DakotaLove39
Always Improvising
Hey folks. I want to start this thread with explaining my situation. I am a member of a club which has a very mixed bag of members. We operate a layout in that is meant to be on display for John Q. Public to come in and see on the weekends, so 90% of the membership just runs whatever they want as the Trainmaster allows based on traffic at the time. During a visit to our layout you may see a modern BNSF unit train pass a westbound 1930's passenger train headed up by a heavy 4-6-2, or you may see my 1970's Milwaukee Road power rubbing shoulders with a 1955 CB&Q Zephyr. We don't really have a rhyme or reason except to put on a show for the viewers.
Here's my problem: I want to operate. The club rules do not discourage it, and we have plenty of track and industries to do so. The bizarre clash of eras passing by doesn't bother me as I just dismiss it as traffic. My biggest concern here is other members may come along and move my cars out of a particular industry, or off a particular track so that they can switch that industry. We're usually pretty good about not disturbing other members' cars or trains, but it has happened in the short time I have been a member.
So here's my question. What would be the best way for me to run any kind of freight operations? I have access to two mainlines (east & west), a classification yard, a branch line full of industries, and a small urban area along the mainlines that also has industries. Our largest industrial sector is not yet up and running but cars bound for those industries can simply be tied onto a mainline consist and run on the main into staging.
I'm just not certain which system works best for me here. I'm not at all familiar with car cards, but I can't guarantee 100% that my freight cars will stay where I leave them. What should I do?
Here's my problem: I want to operate. The club rules do not discourage it, and we have plenty of track and industries to do so. The bizarre clash of eras passing by doesn't bother me as I just dismiss it as traffic. My biggest concern here is other members may come along and move my cars out of a particular industry, or off a particular track so that they can switch that industry. We're usually pretty good about not disturbing other members' cars or trains, but it has happened in the short time I have been a member.
So here's my question. What would be the best way for me to run any kind of freight operations? I have access to two mainlines (east & west), a classification yard, a branch line full of industries, and a small urban area along the mainlines that also has industries. Our largest industrial sector is not yet up and running but cars bound for those industries can simply be tied onto a mainline consist and run on the main into staging.
I'm just not certain which system works best for me here. I'm not at all familiar with car cards, but I can't guarantee 100% that my freight cars will stay where I leave them. What should I do?