Car Card System and Track Schematic Feedback

[Guilford Railman]

I was not sure which category to place this thread in so Admin please feel free to move it around accordingly.

I am thinking of using a car card system for my GMRC layout. I have read many articles and watched some videos on the system. However, I have seen some variation in how people utilize this system for their railroads. I’m looking for feedback on my particle setup.

Looking at the layout plan above, I’m hoping others more familiar with the system can give me feedback on the following questions:

1) For Bellows Falls yard, I’m thinking that each track including the runaround should have a box provided for car cards. Would this be correct? If so, how do I organize the setouts, holds, and pickups? More boxes?

2) N. Walpole yard is a combination of engine house/car shops tracks, staging (also used as engine house lead), and the ethanol transfer industry. What would be the best way to organize these car card boxes? I was thinking a 3-compartment box with setout, hold, and pickup for the ethanol industry and another set of boxes with each compartment labeled for each engine house track and the staging track. Would this be the best way to go for that area?

3) The Chester area only has the two industries to worry about so I was planning on having a 3-compartment box for each with the same set out, hold, and pickup labels. I’m assuming no changes would need to be made for that area but if you have other suggestions, let me know.

Appreciate any feedback or information!

 

[Guilford Railman]

Adding a bit more to this thread as I have additional questions.

In my research, the first thing that many state you need for a smoother experience using car cards is labels for each yard and industry. Here’s some examples I quickly drew up that I could potentially use:

Is there any other information you feel is needed to allow for better operations? My plan is to type up instructions for each job and I feel as though having more reference points for operators would be useful. Any suggestions?

Edit:

I have added directions for North/South train movement. Thinking of adding turnout numbers but not sure.

 

[Rico]

Hmm I can’t help you with the car cards, sorry, but I am interested to see what comes up here.
I do have to do up a track schematic with labels for my layout tho.
I just use written instructions on note pads.

 

[Guilford Railman]

Hmm I can’t help you with the car cards, sorry, but I am interested to see what comes up here.
I do have to do up a track schematic with labels for my layout tho.
I just use written instructions on note pads.

I’m currently using canva.com to draw out some basic schematics. Results aren’t too bad!

 

[Guilford Railman]

Here's some track schematics I created to help plan OPs better. I used information from my Green Mountain book written by R.W. Nimke.

I am thinking of combining the interchange and Bellows Falls schematics but I'm not sure yet. I feel as though the combined information might look too cluttered.

 

[Canalligator]

This is how I set up the car card boxes: Each destination point (customer or interchange) should have a box or boxes. You should decide whether to have separate boxes for arriving and departing, or perhaps a divider between sections in one box, as I have done. Whether it is a separate box or just adivider, your restaging after the day’s operations will processes car cards from the receiving box/divider to the departing.

At interchanges, I use two boxes for clarity. One box for “To RR X” and another for “To MyRR”.

At the yard, I use boxes for inbound and outbound. If you have other tracks, such as RIP or Hold, provide a box for them also.

 

[Guilford Railman]

This is how I set up the car card boxes: Each destination point (customer or interchange) should have a box or boxes. You should decide whether to have separate boxes for arriving and departing, or perhaps a divider between sections in one box, as I have done. Whether it is a separate box or just adivider, your restaging after the day’s operations will processes car cards from the receiving box/divider to the departing.

At interchanges, I use two boxes for clarity. One box for “To RR X” and another for “To MyRR”.

At the yard, I use boxes for inbound and outbound. If you have other tracks, such as RIP or Hold, provide a box for them also.

I like the idea of using dividers in each box. That will definitely save space on the fascia!

 

[Canalligator]

I’m currently using three dividers: incoming, hold and outgoing. I’m thinking of dropping down to just incoming and outgoing. It’s too complicated at this point.

 

[Guilford Railman]

I’m currently using three dividers: incoming, hold and outgoing. I’m thinking of dropping down to just incoming and outgoing. It’s too complicated at this point.

What is it about the hold position that makes it complicated? Maybe I should skip hold too.

