanners/tags were actually preceded by a barcode system in the 1960s-70s. I made a short documentary about that for anyone who's interested. A couple of those barcodes are actually visible throughout this video too. Great information as always, Danny!

[@nomadMik]

It's a great video, too. Good luck with your channel.

[@AuroraDorealus]

Cartrak ACI.

[@ibubezi7685]

Great video - hopefully, DS gives it a ping.

[@James_Knott]

I remember those. BTW, I used to work for CN.

[@railfanlynx]

When Danny Harmon uploads he’s making sure y’all are ok and don’t be depressed

[@SuperApplefan1]

yes amen

[@ekimp252]

Preach.

[@southeastmichiganrailfan5764]

Amen!!!

[@ut000bs]

He is! lol FACT!

[@DelcoImagery]

Amen

[@CentralPennRailProductions]

Danny, great information. I will say, it's not all that hard to figure out where cars go and where they come from if you pay close attention to the same trains over the course of a year. What I mean is, if you watch a train of the same symbol, and it's counterpart, day in and day out, you will start to see the same cars bouncing back and forth to their destinations. Danny has videos that explain train symbols if you don't know what I mean, but an example would be the trash cars on Norfolk Southern train 15T. The counter part to this train would be 16T, and within that train somewhere you will see the trash cars come back empty. Sometimes, you'll see these same cars on other trains in a different part of the system taken by another train to the end destination. Rarely does one train take cars from Point A to Point B directly, except unit trains, which are mentioned in this video. A coal train, for example, will often be loaded by a crew that takes it from a mine to the railyard. The coal train will then go from the rail yard, Point A, to an export terminal or power plant, Point B, and head directly back to the mine for a refill-a true conveyor on rails.

[@GRE2057]

trains are changing on a daily Basis now since PSR took over

[@AmtrakandAWVRFan]

I do agree if you watch the same train closely, you’ll know what it usually has, but unfortunately counterparts are dwindling in numbers bc of PSR. Some counterparts are now combined on other trains, so a train may be a counterpart of two trains.

[@themanfromcabowabo1559]

Watching the same train for a year.......

[@fridasophia5356]

@@GRE2057 amen, and unfortunately this has made...the unorthodox methods of travel very difficult. One must invest in a scanner to stay "up to date"

[@JessicaKasumi1990]

Don't forget the reason why CSX's reporting mark has that "T". To separate CSX from those leaser or private companies and because their full name is CSX Transportation.

[@unity3596]

T stands for transportation

[@fridasophia5356]

Chessie seaboard consolidated transportation

[@williamh.jarvis6795]

Myself, I am well aware that any railroad freight car, with its reporting (letter) marks ending with an X indicates that it belongs to a private lessor or company, not to any railroad itself, hence, I do understand why CSX's reporting marks must conclude with any other letter than an X (the inclusion of the letter T at the end).

[@thomasm1964]

In the UK, we don't tend to use Y junctions. We use one or other of the following : 01. Passenger : A locomotive at one end and a driving trailer at the other ( a carriage with a cab that can control the locomotive) 02. Passenger : A locomotive or integrated power car at each end of the train so the driver ( 'engineer' ) simply walks from one end of the train to the other when he needs to reverse 03. Passenger : Diesel or electric multiple units where motive power is distributed throughout the train and there is a driving cab at either end 04. Passnger ( archaic ) & Freight : A run-around loop where the locomotive draws forward from its train, runs back along an adjacent track and couples up to the other end of the train. This works because the locomotive can be driven from either end. We do have a few junctions that can be used as a 'Y' junction but they are not actually designed to turn trains as in the American system. They tend to be used as straight-forward junctions for the most part. In the case of mainline heritage steam charters, however, they can be used as Y junctions in the sense that Americans understand the term. The steam locomotive will uncouple and run with a mess coach from the station to the junction. There, it will enter and proceed beyond a set of trailing points ( 'turnout' ). Then it will reverse over the points and run 'wrong way' ( against the normal traffic flow ) out of the junction beyond another set of trailing points. Then, it crosses over the second set of points to regain the correct running track. Once it has done that, it runs back to the station where it left its train and passes the carriages on an adjacent track before reversing back over a third set of trailing points to couple up to what is now the front of the train, ready for the return trip. Of course, in some situations, the nearest suitable point to turn the engine may be behind the station. In that case, it has to run backwards to the junction and backwards againfrom the junction! Alas, we no longer have turntables on our system. Life was so much simpler when we did! Facing points : a set of points which allows normal traffic flow trains to cross from one set of tracks to another. Trailing points : a set of points which requires a normal traffic flow train to go beyond them, stop and reverse over them to cross onto another track. Typically used for sidings or to allow 'wrong way working' when a track is unavailable for exceptional reasons such as maintenance or accident.

