Re: Keeping record of the trainTh

This is only a small piece of information in terms of the question you ask. On the SVRy at least the conductors filled out a report for each train. In other words if the train went from Baker to Austin with eng. 20 it was train # ex20west, then on the return there would be another report for ex20 east. The front side of the form has a place for listing the crews and times on duty as well as delays. On the back side of the report the conductor listed each car by type and car # along with who it was consigned to and where it was picked up and where it was set out. Some of the conductor reports I have seen are for trains of 50-60 cars and the report forms didn't quite provide enough room on the lines, so the conductors started writing the cars beyond the number the report would hold on the lines, in the margins. Not sure why they didn't just start filling out a 2nd page. I do not know how the conductor got a list initially of the cars in his train along with destination, but he apparently verified that list with what was actually in the train by filling out his report. I assume that the conductor report turned into the office would help in generating a bill to the consignee or shipper.