Railworks America

I just ran the "Chips to Pulp Pt 2" scenario. When I pushed the string of loaded Woodchip Cars into the 'MP Woodchip Siding' at Michigan Paper in Riverside, I failed to find the 'Woodchip Unloader' transfer point to dump the woodchips.

I previously succesfully ran "Chips to Pulp Pt 1" with no issues. I successfully loaded my string of empty woodchip cars at North Adkins with no issues. The Woodchip Loader transfer point is clearly identified under the loader tipple structure.

Could someone identify the woodchip unloader transfer point location for me? Or am I just blind to see it's spot?

OlPaint

OlPaint wrote:I just ran the "Chips to Pulp Pt 2" scenario. When I pushed the string of loaded Woodchip Cars into the 'MP Woodchip Siding' at Michigan Paper in Riverside, I failed to find the 'Woodchip Unloader' transfer point to dump the woodchips.

I previously succesfully ran "Chips to Pulp Pt 1" with no issues. I successfully loaded my string of empty woodchip cars at North Adkins with no issues. The Woodchip Loader transfer point is clearly identified under the loader tipple structure.

Could someone identify the woodchip unloader transfer point location for me? Or am I just blind to see it's spot?

OlPaint

Well, actually, this scenario doesn't contain any unloading instructions.

OldProf

Does that mean that the Transfer Point locations on a Route such as RWA Lakeside are scenario based and not Route Based? I have always wondered about that. I realize that the "Chips to Pulp Pt 2" scenario does not have a task requiring unloading specifically. But shouldn't the transfer point be on the route map anyway? Or does it get placed by the scenario writer when the task requires it? Just curious...

OlPaint

OlPaint wrote:OldProf

But shouldn't the transfer point be on the route map anyway? Or does it get placed by the scenario writer when the task requires it? Just curious...

OlPaint

The RW&A's switching surcharge was too high for Michigan Paper. To save money, a number of years ago Michigan Paper installed a winch so they could handle all the unloading themselves. RW&A just drops the full hoppers and later picks up the empties. Michigan Paper does the rest. This suited RW&A as well since the their crews found the unloading operation to be very boring.

I thought I would just add a couple of additional notes for scenario writers on the woodchip unloader operations at Michigan Paper.

The first note is that MP has been forced to supplement the wood chip operation with a bucket unloader. When they built the unloading shed they planned to extend the tail track further north of the building. This was state land but they had assurances from the governors office that they could lay their track there. As it turned out there was environmental opposition to the plan and its now tied up in the courts. Until its resolved they are stuck with a short tail track and have to use a bucket unloader when they have more than a couple of cars to handle.

The other interesting note is now that they handle their own unloading, they have the time to do quality grading of the wood chip material before they unload it. More often than they would want they have to reject a load and send it back to the source plant for reprocessing. The priority return of a defective load is one of the operations that should be represented in the route's operational scenario's.

Wayne

Wayne

Now that tail track "tale" is quite believable! The tail track extension is tied up in the courts - Right - by tree huggers.
All MP needs is an easement, correct? Well maybe the Governor could use a campaign contribution - to move things along - so to speak. LOL!

OlPaint

Maybe in the future, MP will buy a 44 tonner.
Lots of Army and Navy surplus engines around... It's right after the wars you know...

I absolutely love the richly imagined "history" of this route!

OlPaint wrote:OldProf

Does that mean that the Transfer Point locations on a Route such as RWA Lakeside are scenario based and not Route Based? I have always wondered about that. I realize that the "Chips to Pulp Pt 2" scenario does not have a task requiring unloading specifically. But shouldn't the transfer point be on the route map anyway? Or does it get placed by the scenario writer when the task requires it? Just curious...

OlPaint

Sorry I didn't reply sooner. No transfer points are scenario based, in the sense that no interactive assets of any kind can be placed or modified within the scenario editor. This includes loaders, fuel points, signals, and perhaps other items that don't come to mind right now. All transfer points appear on the 2D map and in the ribbon at all times, regardless of their use (or not) in the scenario being played.

Here's a list of transfer points on the Lakeside route, proceeding from west to east (more or less):

Riverside: coal unloader.
Gogebin Mine: 2 coal loaders, 1 coal unloader.
North Adkins: Woodchip Loader.
Atlantic Grain; 2 Grain loaders.
Johansen Quarry: Gravel loader.
Waterton Yard: Diesel fuel point, Water tower, Coal unloader, SSL&P Coal chute (loader).

Hope that this helps.

Gogebic mine has one coal unloader and a two track Taconite loader. The coal is used to process the iron ore into Taconite pellets for shipping.

Michigan Paper has bought a GE 44 tonner on the surplus market, thanks to manager "Mad Mike"

It's on this page.
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