[@whtlightnn]

I came here to learn about Automotive cars....but stayed because your channel is very informative!

[@CitySlicker34]

'Tis a good day when Danny uploads

[@DelcoImagery]

Yes

[@Normal1855]

So true.

[@HughMartell]

Absoblumenlutely!!

[@chief7771]

just started watching this channel.

[@chamberlainman1012]

True

[@fredashay]

When I was a kid, I once saw a Conrail locomotive pulling a bunch of subway cars on a rural track in upstate NY heading down to NYC.

[@VisionsofEd]

Great video my friend lots of interesting information

[@kens.3729]

Great Q & A with the Retired CSX Railroad Retiree/Consultant. Thanks for leveraging an interview.

[@billmorris2613]

I’m a retired road engineer off of the UP in New Orleans. Both answers were great explanations.

[@jbillma]

Thank you so much for this video and many others like it! I just realized that I was not subscribed to this channel. Needless to say, I had to correct that error... Last year, at the start of the pandemic, I moved from Zephyrhills to a home we just bought in Sulphur Springs, just a couple blocks from the Clearwater Subdivision. Now, I've always loved trains, and hearing train horns even (and especially) at night has brought me a measure of comfort, dating back to when I was a small child in Salem, Ohio, living just a few blocks away from what is now the NS Fort Wayne Line. (Amtrak's Capitol Limited runs on the line now, but at the time, it was owned by Conrail.) Even so, I was surprised (pleasantly) to find so many trains on this line (especially at night), as I knew that the Clearwater Subdivision does not lead to destinations outside the Tampa Bay Area... only to Pinellas, Pasco, and Hernando counties. Would you or your viewers have any insight into the volume of cars that traverse this subdivision, and if it's common for trains to deliver cars to/from customers at night?

[@matthewsiglow5815]

Danny, thanks for adding that little tidbit about the wye. I've always known that railroads use them, but never gotten to see one in use. COOL!

[@rdgk1se3019]

When Danny posts a video, I hit the like button even before I watch the video.

[@sclpete2917]

Thank you Danny and thank you Paul. miss the the ol SCL days, Like 1967 SCL Pete

[@gw7apm967]

In the UK we used a system called TOPS. This system knew where every vehicle was, whether loaded or empty. The computer system would allocate a vehicle or vehicles which was the nearest to the customer.

[@rickyates3510]

Danny, it is not how many people you know, more importantly it is who you know, ie: your friend from CSX with the great answers. Well done and keep it up!!

[@Jamesbond-uk2sz]

Enjoy your videos I had 2 uncles a brakeman and an engineer and a grandpa who was a conductor on the Milwaukee Road back in the 50,60,70,s I got to ride in the engine with my uncle when I was a young kid quite an experience the track was well used and the the train had a lot of rock to it top speed on the main line was 35mph. Trains have always intrigued me so I have to catch a glimpse when ever I can. You do a good job on the narration and I appreciate the attention to detail. Sincerely Chris Eden

[@thejackbox]

This channel is super under rated. Everything has a much more "professional" feel to it unlike most KZbin train channels.

[@distantsignal]

Thanks jack!

[@vesubioromo9425]

Loyal VR railfan here. One of your videos popped up and I took a look. Very instructive, straight talk, no fluff. Great production. Makes it easy to watch a bunch. Thanks. Liked. Subbed.

[@lookingforthetrail]

Excellent video and wonderful informative information. The fact that you have a Pleasant voice and speak clearly and concisely helps make the video even better!

[@stebro2738]

Clear, Clear < Clear! You DID explain it all well. You answered many questions well & cleared up so many unanswereds! THANKS!!!

[@JacobCothren]

Love the drone shot of the Amtrak

[@williamsmith8333]

Hello I love watching your clips on KZbin, straight to the point! I love trains and the horns! Keep up the good work!! Kevin from Buffalo New York!

[@nkyrailfan]

Great informational video Danny. Thanks for taking the time to answer many of these questions. Make sure to tell Paul thank you from all us rail fans.

[@driven64]

Mr Harmon. Thank you for this video!!!! I understood EVERY aspect of each topic! Great lessons! As a long-time railfan of Amtrak trains barreling thru a Maryland stop on the way into and out of Union Station in DC, as well as the trains in Tampa and Southern Mississippi, I'd like to thank you for your awesome video contributions to us true fans of the "high iron" and YOU!

