Large Scale Central

The "Team Track."

Prototypes
#1

For your Sunday afternoon enjoyment.

The team track is one of the most interesting and versatile industries on a layout, and, it is easy to build, all you need is a turnout, and a short piece of track.

A team track is a spur for businesses that do not have rail service. It got its name from the teams of horses that pulled wagons to the tracks before trucks were used. For some reason, the name stuck.

The Team Track

For a fairly good discussion of the team track, more photos, and the source of the photo, above, go to:

http://zenithcity.com/getting-goods-rails/

Other good links:

http://zenithcity.com/author/jlemke/

http://www.twinportsrailhistory.com/

#2

And don’t forget what is also known as LCL freight sheds. (Less than Car Load) Possibly just a step up from the team track with a simple roof over a raised dock,or even a small building and loading dock.

#3

What I thought was kind of amazing is that that kind of service is still in use today. Last summer there was a reefer spotted on a somewhet disused piece of track down in the area of Pittsburgh called the “Strip District”, no, not kind of stirp. There was a box truck parked beside the reefer, and a group of guys were unloading boxes from the reefer into the box truck.

#4

Some great information, Steve. Thanks for posting.

-Kevin.

#5

David - Today that practice is known as TransLoading and some railroads have large areas devoted to transloading. My local short line has a large lumber transloading center that takes center beams in and the lumber goes out on 18 wheel flatbed trucks. They tried to add constrcution debris in by truck - out by hopper out to the mix, but were quickly shot down by town officials.

#6

Steve,

That is actually pretty intereting. We don’t really appreciate some of the more interesting aspects of railroading sometimes. I didn’t know a name had been given to such sidings or even thought much about there existance after all its a spur track with no outstanding feature. I am sure that back in the day this was about as important as any other industrial spur. My beloved CR&N Basically used the main line as a team track.

#7

Daktah John said:

David - Today that practice is known as TransLoading and some railroads have large areas devoted to transloading. My local short line has a large lumber transloading center that takes center beams in and the lumber goes out on 18 wheel flatbed trucks. They tried to add constrcution debris in by truck - out by hopper out to the mix, but were quickly shot down by town officials.

BN has one just north of where I live right off the mainline. It is for a saw miles some miles distant. The bring lumber down on flatbeds and then load onto center beams.

#8

As far as I could gather the modern equivalent of the team track is now called “transloading facility” or “reloading facility”. Have some pictures from one down the valley which now sits idle - as does that leg of the line after the KPR bit the dust.

Pictures to follow.

#9

Daktah John said:

David - Today that practice is known as TransLoading and some railroads have large areas devoted to transloading. My local short line has a large lumber transloading center that takes center beams in and the lumber goes out on 18 wheel flatbed trucks. They tried to add constrcution debris in by truck - out by hopper out to the mix, but were quickly shot down by town officials.

In the area I am talking about, the “transloading” is for taking the goods a very short distance, 1 or 2 city blocks. Some facilities are for goods traveling a much further distance. I was just suprized to see it, since so much stuff travels by truck or container these days.

Yea, town officials have no sense of humor. Halling out debris, by the most cost effective means possible, just makes too much sense.

#10

The “Reload/Transload” facility was located in Winfield BC, one of the many items that were shipped from there: cut and wrapped “Stick Lumber”(aka dimensional lumber)

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Interesting how they have that piece of Snap Track moved out of the way. (http://www.largescalecentral.com/externals/tinymce/plugins/emoticons/img/smiley-wink.gif)(http://www.largescalecentral.com/externals/tinymce/plugins/emoticons/img/smiley-laughing.gif)

#11

Inbound to the spot used to be cement hoppers, the unloading gizmo was new to me. As was the “I” beam across the track, did they have a very long level to go with that beam?(http://www.largescalecentral.com/externals/tinymce/plugins/emoticons/img/smiley-wink.gif) (http://www.largescalecentral.com/externals/tinymce/plugins/emoticons/img/smiley-undecided.gif)(http://www.largescalecentral.com/externals/tinymce/plugins/emoticons/img/smiley-laughing.gif)

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Since that part of the line was abandoned — the push is on to make it a RailTrail — there are even more trucks coming through downtown Vernon. With the 10% approach coming off the hill at the southend, straight into a major intersection, it’s a “when” not “if” situation for a major crash. (http://www.largescalecentral.com/externals/tinymce/plugins/emoticons/img/smiley-yell.gif)(http://www.largescalecentral.com/externals/tinymce/plugins/emoticons/img/smiley-yell.gif)

#12

That’s called progress.

#13

I like the seperate dispaly track. they must have a very large 5 finger crane to set cars there.

Hans, there was a simler set up in a town south of Pittsburgh called Uniontown. Trucks would come down Uniontown Summit right into the heart of town. I was suprized there werent more crashes in that town then there were. Penn DOT since redid that whole section of roadway, and the road coming down from the summit now goes right into a beltway.

#14

Steve Featherkile said:

That’s called progress.

But only if people quit bitching about the air quality in the Valley. (http://www.largescalecentral.com/externals/tinymce/plugins/emoticons/img/smiley-wink.gif)

#15

HJ, the next time your out filming near Kamloops maybe get a few pics of the Campbell Creek Reload to add to this thread. It’s a fair size and sees alot of rail and road traffic. Most mills in Merritt, Princeton, OK Falls, Penticton, Kelowna, and a few more ship alot of their lumber to this reload.

#16

Randy,

Thanks for the reminder. (http://www.largescalecentral.com/externals/tinymce/plugins/emoticons/img/smiley-wink.gif)(http://www.largescalecentral.com/externals/tinymce/plugins/emoticons/img/smiley-laughing.gif)I’ll do that, but it depends on the price of gas at the SuperSave dealer. (http://www.largescalecentral.com/externals/tinymce/plugins/emoticons/img/smiley-innocent.gif)(http://www.largescalecentral.com/externals/tinymce/plugins/emoticons/img/smiley-innocent.gif)

#17

Just an additional note:

When I was just a young fella (about a hundred years ago) I worked in a warehouse that was owned by a department store chain. We used to receive large rug rolls delivered in ice bunker refrigerator cars. These were used because their interiors were in much better shape than boxcars and protected the rugging better.

Also barrels were occasionally shipped in stock cars because there was a surplus of these cars during certain times of the year and the weather didn’t hurt the barrels.

So You can use quite a disparate group of cars for unusual loads and still be prototypical.