In the March thread Are you a switchman? (2) the question was asked, "Were diagrams ever used in the real world or was it more a process handled via arranging paper orders?".
For years I kept some of my old switch lists in my wealth of unneeded stuff, but they are gone now. It would have been nice to scan some of them into this thread. So, I just made up a simplistic list that would be similar (but much smaller) to one we would kick out at the Goodyear tire mfg plant near Lawton, OK.
Our lists were always compiled in such a way that the cars on each track were listed east-to-west. In other words, the top listed car was the easternmost car on that track...it gives no indication if it is "first out" or not. Reporting marks were listed in a column and a status listed in the adjacent column similar to the example above.
Our pretend list is for working the warehouse tracks 1 and 2. You will pull loads which are indicated by a destination number and re-spot hold cars. Your empties will come from Storage 1 and 2. Lawton is station G630, so cars for G723 will go west (and be delivered to the FW&D). Cars for G540 will go east to OKC.
The drawing is only schematic in nature. The unlabeled tracks reading right to left are Mainline, Belt, Storage 1, Storage 2, and Runaround. We switched at the west end of the yard because the Belt formed a long tail track before it tied into the main. We would dig our spot cars out of Storage 1 and 2 and kick them to Runaround, then shove to the warehouse without having to do runaround moves. Are some of you bewildered yet?
Some points to consider: Where will you put your empties while you dig your pulls out of the warehouse? and where will you set your pulls? How will you utilize the west portion of #2 keeping in mind you can spot both warehouse tracks from #1. West cars will be "lined up west" on the tail track portion of the Belt for easy p/u by the next WB train. East cars will be taken back to the Lawton yard and "lined up east" for easy p/u by the next eastward man. The Lawton yard is about 5 miles east of the plant.
We aren't going to address the other half of the plant (not drawn in) with about 6 additional tracks for: bulk rubber, carbon black, naphtha, petroleum wax, and even a coal track for the steam power plant.
Let's hear your input...
