Shunting/Wagons list

[tomf1993]

Hi All

I am not sure as to where to place this topic, but I am very much interested in how marsall yards assmble and sort wagons etc

I cant really find any info or old lists online for this.

Before TOPS, I have been told that in each siding, each wagon was written down on a paper plan

Does any one have such a list?

 

[Gloster]

Before TOPS everything was done on paper. There were loads of messages and then it all ended up in ledgers. Before TOPS means at least fifty years ago and almost all the lists would have been thrown away once finished with. Ledgers ended up stuffed in cupboards for a while before being disposed of and local working books would suffer the same fate as the messages. A few oddments may have been kept here and there, but not much.

To put it very simply: when a train came in someone would go along reading the wagon labels, although in some places the previous departure yard would send out a telegram with details of what was where in the train. Then someone would decide which siding each wagon was to go into according to the local working customs which would have refined this to the best way possible, i.e. which siding was best used for which destinations. Then the shunter or the control tower (in a hump yard) would have the list and carry out the placing of the wagons.