Crew Changes: Selkirk vs Buffalo

I recently heard that at Selkirk, all trains change crews in the yard, while in Buffalo, they change crews on the mainline. Why is it done this way? The NG Dispatcher has so much to deal with, and so does the Selkirk Yardmaster, then why would CSX want them handling of the recrews too?

Lakeshore out

Speed and space.

Frontier Yard in Buffalo is small by modern standards; and (especially since the shutdown of Seneca Yard) always packed. There's no room at the inn...

Entering a yard must be done at restricted speed, no more than 10 mph. Getting a two-mile train in and out at that speed can take some time.

It's more work for the dispatcher to line trains into the yard, coordinate traffic behind the yarding train, and then feed that train back into the traffic flow, than it is to just stop it, frequently for less than three minutes, on the main.

In addition, going into the yard brings the train no closer to the recrew. The yard parallels the main; getting the recrew to the train is actually easier on the mainline.

The same is done at Collinwood and Willard with through trains. At Collinwood, all trains (with rare exceptions) fuel...and the fueling stations are on the main tracks. The main runs right by the crew building...

Same at Willard. The recrew just walks outside, about 150 feet, to the main to change crews.

...Why the yard at Selkirk? Don't know...never been there. Possibly, due to the layout there, it may be the safest move for the crew. MOST trains change power at Selkirk. A majority of trains seem to work there. It's the connector for the Boston and Jersey traffic, headed west.

For many years there were no signalled main lines at all through Selkirk yard. The inbound lead -- for trains coming from the east -- was a restricted speed track that took trains to the receiving yard to be humped. Through trains often went west on 11 recieving to get out to CP 136 (FB) on the west end, but it was all at restricted speed.

Also coming from the east, trains came up the fast freight lead from CP 132 (SK) on an approach signal, but then came upon an "End Automatic Block" sign/signal, thus inducing restricted speed at that point. The fast freight lead went into the two fast freight tracks and the north runner on the north side of the yard, and connected out to both 3 & 5 main (as originally numbered) on the west end. Lots of run-thru trains changed crews (or power) on those tracks.

In later years, Conrail installed automatic block signals on 11 receiving, thus effectively making that and the inbound lead track into signalled main lines on which trains could quickly change crews and depart. I believe they are still that way today, but I'm open to correction by anyone who is more familar with the current configurations.

Unlike Buffalo, selkirk has no through mains. All mains enter the yard and become yard tracks. Simple as that. The depending on what track the train is assigned to run through, that particular yard masterhandles the recrew location. It's not rocket science to tell a train "west end of 6 recieving for your recrew". Buffalo's mains run along the southside of the yard and are convenient for recrews which are off/on and depart. No changing tracks or whatever. I don't understand what the brewhah is about.
One last note here, CSX is preparing to build a main track along the southside of Selkirk yard, connecting to track 11 as a yard bypass. Most recrews will take place here.

Simply speaking, there is no main track all the way through the yard at
Selkirk. Track 11 extends from CP-FB (once CP-136) to a point behind
the "region building" at the east end of track 11. At the point behind the
region building there is a westbound only home signal which can give an
approach medium indication and governs the approach to CP-FB. East
of the region building track 11 becomes just another yard track and a
train can go into the south departure yard or to the inbound which is also
signaled from a point east of the last electric switch and near the number
board for inbound trains where there is another signal to govern the
approach to CP-SK (old CP-132). This is as close as you can come to a
main track move at Selkirk but the entire move can not be made on just
signal indication as you have to work with the hump yardmaster to get
from the number board on the inbound to the region building or in the
reverse direction as well. With an eastbound train if it can be operated
out the inbound the hump yardmaster has the switches line off track 11
for the inbound and tells the train it is OK to depart but if there is an
inbound train on the inbound then the train either has to wait or use a
track in the south departure yard in which case the hump will tell the
crew which track to use (there are five of them) and the crew will have to
line their own switch and go through the south departure yard to the east
end where they will again have to talk this time to the east end
yardmaster who will tell them when it is OK to proceed east and then
they are cleared to operate to CP-SK for further movement.
In Buffalo a train in either direction can use either track 1 or 2 and make
a crew swap at a number of different locations all within the terminal and
accessible by company vehicle. Possible crew change locations at
Buffalo at least during my time included CP-429 (for an eastbound),
the Amtrak station at Depew, CP-433 (Union Road), CP-434 (Harlem
Road), Broadway, the Stockyard (for an eastbound or finally CP-437.
Crew changes were very rarely made on the mainline west of CP-437 as
many crews out of Selkirk were and probably still not qualified west of
CP-437. Not very many through freight trains had work at Buffalo and if
they did, a drop or a pick up could be done at CP-433, CP-434 on an
eastbound train or CP-437 on a westbound train. Through trains could
also make a crew change in the south yard but this was time consuming
and not often done unless the mainline was hopelessly blocked or again
work had to be done.
Noel Weaver