Finally have my carcard system in place.
- Thread starter RBMNfan
- Start date
logandsawman
Well-Known Member
I like the looks of your railroad! I wonder if you could briefly describe the system you are using?
I am using Micromarks system. It's a preprinted carcard that you fold and tape the bottom 1/3. I use a label maker to print the KIND, RR/No. , and optionally the DESC. The waybills are 4 destination, top and bottom on both sides. I am handwriting the waybills.
I have a written list of industries and basic car types at each station on the railroad. I look at this list to keep the traffic headed to appropriate locations and also attempt to favor the major industry's on the layout.
Operations basically are like a turn based game. At some point (beginning or end of the operating session) you flip each waybill to the next number. This shows the new destination in each waybill. You switch out the cars and send them in the appropriate direction.
I like Micromarks system because I don't have to think about it once it's set up. I can change the waybills later if I think the operation getting repetitive. I mostly use the Address and Via lines because this is the pertinent information on my railroad.
I have attached an example of how do it.
Sent from my XT1080 using Tapatalk
I have a written list of industries and basic car types at each station on the railroad. I look at this list to keep the traffic headed to appropriate locations and also attempt to favor the major industry's on the layout.
Operations basically are like a turn based game. At some point (beginning or end of the operating session) you flip each waybill to the next number. This shows the new destination in each waybill. You switch out the cars and send them in the appropriate direction.
I like Micromarks system because I don't have to think about it once it's set up. I can change the waybills later if I think the operation getting repetitive. I mostly use the Address and Via lines because this is the pertinent information on my railroad.
I have attached an example of how do it.
Sent from my XT1080 using Tapatalk
logandsawman
Well-Known Member
Thank you!
Iron Horseman
Well-Known Member
It is also self healing. If a car gets forgotten or spotted in the wrong place, the next trainman will find the card and away it goes to where it is supposed to be. The only problem is if the car gets separated from its card. Even that is easy to fix, one simply calls over the radio for everyone to look in their switching area for the card for "LNE box car number 7025" or vice versa.
I still use it. It works good. The only thing is sometimes I forget to place the carcard in the same area as the car. Then a search of the boxes that hold the carcards is necessary.
I added extra boxes to help sort out the incoming/outgoing cars at the sorting track on the layout and at the staging yard. Before I ended up putting the cards on the layout while sorting cars.
Like everything you make small adjustments to adapt it to your operations.
I like that it's relatively mindless once you set it up. I operate on a erratic schedule.
It could be flexible when most of your destinations are in staging/future extensions. Simply write up new waybills and adjust the traffic pattern.
Captain of Industry
President of Lancaster Central RR
President of Lancaster & Western Maryland Railway
I added extra boxes to help sort out the incoming/outgoing cars at the sorting track on the layout and at the staging yard. Before I ended up putting the cards on the layout while sorting cars.
Like everything you make small adjustments to adapt it to your operations.
I like that it's relatively mindless once you set it up. I operate on a erratic schedule.
It could be flexible when most of your destinations are in staging/future extensions. Simply write up new waybills and adjust the traffic pattern.
Captain of Industry
President of Lancaster Central RR
President of Lancaster & Western Maryland Railway
