About the Author J. D. Santucci (a.k.a. "Tuch") began his railroading career in 1978 as a trainman on the Missouri Pacific. After a round of lay-offs in 1985, Tuch embarked on a railroad odyssey, working in many different situations for different roads. This column tries to explain some of the nuts and bolts of the job and also demonstrates what we have to deal with on a regular basis within and without the industry. Tuch currently works through freights out of Chicago for Canadian National/Illinois Central. ©1999, 2003-2007 JD Santucci. Logo ©2002 The Railroad Network. By J.D. Santucci

March 4, 2004
Play with blocks you say? They pay you all that money to go to work and play with blocks? Aren't you just a little old for that?

Yes, we play with blocks and yes, they pay us for this. As for the too old part, the beautiful bride is still waiting for me to catch up to my age. She does accuse me and some of my friends of acting like we are still in kindergarten. Well, were not acting. Someday if I ever grow up, I'll quit playing with blocks and just retire.

There are two types of blocks on the railroad and they are completely different creatures. One of them refers to a specific length of track, usually between two signals or station signs. The other type of block is a group of cars bound for the same station destination. These will be the blocks we are going to play with today.

A block usually contains two or more cars. However it is not unusual for a block to have only one car. Within a block of cars not every car in every block is bound for the exact same final destination at a particular given station. For an example, we'll use Effingham, IL on the CN.

In the Effingham block are cars billed to local industries located in and around Effingham on the Champaign and Effingham Subdivisions, connections to the Indiana Rail Road and also CSX (the former Conrail). Within this Effingham block the cars will be shot gunned or mine run; that is, not classified. They don't break down the block with little "sub blocks" as it were. This solid block of cars for Effingham will have to be switched out by one of the assignments there and the cars forwarded to either the industries or the connecting railroads. Some railroads though may break the large block down into sub blocks within it to simplify the operation.

In larger yards there might be enough tracks to allow for each track to be assigned a particular block. This is very common in hump yards and larger flat switching classification yards. We had designations for each track in the bowl at Blue Island on the IHB. Being that we handled so many blocks to and from so many railroads, the block assignments to a particular track often changed during the course of a day. This was done when there was a great deal of cars for one block on hand and a lesser amount for another block.

Some examples of blocks built at Blue were Battle Creek (BCRK), Flat Rock (FLAT) and Sarnia (SARN) for the Grand Trunk Western. For CP Rail there were Montreal (MONT) and Toronto (TORT), later consolidated into a single block called MORT. There was also a D&H block as there was also a daily train originated at Blue destined for the former D&H Railway, now owned by the CP. Eventually the D&H train was discontinues and this block was blended into the Montreal block. These cars were then handled on the daily Blue Island to Montreal train. There were several blocks for IHB proper including Michigan Avenue (MAVE), Argo (ARGO), Norpaul (NORP) and a block for open top cars assigned to steel service known as OPEN.

We also classified several separate blocks for CSX including a Grand Rapids (GRPD), Willard (WILL), Nashville (NASH) and Barr Yard (BARR). The BARR block was comprised of cars for industries around the Chicago/Northwest Indiana area and cars bound for destinations short of the other three CSX blocks. CSX reclassified this business at Barr for the proper short blocks. Two different transfer assignments took cars from Blue to Barr Yard daily. Having much of this business pre-blocked saved CSX from having to re-switch everything when it arrived from the IHB. They could just marry these blocks right up with business they have already classified there and save considerable time on car detention.

Being that there were forty-four tracks in the hump, there were usually at least forty-one or so tracks with blocks assigned to them. Depending upon traffic levels, there were several tracks that were not designated for one block. We might dump two blocks into one track and re-hump them later to straighten them out. Oddball cars, no bill cars and cars having been weighed were dumped into a single track known as the rehump track. It was commonly referred to as the "Sluff" track. Oftentimes when there were no other cars for a particular block and an overflow of cars for another block, we might "turn" them to such a track. This frequently occurred and worked well when it was matching two blocks for the same train.

For example, we have no more cars for say MAVE to hump but quite a few cars for Elkhart (ELKS) cars to hump. We could start dumping ELKS cars on top of the MAVE cars in that track. When the pull down assignment that couples and pulls that track out to set it over to the departure yard, the East Yardmaster would inform the Conductor of that job to make a cut on that track leaving the ELKS cars behind in that track. They would just take the MAVE cars with them swinging them over. Now there is more room in this track and it becomes all ELKS.

