Train Orders for an Operating Session

Mike,

Take a look here:

http://www.tulsanmra.org/resources/DRS_CardCards.pdf

or Google Waybills and Car Cards

I've bookmarked a few sites and modified what they do for my use, if I can get them into a JPEG file I'll post them.

1st thing you need to do is for each industry you have, list the commodities and types of cars they'll be using, then print car cards for each piece of rolling stock and then waybills.

Take a look a look at this site. 

Model Railroad Operations SIG

That is great. Thanks... but know my head is spinning!

Just checked my latest catalog, still available

Mike P

Interesting thread.  In the past 2 months I have investigated the waybill system too add an operating element to my model rr.  I came upon a website that explained the waybill system that I could understand.  There is also an explanation of operating the system once car cards, waybills, destination, card boxes and inventory is completed. It is more than a bit tedious but I enjoyed the process so far.  I do not have a staging area so I will have to add a siding or two to replicate that.  I also have to reconfigure a yard area.  The process has really brought some operational strategy to my model railroading rather than merely running trains around the layout.  I also make use of my imagination about off line destinations and interum traffic movements.  It does make my mind spin a little and I have reread the explanations again and again.

http://home.comcast.net/~prrndiv/ccandwb.html

Mike

Several O gaugers are doing prototypical ops.  Pat Marinari has a well refined operating system.  I've had the pleasure to operate there and had a blast.  We also do operating sessions on the Northwest Trunk Lines using switch lists instead of waybills for individual cars.  We have operating rules and use train orders or track warrants to convey authority to occupy track outside of yard limits.

With freights up to 20 cars we divide tasks with two man crews just as you thought.   The conductor gets the switch list and train orders , couples cars and throws switches.  The engineer operates the locomotive.  On some jobs a third man gets assigned as a brakeman or flagman.

Here is a look at an operating session on the NWTL from a couple of years back.

There are some good forms for switch lists and track warrants on the internet.  Just go a google search.  And think about how places on your layout are identified.  In order to give your crews orders to, say, clear the main track and take the siding at East Smithville you have to name East and West Smithville.

Thanks, Ted for the kind words.

Our operating sessions are generated by a software package called Ship-It.  It is a very capable system with a STEEP learning curve, but it makes running trains an whole new, fun experience.  The steep learning curve is for the software, not operating the trains.  The software generates a switchlist for each train so each operator must follow his schedule.  Trains must be madeup, cars set out and picked up at each industry.  Interchanges between divisions are also possible, although we don't use that feature yet.  The system remembers the locations of all cars and whether each one is loaded or empty and where it is needed next, so each session is a continuation of the previous session.

There are a couple other great systems for generating operating sessions with a computer - I know Bob Bartizek uses one of them very successfully.  Maybe he'll chime in here.