What Do I Mean by Operations?

1. Getting Started in OperationsPresented byBob WeinheimerandGreg McCartneyNational Model Railroad Association Mid Central Region Coal DivisionMarch 8, 2008

2. What Do I Mean by Operations? • This is MY view, others may see things differently! • Operations means running the trains using rules, adapted as needed for model purposes, in much the same way done on the prototype • Specific trains run at a specific time based on a logical reason

3. What Do I Mean by Operations? • Cars, both freight and passenger, are moved between shipper and consignee with some sort of logical system • A credible fleet of cars is used reflecting the needs of shippers and logical connecting railroads • All this can happen on a freelanced or prototype based layout

4. Topics for Discussion • Layout setting • Era • Rolling stock • Train schedules • Car forwarding • Train dispatching • Staffing

5. The Global Picture • Few railroads operate without connections to other railroads • Where does you layout fit on a map of prototype railroads in the part of the world you are modeling? • Which railroads connect to your railroad?

6. The Global Picture • Connections allow places for cars to go, something like a large industry • Connections allow the possibility of jointly operated trains that feature connecting line power • Connections allow logical places for foreign line cars to come from or go to • On a freelance layout, do not be afraid to rewrite railroad history as needed to make operations work better

7. The GlobalPicture

8. The Global Picture • Grafton and Greenbrier • Grafton, WV to Greenbrier County, WV • Modeled portion Beverly to Slaty Fork • On layout, connects with CV and WVGN • Beyond layout, connects with B&O, C&O, CV, SO, PS, WVC&P, WVP, MGS, WVGN

9. The GlobalPicture

10. The Global Picture • Pennsylvania Southern • Pittsburgh to Chattanooga • Modeled portion Pittsburgh to PA/WV state line • On layout, connects with CR, N&W, P&LE, B&O, and Montour • Beyond layout, connects with C&O, N&W, B&O, G&G, CRR, L&N, SOU, possibly others

11. Setting • What will your layout look like? • Depends on layout location and concept • PS runs from urban Pittsburgh to rural area with heavy industry on the north end fading to mines and much less industry to the south • G&G is in rural West Virginia with lots of coal mines and modest manufacturing presence

12. Era • What year is it on your layout? • Era can dictate of rolling stock choices • Era can dictate scenic elements such as track arrangement and structure selection • Era can help determine what dispatching system is used • Track warrants did not appear until mid 1980s

13. Rolling Stock • Once an era is established, try to avoid anachronisms such as truss rod boxcars running with double stack cars • 1980 as an example • Lots of Incentive Per Diem, Railbox cars • Conrail cars in paint transition • GP-50s have arrived, no SD-50s • No SBD, CSX, NS

14. Rolling Stock • Fleet composition • Many home road cars • Fewer cars from direct connections • Even fewer cars from secondary connections • Possible exceptions for unit trains • Appropriate car types to meet industry needs

15. Rolling Stock – Car Types Identify your car types. Most car forwarding systems use some method for describing car types. AAR Mechanical Designations Convenient two to four letter codes for describing cars. Easily adapted to model railroads since most model cars already have the code on it.

16. Common AAR Mechanical Designations XM – General boxcar XL – Boxcar equipped with special loading devices XP – Boxcar designated to haul a certain commodity HM – Two bay hoppers HT – Hoppers with three or more bays GB – Gondola with fixed sides and ends GT – High side gondola RP – Reefer RB and RBL – Insulated boxcars LO – Covered hoppers LP – Pulpwood cars FM – General flatcars FC – Flatcars equipped to handle containers or trailers FA – Auto-racks FB – Bulk head flatcars

17. Train Schedules • Highly dependent on era and location • Prototype passenger train schedules can be used as a guide • Freight trains can be scheduled or run as needed • PS schedule was developed using mathematical models for car flow • G&G runs as needed

18. Train Schedules

19. Train Procedure Manual Descriptive list of each train and its functions. Helps in developing the operating scheme. Helps others who visit your railroad know which trains perform which tasks.

20. Train Procedure Manual

21. Train Procedure Manual

22. Car Forwarding • Many systems, all with their adherents • Car card and waybill • Car tabs • Printed or handwritten switchlist • Commercial software • Ship It • Pro Trak

23. Car Forwarding – Car Cards and Waybills • Well documented in the MR press. • Most common method used is Don McFall’s 4 cycle waybill system. • Easy to set up as it does not require any special equipment.

24. Car Forwarding – Switchlists

25. Car Forwarding – Switchlists

26. Car Forwarding – Ship It! Produced by Albion Software. Just released version 7. Multiple support programs that work with the main software package such as Ship It! Car Cards and Scheduler. Car movements are based on consignees and shippers instead of random selection of destinations.

27. Car Forwarding – Ship It! Creates the illusion that industries are actually requesting the cars. Has the ability to control the length of time cars load and unload. Has the ability to control how often an industry requests or receives a car. Able to handle staging. Able to convert one train to the next in staging.

28. Car Forwarding – Ship It! • Very difficult to set up • Uses railroad terms with different meanings. Interchange for example • Expensive • Updates are also expensive • Print outs are not user friendly. • Micromanages car movements

29. Car Forwarding – Ship It!

30. Car Forwarding – Ship It!

31. Car Forwarding – Waybill Produced by Shenware Software. Utilizes the Op-Sig’s industry database for shippers and receivers of commodities. Benefits are it’s cheap and easy to use. Pitfalls are the industry databases. There are thousands of commodities that do not have both a shipper and receiver making it difficult to create matches.

32. Car Forwarding – Waybills

33. Dispatching Systems • Mother, may I? • Very informal, limited paperwork, simple • Timetable and Train Order • Prototypical • May be intimidating to new operators, • Steep learning curve for some • Track Warrants/Direct Train Control • Prototypical, easier than TTTO

34. Dispatching Systems • Centralized Traffic Control • Requires signals, can be expensive to implement • Allows high traffic levels • Combinations of all the above

35. Dispatching Systems • PS and G&G use combined TTTO and Track Warrant system

36. Staffing • Dispatcher • Authorizes train movements by writing orders, or warrants or by setting CTC signals • Yardmaster • Classifies inbound cars, builds trains • Train Crew • Operate road trains, switch industries as needed

37. Summary • Fit your layout into the real world • Define the layout era • Develop a credible setting • Write a train schedule • Choose a dispatching system • Develop a car forwarding system • Do all of this then operate and you will earn the Chief Dispatcher certificate