Train Car Switching Exercise #2 - Can You Do It? - The Waterloo Waltz

[@davidmihevc3990]

Cool to see the Milwaukee Road hopper still earning its keep.

[@killerbee6310]

Ya, I made sure to show them.

[@DogRedful]

Thank you again! This sort of information makes operating my model railroad much more interesting.

[@killerbee6310]

Goes to show you can make stub end tracks and be prototypical.

[@bobozo389]

Simple move, but non the less, fun to watch! Thanks for sharing.

[@killerbee6310]

Yessir Mr Kazoo!!

[@mattw9667]

Keep these vids coming! The weirder, the better.

[@killerbee6310]

Hmmmmmm...........

[@jameskesler6477]

Love seeing the KCS locals! It’s my favorite paint scheme but where I live there’s only one or two daily manifests on the main line.

[@killerbee6310]

Come up to Wisconsin - a lot are on CN also.

[@ericsundell9978]

Always a good video when you have a nice 645 soundtrack to accompany it.

[@killerbee6310]

Yes, I agree.

[@u2bear377]

For those who want to play switching themselves, there is an old good train puzzle game, 3D Ultra Lionel Train Town. It includes some 'sandbox' levels where a custom track layout can be constructed. Not sure it allows 80 car consists, but for the purpose it may be reduced proportionally.

[@OhioCentralModeler]

That was one of my favorite games as a kid.

[@jankington216]

If this is the waterloo waltz, traintown is faerie's aire and deathwaltz

[@thomasmackowiak]

Thank you for another fascinating video of a train crew switching cars to make up a train. That was an interesting track configuration at the loading location which made it easy for the crew to more the loaded ballast cars around. (Posted 24 September 2024 at 2006 CDT.)

[@killerbee6310]

Of course. Glad to hear from you again .

[@tobypeterson5199]

Another great video of railroad switching moves. Thanks Brian!!!

[@killerbee6310]

Yes, you're welcome. I have another one ready to go I'll post in a little.

[@ricardojuricic9027]

Thanks for the video AND thanks to all for your comments (if I have the time I read them all) I share the videos with rrfriends cheers = saludos Buenos Aires, 🇦🇷 Argentina 🤙🏻👏🏻🧉🙂

[@killerbee6310]

I appreciate your attention. We'll keep them coming....

[@yankeefist9146]

It was nice to see The Milwaukee Road represented. I'll take what I can get. Thanks for explaining this switching operation.

[@killerbee6310]

It was fun - my pleasure

[@paulbergen9114]

Luckily that's not on a main line where it would be tied up for quite a while. That poor Milwaukee Road ballast car looks like it's been through some tough battles and certainly is among the last cars they ordered. For several years a Herzog train was usually stored in Milwaukee during winter hat was assigned to this loading operation so now you brought this to the big screen to show us how it works. One other tough area for switching was on the Milwaukee Road beer line which started off of Keefe Avenue and turned off the main down a little piece of Street running track then through the American Motors parking lot and crossed Holton streets. It probably went no more than three blocks but turned and went North another two blocks and there were a fair number of Industries here with switches to stub end tracks both directions and there was even one or two diamonds. There is a distinct lack of photos here and could be because of night time switching and there was more action on the mainline part of the beer line. For a short time Wisconsin and Southern had a customer there but the line got torn out when it was retrenched back to almost North Milwaukee. You certainly picked a great day on this line between the sun and the motive power plus the car variety

[@killerbee6310]

It was a fluke we stumbled on the train but I always say better to be lucky than good.

[@BoxcarJerry]

Interesting video thanks for sharing it. I look forward to the next one.

[@killerbee6310]

I appreciate your comments. It would be pretty boring to post and have no one comment !!

[@larrylawson5172]

So the "rolling brake check" that they did on the 63 loads was a way of making use of the down time while the 13 empties were loaded. Saving some time in the return to Waterloo. Pull the 13 loads, back into the 63 loads, hook the air, check for release and go back to the yard to do something else.

