I’ve been messing with “Operations” on an outdoor railroad environment for about 10 years now. This has caused many starts, false starts and restarts. Some good friends have really helped me form my theories. I have talked with Dave Goodson on this subject and have a copy of his train orders. I have also talked with Fr. Fred and have visited his layout, twice, to operate and see his example of how this works. There has been a lot of conversation, between myself and Doug Matheson about what might work and Doug has come to the KVRwy twice to discuss this further and to have some fun. I’ve read everything I can get my hands on about Operations from Chubb’s and Koester’s books to online articles, old magazine articles and seminars by many well recognized “Operators”.

I began messing with RailOps over two years ago and showed it to Doug at Fred’s in 2004. Doug picked up that ball and has created a great scenario for the IPP&WRR with RailOps. After much discussion about car movements with Doug using RailOps and trying to keep a FUN environment for new and experienced operators on the KVRwy. We have decided, that at this time, RailOPs is for a different type of operations than what we want to do in the valley.

A little history of what had been tried on the KVRwy garden railroad before RailOps is probably required. The major ops on the KVRwy is the running of rail busses and short tourist trains on a scheduled route with many stops. The premises has always been to have busses start out from locations and as tourist traffic builds through the day the complexity of the problem increase, but as the day wears on, it slowly goes back to a sleepy rig making its way through the valley alone and the tourist enjoying the sites and being gently rocked back home. Eastbound traffic has right of way over westbound and the scheduled “Mixed Daily” has right of way over the tourist traffic, which is all represented as an “Extra”. This is not a concrete rule, because since all of the regular crews are shareholders in the railroad, nobody wants to piss off the tourist that is willing to come spend his money. These “Extras” hardly fit the bill of what RailOps accomplishes. The orders and routes are almost always the same and only need to be updated to reflect changes to the railroad.

So the main value of RailOps is freight car forwarding and computerized random picking of freight cars, instead of using a car card system. When I started this, I made up the car cards and found that it was a level of paperwork that instead of telling us what to do was being used to follow the car moves and added a part of the hobby that became work instead of enjoyment. Besides you couldn’t leave the cards outside. Wind blows them all over the place. There aren’t always holders along the railroad to hold the cards. I had “Operators” take the cards home in their pockets and that resulted in another beauracratic inventory to make sure you had all the cars after every session. A small branch line like the KVRwy does not have that many cars and many of them move as kernels (a RailOp term) or a group with all oil cars going to one location from the interchange and all coal cars going between two locations and the interchange. Much like the larger railroads, these cars are in captive service and move as a group or a series of moves governed by siding length. Once again, the train order became something that didn’t really need to be handled by a computerized program and basically don’t change from session to session.

Oil Extra Westbound – take all oil cars from Owl’s Bend to Acorn Oil. Train length is limited to 7 cars including the caboose.

Coal Extra Eastbound – all empty coal cars to Owl’s Bend from Fiddle.

So car assignment becomes small. I got the idea at a seminar at the 2001 NMRA convention offered by Bruce Chubb’s, to exchange like cars for like cars. Set out a box car, and pick up a box car. There is no distinction of an empty or full car if you can’t see the load. For logging flats or coal cars, it’s a different story. So the Bachmann removable coal loads and logs for the lumber special give a reason and a location to all the to’s and from’s. Empties of coal to the Chance Coal Processing Plant at Owl’s Bend and loads to Fiddle for interchange.

So it gets down to a simple way to choose a consist for the “Mixed Daily”. The only scheduled train on the line. Short Line and Branch Line Railroads exists for a special need. It is either the result of old trackage that was abandoned by the big guys, because of not enough traffic for justification, or a line created to get the big line by some local shippers. Industry and variety are usually limited to one or two specific industries. Or new traffic has learned the advantage to shipping on rail that is already being used by another industry and may be cheaper shipping than by truck.

