Feb 23 2009
The west local
The west local is the smaller of the 2 locals leaving the Alexandria yard. With only 3 towns en-route there is not much switching to do. The first town is Brandon, here Barrier products loads 60′ boxcars with lumber. Next on the list is Evansville, where a grain elevator and a oil distributor need cars. The local leaves the grain cars for a unit grain train that will pass later, but spots them where the unit train can grab them because of the track arrangement. Last but not least is the ethanol plant in Dalton. They have a Trackmobile so they leave the loads on the passing siding. All our crew has to do is grab the loads and leave the empties on the siding. This being the last town, the crew can head back to Alexandria, the only work left would be if West Central Oil in Evansville still needed to be switched out because it’s a trailing point spur. If no work is needed it’s back to the yard where they will break there train and sort the cars. BNSF cars in one track and CP cars in another. When done they bring the engine to the engine house and call it a day.
