Here on the IPP&W we put all the rolling stock away in storage sheds after each operation. We use bread trays, and each tray is marked/colour coded as to where the cars were located after the last operation. This makes set-up easier, along with a printed sheet generated by RailOps which shows each car’s exact location.
We only take about a half hour to set out the 250-300 cars…there are usually somewhere near 15 or more people taking part each Saturday morning.
It works very well for us, but others may prefer other operating programs.
Car Cards, originally were going to be our way of operating. In their day, before computers were a way of life in our World, the car card system was the way to go, along with its variations. I operated on a number of pikes that used many of those variations. There was the “Four sided waybill in a car card” method. the “Paper clip on a card” system, and a few others that seemed to work on INDOOR railroads…usually HO scale, N scale and “O” scale were not as popular in the operations world.
When we started investigating the LS OUTDOOR Operating possibilities; we tried Car Cards, of one type or another. It was never very successful, or enjoyed out in the real outdoor World. Others may, after their trials, find that one of the CC systems will please them. It might be worth exploring…for those that try to inject new ideas into the scheme.
Another thing to consider, is that with any of the computer generated programs, applied to “Club Layouts”, is that a lot of club members would insist on taking their rolling stock home, after every operation. As long as their cars are on site, and available, for every operation; things go well, but to have any of them missing can cause problems. Taking cars in, or out in short notice makes the RailOp controller’s job a headache. Another is; that all cars must have standard couplers. Mixing coupler types does not work easily, if at all in an operation.
On the IPP&W there are a lot of cars that belong to others, who choose to keep their cars on site. Their cars are often labeled on the underside with their names, but are also entered into the RailOps INVENTORY LIST, under their ownership…Cabooses are usually the only cars that some take home. Those cabooses are not in the car inventory list. We do have enough cabooses in thge list/on site to run the operations, so it isn’t a problem.
Anyone visiting during operations, is persuaded to not introduce “Non-Standard equipment” on to the line. That equipment can introduce bottlenecks in Yards and sidings. We do enjoy visiting equipment, after the operation.
Locomotives for our purposes, are not documented in the RailOp program. They are mostly taken home by the operators. Most of our operators have at least one, NG, and one SG style of locomotive, appropriate for this particular railroad; equipped with Battery/Radio Control, and Kadee Couplers.
My contributions to this thread/topic, are only meant to try to be informative, sharing our experiences. Everyone is free to decide what will work best for them, under their conditions, for their pleasure. I am NOT in any way, trying to “Push” RailOps on to anyone’s plate. Or accusing anyone of “Being Wrong” in whatever choice(s) the may make. Last I heard, we in North America, are still living in a bit of the World that still allows us all a few freedoms of thought and speech…
Any questions about our operational experiences are welcome.
Fred Mills
