In the real world (prototype) do two or more railroads ever use the same classification yard? Do they ever share a rail yard to serve a paticular area's industries? I am thinking of the following but I haunted with the question "is this prototypical" Two Class 1 railroads servicing industries in a small city / urban area. Railroad A and Railroad B share the use of a rail yard / classification yard to make and break up trains to and from this city. The rail yard, facilities and track would be owned by Railroad A with railroad B using the yard to classify their trains serving mainly grain and auto industry within the city. Railroad B would also use the shop facilities to service their locomotives. Is this even remotely realistic?
I'm pretty sure Longview Junction yard in Washington operates like this. I think both BNSF and UP locals and switch jobs operate there. Sattelite view I'd say it'd be realistic. It's probably more common for one railroad to own the yard and switch the trains. The second railroad would just deliver and pickup trains as interchange traffic.
The answer is yes! Quadalupe, CA. has the local Santa Maria Valley Railroad operating out of the same yard with the former Southern Pacific and now Union Pacific railroad. There are a number of yards in the greater Chicago Arena where the chores of making up a local train and sharing switching responsibilities was and is shared by multiple railroads. You might find where two or three railroads formed up a regional railroad corp., to handle their transfer traffic between them and to other railroads. To answer the question of multiple class 1's. Chicago, IL., Santa Fe, NYC and PRR shared the responsibilities of switching and reclassifying trains in one yard. Other joint operations in that same arena involved other class 1's. Another example that leads to others: St. Louis, saw similar operations between an assortment of class 1's as did many a number of other major cities.
A mid-west prototype/example of multiple RRs in the same yard: The Peoria and Pekin Union Ry (now Tazewell and Peoria RR) is a 20 mile long terminal and bridge RR that served dozens of industries and RR interchanges on both sides of the Illinois River between Peoria and Pekin IL. In the 1970s, there were connections with 12 foreign RRs. BN, RI, TPW, C&IM, and ITC power brought cars into the P&PU's main yard in East Peoria 3 to 6 times a week (depending on traffic volume), and there were daily P&PU transfers from East Peoria out to the ATSF, C&IM, and P&E interchange tracks in Pekin; the CNW, BN and RI yards in Peoria; and the ITC and TPW yards in East Peoria. Several RRs, including the N&W, P&E/Pennsy/PC/CR, ITC, GMO, and IC, had scheduled trains that terminated in or departed from the P&PU East Peoria yard. Power for those trains was serviced in the P&PU yard (as were the BN and CNW unit coal train locos that came from Wyoming and other western states to the P&PU Grove siding just north of Pekin to be delivered south to C&IM's rail/barge facility in Havana by C&IM power). 3 pics captured in google image searches of foreign RR locos being serviced at the P&PU shops in the 1970s and 1980s (photographers are unknown) IC, N&W, PPU, C&IM, and ITC power: IC, P&PU, GMO, ITC power: TPW and C&IM power: (Not sure why TPW loco was being serviced in P&PU yard in this pic, because the TPW East Peoria Yard was just one mile north of the P&PU East Peoria Yard. It is possible this switcher was on temporary loan from TPW.) It was not unusual to see foreign power in the P&PU yards interchanging cars for the various RRs, but classification was typically done by P&PU power. P&PU had an agreement with the Rock Island RR that for one month, P&PU would handle all interchange traffic, both directions, between the P&PU East Peoria yard and the RI Peoria Yard. The following month, RI would move all the interchange traffic (take their cars over to East Peoria and bring back the P&PU cars). For a while in the 1980s and 90s, the P&PU also handled interchange traffic with TPW in this same alternating month manner . When CNW reduced their engine facilities in Peoria in the 1960s, they contracted with the P&PU to: a. switch the half dozen industries that were next to the CNW Adams Street Yard in Peoria, b. pick up CNWs interchange cars and block them for the CNW's every-other-day Peoria to Marshalltown Iowa run, and set out cars arriving in Peoria every-other-day from the Marshalltown to Peoria train. c. pick up/set out cars from/to the CNWs nightly South Pekin to Nelson IL via Peoria run.
Thanks for the feedback. It is settled then, I will have a classification yard and servicing facility in the city of Marionapolis (Fictional city taking the place of Minneapols / Saint Paul on my current layout project). The yard will be co operated between BNSF and Canadadian Pacific with the Twin Cities Western interchaning with both railroads at the yard. From the yard the Canadian Pacific will switch the local Dodge assembly plant where Dodge Chargers are assembled (in my world there is no slow down in the auto industry or my beloved Hemi power coaches..and yes, I have several HO scale Dodge chargers for the assembly plan). The Canadian Pacific will also co-switch a terminal grain elevator (mainly rail cars coming from or heading towards destinations via CP rails). Candaian Pacific will also provide service to a transfer facility from time to time. The remainder of industries will be serviced by BNSF. Once I complete some additional layout planning and sketching I will post additional details. Thanks again for the info.
Sorry no picture to post, But the UP has a yard at the Port of Oakland along with Engine servicing that it shares with Amtrak, no biggie there, but I have also seen BNSF trains both depart and arrive there as well.
Yes sorta. The way it normally works is ONE railroad operates the or at least one entity. The operating railroad performs services for the tenant railroads. So if the ABC operates the yard, the DEF railroad may use the yard, but DEF doesn't actually switch the yard. Now the DEF might contribute engines and crews, but the ABC runs the yard. Yes but railroad B would be a tenant of railroad A. A would operate the yard and the switchers. Railroad B would terminate its trains in the yard but railroad A would switch them and build outbound trains for railroad B. Railroad A would service teh engines for B. B would pay a per car fee or a proportional charge and a fee plus actual cost for the engines.
I'm surprised nobody mentioned the BRC (Belt Railway of Chicago). Clearing Yard is enormous and virtually all the railroads around here run trains in and out of Clearing. http://www.beltrailway.com/
It was named the Joint Yard in Corpus Christi (TesMex Yard on map below) Built jointly by Texas Mexican and Southern Pacific ca mid-1950s. TexMex needed a yard further out in the country, and building of the Harbor Bridge and closing of a highway-rail bascule bridge across the port required SP to come into CC by a roundabout route via trackage rights over Missouri Pacific. I am not sure whether or not SP switched their own trains.
You really need to check out Pigs Eye Yard in St.Paul. The BNSF runs through a CP Classification yard and the TCW interchanges with them as well. There is a hump classification yard as well as an auto unloading facility. This is also the yard the CP services the St.Paul ford plant out of. They call that one the Ford Local. Everything you mentioned in a prototype. There is also the UP Hoffman yard that runs parallel to Pigs Eye on the opposite side of the street. The Yard is also an interchange with Minnesota Commercial and the Amtrak Empire Builder runs through daily on it's way to and from Chicago.
Pigs Eys / Hoffman yard is my favorite railfanning spot and has been my loose inspiration for my model railroad dreams My idea was for BNSF and CP to both operate and share a yard for building local and outbound trains. My layout plan is still up in the air but concept will be simular.
