Large Scale Central

JMRI question

Operations Train Operations Software
#1

This week I downloaded JMRI and dove in. I must say that it is a pretty amazing piece of software! I’ve just scratched the surface, but have managed to set up an oil industry route with tank cars, along with two trains (out and back). I was especially pleased with myself for figuring out how make spurs at a location accept only empty or full loads! Baby steps…

I was wondering if anyone can explain the significance of “moves”. I encountered a “No moves left for route” statement on my Train Build Report at a next-to-last location. No cars were picked up even though they were available. Any advice about how to modify and manage my “moves”?

Thanks.

#2

Hi Joe -

JMRI limits the number of moves at each location. This from the manual…

A Car Move can be a car Pickup or car Drop at that Location. For example, 5 Moves can be 5 Pickups or 5 Drops or any combination of 5 Pickups and Drops.

You can see the number of moves allowed at each location when looking at a Route. Mine are all 5 moves (the default?). I can not find where (if anywhere) you can change this.

When you are in Edit Mode of a Route, if you double click on the Moves number you can change it. Save the Route when done.

#3

Thanks, Jon. That’s good to know.

#4

Yes, thanks John. That worked out great! Next up is figuring out my maximum train length to keep my oil industry trains to 6 or less cars plus caboose. My strategy is to do some math and enter a maximum length in feet in the Settings menu.

#5

I have a tip for you there too :slight_smile: Look at Cars and see what length you entered for the oil tankers and the caboose. Then make the maximum train length a few feet longer, but not a full car longer than what you want. That way, in the future if you get a tanker or two that is just a foot or so longer you can still put 6 on the train.

#6

Thanks John. Do you happen to know if the maximum train length in Settings includes or excludes the length of the locomotive and tender?

#7

I don’t. Because I want to choose the locomotive, rather then having JMRI tell me, I don’t include them in my roster. Same with Cabeese. So in my case, train length is all revenue cars.

You can build and reset trains as often as you want without actually running them. That is a good way to tweak, so you could assume that it is not included then build a few trains. If they are less than 6 cars due to train length, then you have the answer.

#8

Yep, I did not assign locomotives so I am going with just cars and cabeese. I added some extra length, which is working well since I have short and long cabeese. Thanks so much for your help.

#9

When you do op sections, do you use cars that require visual loads? Flat, gons, log and coal cars. Or do you use closed cars only?

Jay

#10

I don’t worry about whether the car is loaded or not, only that one needs to be picked up or dropped off at a certain industry. I do have loads for gons, hoppers and flat cars, but as far as I’m concerned, I just know a certain industry needs a certain car. I look at it this way,if they need a flat car, they’ll load it. If I have to pick up a flat car, they’ve unloaded it.

#11

That about what I figured. No work for the five finger crain. Now I need to build a liftout bridge. Too old for the duck under.

#12

Ken Brunt said:

I don’t worry about whether the car is loaded or not, only that one needs to be picked up or dropped off at a certain industry. I do have loads for gons, hoppers and flat cars, but as far as I’m concerned, I just know a certain industry needs a certain car. I look at it this way,if they need a flat car, they’ll load it. If I have to pick up a flat car, they’ve unloaded it.

Same here. Most of my flats, gondolas and hoppers are empty. Box cars all have closed doors and tanks, who can tell?. I just don’t worry about it.