A question on this industry spur: seems inefficent

[Chris750]

As you can see in this TRANSDERM photo of my Medicine Hat route, there is a carbon black industry on this small spur. The spur seems strange to me, the only way I can see a loco setting out cars for it is to drive all the way to the east end of the track, back the one or two cars in and set them out. To retrieve them it would appear that the loco would have to drive to the east end of the line, back in, couple, drive to the east end and then back all the way to the wye to get the loco going in the proper direction. This, to me, seems rather inefficient but I know very little of the real rail world, is this type of thing common and why don't they just build a loop track or maybe a wye at the industry?

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[oknotsen]

Can only guess, but I assume a building already existed there preventing them from building a more direct route to where the cars are spotted.
Other option is that the track used to continue to the East and used to have more tracks diverting from it. Notice how the street name to the East of the spur is also making wide curve; usually roads in the US are pretty much following blocks unless there is a good reason for it.

 

[SharkNose]

I would say that this scenario is very common today. Oknotsen's theory about having more tracks is exactly the case in the below photo of the Homasote plant in Ewing, New Jersey.

View attachment 1187 (click to enlarge)

The black lines are current trackage from Google Earth, the yellow lines I added showing how the line used to extend to the right into Trenton and the bottom into the Psychiatric hospital. An engine would pull 2 or 3 centerbeam flat cars from the left and then back into the Homasote plant.

In your example, Chris, it's a classic situation for a push-pull local freight. One engine would pull cars and back into the siding under the word "Park" and the other engine could back cars into the siding under the word "Brier".

 

[Chris750]

Thanks for the answers guys, that does clear it up. Going to google earth street view you can see the spur ends at a road and chain link fence, beside which is a two bay tractor-trailer loading dock. Watching videos online I have seen a couple of freights being backed over distance with a brakeman standing on the last (front) car radioing to the engine about crossings and such. I guess if need be you just back all the way to the wye and is cheaper than maintaining track. And yes, there are industries on both sides of that spur so most likely when that industry went in there that route is all they could get CP to do.

SharkNose, that layout in NJ is almost exactly like the layout in Redcliffe which is just west of MH and part of the route, lots of spurs going to brick and clay lots.

 

[oknotsen]

https://www.google.com/maps/place/B...51e933fd3c00f!8m2!3d50.0607678!4d-110.7291446

 

[llebrez]

Look at thngs from another point of view. This situation would require more time to do the switching, and perhaps more people. Enter the World of Unions. A union loves to see more people employed and more time to do things. When I was in Canada, I got to experiment unreal work rules to blow your mind. Looks like you've spotted one here.