On a traditional CC&WB there are 4 “moves” possible. Each move is either a load move or an empty move back to loading point or a staging location. There is no requirement to use all 4 positions. You can just fill out two positions (or one or three). If you use the two position waybills you will probably want to change waybills more often. The concept of the 4 move waybill is that you can leave the waybillin the car card and keep cycling the same waybill on the same card. On a larger layout with several operators, that only operates once a month and it takes a couple sessions to complete a move, most peole won’t notice the car following the same patch because the car only completes the full circuit maybe twice in a year. On a smaller layout where moves complete in one session (or less) and one operator, the 4 cycle waybills are more noticeable.
I use what I call “block cards” that are a waybill with just four outbound train blocks to staging or interchanges (no other destination or commodity information). I use them for overhead moves (from one staging location to another), to adjust through freight blocking, to quickly route industry pulls or to tweak car flows to staging or interchanges. I just put the block cards in like a regular waybill and route thear according to the train block. Sometimes I will put the block card in front of a regular waybill to override it.
In addition, the OpSIG’s YahooGroups forum is active and a good way to track down op sessions within driving distance. A number of informal groups also sponsor “op 'til you drop” weekends where multiple layouts in an area are open for a three- or four-day meet. These are announced in the OpSIG’s magazine.
As others have said, the best way to learn is to attend a session on a layout that is already operating. Good luck!
That’s exactly what I’m saying, with the exception that some waybills will have an "on layout " destination in one of the 4 spots. When the waybill hits #4 I remove it, put it at the back of the waybill box and send the empty car to where ever the home road is. The car is pulled from the layout till its turn comes back up, a new waybill is chosen from the appropriate box and off it goes for a new 4 cycle round.
For may one man operations, I use a pretty simplified style. It helps that I’m modeling a branch line from a junction to a town. So, that means all cars will come on or leave the layout the same way. If I had a much larger layout, I’d add sequence operations, but handle the car switching the same manner.
In the early days of computers I started with a computer generated switch list. Made up a rather complex list of loads, empties, sources, and destinations. Much of the logic came from an old bull session column about cargo cards and considering the empties in an early 70s MR. After dealing with that a while I asked myself, “why?” I was adding complexity, but no car movements. So I reverted to the system I used for twenty years.
First of all, I use no paperwork or anything. I fiddle several cars into the staging and then the local take them to town. I don’t care if they are loaded or empty, where they came from, or what they carry. Only that the two boxcars go to the cotton mill, the tank goes to the oil dealor, and so forth. So I distribute the cars where they need to go. Any cars already on the layout are pick ups. Again, it doesn’t matter if they are loads going somewhere or empties returing, they’re all going to the same place – the junction where they will join the rest of the world.
Now if I wanted to add a little more complexity, I’d add the color coded tack or tab on car system. Cars from the junction would go to their coded location, cars on the layout with a tack on them are still being loaded/unloaded and have to remain, cars with no tack are pickups for the junction. Again, no worries about load/empty/source/destination.
This works for me on my one man branch line. May not work for others but if operating the train is more important than modeling the paperwork, give it a thought.
I also agree that operations are most important to enjoying a model railroad and trying to mimic the real thing. I grew up in a railroad family, my dad had 50 years of engine service with Santa Fe in Oklahoma, and I worked summers at Enid and other locations as a clerk in the yard offices during the harvest season as Enid was a major grain elevator town and the “wheat rush” brought extra trains in and out like crazy, while going to college. In Aug. I would resign and go back to school, did that for 6 years until I had my masters and was ready to face the world. Great experience. Unfortunately I model the Enid district and the mainline between Arkansas City and Oklahoma City in 1989 and railroad operations really changed between the 50’s and 80’s. But it was a great experience and time.
I eventually went to Topeka and the Santa Fe GOB after college for 10 years, they taught me computers and IBM and I finally left in 1970 to take a computer position in Kansas City with the Federal Reserve Bank (no trains there). From there I took my degrees in religion and was ordained as a Baptist pastor. No trains there either. When I finally retired from all of it at age 60, I was able to get back into model railroading in a big way and have stayed that way.
So today I model ATSF in 1989 in Oklahoma, include the BN in that mix along with a freelance short line, the Oklahoma Northern and enjoy modeling very much. But I still come back to the fact all I learned with the railroad is out of date for the era I model. So the learning process goes on.
I have sent my dues to the OpSIG so will be a member of this group shortly. I’m hopeful of being able to find other folks in the area who operate as I know that actually operating will be the best way for me to learn how to operate.
Agian, thanks to those who have responded to my questions and thanks to Cuyama for suggesting I join the OpSIG!
