Jobs

Boat Job

  • Equipment & crew
    • Engine MP #1817 (Baldwin 4-8-0) + Idler Car
    • Requires Conductor and Engineer
    • General Manager will demonstrate boat operation for new employees
  • Boat pulls & shoves
    • Conductor aligns and works boat
    • Boat capacity is 4 cars on each of three tracks (total of 12 cars per load)
    • When aligning boat to another track, assure car brakes are set
  • Semaphores restrict movement at the incline grade crossing [installation pending as of April 5, 2023]
    • Boat job has priority over main
    • Call tower when needed
  • Work boat’s center track first
    • One car cut is removed, taken to Thomure and engine returns with a cut to be shoved in its place
    • The boat is then repositioned to another track for repeat performance; and repeat again until all cars have been exchanged
    • The adage to remember is “one cut off, one cut on”
    • Note for new employees: if you have a better idea on how to handle this, feel free to climb up to the pilot house and discuss with Captain “Gunnie” Grieshaber; the John-boat at the dock will pick you up if you can’t swim
  • When all boat cuts have been pulled and the cut is ready for movement to Middle Yard, contact the Yardmaster for clearance
    • Deliver cut to Middle Yard and pull northward bound cars
  • Operators will typically spend about an hour working one boat load of cars; the prototype worked a cut of 18 cars on the Missouri side, worked the same number of cars on the Illinois side and traversed the Mississippi River twice in 90 minutes!

Yardmaster

  • Equipment & crew
    • Engine MP #4612 (Alco RS11) [to be replaced by GP9 when ready]
    • Requires 1 (serves as Conductor and Engineer)
  • “Boss”of Middle Yard
  • Makes & breaks trains
    • Scheduled & extras
    • Boat transfers
  • Weighs outbound Loads
    • Redirects if excess weight
  • Directs entry into Middle Yard
  • Facilitates Bad-Order cars
  • Note: occasional river flooding may cause yard tracks to be out of service

Road crew

  • Engine TBD + Caboose
    • Requires Conductor and Engineer
  • Run local freight trains № 92 and № 93 between Ste Genevieve and Bismarck per Employee Timetable
  • Run extra trains per orders

General Manager

  • Also known as the Layout Owner
  • Stages cars on the Boat and at Derby Jct
  • Facilitates boat operations
  • Serves as Tower Operator
  • Re-rails cars as needed
  • Assists when called upon
  • Manages car forwarding system
  • Other duties as assigned