The purpose of RailOps is to assign car forwarding and destination. If you had a big HO layout with a couple hundred cars in drawers, it certainly makes sense. I’ve also seen it used with good results on the OVGRS’s layout where they operate every week and they want the cars to start today with where the cars were last Saturday, so there is a continuity and continuation. If they didn’t have the software they would be back to hand inventorying with written notes each week and lots of paperwork, now relieved by computer files that keep track of that for them.

But on the KVRwy, the cars are at the interchange at Fiddle or at the mines and j. Allen Industrial Park at Owl’s Bend. Once again, I found myself trying to catch up with the paperwork and computer files after the fact, because the train orders were simple.

To create the consist for the “Mixed Daily”, I went back to my old way of rolling the bones. The dice created a mystery to what we are doing. It adds fun and the unknown, in an established environment. Your train order decides how many cars will be in the train and that’s how many dice you roll. For the “Mixed Daily”, it is usually six. The roll of the dice determines what you are carrying.

1. No Car

2. Tank Car – oil, diesel fuel, water, chemical

3. Hopper – coal or rock or Gondola

4. Flat Car

5. Passenger Car or Miscellaneous

6. Box Car or Reefer

7. No Car – gives you an empty space on your consist, creates variety in length and allows you to pick up empties along the route.

8. Tank Car –
   Oil tank car to “Acorn Oil”
   Water tank car to “Sweetwater Pump House”
   Chemical tank car to “KV Water”

9. Hopper –
   Coal hopper to “Cemetery Ridge Coal Mine”
   Rock hopper to “Southern Illinois Rock Quarry”
   Gondola to “Consolidated Ballast Company.”

10. Flat Car – all industry locations, you choose.

11. Passenger Car or Miscellaneous
    Passenger car with marking lamps eliminates or replaces the need for a caboose
    (so the crew can ride in comfort),
    Miscellaneous goes to Owl’s Bend through the Southern Jct. Interchange.

12. Box Cars – go to “Owl’s Bend - J. Allen Industrial Park” via “Southern Jct. Interchange”, “KV Water Team Track”, “Beagle Jct. Supply” or “Lighthouse Supply” – you choose.
    Reefers to “KV Water”

To assist with determining where cars go, industry locations should have placards that describe what kind of freight cars can be dropped off or picked up from that location. Once again like cars are exchanged with like cars (box car for box car)

A “Maintenance of Way – Extra” is run at the beginning of an Ops Session to pre - place rolling stock at the outside locations.

A “Maintenance of Way – Sweeper” is run at the end of an “Ops Session” to pick up any rolling stock that is not secured.

I realize many of you must struggle with understanding my descriptions, because you have not been to or seen a description of the entire KVRwy. Our website will assist with some of the explanation. www.KVRwy.com
But like everything else, it’s a work in progress. Opinions and discussion, please.

Ric,
Great thoughts. I’ve been struggling with the same problem.

I’ve looked at a lot of the Operations software: Interchange, ShipIt!, RailOps, and a few others. Like you said, these seem to be aimed at the large indoor layout. Not only that, but they are quite complex. In the Yahoo groups, there is always some discussion about why a train has no cars. In fact, there’s an ad on for ShipIt to help balance the traffic. There’s a lot to set up, including various commodities. RailOp avoids some of these problems, but has one of the ugliest interfaces I have ever seen in a computer program.

Most garden railroads are different! Few of us will ever achieve the sheer number of cars and industries that exist on the IPP&W. While RailOp works for Fred and crew, I think it IS overkill for most of us. (And I still can’t get by that interface!) I doubt if I’ll ever have more than 30 or so cars, and my four locomotives seem sufficient for now.

Like you, I think we need two things: a list of starting locations for cars, to assist setout, and a switchlist for each train to run. Actually, I think your idea of an extra to set out the cars is just one more plus - especially for someone like me that will primarily be doing single person operation.

Now, to create your switchlist, I guess you’re rolling the die? Do you write it down, or is just that there’s only one place that the oil car can go to, so no need?