In smaller yards such as Markham, each track might contain several blocks that are re-switched to then separate them into each respective block. Being that Markham is not overly abundant with freight classification tracks that second scenario plays out frequently here. Cars bound for the CSX and IHB are sent into the same track. Later in the afternoon, this track is pulled out and switched to separate the two blocks and lining them up correctly. To demonstrate how blocking works, let's take a train on the CN. The train leaves Markham bound for Centralia. It will have a block of cars to be set out at Kankakee on the head end, a block of cars for Champaign right behind them, a block of cars for Effingham behind that and then the Centralia cars. Everything is all put together nice and neat. Each block is set out in order along the way without having to switch out the entire train at each of the above mentioned locations.

Now here comes one of the twists. Suppose this train is scheduled to make a pick up at Champaign? And normally scheduled in the Champaign pick up are cars bound for Effingham. One of several scenarios may play out here and we'll examine two of them. In scenario one the train can retain its normal blocking and do a little shuffling at Champaign. The crew making the set out would come into the yard with both the Effingham and Champaign blocks. They would set out the Effingham block on top of the pick up to be made, cut away from that and then set out the Champaign block on another track. This method might be preferred if there is a large block of Centralia's being picked up in addition to the Effingham cars. When the outbound crew goes back to their train, they now have the Effingham block from the inbound train on top of the Effingham block being picked up. Behind this would be any Centralia bound cars. When doubled back to the train, the Centralia cars picked up then fall right against the Centralia cars that came in from Chicago and the blocking is kept pure.

In scenario two, they leave the Effingham block on the train and set out the Champaign block and then make the pick up and double back to the train. The pick up could have the Centralia's on the head end and the Effingham cars on the rear. This would have the Effingham's all fall together and they would be set out in one clean block behind the Centralia cars on the head end. When the train was put back together at Effingham after setting out there, the Centralia's would then all fall together. Plus, if a pick up was being made at Effingham of more Centralia's, there would be no blocking problems as the entire train is now all for Centralia.

Now suppose after leaving Champaign with all the Effingham's together on the head end, the crew is instructed to pick up a block of cars at Mattoon that are bound for Centralia. And suppose the pick up is quite a few cars, you don't want to bury the Effingham cars if you don't have to. So the crew would hang onto the Effingham cars and make the Mattoon pick up behind them.

Whenever possible, you try to keep the blocks all together. If this is not practicable, you try to arrange things so that when you make set outs along the way, the blocks will eventually fall together. In the case of the train we are describing today, the pick up at Champaign has the Centralia's first out followed by the Effingham's. When the Effingham block is finally set out, the Centralia cars will then all fall together.

Normally there is a demand to keep all the blocks "pure" en route. This means having to pick up "in block." Owing to circumstances created by the nature of the beast, you have to pick up cars for the furthest destination in the train before you get to Champaign. We have done this numerous times. You are to pick up say twenty-five loads of grain for Centralia at Chebanse with the instructions to make the pick up in block. This means you will have to hang on to the Champaign and Effingham blocks to make the Chebanse pick up. Ya, this can be a huge pain in the ass that takes quite a bit of time, but this is what you have been instructed to do, so you follow the instructions.

Prior to the practice of separating cars into blocks, all cars headed in the same general direction were simply gathered up and put into a train. This method is often referred to as shot gunning or mine running the cars. When the train reached the next yard along the way, it would be yarded, the cars for that location would be switched out, additional cars added and the train would depart for the next major yard along the route. This was highly unproductive and labor intensive. The train made numerous stops with extended delays each of these locations

Then in the early twentieth century, somebody in the rail industry figured out that this method was highly inefficient. Railcars took extended journeys to get there from here as they were handled in just about every yard that came along. Aside from the incredible delays, there was the risk of damaging the lading within the car as it was being switched so many times.

The current CN operating plan has cars bound from Chicago to points south of Centralia mine run in a single Centralia block. Upon arrival at Centralia, the train is yarded and switched out. The train is then blocked for points south. There will be several different blocks built at Centralia and the train will be put back together and run to final destinations such as Memphis, TN or Jackson, MS. In some cases though, there may be blocks of cars within the Centralia block that are already pretty well classified. So this will save some of the re-switching that must be performed.

When Conrail was still around, Elkhart Yard in that Northern Indiana city was the major classification yard on west end of Conrail's northern portion. Elkhart was and continues to be under Norfolk Southern, a hub and spoke type of operation. Trains en route to the East Coast, Michigan and beyond to Canada and also south to Indianapolis and southeast destinations originate at Elkhart. Westbound trains from these same locations terminate at Elkhart and are humped there creating new trains to connect with other roads in Chicago.