[@cdjhyoung]

Unlikely "do something else". This would have been a days work so they would be off the clock for the next eight hours until called for their next job.

[@killerbee6310]

The release has to be done before departing, so it made sense to do it while they were waiting on the 16 to be loaded.

[@davidkarkoski3437]

Nice how the crew used the time while loading to do the train inspection

[@killerbee6310]

Yes, by the time they were done doing their moves the 16 cars were loaded and ready to pull.

[@Cam_4216]

Did they shove without a man riding? I never saw any conductors riding, or on the ground when they shoved those cars.

[@YooperBanjo]

Nice try, FRA.

[@demontrain4438]

They may have done a 6.1 rule move.

[@samueleburgess9405]

Great video. Keep up the good work. Thanks for sharing.

[@killerbee6310]

I hope to - thanks for the encouragement

[@Ronald.Golleher]

They don't brake test after putting the previous empties back on again? Is it because the others had been sitting and the ones they brought with had been tested previously? I would have thought that would need a brake test of the entire consist again, not just the ones they were picking up.

[@25mfd]

i thought the condr was gonna wait till the 16 cars were loaded, button everything up and THEN do one grand brake test

[@killerbee6310]

The two tracks of loads got a complete air test, which is required if cars are off air for more than 24 hours. Even if the cars had not been there for 24 hours, he most likely had no air slip for them so a new air test would have been necessary. The 16 cars they brought with them did not need an air test as they were not off air for 24 hours and he would have known they had a good air test. Also remember the loads picked up would require a mechanical inspection on each side, which can only be done walking. So the conductor walked one side of the train from the front to the rear, then had the engineer set the brakes and walked the other side of the train from rear to front, thus making the mechanical inspection on the other side and verifying the set This brought him back up to the power. He then had them pull the train by him to verify the release.

[@officialmcdeath]

Fascinating, thank you - any reason why the roll by test couldn't roll into the sidings and immediately couple to the newer 16 cars, rather than sticking to the main? Feels like a trick missed there, unless we're paying heed to the needs of the road traffic on the crossing \m/

[@killerbee6310]

If I visualize your question correctly, there would not be enough track room to shove the entire train by the conductor. Also, they had a little time to kill as they were waiting for the 16 cars to get loaded. And yes, the road crossing would be blocked.

[@evad1]

Thanks for showing everybody how its done. Lived in Waterloo all my life and remember when Gillen opened the pit for Milwaukee lakeshore rip-rap in the very late 80s and the rail load-out was put in in the early 90s. When out fanning and I happen to menttion I'm from Waterloo, I often get asked how they do it, and now i can just give them the link! Even more fun, is when the WSOR has to do the dance, or when they have loaded cars in CPs mix which need to be shoved out on the branch behind the CP cars for the WSOR to pick up in the other direction. Metra, IHB, and BRC ballast cars used to be common at the pit, and even a couple Amtrak cars, but havent seen anyrhing but CP, SOO,,MILW, HERZOG, and GREX belt trains lately. Some interesting power has been here in the past. A number of years ago, CSX got ballast out of the pit and used big GE power on a few trains, as well as Mother/slug sets of GP40/GP30 rebuild. These were WSOR trains and came from Chicago via Janesville and Madison. Thank God I was able to get pics of it all! And still the variety continues!

[@killerbee6310]

This was my first time seeing the Waterloo Waltz so I was happy just to see the KCS unit - LOL

[@peterhutchinson5394]

Thank you for another very interesting, well shot video. You mentioned a “roll by release” in connection with I think the air brakes, what is this?

[@Cam_4216]

They performed a Class 1 air test on the cars. Any cars that are disconnected from air for 24+ hours need a test where they verify every single air brake is working, there less than 5 pounds of air leaking, and that all brakes release properly.

[@DamnYankee-rg8pg]

The brake test consists of a set (application) and a release. When the brakes are set, the conductor has to walk the whole train to make sure all the brakes have applied. When the brakes are released however, the release can be inspected as the train rolls by at less than 5mph.

