Adding timetable and train order control to the C&W: Pt. I
The dispatcher records the train orders he has issued in the train order log (above). As was common practice on the CPR, a clearance stamp is used to simplify entry of routine infor- mation. The Boundary sub trainsheet (below) has notes showing the progress of train Nos. 81 and X4104E. The profile on the right shows what the crews are up against as does the field for recording the weather along the line. Ahhhhh… the joys of mountain railroading!
tells them what trains the superinten- dent has called for the day, sequentially by call time, and is largely a function of the day of the week and any special cir- cumstances such as trains or cars stranded from previous sessions or spe- cial conditions like the need for m.o.w., inspection trains, pusher sets or snow- plow extras. I have the train line up built in Excel and can collapse or expand sec- tions of it to expose the trains that will be run depending on the day of the week, operator availability for the session and my own sadistic whims as superinten- dent! I replicate the train line up with a magnetic call board where crews can sign up for their preferred jobs. I have
taken to using a “ski hill” analogy to con- vey the difficulty level of each job with a green circle marking the job as suitable for a “beginner,” a blue square as an “in- termediate” job and a black diamond as an “advanced” job. This seems to make life easier for new operators. The dispatcher’s next most important document is the trainsheet, one for both the Nelson Subdivision and the Bound- ary subdivision. We don’t bother with sheets for the Rossland, Slocan or Kaslo subs as these are generally one train at a time subs for unscheduled traffic. In the past I have pre-populated the train- sheets for the dispatchers with the start- ing conditions–location,
power, and
train length when known–of each train, however recent feedback from Rick Kang (a former Southern Pacific dispatcher) notes that the dispatchers should do this themselves to be more familiar with each train and to record the specific nu- ance they consider important. The dis- patcher then fills in the trainsheet with the balance of the information as well as the progress of the trains by the crews which is reported by phone from the train order stations as the trains make their way across the layout and possibly the train length as it changes. Reporting the time was normally done by the sta- tion operator, but since we have “de- signed them out” the train crews relay their time to the dispatcher directly to be entered “On Sheet.” The final document is the train order log where the dispatcher enters a chronological record of each train order and clearance issued along with perti- nent details. This log is a record across multiple sessions and makes for an in- teresting read to see what trouble the crews and the dispatchers may have gotten themselves into! Phew… for a layout where I wanted to
keep paperwork to a minimum that is a lot of paperwork! Fortunately for the crew, there isn’t much they need to deal with but even getting them to reliably fill in the Register Book at Castlegar is a never ending battle. From speaking to other superintendents I understand the C&W is not unique here.
Next month In Part II of this article we will cover the hardware necessary to retrofit TT&TO onto the Columbia & Western including the phone system and the train order signal control. We will also follow a train over Farron summit to see how the dispatcher and crews communi- cate and work with the system to achieve this.
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FEBRUARY 2014
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