I am not sure why an operations program has to be that complex. Like you, I want some randomness. I want switchlists for however many trains I want to run that day and I want the program to be aware of my inventory of cars. I don’t want to spend hours and hours setting it up and then trying to figure out why the train has no cars!

I’m hoping there’s a way for me to come up with a good ops system.

Bruce,

I’ve been using the dice for 5 years and very happy with it. If I have someone else over, I usually have them run a passenger train, railbus or a simple instruction of haul all those coal cars to Owl’s Bend (the basement), but you can only do it 6 at a time. With about 17 coal cars, it take at tleast 3 trips, that’s about 2 hours work. The guiding factor on train length is the length of your shortest siding.

Your question -

Now, to create your switchlist, I guess you’re rolling the die? Do you write it down, or is just that there’s only one place that the oil car can go to, so no need?

There is only one place for a oil car to go and if its just me I just know it, so I don’t need to write it down.

I’ve included a copy of my “Mixed Daily” train orders and there is plenty of room to write yourself notes.

               KASKASKIA VALLEY RAILWAY 
                          MIXED  DAILY 
                           Trains 10 & 11

              Pick up the train at FIDDLE.  

Mogul KV8 is assigned to this train.
Minimum consists is water car and caboose.
7 cars maximum in train.

Make up consist, then
REPORT ¡§READY¡¨ TO DISPATCH

Eastbound to OLD STATE LIGHT, it is Train No. 10.

Deliver cars according to Manifests. Exchange
like cars (box car for box car) at all stop.
All exchanges go to FIDDLE.

Stop on the main at each station for passenger and
express if passenger cars are part of the train.
Minimum stop ¡V 1 minute at each station. Coaches
and Caboose can be left at station while switching
in the area.

REPORT TO DISPATCHER ıRRIVAL &
DEPARTURE WHEN STOPPING OR
LEAVING EACH STATION.

Take south track at OLD STATE LIGHT.

Train No. 10 is complete at OLD STATE LIGHT.

WAIT FOR INSTRUCTIONS FROM
DISPATCHER FOR RETURN TRIP.

Return trip westbound as Train No. 11.

Back train to Fiddle from Red Bud.

Terminate run at FIDDLE.

KVMixed Daily RCS - G

This is printed on an 8 1/2 x 11 piece of copy paper and folded lengthwise. If rainey its shoved in a clear plastic file protector. The writing covers half the page, notes are avaialble on the other side. Think of a small branchline railroad, paperwork would only be necessary for billing. Besides your probably delivering it to your cousin. The engineer, conductor and complete crew knows where that car is going.

The last line is the file name and then the transmitter that is used with this equipment.

note: The strangeness of some of the words is because they are in italics or bold print.

Ric,

I’ve also been examining various techniques for randomizing car movements on the POC even though the RR isn’t completed enough yet to engage in anything more than yard switching and making up/breaking up trains.

One thing is clear and that is the ops system I choose must be suitable for solo operation. It is much easier I think to expand a solo ops system for a moderate amount of occasional additional operators than to change a large and complex system to solo.

When in HO I too used dice to determine car movements. In your case I would recommend using a 10 or 12 sided die so you could assign more numbers to a frequently needed car type such as a boxcar and fewer (or 1) number(s) to a car rarely seen on your line. That would mean that some industries would receive only an occasional car while busier ones may have too many cars to fit on their siding necessitating holding a car now and then in the yards for later delivery.

This is not a criticism and I’m not an operations guru so please don’t take offense but a major problem you have on your RR that is detrimental to ops in my opinion is too many solid commodity trains. Between coal, oil and lumber plus all the railcar ops you are inundated with through trains leaving little space for way freights and local industries. I’ve restricted my main industry on the POC to just lumber for this very reason. I would consider eliminating at least one of the commodity industries and replacing it with an industrial area containing maybe a rail-truck terminal, team track, interchange track or other small industry that takes only one or two cars each.

Once the POC is completed there will be one roundtrip log train to and from the mill and one roundtrip lumber train from the mill to Coos Bay; empties one way and loads back. Too I’ve already got three destinations for the lumber loads to Coos Bay: the lumber warehouse, the team track for transfer to trucks for local customers and an occasional lumber load for the cabinet shop. I hope to have maybe a lumber yard or something along the line as well later and a mythical and unmodeled coastal ferry that interchanges cars infrequently. All other train movements will be general freight except for the Daily Mail and Spring and Fall livestock movements.

Like you I don’t think a complex computer system is appropriate for the kind of ops I envision on the POC and I don’t like or think I need a large amount of paperwork.

I’m interested in seeing what you come up with as it seems we’re basically on the same track (pun intended :D)

Richard,

Very interesting observations. I certainly don’t take any offense and except the challenge to prove my theory (as I see it) of the single industry. Of course, a whole lot of your opinion may be based on my ability to provide the detail and explain what I feel is important on our railroad. Understand, this conversation is exactly what I desire. I want to be challenged on what other people think of my work. What rattles around in my skull means nothing if I can’t communicate it to you. Here’s a copy of the history of the KVRwy, maybe it justifies my theories, maybe it is not enough.

---

The Kaskaskia Valley Railway

In 1996, if you would have flown an airplane over southern Illinois, in this area just south of US Highway 50 and along the Kaskaskia River, you could have seen a series of old abandoned railroad right of ways. Most of this trackage is along the CSX tracks in the area of Carlyle, Illinois, the county seat of Clinton County. These splines of track went to coal mines and some date back to the mid-1800’s. These connections with the CSX trackage are formerly the B&O mainline from St. Louis to Cincinnati and was originally the Ohio and Mississippi Railroad, a wide gauge line established as part of the Land Grant System of railroads in 1851.

Over the last number of years, there has been a revitalization of interest in the railroad history of the area and new steel has been laid on those old roadbeds. Connecting trackage has gone all the way to Owl’s Bend on the Kaskaskia River, 9 miles south on the old Southern Lines, now part of the Norfolk Southern System. And what was once useless ground has been reestablished to haul tourist, railroad enthusiasts and even a little coal and timber. The railroaders from the Illinois Central shops of Centralia, Illinois and the Chicago, Burlington and Quincy Railroad have combined with coal miners, timber men and retired Southern Railroad employees and even guys from the old B&O to bring life and steam back to the Kaskaskia River Valley.

At one time this area was the transportation hub of Illinois. This is at a time when Chicago was a swamp and there was not even any thought of Ft. Dearborn. The Kaskaskia River, as the oldest highway in the area with river travel, connected this part of the world with the Mississippi River. Eventually the Kaskaskia River was crossed by the O&M tracks at Carlyle and these tracks interchanged with the C, B & Q at Shattuc and the IC tracks at Sandoval. All commerce through this area traversed these lines as the farmland south was called “Little Egypt”. It provided produce and raw material to the markets of St. Louis to the west, Cincinnati and points east and then eventually that windy area to north, which became Chicago.

So in a selfish way of really just wanting to play with trains, the Kaskaskia Valley Railway was formed on the closed and abandoned property of the “Always Faithful” mine at Owl’s Bend. Old tracks and right of way have been resurrected and for a source of coal, even the mine seams have been opened. All of this is a working railroad, in many scales with people doing what they enjoy and know. The miners are running the coal. Lumberjacks are cutting timber up at the old site and everything is done with steam and a couple of internal combustion engines. People can ride the trains, camp at the old lumber site and even tour the coal mine, as long as they are safe and nobody decides that they need to get lawyers involved.

So the work of the KVRwy is that we haul people in the summer and on special occasions and then coal in the winter. If the price of coal goes up, who knows what might happen. It’s a great life living here in “The Valley”.
Donations are accepted through the “Friends of the Kaskaskia Valley Railway”, a 501-C3 Corporation. Go ahead, send us a check and then try and claim it on your taxes. Please let us know what happens. We’re always lookin’ for a good story.

