There are three types of trains on the Kansas City Subdivision:-
Transfer trains operate from their respective staging yard over the subdivision to Coburg Yard. Transfer trains enter Centralized Traffic Control track at Broadway Tower. They arrive at Coburg Yard from the west. Authority to move in Coburg is supervised by the Yardmaster, who will co-ordinate with the Transfer Crew for the exchange of cars. The Transfer train then returns back over the subdivision and returns their cars to the end of their respective yard track in Broadway Tower staging.
When assigned to Transfer train service, The Dispatcher will provide a clearance card in the pocket of your locomotive car plus a throttle. The first card in the deck is the locomotive card. It contains a summary of the locomotive functions.
The clearance card will indicate the number of cars to take to Coburg Yard. On the assigned yard track, for example, KCS, make a train using the lead cars on the track representing the yard. If the Clearance Card shows 2 cars for Coburg, take the first 2 cars from the staging track. Complete making up the train by picking up your railroad company's caboose on the caboose track.
Some switching may be required to obtain the correct caboose. Once the train is assembled, ensure that you have car cards for the cars you have picked up, then press the Request button to request entry into signal territory. Operate your train from Staging into Coburg Yard, observing all signals.
Once you enter Coburg Yard, you will be under the direction of the Coburg Yardmaster. The Yardmaster will take your car(s) and arrange to give you car(s) to take back. After exchanging car(s) at Coburg, exchange car cards with the Yardmaster and make your way back to Rock Creek Junction, pressing the Coburg West Entrance Button to request departure signal. Drive your train back to staging, put the car(s) on the far end of your track, then put the caboose back finishing with your locomotive where it started from.
Local Turn trains originate from Coburg Yard and travel to their respective industry tracks. You will receive a clearance card and a set of car cards from the dispatcher.
You may be sent to one of:- Independence, Sugar Creek, Lydia Avenue, Armourdale, 12th Street, or Centropolis. On arriving at the industry track, you will pick up and set out cars according to the waybills on the car cards. Car exchange is a simple "one in-one out" system. If you have a car for the Team Track, you should pick up the car that is already at the Team Track and brign it back, remembering to take it's Car Card and leave the Car Card in the holder for the car that you drop off.
After completing the switching, you will return to Coburg Yard. This may involve changing your loco and caboose positions, especially for Centropolis, Lydia Avenue and Armourdale.
This simply means moving the caboose to the other end of the train and putting the loco on the opposite end. On returning to Coburg Yard, you will put the locomotive back on the roundhouse turntable. As always, train movement within Coburg Yard is under the direction of the Yardmaster.
You will be given a clearance card specifying the number of cars to bring from Bensenville. For casual running nights, this train will already be assembled for running.
On full operation days, this is a more involved job, as you will have to use the Bensenville switch enging (Baldwin #908) to make up your train on track 3. You will need to put a caboose in first, then pick the cars from track 1 or 2. If the clearance shows 2 cars, then pick the first 2 cars to run.
Finally, pick up the first available road locomotive from track 4, put on the train then proceed to the first signal. At the first signal, there is a Entry Request Button labeled 'Bensenville'. Press it to request entry into the signal controlled portion of the subdivision.
You will operate your train over the subdivision, arriving at Coburg Yard. Upon entering the yard, you will be under the direction of the Coburg Yardmaster. The Yardmaster will arrange changing over your cars (you will leave the cars you came with and take back cars for Bensenville.)
You will need to turn the loco on the turntable for the return trip to Bensenville, do that while the Yardmaster switches out the cars. After re-assembling the outbound train, back up and depart from Coburg Yard, using the Coburg East Departure Request button. Make your way over the subdivision following signal indications until you arrive in Bensenville.
After arriving in Bensenville, use the local switch engine to pull the cars out and put on track 1 or 2, allowing the loco an escape route to the loco track (#4). On full Operating Sessions, the locos must be rotated with the locomotive coming off duty put to the far end of the loco track.