Cutting & Assembling In a Yard?

[boleyd]

The focus is a shortline railroad. It is fed with one or more long-haul railroads. Looking for "normal" procedure for handling incoming and outgoing consists. Long haul feeding a shortline for local distribution.

Will the shortline ask for a specific assemblage of cars in the incoming consist?
Or, will it take what it gets and rearrange the incoming consist into to one or more consists for local deliveries?

In reverse does the long haul expect an ordered consist, or will it accept the consist unordered?

Having delivered the cars to destination/customer does the delivering shortline pickup any full or empties or is that left for a separate train?

If the town has a small 4 track yard would they typically have a switcher to assemble cars for a pickup by the shortline?

If there is a reference to a post or web link that would be good?

 

[pitkin]

The focus is a shortline railroad. It is fed with one or more long-haul railroads. Looking for "normal" procedure for handling incoming and outgoing consists. Long haul feeding a shortline for local distribution.

Will the shortline ask for a specific assemblage of cars in the incoming consist?
Or, will it take what it gets and rearrange the incoming consist into to one or more consists for local deliveries?

In reverse does the long haul expect an ordered consist, or will it accept the consist unordered?

Having delivered the cars to destination/customer does the delivering shortline pickup any full or empties or is that left for a separate train?

If the town has a small 4 track yard would they typically have a switcher to assemble cars for a pickup by the shortline?

If there is a reference to a post or web link that would be good?

In my model railroading experience, the cars are usually blocked. The owner blocks before the session. As cars are moved about, the yard engineer is expected to block outgoing cars (as directed by the yardmaster). This is mostly so that the session can be finished on time. Also, a task for an individual can be completed in a reasonable amount of time and someone else can take on a new assignment.

 

[wreeder]

The NMRA has a great deal on operations on their website to get you started.



http://www.gatewaynmra.org/1999/designing-model-railroad-operations/

 

[OddRails]

Would a major railway even care what a short line wants? I imagine that the major railway would only care that the block of cars can be dropped off or picked up as efficiently as possible. It would be nice if I'm wrong.

@wreeder: Thanks for the interesting link.

 

[boleyd]

Thanks
Started by making blocks of trains and evolving into Transfer Yards. That NMRA stuff is very informative. Function with background.