Prototype…

Middle Yard was positioned halfway between Thomure and the Ste. Genevieve depot – a total distance of about 2 miles. The prototype had 12 tracks with a capacity of 139 cars; a Fairbanks balance beam track scale was located on the south end of the yard. Crews classified and built trains for the journey south (mostly westward) from Ste. Genevieve to an interchange in Bismarck, MO, on the MoPac’s DeSoto Division.

Layout adaptation…

There are 3 tracks available for sorting and classifying at Middle Yard, with track #3 sporting a Boulder Creek Engineering track scale to weigh outbound loads. Overweight cars are returned to the originating shipper on the next train for adjustment.

The Yardmaster position stays busy with ferry cuts as well as regularly scheduled daily local freights between Ste. Genevieve and Bismarck.  Peerless White Lime Company, the M-I’s largest customer, is typically switched twice daily.  An Afternoon Yard job works the local Ste. Genevieve customers and Frisco interchange traffic.

Water is available for any trains departing Middle Yard. Unfortunately, the quality of the muddy Mississippi River water does not produce great steam, so crews will try to use as much as possible en-route so they can refill with the natural spring water available at Weingarten.