Large Scale Central

Switching Northville on the C.V.S.Ry

On the C.V.S.Ry there is an industry located at Northville which is the North wye tail. In normal operations, it is the second tail the train enters when traversing the wye, and it enters in reverse. Using the following schematic to illustrate, the train originates at WEST and travels the main to DEEP, then reverses through the wye to NORT finally continuing on via WALK to INDY, then back to WEST.

There are no run-arounds, so all switching is done trailing point. Not shown in the schematic are some recent siding additions between INDY and PINE. These are facing point when the train arrives, so they are passsed by and switched after traversing the wye. To switch Northville, I would drop the caboose and any cars behind the desired cars before PINE, then proceed to DEEP and shove back to NORT where the cars are dropped. The train then returns to PINE to pick up the remainder of the train. Next it proceeds to DEEP again and shoves back to NORT again to finally complete the trip around the wye. After switching Northvile this way for a few months I figured the crews would not want to waste so much time retracing steps if there was another way. Today, the move has been redefined. The train stops at pine, and as usual, cuts the cars needed for Northville. But rather than shove those cars all the way to NORT, they are dropped just North of the switch, and the train goes back for the remaining cars and caboose at PINE. The cars just dropped are tacked on to the end of the train behind the caboose for the long shove to NORT where they will be dropped. Once the drop is complete, the train is ready to proceed to INDY with no further work. This seems to be quite a bit faster and actually adds a bit of interest for the spectators at Pine Summit.

Jon,

Are you ever having any cars left at Deep, like “Friar’s Vault Inspection Tours”? It seems you could complete the manuevers you described then put the said car for Deep behind the caboose after coming through Indy from Walk and shove past Pine. Currently, it would probably just be Fred and company visiting his future humble abode, but much like Graceland, I doubt if Elvis ever planned for all the tourist and now look at the revenue it creates. I think your operations should plan for the future requirements and not be stuck trying to create the proper train orders under extreme pressure.

Presently we are still awaiting the initial down payment from the IPP&W for track work to create the siding at VAULT. The reservation has been perfected on a handshake, but since we are a shoestring operation we can’t build track without revenue.

This being said, the passenger trains do occasionally make the reverse move you describe so the passengers get to experience the tunnel. I’m quite quite sure the docents do remind the tourists of the plans for Deep Vault siding and it’s future purpose. Presently passenger ops are limited to caboose runs as we don’t have a decent passenger car in service.

Should there ever be a need to spot cars at DEEP or VAULT (when built) the move would probably to temporarily leave the car at PINE, go around the wye, then shove back into the car and continue shoving to the spot.

Jon,

I’m sure its one of those out of sight out of mind things and people really sometimes don’t intentionally mean to leave others hanging on. As I said, I doubt Elvis made those plans at Graceland, but the Colonel was planning for the future.

:slight_smile: I found a more up-to-date version of the schematic. This one shows the new industries and the proposed loop that will bridge Deep Cut.

(http://lsc.cvsry.com/CVSRyOutdoorSchem2012.JPG)

That’s the track plan I remembered