Large Scale Central

Locals and Turns

Operations Train Operations Software
#1

Hi,

I know this topic has been brought up before, but I just wanted to ask again to see if any one can help?

My father and I are currently trying to find an Ops program to buy for our RR, the Somerville & St. Francis River Railway. The line is one very large circuit, which begins and terminates in our train shed workshop, where our main yard is situated. Trains leaving one side are considered East bound and trains leaving the other are considered West bound, thus the shed represents two different larger “off sight” classification yards. We have a variety of different train types: through freights, local freights (both East and West bound), a small passanger service with head end equipment, plus a few other jobs such as local turns and an interchange pickup.

I like the simplicity of Train Ops and it seems to be a great program, but the problem I have discovered is that there seems to be no way in which I can setup a turn, or an out-and-back local. These jobs are vital to our line so it would be great if there was a way to do this? I tried experimenting with having two names for the start and end destination point, but the problem is that the program doesn’t understand that these two places are the same. Is there anything I can do for this? If not, is there any thought to maybe including this kind of feature as an update in the future?

Many thanks in advance for your help, thoughts and ideas,
Gavin

#2

Train Ops may be too simple for the kind of operations you would like, although Bob continues to up date and improve it. Train Ops works fine for me since I only run through in one direction with switching moves along the way. Since trains that travel in different directions usually have different designations, try setting up a train from your last point back to your starting point with a different designation and see how that works. That’s how I would do it. For example: an east bound freight would be designated East bound Freight #1(EBF1) that goes from point A to point D with various switching duties along the way at points B and C. Then it would change to a west bound freight (WBF2) going back from point D to point A.

Of course Bob may have a different solution then I do.

#3

Hi Gavin - Welcome! My situation is almost exactly as you describe. All trains originate and terminate in my basement, then run outside to the industries; go around a wye and return to the basement. Like you, I found it impossible to configure train-ops for an out-and back operation with the origin and terminus being the same. What I did was to break my yard in two making one side the Eastbound Origin / Westbound Terminus and the other side the Westbound Origin / Eastbound Terminus. I then run one Eastbound and one Westbound per “day” and cars tend to move from one side of the basement to the other after spending a “day” or so outside at a siding. It does help that I have two distinct yard leads in the basement and a balloon track around them. Here is a schematic…

(http://lsc.cvsry.com/cvsr_in_schem-08-640.jpg)

Trains run between Tyrone & Kistler. In between the two are all of my outdoor locations. If you want more detail, just ask.

#4
Ken Brunt said:
[i][/i]... try setting up a train from your last point back to your starting point with a different designation and see how that works. That's how I would do it. For example: an east bound freight would be designated East bound Freight #1(EBF1) that goes from point A to point D with various switching duties along the way at points B and C. Then it would change to a west bound freight (WBF2) going back from point D to point A.
I think I tried that, but by not having a yard at point D kind of confused TrainOps. I tried to make the Eastbound termination point my tunnel at Deep Cut, then start a Westbound there and return to the basement. Problem is that without a yard at Deep Cut, TO would not put cars on my Eastbounder that I wanted it to take West. My solution above is working well for me now.
#5

Thanks guys for the help! Jon, I’ll try your suggestion and see how I get on. I was thinking that I could set up an Inbound and Outbound point for each “offstage” classification yard and set up a sort of mole between the two, although this mole wouldn’t actually be operated. I’m not sure if this will work though as it is only moving between two yards and thus does not have any specified industries to service.

hmmmm…

Will keep experimenting!
Thanks again,
Gavin