(I’ve posed this question in the JMRI user groups forum as well, but since it seems that program does not do all that it might, I thought of posting it here too.)
I am interested in software that would generate new operations for me to complete using my layout. Since I am not operating at a club with assigments/train building tasks given to me, to have a computer program hand me work to do would be an ideal way to focus time spent with the layout.
I have begun to enter all the data the JMRI Operations module needs to build trains, manifests, and switch lists…all the locations on the layout, capacity of spurs and sidings, roster of all available cars and locos…but I think I have to come in day-to-day and tell myself today move so many cars to the lumberyard spur, take so many loaded from the mine spur to thebulk ore terminal etc. etc.
I would like to know of any program that could take similar entered data about my layout and create “work” for me to focus upon.
Speaking solely for myself, I tried Shipit! and was sorely disappointed. After spending several weeks trying to make it work, I gave up. RailOp works somewhat better in that it works at all. ProTrack is another one, but I haven’t tried it and can’t comment.
None of the currently-available computer operations programs really do what I think the OP is asking: invent the trains, create a schedule, etc. Primarily, they are focused on car movement, with the layout owner dreaming up the structure of the op session on their own. In this way, most of them are fairly similar to the JMRI Ops Module (which is not bad and has the advantage of being free).