---

To me, coal is everything and hauling anything else just supports the tourist industry, which struggles but we keep pushing. Much like the EBT. That’s why coal is a unit train, but the “Mixed Daily” is what hauls some passengers and supplies the souvenir shops and the local “Ski” bottleing plant. My illlustration of my “Mixed Daily” may have pushed the other industries too much, but what we think is important is hauling people, that’s all the rail busses and then that old coal seam that has provided a little or at least enough revenue to satisfy the inspectors that keep wanting to shut everything down. These housing developments are eating us alive.

Thanks for your input. And I mean that, but now I’ll argue. If lumber is your business, why did you build the stock yards? Much the same as my reefers, boxcars and oil business, I would think. Thanks again for the debate. It makes me think harder.

quote: Thanks for your input. And I mean that, but now I’ll argue. If lumber is your business, why did you build the stock yards? Much the same as my reefers, boxcars and oil business, I would think. Thanks again for the debate. It makes me think harder. /quote.

Hehe! For every answer there’s a question…

The area along the southern Oregon coast has traditionally had livestock and still does. I wanted to have a couple of small stockpens along the line and the stockyard simply gives a destination for the stockcars. During most of the year only an occasional stockcar will be loaded and delivered to the Coos Bay stockyards without any dedicated stock extras. Twice a year for a brief period livestock will be moved to Spring pasture and reloaded in the Fall to go to market via the stockyards. This will give me an excuse for a couple of stock extras during this period to diversify ops a little, the only other “unit type trains” that I’ll have other than those serving the lumber industry.

I wasn’t referring to your base coal industry which I equate with my own lumber industry. The reference was to the number of “unit trains” (oil and lumber in addition to the coal) which to me includes the tourist type of passenger trains that you have. It referred to operation and switching and not to the logic of your RR’s premise.

The POC for example is a common carrier by necessity as it was the only way the Old Mill Lumber Company could “steal” the right of way to connect and serve its various lumber tracts. The RR therefore is obliged to serve the general area as well as its parent company including passenger service along the 50 odd mile run between Coos Bay and Port Orford. This gives me an excuse to diversify what the RR hauls to include farm products, livestock, machinery, general freight and even an occasional reefer of fish or crab from Port Orford and Bandon, both of which have small fishing fleets even today.

When we conceive of a logical reason for our RR’s existence, besides giving a more realistic backdrop, we also limit what we can do. The self-imposed restrictions define what the RR will be and simulate those of a real railroad. Since my timeline is set c.1940 I don’t need a tourist industry which I feel gives me an advantage freight-wise. The roads while passable weren’t all that good along the coast in 1940 giving the RR a reason to exist. In actuallity of course most lumber was loaded on coastal schooners which is probably why Port Orford never had rail service in the real world. I’ve ignored that aspect of reality…just call it artistic license.

There certainly are guidelines I use that you would perhaps find unacceptable and vice versa. Still it’s interesting to toss these concepts back and forth. Even if we never arrive at a concensus we can often glean ideas from someone else’s way of doing things.

When in HO I tried to get a traveling RR club together whereby a bi-monthly operations meet would be hosted by the different RR’s and we would run using that RR’s motive power and operating rules thus avoiding the stagnation of always doing things the same way. I still like the idea but it’ll never happen here of course with the few outdoor RR’s so far apart.

Being another one man band operator, I’ve faced the same issues. Commercial programs just don’t work for me I need something that will tell me WHERE the cars are today…Where the cars need to go, end of story. I’m really not concerned about whats REALLY in the cars. Like Richard, I’ve only got a yard…well half a yard at this point…

But that shouldn;t stop me from having operations!

Richard,
I’m still curious about reducing the number of commodities. I know for my layout, I have no single commodity - everything is different. In fact, I see my biggest problem right now is lack of rolling stock. I could use at least another half dozen boxcars, 10 would be better. I’ll probably focus on boxcars because you can’t tell if they are empty or not.

