I thought Id start a thread about all the different systems we all use for operating sessions on our layouts. TOC uses waybills, I believe. Fred, et al, use switchlists generated from RailOp. I use JMRI, after years of using my own home grown software. Stan Ames uses car cards. Lets hear your exoeriences with using your various systems,

On our layout when we have enough people, we like the old switch list to work with.
Just haven’t found a home made form to use yet… So we just draw out a few line on a tablet , then insert the car nbr /road name and go from there. Its still fun and takes time to set out and pick up.

My Ops stuff is actually loaded into Railop, but during Ops sessions, I make up the trains lists, as the railroad is not actually fully operational and don’t have sufficient freight cars…

My switch lists are lists of the car type, with underlined areas to write in the freightcar roadname and number…

Such as: 4 each 3 or 4 Bay Convered Hoppers

Road Name Car Number Road Name Car Number

Trains are run with 2 man crews…

Hopefully, one day, it will be done with Railop…

Andy Clarke said:

and don’t have sufficient freight cars…

Holy Carp! You still don’t have enough freight cars?

Back on topic, I began with the “Dice Method” as taught by Ric Golding in an ECLSTS Seminar probably 10 years ago. You roll the same number of dice you want cars in your train; 6’s are boxcars, but I forget the rest :] You take that train and exchange like cars out on the RR.

Next I went with Bob’s TrainOps once the initial alpha testing was complete. I ran that for the last 3-4 years and liked it a lot. It was simple to set up and use. Bugs aside, it did what I wanted most of the time.

This summer I jumped in the JMRI bandwagon with Bob, Bruce & Ken. So far it’s been pretty good. My biggest problem with JMRI is that it has so many options and those options go down several levels. It’s mostly a learning curve thing. I am enjoying that JMRI can do many things that TrainOps could not. A passenger train for example. Once I learn more about how it works I can probably fine tune my routes and trains so that it runs like I had originally envisioned when I started with TrainOps. Best part of JMRI is the price: $0

I built a matrix that has a the various cars on my railroad that I run, and where each one would go from day to day. An early sample can be found here:

http://1stclass.mylargescale.com/eastbroadtop/TRRConstruction/TRRChart2.htm

I’ve added a few more destinations since this was drawn up, and now have it worked so to limit the maximum number of cars at any one location to whatever the limit of that siding would be (between 1 - 3 cars).

To start, I’ll pick a “day,” and set the cars out at whatever the destinations are for that day. Then I look at the chart, and determine where each car will have to move. Then I’ve got color-coded hang tags for each of the destinations (colors for the town, letters on each flag for the individual siding), and hang them on the cars. That way I’m not juggling papers, etc. as I’m moving the cars from one location to the next. Once at the destination, the flags are removed and we move to the the following “day.” At the end, the cars are put back in the storage shed with the flags still hanging on them, so next time, I can just put them back where I left off, and then continue from there.

Later,

K

Jon Radder said:

Andy Clarke said:

and don’t have sufficient freight cars…

Holy Carp! You still don’t have enough freight cars?

Back on topic, I began with the “Dice Method” as taught by Ric Golding in an ECLSTS Seminar probably 10 years ago. You roll the same number of dice you want cars in your train; 6’s are boxcars, but I forget the rest :] You take that train and exchange like cars out on the RR.

Next I went with Bob’s TrainOps once the initial alpha testing was complete. I ran that for the last 3-4 years and liked it a lot. It was simple to set up and use. Bugs aside, it did what I wanted most of the time.

This summer I jumped in the JMRI bandwagon with Bob, Bruce & Ken. So far it’s been pretty good. My biggest problem with JMRI is that it has so many options and those options go down several levels. It’s mostly a learning curve thing. I am enjoying that JMRI can do many things that TrainOps could not. A passenger train for example. Once I learn more about how it works I can probably fine tune my routes and trains so that it runs like I had originally envisioned when I started with TrainOps. Best part of JMRI is the price: $0

…
Ok … We are new at this, so what is JMRI? How dose it work and what’ch it look like. Maybe be nice we can use something like this on our Group Train run.
Something got to be better that the old card file & waybills that we use in our Ho R.R. On the Garden R.R. just a tablet with notes to work with and use a lot of erasers to change things… Lol

Noel Wilson said:

Ok … We are new at this, so what is JMRI? How dose it work and what’ch it look like.

http://www.largescalecentral.com/forums/topic/19562/train-ops-to-jmri

I still use the color-coded index-type cards that were successful on my HO layout. Color indicates the town/station and card lists type of car, reporting marks, origin, destination & contents. I use binder rings to hold the cards, the ones I carry with me for the train & the “bills” in the station “billbox”. A complete cycle for my operation involves running 6 frt trains. With the cards, I can stop running, leave the bills with the train, and just pickup where I left off next time i have some time to operate a train or two. Tried using a computer system on the HO but if everytrain didn’t actually get every car to where it was suppose to go, then at the next session the computer had the cars where they were SUPPOSE to be, not where they were ACTUALLY at. As a result I found myself manually moving cars around. I’m sure computer programs might have improved from then (10 yrs ago) but I’m not much of a computer guy so I’ll stick with the color-coded cars.

