Large Scale Central

A day in the life

Operations
#1

…of a Rio Grande Southern engineer. Being as it was such a nice day and I wasn’t haven’t much luck with the TrainOps program, I held an impromptu operating session similar to what I had been trying to do with TrainOps.

After gathering the cars from Delores Yard, SB011,a local way freight, gets his orders from the station master.

SB011 heads out to his next stop, Mancos.

Backing into the team track at Mancos to pick up 2 emptys. This is a new siding I added during the summer.

He has to drop off a car after pulling the 2 empty’s out.

No 25 is coupled back up and on his way.

The next stop is Burns Jct. in the background to drop 2 cars off at the interchange and pick up 4 cars at the milling plant and the ore bins.

SB011 backs up to the interchange and prepares to back on to the siding to drop the caboose and leave his cars on the interchange(through the window). On his way back, he’ll pick up the 2 cars at Ore Bins and 2 more at Mills Milling Co, and head back to Delores. Thinking on this as I was running my local, I can see where I’d be getting most of the loaded cars off the interchange. At the same time most of the emptys would end up there as well. (Which makes it handy for putting cars away…:wink: )

#2

Looks like a good day, Ken. Hope you can get TrainOps running soon. But, any day running trains is a good day!

#3

Looks like we both had fun today :smiley:

I was too busy juggling switch lists, tools, and the controller to bring the camera. I managed to successfully run several trains using TrainOps today. Would have tried for one more, but it started getting dark. I left cars spotted outside at the industries so we’ll try again tomorrow.

It looks like I’m going to have problems getting loads onto the railroad as well. I did set up an interchange and there are several cars listed as off the layout, but they are empty too. I haven’t figured out how to force it to change those to loads and put them back on the interchange track.

I had to get creative with the Eastbound Extra EX-11. It wanted to pull an empty from a trailing point as shove it into a facing point. The way I’m using a leg of my wye as two industries, I no longer have a way to get around the train. I decided to run caboose first to allow me to shove the first car into the facing point. Then I grabbed the car from the trailing point, but dropped it again just short of he switch. I backed the engine past it on the main, then found a stick to use as a pole. Took several attempts, but I managed to pole the car across the switch and got it in front of the engine. Good thing the orders say 1948 and poling hasn’t been outlawed yet (I don’t think) :smiley:

#4

I seem to have better luck building a train by using the Interchange first, at least so far. I did get a “debug error” just a few minutes ago, and I can’t get it to do anything when I hit the “Forms” button. The more I play around with this thing, the faster and easier it will be get the hang of it. And for some reason, when I build the train and move it to built trains, it swaps engines and cabooses in the process. Haven’t figgered that one out yet.

#5

Nice ops and photos Ken.

I think maybe you guys are worrying too much about “loads & empties”. The only important thing is the movement of the cars. You can call them whatever you want can’t you? Except for open cars you can’t really tell which ones are loads and which ones aren’t.

#6

I guess I just wasted my time unloading all those dang boxcars up on the POC.

#7
Richard Smith said:
Nice ops and photos Ken.

I think maybe you guys are worrying too much about “loads & empties”. The only important thing is the movement of the cars. You can call them whatever you want can’t you? Except for open cars you can’t really tell which ones are loads and which ones aren’t.


I don’t care, but the software does. It won’t move an empty to an industry that gets loads (cars IN).

Ken Brunt said:
I can't get it to do anything when I hit the "Forms" button.
I think I know the fix for that. I was having the same problem. Drop me an email and I'll try and explain how I fixed it. Bob put the fix in the new installer, but it won't auto-update for just the installer. You can either download and completely re-install, or fix it on your desktop like I did.

I’m starting to understand a lot better what it the program will do based on what it’s got to work with. I got around my facing point problem by creating two trains. One serves the trailing points, the other the facing points. Once I get a run-around installed I can eliminate the need for two trains.

#8

My guess is Bob appreciates the feedback he’s getting from you blokes. The finished product will benefit greatly from the time you’re spending testing it out.

#9
Bruce Chandler said:
I guess I just wasted my time unloading all those dang boxcars up on the POC.
Yeh and in the rain too! ;) :D
#10

No “inclement weather” clause in the POC rulebook??? …:wink:

#11
Ken Brunt said:
No "inclement weather" clause in the POC rulebook??? ...........;)
There is a clause there. But inclement weather is defined as being completely out of beer, so we were OK.
#12

With the phone co., it was “a drop per acre per hour”…:wink: