Dave Parks' Cumberland West - Back at Williams Street

I'm back at Williams Street Yard. This time I was prepared. I knew what I was getting myself into. I had experienced tower operators at Virginia Street and Viaduct. I had most cars in the yard identified with their respective car cards. When the session started, I was ready to go. I made the moves I had planned for BO11, the train that started my slide downhill the last time.

Only that this time BO11 didn't arrive at Williams Street until almost the very end of the session. I even got to service BO29, the mail train. The afternoon session today apparently had run very slowly and everybody was well behind schedule.

BO29 normally gets switched on the West-bound main. We tried it on the freight siding instead, which worked well and opens the possibility for additional switching moves the B&O did to this train in 1953 at Williams Street, while at the same time not blocking the main tracks. The photo below has the Western Maryland Ridgley Yard on the right, the River Interchange track in the middle, and Williams Street Yard up on the embankment on the left. BO29 is the train with lots of express cars and the single passenger car. The Virginia Street Tower operator can be seen in the rear.

Here's BO29 after it has left Cumberland, climbing the grade from Piedmont to Oakland.

When BO11 finally arrived, it had only one car to set out and 5 cars to pick up. I switched the train with one switcher engine in less than 10 minutes, while keeping both the freight track, and the eastbound main open. The mental preparation had paid off.

End of the session. Time for a visit to the local bar.