Coal Operations: coal trains

On AIR 1 a lot of people were encouraging me to put loaded coal trains on the schedule  as 3rd class trains.

I resisted this because of the issues with TTTO. 

If the train did not depart on time opposing extras would have to clear up, or get helping orders from the DS.

If more coal was ready to move than could reasonably be accommodated in one train, does this second train run as an extra, or a following section? If we choose to run it as a following section, the first section must depart with signals, and opposing extras must be made aware of these following sections via train order.

Regularly spaced 3rd class trains could be placed on the schedule, every two hours, and coal could move in these trains or in sections of these trains with the correct dispatcher involvement, but it does necessitate quite a bit of order writing. 

If you were to annul one of these trains because there was no coal at that time, the annulment could carry over for several sessions, or 12 hours. So conceivably a train that did not run in a January might still be on the DS sheet in March, as far as needing to issue opposing extras a copy of the original annulment order.

I’m not sure making the coal trains 3rd class is worth all the extra effort involved.  

One 3rd class train on the schedule every 4-6 hours might be a better way to implement this. What I want is for coal to funnel through Pettigrew Yard with little back log. Additionally if I were to “Help” during  re-staging  the layout by positioning the coal into the next 3rd class train and sections or extras that then went on the Line-up, this might even the flow of coal. 

Ultimately this would all depend on operators who were competent enough to accomplish this, and that’s not always the case.

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