Comment: I now have a new operating session based on a set of Ship It! reports initially produced on January 12. The cars were all placed in their initial starting locations on January 12. The first task was to use the Coaldale Yard switcher (CN 7985) to form the consist for Train 601 - a local freight which will leave Coaldale with a consist of 5 empty boxcars plus a load of mail and a load of logs.

Session 1a:

9:12 am

• CN 7985: S4 switcher in the Coaldale Yard
  • on Track 7. fwd to head of Yard (sw3 - 2, sw2 - 1, sw1 - 1).

  
  CN 7985 leaving Track 7 in the Coaldale Yard

  
  close-up of CN 7985 leaving Track 7

  • move rev onto Track 3 (sw2 - 2, sw7 - 1, sw9 - 1), pickup CN 11059 (baggage express) (load - mail).

  
  CN 7985 reversing on Track 3 to pickup CN 11059

  • fwd on Track 3 (sw9 - 1).
  • rev onto Track 4 (sw9 - 2), pickup CN 428453, CN 507639, CN 522360, CN 599000.

  
  CN 7985 with CN11059 reversing onto Track 4 to pick up 4 boxcars

  • fwd on Track 4

  
  CN 7985 picking up 5 empty boxcars

  
  CN 7985 pulling out (moving left) with baggage express plus 5 boxcars

  • rev onto Track 5 (sw7 - 1, sw8 - 2), drop off 5 cars. The consist for Train 601 is now ready.

  
  CN7985 pushing cars onto Track 5

  • fwd on Track 5.
  • rev onto Track 3 (sw7 - 2, sw9 - 1). Shut down loco.
    
    
• CN 7847: RS-3 diesel (long nose fwd)
  • on Track 1. rev (2 small loco stalls: cleaned track, now OK)
  • fwd on Track 3 (sw9 - 1, sw7 - 2, sw2 - 2)
  • rev on Track 5 (sw2 - 2, sw7 - 1, sw8 - 2). Train 601 is now ready for departure.

  
  CN 7847 ready to pull out with Train 601

9:57 am

Comment: There were also some manual switches in the Coaldale Yard that required operating. Overall the switching in the Coaldale Yard was a delight. A great way to begin the morning.