Ric,
It sounds like you no longer use Railop AND no longer have any issues?

Bart,
I agree, the current set of commercial products are not really suited to solo operation for a garden railroad.

Bruce Chandler said:
Richard, I'm still curious about reducing the number of commodities. I know for my layout, I have no single commodity - everything is different. In fact, I see my biggest problem right now is lack of rolling stock. I could use at least another half dozen boxcars, 10 would be better. I'll probably focus on boxcars because you can't tell if they are empty or not.

Bruce,

I was referring to bulk commodities that utilize solid trains not the actual number or assortment of other commodities. My style of gibberish is often misunderstood by more logical minds. hehe!

Actually the more diversity within the self-set parameters of your operation the better. It’s just the larger industries might be better limited on a small to moderate sized model RR. While a single theme railroad is nice it can limit ops. There is little to add to operations by switching a cut of 5 or 6 cars onto a siding than by switching just one other than setting its image. Thus a 6 car train switched at 6 different industries is much more interesting generally than at just one industry. I think your diversity is a great strength as far as operations go and certainly agree with you about using a lot of boxcars not only because of the load/empty issue but because the boxcar was traditionally the most plentiful and widely used rolling stock on the prototype railroads in a time before such widespread containerization and the cutting back on branchlines, etc.

While I do have a principal commodity, lumber, it has more to do with the RR’s image and location than operations, much like modeling a coal hauler needs more than a single hopper. With the size of the RR I’m building I feel I can fit a single large commodity into the ops okay and still have plenty of switching of other peripheral smaller industries.

Bart, Bruce and Richard,

I have two worlds of operations.

What I do by myself, most of the time is the first

My general ops seems to be running a rail bus, or a “Mixed Daily” with scattered deliveries over the branch and maybe hauling a few passengers in the caboose or a passenger car. Maybe on a holiday or at a bar-b-q, I’ll prepare a train for running. Low key with an emphasis on getting equipment in the right place for an event or repair or upgrade without touching it or only putting it on the track in designated “Sky Crane” areas. Much the amount of traffic you’d have on a branch line. one little train trugging along by itself.

The second is the last weekend of April and first weekend of November, when we bring a bunch of people around. On those times I run the unit coal trains, lumber extra and oil can specials, plus lots of passenger traffic. This is when I use the Dispatcher and really try to have trains going both directions and having meets, saw bys and all of that. What you see at the EBT Fall Spectacular, when everybody is riding trains and there is lots of traffic and congestion like the busy lines of old.

Both are fun, but I couldn’t handle the stress of preparation for those weekends all the time, without the “Army of Ottawa”.

Bruce,

Reluctantly, I have backed off with RailOps, but still want to keep playing with it. Some day, I’ll have more time to make it work. I really like the “Dispatcher’s Panel” and the inventory system it provides. I really just struggle to keep it up to date. If my desire to build and change sidings didn’t keep screwing things up so bad, it would be a lot easier. I don’t know if abandon is the word I want to use, but it is the reality for the Ops Weekends. Doug has been offering me quite a bit of counsoling to get through the withdrawal problems. The shakes have really subsided over the last couple of days and the cold sweats will be gone by Christmas.

Overall, the dice gives the unknown I want and the designated destinations for certain types of cars keeps it organized. Now if I could just get it on paper, like I have it in my head and make it simple, looks good and instantaneously available, I’d have to find another hobby problem to stress over.

Friar Fred,

Did you notice the nominclature I gave to your distinguished weekly visitors? The “Army Of Ottawa”, what an appropriate title for those that fight off the “American Invasion”.

Ric Golding said:
Overall, the dice gives the unknown I want and the designated destinations for certain types of cars keeps it organized. Now if I could just get it on paper, like I have it in my head and make it simple, looks good and instantaneously available, I'd have to find another hobby problem to stress over. ;)

So Ric, it sounds like you need someone to write you a simple program that will randomize a train like the dice, give you a switch list and do simple car tracking. I'm not volunteering, but it doesn't sound too difficult for an amateur programmer (read High School kid).