[@CFRF13]

Ah so that's what the interview was about up at Railwatch, figured it would make its way into one of your videos sooner or later. Another fine episode.

[@brucebradley6180]

Best train videos on you tube. I enjoy everyone of Danny's videos. Thank you Danny

[@Thehercccc]

Greetings from Alberta, Canada. Love your channel! Very professional and informative. Best description and footage of a wye that I’ve seen yet!

[@Audion]

Thanks for your perspective and posts.

[@drgwnut]

Great information as always. It would be cool sometime to follow one car from the field to the customer and out again. That would be a nice illustration of how things work.

[@jcarr0314]

I always wondered how trains were turned around Thanks for the explanation !!

[@cameronreason]

Danny,your commentary is the best on KZbin.. you paint a picture with words..Also your knowledge of everything trains is fascinating! Awesome video sir! Watching from Seattle,Wa.🙏🏽

[@CSX500]

I love figuring stuff like this out! Such a different part of the hobby. Once again another fantastic video Danny!

[@russellturner6424]

As a minor railroad fan your videos are informative. I appreciate you and keep up the great work.

[@austindingess72]

Stopped in the middle of another video just to come watch this video. Never a dull moment in a distant signal video

[@wheeling827]

Same!

[@muddtrack6969]

VERY GOOD DAN ! OLD MAN RAILFAN! KNEW SOME OF THIS, CLEARED UP MY THINKING! MANYTHANKS FOR THE VIDEO!!

[@robertdean9392]

Great video and great information. Had a little idea and knowledge combined, but Paul and You filled in most of the blank spots. Be safe out there and take it easy.

[@franksita4719]

Great information that I did not know about how the cars get moved around. Your former CSX employee you interviewed was spot on!

[@davidkalbacker6033]

A Danny Harmon upload can answer a lot of questions and make someone’s day at the same time. Excellent video, great info. 👍

[@truckingwithpacdawg2202]

Welp here I am in 2022 getting all the valuable info I’ve always been wondering. Dang thank you KZbin and Danny. Also those who have added info to this channel

[@Rolf-Dieter_Damm]

Thank you for your video and your explanations, Danny. Have a great weekend!

[@christopherescott6787]

Great to see you had another adventure. With your smooth radio voice,in depth information and all around good humor, your videos are among the best there are.

[@ruslsdad]

Thanks Danny. Love videos like these. Keep on fanning!

[@trapdriver7006]

Excellent video I enjoyed watching it.👍😀😀😀😀😀🚂🇬🇧

[@rybak04]

Thank you Danny! Hope to railfan the ACL SCL someday. Cheers from Canada.

[@donmiles9083]

Excellent info. Thank you for keeping these learning videos coming.

[@dougaustin2689]

Thanks, that explains a few things I hadn't thought of. Cool ... Keep em' coming.

[@RollinIsbell]

Great information ... AGAIN! Thank you and keep them coming.

[@stephenrick6672]

Thanks for answering all these questions. Very Informative.

[@tedmaas3588]

Nice to c u trackside Danny! Great info for the the railfans with the great questions. Hope to hear from u soon!

[@moore4807]

Excellent explanation and valuable information! Thank You Danny

[@charleyharper4298]

Very informative. Stuff all railroad fans think of.

[@vhpilot66]

Fantastic info! When you post a video I drop everything to watch it ASAP! I also hit the like button even before I watch...one of the few guarantees in this world. Guaranteed your videos are a home run!

[@bobmckinley2498]

Thanks for all your great information, much appreciated.

[@GaryCameron780]

Some cars are dedicated to certain runs. For example in Canada the same tank cars go between Dow Chemical in Fort Saskatchewan, Alberta and Northwood Pulp and Timber in British Columbia.

[@nightlightnumber9]

I’m so mad that I’m a fay late on a new video, not sure how that happened. I love to learn the what, why and how of the train systems and to watch trains. Thank you for all that you do for these video’s.

[@jman4652]

Very interesting 🤔 The Australian train system is very similar... Thank you for the info. Might have to watch more of your vids to see more about the American rail system. 👍😎

[@andross51]

This Legendary Cheering Railfan always enjoys your videos Danny! Great footage as always! :)

[@andross51]

@@natesmainlinevids Being the famous "The Legendary Cheering Railfan" that I am cartoons, I always enjoy Danny's videos all the time! In my opinion he always creates great content! :)

[@bennetfox]

Yay! The silky smooth sounds of Danny Harmon! 🙃

[@Ty-17]

furry

[@goat_9984]

😐

[@cenlaaerialimagery6291]

Great video! It was always a fun day when 2 or 3 engines in our six or seven engine consist needed turning and it was every other one!!!! Lol.