Most eastbound manifest trains out of Chicago were destined for Elkhart. In the days of Conrail, most of the manifest freight trains out of Chicago carried symbols like BNEL (Burlington Northern to Elkhart), CJEL (Chicago Junction  Ashland Avenue Yard to Elkhart) or PREL (CNW Proviso Yard to Elkhart). Many of these trains had cars being mine run to Elkhart where they would be classified and then sent east from there in properly blocked trains.

Some of these trains would have a pure block on the head end though. There might be a block of cars bound for Conway (near Pittsburgh) or Selkirk (near Albany). Such blocks would be set out on a siding along the Chicago Line short of Elkhart. A through eastbound train coming out of Chicago that was not scheduled to be switched out at Elkhart that was scheduled to go right to Conway or Selkirk would stop and pick up such cars and forward them to the proper destination. Trains like PXPI (Perishable Express to Pittsburgh-Conway Yard) and PXSE (Perishable Express to Selkirk) would pick up such blocks set out by other trains. This helped reduce some of the congestion at Elkhart. This method of operation is known as block swapping. Many railroads use some method of block swapping as part of their normal operations.

Numerous westbound trains also called Elkhart the final terminal. Cars from these trains would also be humped and reclassified. Solid trains for the BN, IHB, Santa Fe, CNW, Soo Line, BRC or Ashland Avenue Yard were built and dispatched west from Elkhart. These trains could and did have blocks built for the connecting roads as well. They could also have a block of cars for destinations short of Chicago, such as Burns Harbor, IN or IHB Michigan Avenue Yard. Westbound trains carried symbols like ELBN or ELCJ. In building trains in this manner at Elkhart, Conrail was able to eliminate or reduce the size of several Chicago area yards. Using Elkhart as the hub allowed Conrail to close the former Pennsylvania Railroad yard at 59th Street. The old Chicago Junction Yard at Ashland Ave was downsized and the old New York Central Englewood Yard was converted from a freight classification yard to an intermodal terminal. This saved Conrail considerable money and delays over the years.

Jumping back to block swapping for a minute, The Wisconsin Central did a considerable amount of block swapping in their infancy. It was not for cost effectiveness, but rather out of necessity. In those early days when car logs and records were "mysteriously" wiped out of the computer system, the railroad quickly became congested with cars. Cars were everywhere with no records indicating their destinations. Yards quickly jammed full and there was no room to switch what was coming in. To clear out space, all trains destined for Chicago would get most, if not all the blocks for Chicago connections. En route these trains would stop and set out some of the blocks and pick up others that would normally be handled on that train.

This was a very time consuming affair that also stole sidings from the Dispatchers. Several of the passing sidings were being used to stage the block swapping. As a result, there were fewer sidings available between Fond du Lac and Waukesha for meets. It was a nightmare for all involved, but somehow, the logjam finally managed to work loose and the railroad did get straightened out.

There were a couple of places where block swapping continued even after the crisis of congestion had been cleared up. Neenah was one location. Blocks from trains coming out of Stevens Point destined for Fond du Lac, such as T008 and T002, would set out cars bound for points in such as Green Bay, the Upper Peninsula of Michigan and Canada. Train T011 (Fond du Lac to Gladstone, MI) would pick up these cars. Train T020 (Green Bay to Fond du Lac) would set out cars en route to Canada or the Upper Peninsula for T011 to pick up at Center Valley on the Shawano Sub. In all of these examples, it kept these cars out of Shops Yard in North Fond du Lac and helped keep the operation smooth while also reducing detention time on these cars.

To expedite the operation of picking up and setting out en route, different methods are also employed for blocking. For example, the MoPac used to block their intermodal trains operating from Chicago to Dallas and Chicago to Fort Worth backwards. The Dallas or Fort Worth Block would be on the head end of the train with the shorter blocks following.

As an example, the CFZ train had Fort Worth cars on the head end and Little Rock cars behind. When the train reached North Little Rock, the crew could make a pick up of Fort Worth cars to be added to the head end while a yard crew could grab the tail end picking the Little Rock cars off the train simultaneously. This saved considerable terminal delay in North Little Rock. If locomotives had to be changed out at North Little Rock, the outbound crew could get them and be coupled onto the pick up waiting for the inbound train to cut off and go to the round house. In the meantime, the yard crew would be handling the cut off cars from the tail end of the train. Such an operation had the train back on the move far quicker, which allowed for a tighter operating schedule and better on time performance.

