Packing House Operations on Model Railroads

with an emphasis on the ATSF

7-27-05

• Stock track with chute and stockyard.
• Clean-out track with access to steam cleaning supplies.
• Reefer track with doors for loading.
• Tallow track with hoses.
• General purpose track which could include unloading supplies, loading hides and tankage, and access to the power plant.

• 4 TOFC tracks for processed beef placed in refrigerated trailers.
• 2 tracks with a total of 7 spots for tallow loading.
• 1 track with 3 spots for hide cars.
• 1 track with 5 spots for un-stated purposes.
• 1 track for un-stated purpose.

• On duty:
  • Get switcher from ready track.
  • Pick up loaded stock and empty reefers at yard
• Obtain permission to proceed across the main to Armour. (This will be necessary every time the train moves from the yard to Armour to Emporia Ice)
  • Unload the stock, leave empty cars on stock track.
  • Do a reefer swap: Pull loaded reefers and clean empty reefers, leave the empties you brought from the yard in the clean-out track.
• Take the loaded and clean empty reefers downtown to Emporia Ice.
• Top up the loaded reefers, pull iced empty reefers, and leave clean empty reefers to be iced.
• Return to yard
  • Leave loaded reefers for the next available train to their destination.
  • Pick up any loaded stock cars that have come in.
  • Pick up any auxiliary cars needed at Armour (tankage, tallow, hides)
  • Pick up empty reefers that have come in.
• Return to Armour
  • Unload stock if any.
• Spot iced empty reefers on end of loading track.
• Leave empty reefers and empty tank cars at cleanout track. Move clean tanks to the tallow track.
• Switch other auxiliary cars.
• Assemble all empties and loads that need to return to the yard.
• Return to yard.
  • Drop off everything but loaded reefers.
• Take loaded reefers downtown to Emporia Ice
  • Top up loaded reefers
• Return to yard
  • Leave loaded reefers for the next available train to their destination.
• Put power away.