Car Card System for Operating

Micromark sells a card-based system.  You can get a sample set of the forms from here. 

http://www.micromark.com/train...-of-4-pads,9065.html

Also check out thethe Model Railroad Operations SIG.

http://www.opsig.org/

Jan

Thanks Jan

I have seen those, and it is something I am considering but I don't think they will work for my layout. 

I did read an article this morning from Model Railroad Hobbyist on a simplified system.  Instead of having a card for every single car, the author had jobs for specific types of cars.  Such as covered hoppers.  He would have on a card a job that lists that an x amount of hoppers were needed for the grain elevator.  

I was thinking more along of those lines. 

I just started using a system this week I made from reading up on this topic on the internet.

I made a simple "CAR CARD" for each piece of rolling stock.  The data for each car is:

ROAD NAME (Seaboard Air Line, Wabash)

CAR NUMBER (20202, 39465)

CAR TYPE (Boxcar, Tankcar, Gondola)

and a WHEN EMPTY RETURN TO line (like a yard or somewhere offline)

Below all the data the card is folded over and taped to create a pocket to hold the Waybill.

Next I made some simple "WAYBILLS" with the following information:

TO (which industry on my layout gets the car)

CONTENTS (oil, wood, logs, TVs, appliances, sand, coal, even EMPTY)

CAR TYPE (need to know what kind of car is required to transport the commodity)

The Waybills (with the printed data on them) have blank lines next to each field so I can write in the industry, contents, and car type as I start the operating session.

Both were made using MS Excel, I used card stock (available at Walmart) to print the car cards with and plain printing paper for the waybills.  Once I got one like I wanted it I copied/pasted it so I would have 9 on a single sheet of paper to save paper when I cut them apart.

With the Car Cards made and a few Waybills printed up I then decided how many cars I needed to deliver by rolling a 6-sided die (1-6 cars max is about all my layout can handle at one time) but two 6-sided dice will give you 2-12 cars.

I then fill in the Waybill blank lines with the required data and place the cars on the "Arrival" track so I can make up my train.

When I set out each car I place the Car Card with Waybill next to the car.  If the Waybill says EMPTY that means the car was delivered for loading.  Cars like that then need another Waybill (I use a single entry at at time, some Waybills have 4), perhaps for the next operating session.

Next operating session I first look at the cars already on the layout and decide if they've been emptied or loaded and pull the Waybill from the Car Card or make a new Waybill to move the car to its next destination.  When the Car Card has no Waybill it goes back to the yard (and off the layout).

As I operate the layout I'll print more Waybills for future use.  The Waybills and Car Cards I've used I place in the "holding box" behind the ones I haven't yet used.  That way I'll be sure to use all my rolling stock and eventually I'll have enough Waybills to cover just about every commodity my industries will make or use.

One goal is to pickup a car at each siding where I drop a car so they won't get full.  If I find one that can take no more cars I can always fill out a Waybill to pick up empties or cars that have been loaded with stuff for "Offline" use.

I'll takes photos of my Car Card and Waybill and post them later.

Here's the CAR CARD:

and the WAYBILL:

Years ago on my first "big" layout in half my single car garage in southern ohio, I used a modified "tack" system to move the cars around.   this was a 3 rail layout using gargraves track and various older prototype steamers.  

the layout did hve a loop around the upper level.   However, it was also a point to point from the upper level to the lower level.    On the lower level (one end of track), I had a small yard and off each end were two stub tracks.   I designated one the C&O interchange, and the other the PRR interchange.    At the other end of the single track line I had a small yard area and an engine house.    I originated trains at the engine house and ran to the interchange and back switching about 6 industries along the way.   

I did not use car cards, I made tags from short sections of Plastruc girder.   these wouild set over the roof walk on a boxcar or I would find a place on other types of the cars.    On one side of the tag, I listed an industry on the layout.   On the other side I listed one of the interchanges.   I made some tags for each type of car, boxcars, tank cars, hoppers etc.    I only had about dozen and a half cars at the time, so I made 4-5 tags for each type of car and kept them separate.   That way each car type could be sent to appropriate industries for that type, but all could go to the interchanges.    When the cars were on the interchanges after a session I would replace their tags with new ones with the industry name up.    Also after a session (or before the next one) I would flip over all the tags on cars at industries to show the side with the interchange name on it.   

