Switch List Form Master
Makes 2 Switch Lists
Operating Forms Section
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Switch List (Form No. 443)
The Switch List is used in the yards on the layout and during the switching of small industries. The form is originated by a Yardmaster and is then given to the Conductor of a switching crew.
The Conductor enters his or her name next to the "Foreman" heading ("Foreman" is another, older name for Conductor) and records the number of the engine the crew will be using to do the switching. If the engine to be used is not a JWRR engine, the Conductor will also enter the reporting mark (initials) of the foreign engine. When an engine consist is used, the reporting mark/number entered will be that of the unit that was used to control the engine consist when the crew first started their shift.
Cars are listed on the Switch List with the northmost car at the top of the form. This convention is used for all yards on the layout. Each car will have its reporting mark (e.g., TTX) listed in the "Initial" column of the form.
To keep things simple, only the last three digits of the car reporting mark are listed in the "Number" column of the Switch List. When two cars have the same last three digits in their car number, the complete reporting marks for both cars are entered on the form.
Whether the car is a "load" or an "empty" is noted in the third column. The "Time" entry denotes the time that the car was switched. When switching a cut of cars that will be placed in a track, the time when the switched cut was actually placed in the track is entered for the first car on the list and a vertical line is drawn down the middle of the remaining "Time" column.
The "Kind" of car is simply an entry like "box", "tank", etc. The Switch List is not concerned with the actual type of box (e.g., "XM"), tank, etc.
The "Destination" column is used when the Switch List contains information (1) about a cut of cars that is to be switched and placed in a track, or (2) when a car is to be placed in an industry with no regard to an actual spot location. An example of this is spotting a flat car in a team track.
To see how you can make a form for your layout, Click Here to read the step-by-step method we used to create the Switch List form master shown at the top of this page.