A packing
plant model will need at least 5 tracks or logical spot for cars:
-
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. The
stock chute was on the lead into the plant with another chute at an adjacent stock
dealer on the tail track. Of course these were out of use in 1977. Today
meat reefers have come back in mechanical form and Emporia Cold Storage has moved
its plant to the IBP sight. The TOFC tracks are gone and are covered by an expanded
plant. After researching
the operations of Armour in Emporia, I am proposing for my yet unbuilt railroad
the following Armour switch job. -
On
duty: -
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. -
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 -
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. -
Take loaded reefers downtown to Emporia Ice -
Return
to yard -
Put power away.
This routine will offer two pick ups of loaded reefers and two
deliveries of loaded stock cars in each 8 hour shift. This operation would be
repeated with an evening shift as well. Doug Harding
on his Iowa Central Railroad uses the following car card insert for meat reefers:
___1) URTC Inspection ___ Hold for Repair ___2)
Cleaning ___3) Pre-cooling ___4) Icing ___5) Loading ___6) Top Ice ___7)
to yard ___8) to scale ___9) to yard for departure Special Orders:
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