Years ago, after one of your ECLSTS seminars on operations, I put together a variation on your dice game using a simple train order sheet and a two page rule book. PDF Files are at http://jon.barnbeckplace.com/NSS_Ops.pdf and http://jon.barnbeckplace.com/NSS_Orders.pdf - If they aren’t self explanatory, I’ll try to remember how I used them :o

It worked quite well, but I got bored of it because of the limitations of my layout, not of the system.

Jon

Hadn’t seen this issue of the car cards blowing away…pockets filling with water, folks taking them home, and the need to haul every number-specific car in at night and reset them in the exact order killed the idea off for me.

I just worked out something that did the job here.

One of the current projects is to try to keep the cars all out on the road.

Stocks, tanks, lumber flats, log cars, gons and hoppers all stay out once we start. They cycle from load to empty.

I’m working on an ice house, when that’s done, all the reefers will stay out.

Minimal stuff in the terminal…

Big fix was track 2 in the terminal now feeds onto the turntable along with 1 and 5.

Track 2 working allows engines to stage in and out when someone shuts down, puts their transmitter in their pocket, and heads off for the can.

With a bunch of old guys, that happens a lot.

It’s always a work in progress.

TOC

Ric,

If you can condense your posts down to a couple sentenses, I might find time to read them

He’s related to Wendell…
Oh, boy, now I’m gonna get TWO calls…

Jon,

Call it the inherent resistance to confusers. The dice are always instantly available and work everytime without adding paper or ink.

Gary,

I’m hurt.

Dave,

Absolutely, so far all of my life is a “work in progress”

Overthink? Nobody would ever accuse ME of such a thing!

Jon,

I copied the files you posted. That’s good stuff.

Tom,

Nobody’s going to say I’ve accused you of anything. But don’t think about that too long.

Okay Gary,

For you, here’s another one of my trainorders. I picked a short one.

         KASKASKIA VALLEY RAILWAY 
                           Extra 271 
                     East & West Bound

Pick up the train at J. ALLEN, run light to Fiddle

      KV / DRG&W 271 is assigned to this train.  
         REPORT READY TO DISPATCH

Route: (eastbound) Fiddle to Old State Light,
via KV Cabins and Cat Dump.
(note: turn at Red Bud)

      Train is Extra 271 Eastbound.  

Special instructions - Stop at each station, when
flagged or instructed.
Minimum stop - 1 minute at each station.

REPORT TO DISPATCHER
ıRRIVAL & DEPARTURE WHEN
STOPPING OR LEAVING EACH
STATION.

Take Old State Light North Siding.
Train Extra 271 Eastbound is complete at
Old State Light.

WAIT FOR INSTRUCTIONS FROM
DISPATCHER FOR RETURN TRIP.

Route: (westbound) Old State Light to Fiddle,
via Cat Dump and KV Cabins.

    Train is Extra 271 Westbound.  

From Fiddle run light & terminate at J. Allen.
Operations Note: This rail motor car is not
equipped with adequate horn & bell sound
producing devices. All crossings & Yard
Limits must be approached at ¡§Notch 1¡¨
throttle position, prepared to stop immediately.

KVExtra271 F5 C6

So to beat this dead horse a little more for Gary’s benefit ;).

I read Jon’s posting -

“Years ago, after one of your ECLSTS seminars on operations, I put together a variation on your dice game using a simple train order sheet and a two page rule book. PDF Files are at http://jon.barnbeckplace.com/NSS_Ops.pdf and http://jon.barnbeckplace.com/NSS_Orders.pdf - If they aren’t self explanatory, I’ll try to remember how I used them”

And re-studied his files, that I think I saw years ago.

And then thought this is something I don’t have or have not thought through entirely.

Do I know what locations except what cars?

Or

Do I know what cars can go to waht locations?

Try it on your industries, its a real mind game.