Then when I ran a train, it would pick up cars at the industries and continue to the interchange area.   At the interchanges it would exchange the cars in the train for the ones on the interchanges.    Then the train would run back out the line and deliver the cars from the industries according to the tags.    I would try to pick tags out of the boxes without looking to make the system random within car types.   

This type of operation would take me about 1/2 hour to run one way and another half hour to run back.    I usually ran one way one evening, and then maybe did some modeling work also.   Then the next evening or so, I would make the run back.   This operation of about an hour total was with 12-18 cars and about 6 industries plus the interchange.   That is geographically a pretty small layout.

The layout you describe with the car ferry and the staging track logically fits this a similar operation whether with tags or car cards.   the ferry is an interchange, and so is staging.    If you use car cards, one side would list the interchange or ferry as a destination and the other an industry on the layout.

I started with the tags because they did not require specific ones for each car.   they tags were specific for car type, but not car.

Thanks everyone!

Giving me some great ideas so far.  

After my ferry is installed I should focus on my staging yard next.  

I like the ideas of the tags that prrjim used but do not want tags on my cars as they run.  I don't know if I want a bunch of way bills and car cards that I have to keep reprinting when I run out either.  

I think I will do something similar to the tags but on cards that aren't specific to each car but to each car type.  That way if I have a 50' double door box car on my layout I have to not it if it was loaded / empty /  and where it is going.  

Keep the ideas coming and I will keep this thread updated with my progress on how the system will work on my  layout.  

The good thing about the Car Cards is that you only have to make one for each car you have, once (as long as you don't destroy it and have to reprint another).

The Car Card could just have the Type of car on it if you don't care what RR or number is on the cars.  I made a master Car Card template with 4 cards on each sheet (shown above).  I then typed in the data and saved in as something other than the master.  It took some time (I have less than 50 cars) but once done I only have to make new ones for new cars.

The Waybill only needs the TO and CAR TYPE.  I also made a master Waybill (shown above) and hand-write the data I need to select/move a car.  I also keep these to reuse as I draw down thru the deck.

With only a 6-car train I can carry them around the layout as I spot the cars at the sidings.

When I started my first train was a 6-car train.  The next train was 5 cars, which I spotted and picked up 4 of the 6 cars that were from the last move.  That left 7 cars on the layout.  My next train is also a 5-car train (which I haven't run yet).  As I set them out I'll also need to move a car from one industry to another (a new Waybill is needed) and pick up the remaining cars (6) to take back to the yard and/or Offline.

Operations like this are sort of like solving a puzzle as you go.  For me it's fun and gives the RR a purpose.  With the 4 sidings I have I can cut cars out and back them into 3 of the sidings, but the fourth siding I have to run around the train so I can push the cars into it.  So far I've left my lift bridge off, which makes the layout point-to-point.  With my current design I have to back the engine into the yard, but soon I'll have a Wye installed (plus a longer yard) and I'll be able to change the direction of the train coming back into the yard.  Once I get the Wye in I'll be able to go in either direction and will no longer have to run around the train and push cars into a siding.  I can always put the lift bridge in place and run the loop if I desire.  I only wish I had a longer mainline (I could put a narrow shelf along the walls, making the mainline twice as long as it is now, from about 50 feet to 100 feet long), but management may not approve.

If you don't leave the tags on the cars when you run the train, you won't which boxcar is which.   It will still work, but will loose the detail.   You will find yourself dropping off the easiest car in the train when a boxcar is needed etc.    

Only if the car numbers aren't unique and visible.  If Jim ends up with multiple cars with the same number he can pretty easily fix that.

I haven't done this myself yet but if I recall how this is supposed to work, there is a printed form with the "switch list" for a given run for a given train.  Usually, this goes on a clipboard and is given to the "conductor".  The car cards (I think) are put in pockets by the industries.  That way the conductor can match card and car when (s)he gets to the industry/spur to be switched.  The cards/waybills get picked up by the train crew and go back in the box at the end.  You can also simulate the dispatcher "checking in the train" by comparing the switch list to the waybills.  I probably have a bunch of stuff wrong, but this is my understanding.

I'd go with one card per car.  One book I have suggests also making a deck of "scenario cards".  You make more cards for common scenarios (like 6 grain cars from Wisconsin) and less cards for others (like a railfain excursion by PM 1225).  I also think this system has been implemented on computers.  I'm not sure wherte to get it but it shouldn't be that hard to find.

Jim: Good to see you're still in the game!