Planning A Shortline Part.4 Operation

[Brakie]

Now we have arrived at the fun part operation.

Operation is a modeler's preference so,I will share my thoughts.

Once I finish my layout and start operations here's my plans.

The "day" will start with the 3 man crew arriving for work..While the engineer fires up the locomotive the conductor and brakeman will look over today's work.

First we see we have a "light" day all we have orders for is the 8 covered hoppers on the interchange track and take 'em to Landstar and pick up the 5 loads and return them to CSX interchange.

Another scenario calls for switching Blum's Lumber,Honey Creek Meats,C.W. Zimmer Manufacturing,General American Knitting,Mid States Distribution and Buckeye potato Chips and Frank's Scrap Iron.

We will run light to the interchange and pick up the inbound and return to the yard and switch the cars in working order as per the switch list.When We return to the yard we will take the outbound cars to CSX /NS or both.Looks like a 12 hour day.

Some days we will depart the yard light and pick up 2-5 cars..Other days we may have deliver 1 or 2 cars.

As you can see I am going to use different operation scenarios so it won't become routine and boring.

Share your thoughts.

[eightyeightfan1]

You could also add a switching move where one of your industries uses two cars a day of a commodity, that requires the switch out of the empty to be replaced with a full. Maybe one in the morning, for the day shift, and one in the afternoon for the night shift. Or even two cars a shift which would require dropping one off, and coming back later(Fast Clock?) in the work day to switch it out.

[Brakie]

You could also add a switching move where one of your industries uses two cars a day of a commodity, that requires the switch out of the empty to be replaced with a full. Maybe one in the morning, for the day shift, and one in the afternoon for the night shift. Or even two cars a shift which would require dropping one off, and coming back later(Fast Clock?) in the work day to switch it out.

IF the industry needed several switch moves a day we would offer our plant switching services.You see it would be impractical most days for the local crew to switch any plant more then once especially on those heavy 12 hour work days.Even on light work days the crew may not have time.

[eightyeightfan1]

IF the industry needed several switch moves a day we would offer our plant switching services.You see it would be impractical most days for the local crew to switch any plant more then once especially on those heavy 12 hour work days.Even on light work days the crew may not have time.

But that woould make the operating session more challenging and exciting. Having to get from one end of the railroad, to the industry in time to switch out the cars. Even if the factory had twelve hour shifts, one in the mroning, and one in the afternoon is practical. And they could drop the empties off at the interchange to keep them off the main. The dispatcher could schedual it so the crew, on the inbound could drop off a load. On the way back to the interchange with the days work the crew could make the shift change. Of course this also depends where on the line the factory is also. But that could be the challenge, and would keep the crew busy on even light days.

Or...Am I reading to much into this?

[Ralph]

Sounds good to me Brakie. Do you have a way of randomly generating the scenarios or will operations be based on your interest and preference for the day?
Ralph

[Brakie]

Sounds good to me Brakie. Do you have a way of randomly generating the scenarios or will operations be based on your interest and preference for the day?
Ralph

Ralph,For now it will be what I feel like doing on a given day..Before long I will need to switch from N back to HO and inspect and service my HO locomotives before our first open house..I need to inspect all my HO freight cars between now And then as well..You may recall I pride myself with trouble free operation during open houses and the county fair..

I do hope to print out some switch lists or perhaps order some waybills and type those up for operation..

[Brakie]

IF the industry needed several switch moves a day we would offer our plant switching services.You see it would be impractical most days for the local crew to switch any plant more then once especially on those heavy 12 hour work days.Even on light work days the crew may not have time.

But that woould make the operating session more challenging and exciting. Having to get from one end of the railroad, to the industry in time to switch out the cars. Even if the factory had twelve hour shifts, one in the mroning, and one in the afternoon is practical. And they could drop the empties off at the interchange to keep them off the main. The dispatcher could schedual it so the crew, on the inbound could drop off a load. On the way back to the interchange with the days work the crew could make the shift change. Of course this also depends where on the line the factory is also. But that could be the challenge, and would keep the crew busy on even light days.

Or...Am I reading to much into this?

Ed,What you say has lots of merit but,CDBI would rather push their switching service so the regular crew can be free to do there daily work.

There is no dispatcher..The CB&T crew signs in on the track usage log.If there is railroad contractor scheduled for working on the track the local won't be "called" till the contractor finishes their work and signs "off" on the track usage log..This saves CDBI from having to add CB&T operations under C&HV central dispatching office and the assorted Union work rules and agreements that may bring and seeing CB&T is a nonunion operation CBDI wants to keep it that way just like their Artimus Jellico RR..
:o

[NJ Devils Fan]

Try this...let me know what you think.

[NJ Devils Fan]

or this....

[shortliner]

How about a dozen switchlists with numbers at the top) = roll a pair of dice to see which one you are using this shift

[NJ Devils Fan]

It's your railroad! It's just like a game anyway. Sure, make up a few lists and roll the dice. Or, how about this: if you have a few operators, give them all the same list, and see who can get it done faster. Loser buys the first round.

[Gary S]

The entire game couldn't be made totally random because of the rollingstock that is sitting at the industries from the last operating session. It sure would be nice to have a computer program that would track all the rollingstock and "randomly" decide which customer nedds empties, which needs pick-ups or set-outs, who needs a car moved, all that. I've looked at several free-ware and demo versions of programs, but didn't really get deep into them. They all seemed less than intuitive and since I am nowhere close to operating, I didn't spend alot of time with them.