What are these trains called?

HI Guys:

Probably a dumb question, and possibly one I have asked in the past

I am working on building trains in JMRI and I want to get the names right

Staging on my layout represents MOSTLY an interchange, but does have a couple through trains -- trains to go get cars off staging I assume are called Interchange runs or Interchange turns?

The cars are brought fo the east end yard -- (Walsenburg, CO) or the West end yard (Gallup NM) where they are sorted according to where they are going -- once sorted into the cars for each different town, they are sent across the layout to be delivered and for cars already there to be picked up -- are these locals?

There is also a yard at the middle point of the layout (Alamosa) so there will be trains forming there also -- what are the trains that go from the east and west yards to the middle yard without stopping at towns along the way

I have 2 major coal mines on the layout -- these will have trains that go direct from staging to the mine and back as unit trains -- Coal Drag?

I may also have a couple smaller mines that only produce a couple cars a day, which should be collected and brought to the east end yard (Walsenburg) to be made up in to a unit train to head off to the power plant or export dock or whereever -- what would the tains that go out and pick up the coal cars for that be called (Ive heard the term sweeper - -is this it?)

There are a couple intermodal yards on the layout -- one on each end and one someplace in the middle (Similar to this one not far from where I live ( ))

again, what kind of trains would run between them, etc?

Thanks
TIM

 

If you have small volume mines, their cars will not be made a part of Unit trains, no matter if the Unit Trains are for power plants, steel mills or export. Mine handling a couple of cars a day, would be part of your 'carriers' merchandise network, mixed in with tank cars of chemicals, box cars of various products, flat cars with steel and various other products, covered hoppers of chemicals, grain and other bulk products that need to be handled dry. The function of Unit Trains is for them to be loaded at one location within a contracted time frame and for them to unloaded at a single destination location within a specified period of time. Intermodal trains operated between Intermodal Yards - Intermodal can be single or double stacked containers or it may be trailers on their own wheels. Intermodal yards have the required kinds of machinery to handle their traffic, be it containers or trailers.

 

Trains that run from one railroad's yard to another's are transfers.

Trains that take cars for local customers, which come in from all points on various trains, and go down the line stopping at every industry like a milkman stops at every door, are locals, or milk runs.

A turn is often a local, and can be a transfer. But in any case, it's a train that goes out and comes back in one work shift

 

And on some northeastern roads, the term "Drill" was used for locals. Neat that the MILW used two variants depending on the region. I think "Patrol" is the coolest thing. I think I recall hearing this on my scanner in the '70s when we lived in northern IL.