 

[Renegade1c]

One mistake I made when doing my waybills for my car card and waybill system was that I made my yard a destination on the waybill. Typically, cars only terminate in a yard if they are empty. Loaded cards typically only stop in a yard for classification. In my case, I had too many cars going to the yard as a destination and it got plugged up. I now have most of my waybills going from industry to industry or to staging. The only cars that have the yard as a destination are for local industries around the yard (ie the fuel depot at the engine service facility). This may not be the case for a layout of this size.

As others have mentioned, setup a graphical representation of your industries and you can decide how you want to do your boxes. I have boxes that have divided into 3 slots: slots 1 is pickups, slot 2 is holds (for loading/unloading), and slot 3 is for setouts. These boxes hold all the carts for all industries near the respective box.

The yard is a bit different, I have an 8 track yard with two Arrival/Departure Tracks and several local industries. There are 14 slots in this card card box. Slots 1 and 2 are for the A/D tracks, slots 3-10 are for the classification tracks, slot 11 is for local pickups, slot 12 is for holds, slot 13 is for local setouts and slot 14 is for storage (clips, picks, sorting cards, etc.) The fascia of slots 1-10 is magnetic so I can rename what goes to each track at any time. This gives yardmaster the ability to flex the use of tracks. I have magnets labeled for each "town" on the layout as well as a "Hold" and "Sort' magnets for trains that have just arrived and need to be classified.

Car cards should provide you the basic information be able to identify the car. This includes car type, reporting marks, car number and basic color. I also have a field on mine to briefly describe the car (IE Pipe load or Depressed center). Additionally, it can be handy to have a "Return to XXX when Empty" if no waybill is present where XXX is a specific destination. This useful for things like unloaded hopper cars which go back to a mine for reloading.

Waybills. this is how you get car from Point A to Point B. I use a color code system as well as text for my waybills. Each town has a unique color code. The color code (and town name) shown on the waybill tell which town the industry is located. The "To:" line is the specific industry. On larger layouts, sometimes cars have to go on specific trains. This is where the "Route" field comes in. Its mostly used for the Yardmasters when building trains.

I hope the attached PDF helps.

 

[Guilford Railman]

One mistake I made when doing my waybills for my car card and waybill system was that I made my yard a destination on the waybill. Typically, cars only terminate in a yard if they are empty. Loaded cards typically only stop in a yard for classification. In my case, I had too many cars going to the yard as a destination and it got plugged up. I now have most of my waybills going from industry to industry or to staging. The only cars that have the yard as a destination are for local industries around the yard (ie the fuel depot at the engine service facility). This may not be the case for a layout of this size.

As others have mentioned, setup a graphical representation of your industries and you can decide how you want to do your boxes. I have boxes that have divided into 3 slots: slots 1 is pickups, slot 2 is holds (for loading/unloading), and slot 3 is for setouts. These boxes hold all the carts for all industries near the respective box.

The yard is a bit different, I have an 8 track yard with two Arrival/Departure Tracks and several local industries. There are 14 slots in this card card box. Slots 1 and 2 are for the A/D tracks, slots 3-10 are for the classification tracks, slot 11 is for local pickups, slot 12 is for holds, slot 13 is for local setouts and slot 14 is for storage (clips, picks, sorting cards, etc.) The fascia of slots 1-10 is magnetic so I can rename what goes to each track at any time. This gives yardmaster the ability to flex the use of tracks. I have magnets labeled for each "town" on the layout as well as a "Hold" and "Sort' magnets for trains that have just arrived and need to be classified.

View attachment 257421

Car cards should provide you the basic information be able to identify the car. This includes car type, reporting marks, car number and basic color. I also have a field on mine to briefly describe the car (IE Pipe load or Depressed center). Additionally, it can be handy to have a "Return to XXX when Empty" if no waybill is present where XXX is a specific destination. This useful for things like unloaded hopper cars which go back to a mine for reloading.

