Uploaded September 2024 | Updated September 2026, 4 hours ago
Yesterday was spent railfanning all day around the Southern Illinois. While sitting in Dupo, IL at the UP yard, I heard the "02 Job" on the radio switching nearby on the Vertex Chemical lead. So I made a short drive just around the corner to find them blocking the crossing. While that may aggravate normal drivers, it gave me a perfect opportunity to sit and watch as they shuffled cars back and forth.
There are 2 stub-end tracks here, and various spots for tank cars carrying different grades of chemicals. Different car spots unload specific types of loads, so the cars have to be spotted in a certain order. The crew has to pull the empties that have been released by the customer, then spot the loads they brought in, then put back any holds they had to move to get the cars shuffled.
This switch job uses a 3 person crew. The engineer in the locomotive, then a Foreman, and a Switchman, who coordinate together to get the work finished safely and efficiently.
A Vertex manager was on site to confirm with the crew that it was safe to enter the property, which cars were ready to move, and to open and close the gate.
The power used for this job was a GP38N, UP 791.
Yesterday was spent railfanning all day around the Southern Illinois. While sitting in Dupo, IL at the UP yard, I heard the "02 Job" on the radio switching nearby on the Vertex Chemical lead. So I made a short drive just around the corner to find them blocking the crossing. While that may aggravate normal drivers, it gave me a perfect opportunity to sit and watch as they shuffled cars back and forth.
There are 2 stub-end tracks here, and various spots for tank cars carrying different grades of chemicals. Different car spots unload specific types of loads, so the cars have to be spotted in a certain order. The crew has to pull the empties that have been released by the customer, then spot the loads they brought in, then put back any holds they had to move to get the cars shuffled.
This switch job uses a 3 person crew. The engineer in the locomotive, then a Foreman, and a Switchman, who coordinate together to get the work finished safely and efficiently.
A Vertex manager was on site to confirm with the crew that it was safe to enter the property, which cars were ready to move, and to open and close the gate.
The power used for this job was a GP38N, UP 791.
