nightly operations

C

CAS

Member
Apr 10, 2005
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Chicago, Illinois
No layout yet. Trying to tie everything together first. Layout plans, era of operation, RR line to operate, industies and spurs to service, and the lists keeps getting bigger.
I am going to be a solo operator at first. So a simple car cards and waybills will be used. I'm thinking on the lines of a continuous mainline with a lot of industrial spurs for switching.
My question here is, operating nights, are they started new every sessions or do you continue the next session like its tomorrow on your layout the next session?
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For example: my way freight leaves a 40' boxcar at Acme Box Co. to be unloaded, and a flat car with rolls of metal at the interchange track for delivery to Ford Auto plant in Detroit. Not sure how fast a full 40' boxcar can be unloaded.
Then would another train come to pick them up after being unloaded, and deliver them to there next location. or are they left there for the next session to be moved or picked up
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. Is this personal prefference?
Been reading old version of Bruce Chubbs, How to operate your model railroad. And about to go to LHS to buy a copy of Track planning for Realistic Opeeration.
Trying real hard to understand the real Railroad way of operations.
Thanks, Cliff
 
Hi Cliff,
I'd say its a personal preference as the layout is for your enjoyment. I've heard of people who continue the operations cycle from where they left off the previous night..others set up and stage everything each time. I'm somewhere in the middle as I like to add variety to my ops and might ignore switching a major industry sometimes, choosing to focus elsewhere. One advantage that comes to mind with continuing the cycle from session to session is less handling of cars. They are already where they need to be when you start your session!
Best wishes on the layout!
Ralph
 
thanks Ralph for your reply.

I just got done reading the section on way bills. It mention that freight-car fowarding is a continuous process. It also states that after cars are spotted to the waybills, the waybills are destoyed. So does that mean i have to fill out another waybill for the empties for pick-ups for my next session? Or can i just put return to (lumber yard) or where ever, when empty on the car card.

I assume there are alot of different ways we can operate our layouts. But i'm just trying to get a basic idea how the car-forwarding system works. I guess by the time i start building my layout, i will hopefully figure a system out for some realism operation on my railroad.

Thanks again,
Cliff
 
Thanks for the site Ralph.

After rereading the chapter on car forwarding 2 more times and reading the past posts in this section i think i understand it more now.:)

Thanks again for your help Ralph.:thumb:

Cliff
 
Hi Cliff. :wave:
To answer your question on how long it takes to unload a boxcar that will depend on the load.You see a load of lumber can be unloaded in 8-10 hours depending on what type of lumber it is.A load of 4x8 plywood can be unloaded in about 6 hours whereas a load of 2x4s would take longer because you will have far more 2x4s then 4x8s.Both would be unloaded by hand.Now a load of general freight on pallets can be unloaded in about a hour.Of course freight that was not on a pallet would need to be unloaded by hand and placed on a pallet and of course will take longer to unload.
 
CAS - There was an excellent article in a way back MR called "Shift Time" or "Operating Shift time" - (I have a copy somewhere, but not to hand!) This supposes that you only operate your shift and then go home. Other things happen while you are off shift and things are different when you are next back on shift again. For example, the string of cars you pulled and left on the I/C siding were picked up last night while you were off, and the ones that are there have been dropped by another freightearly this morning, just before you came back on, and are now waiting to be delivered to the industries. (Of course, they are tyhe same cars!) Crack passenger runs can be simulated the same way - the westbound runs through just after lunch, but the Eastbound runs through just before midight so you don't see it. You can always run one through as a "delayed" if you want to, so you may see it on your shift. Well worth thinking about - and trying to get hold of the article
Shortliner(Jack)away up here in the Highlands
 
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