WRD Local Way Freight

Here we have the way freight ready to back down the spur to spot. The caboose is required on the point for the crossing. It is left at the block till the next switch is done. Being an old caboose it is not used in regular service these days. At the end of the spur the caboose and milk car are spotted at the Borden's milk platform. Pulling over the crossing the stone car and tool car are cut off for local maintenance. A boxcar is spotted at the Petersburg mill and the second box at the loading dock. The two coal hoppers are pulled up and spotted at the Danby coal structure than back to the main line.

The spur on the WRD is a long track that has no switches other than off the mainline. One needs to get the cars in order and shove them back for spotting. But first when the WF arrives it would run down the line and gather up what is required to be lifted.

Well your are thinking that is not very prototypical. When I was cut off here in London and worked the Toronto CN spareboard one job did exactly that other than the caboose. The roadswitcher that ran from Mac Yard to Milton worked a spur that back then 1978 or 1979 we had to gather all the cars up from a long spur switch them out and shove the new spots back in. Mainly lumber dealers but think we serviced plastic and loading ramp along the spur. I wonder if they still are set up that way...when I pass on the highway there is a lot more industries in that area.

Looking at the scene one can see in this high up view the trees and rock outcrop by the general store. We will take a closer look at it tomorrow...George Dutka