Hi All, For those that have operating layouts or are regular operators on an operating layout, what do you use for car forwarding and such? Carcards, switchlists, etc? Anyone using an operations based program? I'm using ProTrak! http://www.protrak.cc/
Guess I'm old fashioned. I have operated on layouts equipped with DCC, and computerized switch lists. Yet I still prefer the old car card, and manually assigned by dispatcher blocks. Boxcab E50
In earlier times I used ShipIt!. But with my changing layout it was difficult to adjust it. At FREMO meetings we use car cards - and so I have them, too. Now I use car cards only. You will find examples at my op site Happy New Year Wolfgang
I've used car-cards for over 25 years, sometimes they are cumbersome if the conductor has a 25 car plus train to deal with but my friends like them because they provide a more realistic type setting and I like them because at the end of the 4 hour session the car-card bills are just left where the frt cars are actually at and further operations resume from that spot next session. I tried a computer type program about 5 years ago and the major drawback I had was that the computer assumed that the previous session would be 100% completed thus it would generate the next sessions bills based on the frt cars being where they were suppose to be at rather than where they were really located at. That meant even more work for me in setting up the next op session.
I use the software "Interchange" to generate switchlists. Here is a link: http://www.mcswiz.com/MCSMRCDS/MainPage.asp There is also a Yahoo group for this software. David
Because I now operate alone, no cards are used, since I operate each engine and do all coupling and switching. End of any session is to run engines back into the roundhouse to keep dust off. Much simpler, and I may choose to operate a crane for awhile, so my schedules depend on how hungry I get, sleepy, or if I need to visit the porcelain library.
I am operating like Watash most of the time. A little everyday and don't have to anything mandatory to be done. I use Ship It and switchlists. I agree with Wolfgang in that, for me, changing the layout with Ship It would be a major obstacle. Most people in San Antonio use RailOp, I think.
The most paperwork I use in operation is a switchlist. I get enough of paperwork at work to carry it over to my hobby, so the simpler I can keep things the better. Should I get a bit more operations-oriented, I may go to car cards as well as switchlists, but that's about as far as I will go. IMO, copying every bit of paperwork ever made to emulate operation of a real railroad is extreme. I'm certain this means I'm not "in vogue", to quote a certain MR columnist, when it comes to running trains. Oh well........sometimes the only paperwork involved is during the ocasional trip to the toilet For those of you who run those programs, how are they working for you?
Hi FriscoBob, I am still in the process of setting ProTrak up and fine tuning it for my ever changing layout as I keep abuilding! I will be hosting the 3rd Annual ProTrak clinic weekend in April. We have people coming from as far away as Oregon, Georgia, South Carolina , Ohio, Tennessee and even Ottawa, Canada. I have no connection with ProTrak except that I own the program, love it and wanted to help promote it. I'll post my progress once we start our initial operations in the next month.