[@Cam_4216]

@@DamnYankee-rg8pg Roll by inspections can be done at up to 10 MPH.

[@DamnYankee-rg8pg]

@@Cam_4216 you are correct.

[@killerbee6310]

To piggyback on the prior replies, you verify that the brakes are set by seeing that the piston comes out of the brake cylinder on each car. You do not look at the brake shoes. And to verify the release, you make sure the piston has gone back into the brake cylinder. I showed this in the video during the locomotive brake test.

[@jmcoupe]

Any idea where they take the loaded train to? I see it passing westbound through Columbus often.

[@monty2020-i5d]

👍👍

[@Hooftimmer]

I have a question. A plant received a car which had the wrong side turned to the unloading dock. They left with the car and came back within just minutes having turned it around. How did they manage that? This was in an industrial area in Indianapolis Indiana.

[@killerbee6310]

Only way would be if there was a wye nearby. Or if they ripped off the placard and stapled it on the other side....

[@Hooftimmer]

@@killerbee6310 it was a tank and needed to have the valve on the dock side. No placard switch was going to help them! Lol. Thanks a lot for your input. Your explanations really clear a lot up.

[@ed-gw3ov]

Thank you.............:)

[@killerbee6310]

You're welcome.........................:)

[@bestfriendhank1424]

Trackage rights on the WSOR? Or is the track owned by the CP?

[@killerbee6310]

Hopefully someone can jump in and clarify. The WisDOT map shows it as WSOR from Madison thru Waterloo to Watertown. But I noticed a sign west of Watertown between Watertown and Waterloo designating the start of WSOR operations. WSOR comes in from the west (from Madison) and CP comes in from the east (from Watertown)

[@evad1]

CPKC has trackage rights on WSOR from West of Dayton St in Watertown, approx the 132 mile post. Trackage is owned by the state of WI. Speed limit is 10mph to the pit, despite heavy rail, and 30mph west of Hwy 89.

[@Jleed989]

Can you explain what a roll by release is?

[@killerbee6310]

When a train is put together, an air test must be done to ensure the brakes all set up and release. The setting of the brakes has to be verified by "waking the set" but when the brakes are released, they train can be "rolled by" you at a slow speed.

[@christopherb9667]

The crew was required to do that for the loads that were already in the siding since they probably had been off any air supply for over 4 hours. It wasn't required for the cars they brought with them for loading since it had been done for those cars when they left the original terminal. They could use the time during the loading to perform the brake test, and then just do a set and release without an inspection after adding the cars just loaded.

[@Jleed989]

@@killerbee6310when you walk the set, what are you specifically looking for? That no wheel is dragging?

[@Jleed989]

@@christopherb9667thanks for that. When they set out a group of cars like that, do they have to turn the wheel and hand set the brakes on every car?

[@johnandrus3901]

@@Jleed989Walking the set lets you make sure that all of the brakes apply properly. They must all be operable before the train can be cleared to depart. The roll by makes sure that they are all released.

[@davidwhiting1761]

Easy.

[@killerbee6310]

Good for armchair railroaders-LOL

[@johntitterton4840]

KB! Next move to review : facing point switch, 230AM, raging snow storm, no radios, so cold lantern batteries die in 5 minutes, ground relay on lead loco keeps popping open and ground guy is off the extra board and hasn't been called in 2 months. The famous "one quick move" before you tie up. No early quit on this sub division. :) Great videos!!!

[@killerbee6310]

Don't forget having to have the engine cut off and run back and forth across road crossings first to clear out the flangeways before you shove cars across. I was that "extra board" (manager) guy at 02:00 in Saskatoon for the first time. Needless to say we didn't get all 100 cars spotted at the elevator that night.

[@FOXYhogger]

At the correct angle, those rock cars say CP FAIL. LOL. Sorry.

[@killerbee6310]

Oww........