The first train to Warrant had some work to do!
After engineer Greg and conductor Tyler brought the train into Warrant, they had to do some switching before they could go for lunch.
You may recall they had five boxcars (including two refrigerated boxcars) and a grain hopper, plus the engine (ex CP 4242) and a caboose. All of the freight cars were destined for the CP interchange.
First they had to run around the train to push it into the interchange track. This required leaving half the train outside Warrant because the runaround track only accommodates three cars.
That done, they ran around the two SOO “reefers” and the CP forestry boxcar.
The CP interchange track only holds 3 cars. Tyler’s plan was to put the Railbox boxcar and the grain car “off spot” in the second yard storage track “track 2”, use the first yard storage track “track 1” to build the outgoing train, and put the reefers and the CP forestry boxcar in the CP interchange track. The reefers need to get to their destination sooner!
CP had left a trio of cars for the CePR’s customers in Grand Plains – a CPWX grain car for the UGG elevator, a BN fertilizer hopper for the Pool’s fertilizer shed, and a CP gondola of scrap for J.T.’s Recycling.
Tyler decided to put the three boxcars into storage track 2 temporarily. They then fetched the rest of the train and ran around it.
They pulled the caboose off and pushed it to the back of storage track 1 to start the outgoing train’s consist.
Next, they went into the CP interchange track to hook onto the three cars there.
They pulled those out of the CP interchange track, and pushed them into track 1 to join the caboose.
Next, they backed out of the yard, moved the three boxcars from track 2 to the interchange track, then grabbed the RBOX boxcar and the CPWX grain car and put them “off spot” in track 2.
In retrospect, they probably could have saved a move… something to think about for next time.
Once all the incoming cars were properly spotted and handbrakes tied down, it was time to join up with the outgoing train. Tyler went from car to car, connecting air hoses and getting the train ready to go.
It was time to “go to beans” at the local diner before taking the train back to Grand Plains. Tyler was looking forward to sausage and perogies – with sour cream, of course – and Greg would probably have steak and potatoes as usual.