View attachment 257419

Waybills. this is how you get car from Point A to Point B. I use a color code system as well as text for my waybills. Each town has a unique color code. The color code (and town name) shown on the waybill tell which town the industry is located. The "To:" line is the specific industry. On larger layouts, sometimes cars have to go on specific trains. This is where the "Route" field comes in. Its mostly used for the Yardmasters when building trains.
View attachment 257420

I hope the attached PDF helps.

Appreciate the thorough breakdown! I’m glad you clarified the yards not being a final destination because I was wondering how to link the yard with the rest of the cars journey.

The PDF definitely helps and the examples of cards/waybills do too. I like the idea of color coding the waybills.

Random question but do you happen to know if Micromark actively sells the car cards and waybills? I read that someone ordered a pack and it’s been weeks with no shipping confirmation.

 

[Guilford Railman]

Here's the updated versions of the track schematics. After some discussions with people on Facebook, I have created some more detailed schematics. I was provided copies of the VRS timetables for the areas which I'm modeling. This was a huge help! These schematics along with car cards and waybills should make for interesting OPs sessions.

 

[Guilford Railman]

I've started playing around with some car cards I made using two templates from the NMRA. They are really basic but exactly what I was looking for.

Operation Tools - National Model Railroad Association Inc.

Using Waybills and Car Cards PREPARATION Download the 4 files shown below. Print the Car Cards on 200 gm card. This is the same as a manilla folder, you can even use a folder cut to A4. Office works sell a 100 sheet pack of this card for $9.00 which will give you 400 car ... Read more

nmra.org.au

I printed the car cards on 65 lb card stock and the waybills on 24 lb. I wanted 40 lb card stock for the waybills but the store was all out. I plan on upgrading the waybills to 40 lb card stock later after I get a feel for how the car card system works. So far I'm loving it!!

I also watched a video from MicroMark on how to use their system. I was originally going to purchase their cards but I think the DIY ones will do the trick. The concepts in the video still apply and I definitely recommend watching the presentation.

 

[Canalligator]

Here’s a follow up on my car card dividers.

I’m in the process of dry-running my new operating scheme, and at my end-of-day restaging, I realized something. I only need the Hold dividers! The Incoming and Outgoing dividers helped me figure out a scheme, but are not needed for actual execution. Since I am normally turning all cards from incoming to outgoing between sessions (operating days), no separation of cards is needed. I would only need a Hold divider for the infrequent times when I don’t send a car right back out.

Examples might be an LCL car with multiple customer loads, or service supplies that get unloaded when the shop has time.

 

[Iron Horseman]

I don't understand the Oil and Pit tracks. I've never seen a way bill for engine servicing. That is usually the hostlers job to track routine maintenance and move the locos to the needed track, completely separate from any train movements. That is unless you are planning on spotting freight cars in the engine house for ... supplies?

 

[NVSrr1500]

Micromark still sells the cards. Individual sales f each card type they still have. The complete set pack is showing ut of stock. If said person ordered that one, they probably are still waiting.

 

[Canalligator]

I decided to create my own cards. This is because (1) MicroMark is usually out of stock on about a third of their inventory at any given time, and (2) I wanted to change the arrangement of data on the cards.

I used a spreadsheet to lay them out, and printed them on 65 pound card stock. This will go through my printer OK using manual feed, and allowing time between prints to make sure the printer’s fuser was back up to temperature. I bought a package of mixed color card stock at an office supply.

 

[rgeiter]

I like the car cards from the “Ship it” program.

 

[cv_acr]

I decided to create my own cards. This is because (1) MicroMark is usually out of stock on about a third of their inventory at any given time, and (2) I wanted to change the arrangement of data on the cards.

I used a spreadsheet to lay them out, and printed them on 65 pound card stock. This will go through my printer OK using manual feed, and allowing time between prints to make sure the printer’s fuser was back up to temperature. I bought a package of mixed color card stock at an office supply.

I made my own cards and waybills with Excel as well.

 

[cv_acr]

So my curiousity is overhwhelming me and I gotta ask about the "Jail Door" note on this car card. I hang around in a lot of freight car enthusiast groups and that's not a term that anyone uses ever. Are you just referring to the appearance of the outside-braced plug doors which is basically on every new boxcar these days?