> Date: Sat, 1 Apr 2006 23:27:03 -0800 (PST)
> From: Edward Davis <[EMAIL PROTECTED]>
>
> <cut> Most of the books and articles that I have read concerning
>realistic operation, seem to assume that operation will be done by a
>group or club. The comments refer to the dispatcher, engineers,
>switch crews, waybills, card sorting etc. Is there a simple and
>effective method of switching cars and making up trains that can be
>handle by one person?
>
>I don't want to spend the whole evening just switching cars, and I
>don't want to spend the evening just watching trains circle the
>mainline. Assuming that there are some of you on these lists that
>operate alone, what method do you use? <snip>
Check out the two-page article "Wheel reports for easy operation" by
Jim Hediger, Model Railroader magazine, May 1984.
In general his procedure calls for keeping track only of the total
number of cars to be switched at each station. The cars are not
specified by reporting marks, so there are no waybills or car
inventory to manage. The only paperwork is a wheel report form for
each train. The wheel report shows locations (stations or sidings) in
order in rows on the left. Car types are shown in columns across the
top. For each location a number in the car type column shows how many
of each type to set out, for example, Stockton - boxcar: 2; tank car:
1. You create as many wheel reports as you need for variety.
The way it works is that the dispatcher (you) determines what train
to run. Using the wheel report for that train, the yard crew (you)
makes up the train and tells the yardmaster (you) when the train is
ready. The yardmaster then turns the wheel report over to the train
crew (you). As the crew operates the train, it sets out cars as
specified in the wheel report for that location. The train also picks
up one car for each car set out. Consequently the number of cars in
each train remains constant. When the train reaches its destination,
its cars go back into the yard for use in other trains.
The switching of cars at each station is flexible. It depends on the
skill of the crew and the mood of the local agent (you). The
switching can be simple or complex, depending where you set out cars
and which ones you pick up. Also, if "American Idol" is going to
start on TV in ten minutes, the train can run straight through
without setting out or picking up any cars at all.
--
Bill Roberts
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