I’ve worked with Dave’s system on both his layout and on another Seattle area layout. It works good provided you understand the simple rules such as pick up last car in siding, leave setout as first, etc. The system is simple and easy to learn but I found myself wanting a bit more complex operations. Stuff that I saw everyday at work. Things like interplant switches, spotting cars to specific doors/loading areas at each industry etc.

I stumbled upon a program called Easy Model Railroad Inventory. http://easy-model-railroad-inventory.rclsoftware.com/

It’s a free program that allows you to track your railroad inventory, including price and number of rolling stock. Once you’ve entered in your rolling stock you can then create an operations sequence. The idea behind the program is to create prototypical switching lists, wheels, etc. These are the things I’m used to seeing and reading.So the program is designed to allow you to enter in ‘scale’ tonnage and weights.

Granted I haven’t actually used this in an operations setting yet, so I’m not sure how well this will translate to actual practice.

Here’s some images of the practice switch lists I made up.

(http://farm4.staticflickr.com/3830/9636976561_c88726ecec_c.jpg)

Here’s a screen shot of the industry list. Each industry you assign a specific car type(s). And the program will figure out what cars are available for each industry.

(http://farm4.staticflickr.com/3737/9636978053_43a91836c4_c.jpg)

I think this approach is similar to the car card system that is used by indoor modelers. But it eleminates the physical car carrying. Instead you have a wheel, and on the wheel you can see what cars are PU and SO. If complex switching is required than a switch list can be printed out.

Craig

PU= Pick Ups, SO= Set Outs, Wheel= The documents that follow the train. This paperwork includes a tonnage profile for the engineer, total length, total tonnage, location of hazmat cars, location of each car in train (including tonnage, MTY/LOAD, consignee, industry,), work to be preformed in route.

Guess that’s not what we are looking for… Just looking for a print out to pencil in a car set out and pick up work trip for a train. Tks … Looks compacted for our use…

We actually use a Waybill attached to a car card.

The top of the card is information of the car including its reporting marks and a photo. The bottom portion is a Waybill. The card is laminated and the bottom portion has a clear envelop which holds the waybill.

Stan

(http://freightsheds.largescalecentral.com/users/stan_ames/Roster%20Card.jpg)

I originally tried the car card process for the outdoors, but my operators took the cards home with them in their pockets. It was a total disaster.

That caused the exploration to RailOps, it worked well during our 10 years of Ops Sessions. RailOps has suffered from lack of support as of late and seems to be struggling to stay functional. It works great if you have it already loaded, but may suffer with future computer upgrades.

For small, simple switching at train shows, the rolling the dice to exchange like cars for like cars (box car for box car and flat car for flat car) has worked well, as Jon stated. Assigned a number to each type of rolling stock. Originally had Box Cars has number 1, but reminded that double sixes was box cars, so that was changed and called the “Miller Mod”.

Fun memories as things have evolved.

Well, my first operations session using the JMRI software was a real success. It’s a great follow on to TrainOps, incorporating all of the things that Bob was considering.

So, the price is right - it’s free.

It produces manifests that provide realistic switching operations.

I’m quite pleased with it.

So far my one-man sessions with JMRI have gone well. I’m still thinking about changes I could make that might make it better,

Bruce - I’d be interested in seeing your JMRI set-up. You use a few terms like “staging” that make me wonder if you have set up staging and/or yards in JMRI. So far, I still have everything set up as spurs per the initial discussions on converting.

Jon,

I have 4 locations:

1. Green Springs - setup as a yard (multiple tracks), with one spur.
2. Occoquan - 4 spurs, one interchange. The interchange track is setup to forbid all J&B cars.
3. Jackson - 7 spurs; 2 on the industries have 2 spurs each.
4. Lexington - 2 staging tracks. The staging tracks allow for changing loads to empties and vice versa.

I had to fake out the yard setup. I added in my A/D track just so I had enough space, but I typically don’t place any cars there to start. I also do not pay any attention to which specific yard tracks a car is supposed to start on.

Hi Bruce,

You said - “I also do not pay any attention to which specific yard tracks a car is supposed to start on.”

How about on the destinations? Are you specific to a track in the yard or do you just use any track in the yard as a destination. Some of the RailOps guys wanted to go to a specific track. I like to have the operator have that choice to set up the yard the way he wants.

It seems to be more specific as to Inbound and Outbound(Arrival/Departure) then to what track the cars are delivered to. When I was down there it was “Where ever we can fit’em”. Since we only ran one train at a time, it didn’t appear to matter.

Same as on mine, where ever you can fit’em. The program assigns the cars to a specific track in the yard, but your allowed to use your best judgement as to where they should go.

It seems to be more specific as to Inbound and Outbound(Arrival/Departure and that was more to our convenience then anything) then to what track the cars are delivered to. When I was down there it was “Where ever we can fit’em”. Since we only ran one train at a time, it didn’t appear to matter.

Same as on mine, where ever you can fit’em. The program assigns the cars to a specific track in the yard, but your allowed to use your best judgement as to where they should go.

(OOPS, it the “quote” button instead of the “Edit” button)

Since the yard is really just a storage area, I feel it doesn’t really matter much. The problem is that the program will NOT move cars unless there is room. So if you have one train leaving from the yard, and one train coming to the yard, the second train may not have room to leave its cars - since it doesn’t know that the yard will be empty.

So, I added an arrival/departure track to the yard track, just to make sure there’s enough room to move cars.

Which yard track I store them on doesn’t matter to me at all.