Do you have a dispatching system? Do you think it is too hard to dispatch? Please enter your opinion.
I do a lot of ds’ing at the club on our CTC board…We have a single track point to point layout with passing sidings…To my mind there is nothing like dispatching like a real dispatcher.One has to plan meets and keep the passenger trains on schedule.We do have one bottle neck called NW Jct.This is where the Newark branch (a mis named piece of track .Its more of a secondary main) joins the main line and things can get quite busy there.Also the yard masters needs permission to use the in/out bound tracks when ever they pick up a inbound train or place a out bound train on those tracks…Things can get hectic at times but it adds to the fun of ds’ing.
My small home layout does not have nor need a dispatch board.
You aren’t real specific on what you ar considering a “dispatching system”. A pad of paper, a pen and a rule book is a “dispatching system”.
Are you talking about a signal system or formal operation or CTC or what?
Dave H.
I mean a Signal System and or CTC.
My layout is only a 6’ shelf so dispatching isn’t much of an issue yet but I plan on putting a car-card and dispatching system (primarily paper/pencil and rulebook rather than CTC) in place once I expand to my future empire’s eventual size…
I roll some dice to determine the number of cars on a train, deal some cards and create a train for each of the industries according to needs. Sometimes I need to use several trains (or sessions) to complete the weekly work cycle. Also Grandt’s card system assists greatly in keeping things organized.
MY DISPATCHERS ORDERS…Grab a Throttle…Pick a train…and DONT rear end the train in front of you!!!
I’m working on one while I’m building my layout. It should be interesting since I have more than one railroad I’m going to be using at all times.
The MEC I’m planning is going to be more than just a single or duo track in hidden staging. It will have online industry & switching involved. Just not sure how, why or what yet as it’s still in the planning stage.
Gordon
I chose 3 shifts with payment, but my plan is to have the computer do most of the work. The layout that I’m building will have some trains that are controlled by the computer and some run by human operators. There will be a lot of mainline traffic, and a good amount of industrial switching. Part of the fun should be negotiating with the computer to get the local switching done. It should provide for some realistic railroad situations.