[@corey294]

A++! Another top notch video! Thank you! 👍🚂

[@alpharomeo15]

My Dad worked for MOPAC long before Computers (My other YT handle is MOPAC Rail Fan☺️)!... They transmitted all that information around the different stations via a massive teletype system using "Train Lists"... Each crew would print out a "Train List" for their shift and/or run to a destination! If anything changed during a run or shift... the crew would have to STOP and get a NEW "Train List" to continue! Imagine the wad of paper a conductor eventually had to carry around once the trains started exceeding 300 cars... in ALL weather conditions? Some of the regular "Road Engines" got printers in them so they could receive Train Orders on the fly... but those where rare and didn't always work well! Railroading is TUFF! ☺️

[@carlgomm9699]

This is a most interesting show, have always wanted to know about such things, this is a very interesting channel,I love this !!

[@mattbaxter508]

What a great and informative video I learned alot Danny. I cant wait for your next video. Thanks for the latest post here!

[@BarredCoast0]

Please do more of these! Great information to be had for us railfans that have NO idea about these processes. Thank you for taking the opportunity to explain this part. I've wondered that myself. I've also wondered about how railroads know where their locomotives are and why you see so many of them mixed together on a single train. What's up with that? Thanks again Danny! You are a plethora of info for us railfan dummies! 🚂🚃🚃🚃

[@AnonyMous-pi9zm]

Locomotives are fundamentally no different from the rest of the traincars. They have a type, maybe its a boxcar, maybe its an EMD locomotive. Some boxcars are 40ft long, some engines are 5000HP. The metadata of a locomotive might have different specs than a boxcar, but it still has an ID which is matched up to the specs in the computer. They have a location, they have a destination where they'll be needed not for a customer, but for another train. To the computer, it's the same problem of optimization and meeting the needs of the railroad. You gotta coordinate people who are qualified to run them, trains which are strong enough to pull them, locations and times for the schedule, etc.

[@roylafountain5478]

As always...excellent content and presentation. Thank you!

[@justinhaase8825]

I'm an aviation guy so I can appreciate the similar field of interest...I will prob never be into rail, but it is interesting to learn how it all works.

[@distantsignal]

Thanks Justin! That's a real compliment from an Aviation person.

[@25mfd]

nice vid... railcar movements are cryptic... as a condr for the chicago and northwestern we once had a boxcar mistakenly marked for one of our customers that only receives plastic pellet hoppers (our customer was smurfit - stone flexible packaging but the boxcar, loaded with kraftliner, was destined for a company elsewhere in milwaukee that made boxes, a wis southern rr customer)... so we passed the car off to the wis southern at our interchange at granville, wi... well the wis southern passed it back to us and stated that they couldn't take the car at granville and that the car had to be contractually passed off to them via canadian pacifics muskego yard in milwaukee... that was my first time ever knowing that railroads signed contracts as "go-betweens" when it comes to handling bridge traffic... i learned something that day

[@FlyForB6]

These videos make my week! Great work DH!

[@gschneck260]

A good way to learn about car movement is from model railroad magazines. Why model RR's? Because those who build and operate great MRR layouts go to great lengths to model what actually happens on real railroads. In MRR mags you will find articles about actual car movements and how cars get from A to Z. Not only how cars are tracked and followed but also classification yards, hump yards, yard operations, car transfers, etc. There are also some good model railroad video's that get into this also. So, checkout those model layouts and operators. They know how things work.

[@t0cableguy]

Danny, while you are thanking us for watching, I thank you for making all this content. I remember watching your videos on PBS WEDU when I was a little kid. I was always curious about trains. Your persistence and kindness has gotten us laymen. As an electrician I have worked at many industrial plants that have regular train traffic in central florida. My favorite so far was the new intermodal facitily in "winter haven". I've actually been in the cranes that move the containers. Its pretty awesome. I might attribute your videos to my interest in heavy industry. Thanks!

