Spurs connect customers such as grain elevators, lumber yards and plants to the railroad, and they end at a bumping post rather than reconnecting to another track. Local crews switch them by pulling in, spotting cars and pulling the loads and empties. Most spurs have a derail near the switch to keep cars from rolling out onto the main, and some main line switches into spurs carry an electric lock that the dispatcher must release.
Spur at the elevator holds twelve, so we'll have to double it, spot the first twelve and come back for the rest.
Also heard as
- industry track
- spur track
- stub track
Related terms
Spot
To place a car at an exact location, such as an industry's loading door, pit or rack.
Derail
A device on a rail that lifts a rolling car's wheels off the track before it can reach another track.
Local
A freight train that works the industries along a line, setting out and picking up cars at each customer.
Switch list
The list telling a yard or local crew which cars to move and where each one goes.