Back in the days of cabooses, to expedite even quicker, the tail end crew could cut the caboose off the train short of the switch the yard crew would use to reach out and grab the Little Rock block. Once cleared from the train and the head end work completed, the entire train would then be shoved back onto the caboose and coupled back up. The yard crew would not have to come back out with the caboose and couple it back onto the train, unless the caboose had to be changed out.

Yes some intermodal trains also have blocks. The business on these trains isn't always bound for just one location. Being that some intermodal trains travel a great distance to get from here to there, they will have blocks of cars for intermediate terminals. An intermodal train traveling from New York to Chicago could have several blocks for destinations in between these two major gateways as well as cars that went west beyond Chicago. Conrail operated TV-221 from Marysville, OH (near Columbus) to the CNW at Proviso Yard near Chicago. As many of you already know, Marysville is the home of Honda's US car assembly plant. TV-221 departed Marysville with a block of finished Hondas on the head end that would be set out at the IHB's Gibson Yard in Hammond, IN. The rest of the train went on through to Proviso Yard with finished Hondas for both domestic and overseas destinations as well as double stack containers also en route across the pond via the Union Pacific from Chicago to Seattle.

Some intermodal trains carry a block of cars that will be set out at a location to become yet another train. These cars will be coupled up with new power and crew and perhaps some other business and operated as a separate train going to a different final terminal. This is a cost effective measure as the set out block is likely not large enough to justify a separate train to handle it across its entire route. When set out and possibly married up with more cars en route to the same destination, the cost effectiveness improves dramatically.

Conrail used to be big on this method. They had one of their intermodal or TV trains (with TV coming from "Trailvan" the name they designated their intermodal service trailers) that originated in New York that would set out a portion of their train at Cleveland. This block of cars would be married up to intermodal business originating at Cleveland and run west as TV-53. This train was made up of intemodal and automobile traffic bound for several locations on the MoPac and Santa Fe.

Upon the train's arrival at Momence, IL where Conrail's Kankakee Secondary crossed and connected to the MoPac's Chicago Subdivision, the blocks of cars bound for MoPac destinations would be set out there. Later in the day southbound MoPac train CFZ would stop and pick these cars up adding them to their train, and doing so in block. This method of operation kept this business out of the congested Chicago Terminal and prevented any delays that could be incurred there.

I made this pick up move at Momence numerous times and here is how it would work. We would make a cut in between the Fort Worth and North Little Rock blocks. Remember now, the Fort Worth block is on the head end of the train. We would double to the cars left for us by Conrail which also had the Fort Worth block on the head end with the North Little Rock block behind it. We would then pull this all out and double it back to the rest of our train. The blocking would all fall together keeping it all pure and eliminate the need for having to make extra switching moves on the train down the road.

Railroads as small as the IHB would block their own trains bound for destinations on the own property routinely. As an example, the daily train heading from Blue Island to the Lakefront Yard in East Chicago's Indiana Harbor section would carry three separate blocks; Gibson, Michigan Avenue and Lakefront. The train would stop and set out at Gibson and the Avenue on their trip east en route to the Lakefront. This method keeps cars out of the yards where they don't need to be, saves unnecessary switching and transfer of these cars between the above mentioned yards and also reduces detention time and delays to such cars.

Another train that was blocked was the train often referred to by the Argo crews as the "set out" train. This was train BA-4 (Blue Island AM 4 o'clock) which carried several blocks of cars for Corn Products Corporation (CPC) and also a block of cars for the yard at Argo. This block was comprised of cars bound for various industries served by the industry jobs working out of Argo. A switch crew at Blue Island would classify the cars bound for Corn Products over in the West Yard at Blue and later the block of Argo proper cars would be added to this business and BA-4 would then take it west.

Upon this train's arrival and yarding at Argo, the 910 job, the first job of the day at Argo that normally handled all of the Corn Products switching, would couple onto the rear of this train and then shove all the cars bound for CPC right into their yard located right around the corner from the west end of Argo Yard. CPC had their own in plant railroad that performed most of the work within their facility but we had their business broken down into several blocks to allow them to expedite moves within their plant in a much timelier manner.

Even local trains that service industries along their regular journey are normally blocked. In some cases some locals may have a dozen or more blocks to them with only a handful of cars in each. Such blocking eliminates the need for the local crew to have to switch out their train every time they stop to service an industry.

So yes indeed kids, it is quite important for us to play with our blocks while on the job and get paid for it. There is quite a big difference between railroad blocks and the building blocks we played with as kids though; we don't want to stack up nor pile up the railroad blocks as it will usually damage the cars and their lading and tear up the railroad. And that would be a really bad thing.

"Bad, bad, really, really bad!"

And so it goes.

Tuch