I know I talked about this a while ago....building a software program that would set schedules for all your rolling stock, locos etc. As usual, my ambition exceeded my available hours, so it hasnt happened. I was reading a REALLY old book yesterday that explained a pretty good waybill system using 4x2 cards and smaller cards that 'slip in' to a pocket on the 4x2. The 4 x 2 applies to 1 specific car (gerneally, but may apply to several cars that are always linked) and has its identification details on it, plus an 'end of job' statement printed underneath the clear pocket (ie "return to main yard"). The way it worked was, you picked out the cards for the cars you wanted to run, then selected one small card per car. The small card was, generally, double sided and said on one side, for example "Empty to Fredville coal mine" and had PTO at the bottom. Once you got the car to Fredville, you pulled out the little card, flipped it over, and put it back in the pocket...on this side it might say "Loaded to George City power station" and had REMOVE at the bottom..... You then took it to the power station and took the card out. Now you could see "Return to main yard", so you took it there. Now, the route cards, before they are used, are sorted according to the car type they relate too (tank car, box car, livestock, hopper etc), and whats written on them ONLY relates to a valid destination for that car type...so you wont send a tank car to a coal mine, for example. If you have 3 main yards, for example, 3 people could have a full time job building trains for through freights to deliver and move cars while a couple were busy running the trains that were built up to their respective locations, dropping off, picking up, and moving on to the next destination. This would be soooooooooo easy to computerise...... The only problem is, how do you provide the information in a usable format to those 5 or 6 people? Cards are great, because the switcher in the main yard builds the train, then hands the cards for that train to the road engineer, who goes off and drops cars at his first stop, hands over those cards to the controller there, takes the 'new' cards for stuff he picks up, then moves on to the next stop, repeats, etc. How can I do that 'handover' with a computerised solution? Should I WANT too? Should I just be producing cards? Can get expensive printing the suckers after a while, I am thinking. Should I just generate a list saying 'put this route card in the pocket of this car'...... Or should I just tell you guys more details on that waybill system and let yall go out and by 4x2's...LMAO! Its a great system....
disisme, Check out this site - it talks a lot about different systems of operation. For information on car-card systems, you need to scroll down to the bottom. Gateway NMRA The car cards are available from Old Line Graphics. The address and prices are listed on the website above. Pat
Obviously you need to give each operator a PDA and download their 'jobs' into them. Then they can take it around with them, like the cards. Does printing still look expensive?
Or have everyone bring their own PDA's Or write the program for single operator layouts only (it works if only one person is doing the entire layout!)....or write it for other people and let THEM worry about everyone having PDAs )) I think I'll just write it for myself....big layout, single operator....my waybills will just be on my screen
I have a program that has been written that generates switch lists and through trains. It uses internet explorer and to create a new switch list all you need to do is click the refresh button for a new generated list. It doesnt allocte car numbers but the amount of cars to be switched between the yard and industry. Here is a sample of it ----Grain Switcher Local Locomotive: SD35 SP #6915 -----Assign cars in Roanoke yard----- United Grain Growers.....15 grain hoppers Proceed United Grain Growers. Switch United Grain Growers. Setout empties. Return pickups to Roanoke yard. -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Through train #1011 Locomotives: SD40 MOPAC #6090, SD40-2 MOPAC #6057 Spine car intermodal 14 car train from Choctaw Yard EAST to Wichitaw Interchange Yard -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- ----Grain Switcher Local Locomotive: SW9/1200 UP #1833, SW9/1200 UP #1846 -----Assign empty cars in Roanoke yard----- Farmers Feed & Seed Co-Operative.......1 hoppers Farmers Feed & Seed Co-Operative.......1 boxcars Proceed Farmers Feed & Seed Co-Operative. Switch Farmers Feed & Seed Co-Operative. Setout empties. Return loaded to Roanoke yard. -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Through train #1018 Locomotives: GP20 SP #4077, GP20 UP #491 Grain Unit train 19 car train from Choctaw Yard WEST to Wichitaw Interchange Yard -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- ----Cement Switcher Local Locomotives: SW9/1200 UP #1833, SW9/1200 UP #1846 -----Assign empty cars in Roanoke yard----- Stringtown Quarry......0 cement hoppers Proceed Stringtown Quarry. Switch Stringtown Quarry. Setout empties. Return loaded to Roanoke yard. -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Through train #1008 Locomotives: GP40 UP #669, SD35 MRL #705, SD60 EMD #1 Spine car intermodal 20 car train from Choctaw Yard EAST to Wichitaw Interchange Yard -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- ----Cement Switcher Local Locomotives: SD35 SP #6915 -----Assign loaded cars in Roanoke yard----- Sherman Cement Works.....1 cement hoppers -----Assign empty cars in Roanoke yard----- Sherman Cement Works.....0 box cars Proceed Cement Works. Switch Sherman Cement Works. Setout loaded. Setout empties. Return loaded to Roanoke yard. -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- This program was written by a fellow modeller and he is still perfected it before he goes public.
Obviously you need to give each operator a PDA and download their 'jobs' into them. Then they can take it around with them, like the cards. Does printing still look expensive? </font>[/QUOTE]Actually, if you check places like www.compgeeks.com and www.surpluscomputers.com you will find refurbed Palm Pilots (2 meg of memory) for around $20 apiece. If you don't have too many operators it makes for a moderately affordable, darned interesting concept.
Colonel, I think the allocation of a specific car to a specific location (or route) is a critical part of the process. Just saying 'send 5 hoppers to freds place' is rather less interesting than 'send hopper 1,9,15, 27 and 93 to Freds place' because the switcher may have a considerably more complex job setting out those cars than just the first 5 (and easiest) that he comes across. The PDA route could be a good thing actually, at those prices. They wont be expected to hold much info, and if the routes set are challenging and immersive, you may not even change them that often. Once a month or so priro to an operating session... certainly worth a look, thank Brett
I took it as a stupid idea too Mike.... LMAO...just goes to show, dont it? For a single operator, I believe my program plan will work a treat with a nice web browser front end. For multiple users I COULD get rather cute and have monitors hanging in the corners of the room showing the train lists..... Easy enough to do...or go the PDA route which would actually be better (because a single screen can only hold so much info).
