Operations

The Operating Plan

The operating sessions will last approximately three hours requiring a crew size of 3 to 4 people.  The layout will use switch lists vs. a car card and waybill system.

Operator 1 – Ottawa Yard Job

This person will run the yard at Ottawa, IL.  They will be responsible for classifying the blocks of cars received from the road locals #110/#111 IL Shorts during the night.  They will build both locals based out of the yard (#118 LaSalle Turn and #217 Ottawa Local). 

After completing the classification of the two locals and they depart the yard, the crew, at their leisure, will run the Burlington Northern Local out of North Ottawa Yard.  The local will cross the Rock Island mainline and enter the Ottawa Silica Plant. 

The BN local will only work tracks 3 and 4 of the facility.  They will weigh all loads of sand on the scale track and reduce the load as required if over tonnage. 

The local is typical small only averaging 7 to 12 total car movements.

Toward the end of their day, both locals (#118/#217) will return to the yard.  Their inbound shipments will need to be classified for trains #110 and #111 as well as cars to be stored for the RI Ottawa Agent.

Operator 2 – #217 Ottawa Local – Possibly requires two people

This person(s) will take their train from Ottawa Yard and work the Ottawa Silica Plant as well as the Libbey-Owens-Ford Plant (L-O-F).  The local will work all nine tracks at Ottawa Silica as required. 

Their first objective will be to spot any empties on the south end of the plant.  Loads will be pulled from the north end of the plant and weighed on the scale track.  Any rejected cars for mechanical failure will be spotted at the Ottawa RIP tracks adjacent to Ottawa Yard.  Any cars over tonnage will need to be set off to be reduced by plant staff.

Once work is complete at Ottawa Silica, the local will travel south to the L-O-F plant.  Any empty sand hoppers will be taken back up to Ottawa Silica to be spotted at the south end of the plant. 

During an average session, 40-60 sand hoppers can be moved. 

Operator 3 - #118 LaSalle Turn

This person will take their train from Ottawa Yard west to Utica to work the Belrose Silica Plant adjacent Philadelphia Quartz Plant (PQ).  Sand empties are pulled from the mine, weighed and spotted at PQ as required.  Any rejected cars for mechanical failure will be spotted at the Ottawa RIP tracks adjacent to Ottawa Yard.  Any cars over tonnage will need to be set off to be reduced by plant staff.

Upon completing their duties in Utica, the local will travel over to Peru-LaSalle to work the large Westclox plant as well as the Peru Power & Water Plant along the Illinois River. 

The local will then return to Ottawa Yard for classification.  During an average session, 30-40 cars can be moved.

Throughout the session, any operator can run other through RI freights across the 14 ½ mile modeled area.

Here is a sample of how someone might run the LaSalle Turn.
http://rockislandpacific.blogspot.com/2014/03/the-rock-30-ride-along-with-118-lasalle.html  

Scale operations will be modeled using the Boulder Creek Engineering WeighStation Track scales.