[@Mike-tg7dj]

Another awesome video love that Florida sunshine! You cover the northern part of the state very well. Thanks

[@keithross4511]

Danny I always enjoy the information you share. I’ve always loved trains even though I work in the aviation transportation industry for a major airline. But having grown up on a street as a kid that ended at several sets of Rock Island tracks and a main line track, I was always fascinated with train. Walking home from school along the tracks and seeing a far distant signal turn red, I’d start dilly dallying along know a train was coming that I could watch. The sounds, smells, and sight of 3 or 4 locomotives of the early 1960’s pulling a long freight in was always a thrill to me. Or at about 9pm at night during the summer and the sound of distant horning blaring, we’d hope on our bicycles and peddle as hard as we could to be close by as the Mars light would be flashing off the side of a large railroad fuel tank beside the siding tracks, as a Rock Island Rocket passenger train roared toward us with horns blaring and headlight flashing at 55 or 60 mph exiting Waterloo, Iowa and heading south. But thanks for all you share with us train nuts. Got a chance to see UP’s 4014 Big Boy as it made a 20 minute stop in Wagoner, OK last weekend.

[@MikeKeeler]

Great content. Thanks for answering these questions. I had been wondering about some and had not considered others.

[@RussellTHouse]

It's been a long while since your last video, Mr. Harmon. But I understand. I look forward to seeing them whenever they're posted. Keep up the GREAT work! You're the greatest!

[@jamesschad5231]

Always the BEST videos...Thanks Danny!

[@thomasmackowiak]

Great video, Danny! The information was very interesting and helpful. Thank you for keeping us informed on these matters. The information that you provide helps when we are watching your train videos or the videos of you railfan KZbinrs.

[@Steve-xf4uv]

As usual Danny, a very informative video with drone shots to help further explain. Those of us who follow your channel regularly really appreciate these videos. I knew some of this already but there is always something new and railroading is so complex, there is much to learn. Thanks for sharing this and thanks to Paul Newson also.

[@jimsaintamour5819]

Another great job, I sure enjoyed the information on cars, and the process, thanks Danny.

[@Yourmoosehead]

Danny, you are the god of Florida railfanning! Keep it up!

[@dmorgan28]

Great video Danny. Very well said. 👍👍👍❤️

[@leroyreimer257]

Very informative! Thanks for sharing. I do enjoy your videos very much!

[@brianhickey5949]

Great information as always. I sort of knew what a wye was, but now it is so simple I can even tell someone else what it is :)

[@TheDaf95xf]

Great information Danny 👍🏻😎🏴󠁧󠁢󠁥󠁮󠁧󠁿

[@richardsylvanus2717]

Good video as always. Greetings from Maine.

[@VistanTN]

Great video, as usual. I just keep thinking of what a massive undertaking car management was before computers, RFID tags, etc. Just boggles my mind!

[@robertdmoore2592]

Fantastic questions and Fantastic answers, this was a Really good one Sir, I love your channel!

[@StLBlknight]

Thank you Danny I really appreciate this and all of your other videos.

[@jamessimmons8158]

Great video, good to see something new from you, been a while now.

[@haroldrousseau8017]

Hi Danny; very interesting indeed always a good work thanks a lot...

[@johnjacobs9334]

Great information! I managed logistics for years and learned some new things from this video!

[@rennethjarrett4580]

Danny first time to your videos I think. Information i did not know was done on real trains like the turn around. I thought most just un-hooked and the went to the other end to pull the other direction, so the turn around loop was something I thought was rare or only used in model trains. However in model trains the "WYE" type of a track switch has both side curved away from straight direction and a left turn type one to the left and one straight and the right turn type has one to the right and the other straight. The one at 5:51 is a right turn out switch, but they all can be used for track switching or turn around loop.

[@benthetrainman866]

Awesome video

[@Garcansdad]

Very informative. I thought you were going to talk about cars shipped in auto racks. I tracked my 2016 GT 350 from the assembly plant in Michigan to the yard here in Houston. It traveled on three different railroads.

[@AbelG8781]

My cousins Challenger came off the BNSF in Pearland, they leave the receipt in the glove compartment lol

[@ariffmohamed2337]

TQ Mr Danny for the information the railway activities

[@drc930]

Very informative, I've always been a freight car enthusiast and love studying the logistical side of it. Another thing I learned is the private car leasing companies will sometimes pay smaller railroads to use their reporting marks even when the lease company owns the car. You see that alot up my way on Pan Am with the SNC, LRS, BKTY reporting marks used on the boxcars leased to Pan Am or the mills for paper service.

[@EmergencyGuy]

Danny, I took a nostalgic adventure into the past by visiting an abandoned passenger station. The locomotive there was a GE 80 ton center cab locomotive. And surprisingly, the station and locomotive, as well as the cars the locomotive was coupled to, were in great shape.

[@roxannemanzone9351]

Actually learned something new Danny! Excellent video.

[@jamesterrill1938]

GOOD video, answered many questions for me...The best place I have found int OKlahoma is Perry. Trains from two lines have trains on avg. every 30 min. most days...