Car Card System and Track Schematic Feedback

[Guilford Railman]

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.

That makes sense! I’ll have to keep that in mind for my OPs as well.

 

[Guilford Railman]

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?

The schematics are for general reference but there will be waybills for the sand track as a hopper will be spotted there occasionally.

 

[Guilford Railman]

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.

Coincidentally I just did the same thing! Figured DIY would be better in the long run.

 

[Guilford Railman]

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

What is Ship it?

 

[Guilford Railman]

My railroad is changing. I have come up with revised schematics to reflect the freelance shortline I will be modeling.

The train OPs begin in Maple Valley, MA where the (yet to be named) railroad interchanges with the B & E.

Beaverhill yard serves as the hub for the engine and car shop facilities as well as some staging. Beaverhill Energy is the primary customer here.

Cars are brought from the BERX IC to Prescott Yard where they are classified.

The end of the line is located in the town of Riverside where it terminates at Central Products, a manufacturer of ceramic pellets used for machining operations, among other uses.

In addition to revising these schematics, I also made some homemade car card boxes:

Would love feedback on the track schematics!

 

[rgeiter]

What is Ship it?

What is Ship it?

I’ll let the website explain. I use the Railbase Professional and Car card programs.

www.albionsoftware.com

 

[Renegade1c]

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.

I couldn't tell you because I made my own. This gentleman developed a very useful spreadsheet for generating car cards and waybills. I used his system to do all my card cards and waybills. It took a bit to figure out how to change the colors but it was worth it. https://vanderheide.ca/blog/2018/01/04/excel-car-cards-and-waybills/

Credit to him for developing this system. Once you get everything entered, I printed out the car cards on cardstock and then laminated them after cutting them on a guillotine and folding them. I cut the pocket open with an exacto knife for the waybill. wyabills are still paper and not laminated because they do change. Car cards rarely change which is why I laminated them.

hope this helps.

 

[Renegade1c]

So my curiosity 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?

Hi cv_acr, It's a bit of a joke car. I got gifted a box car call the Jail Box and it has a sign on it on the side that say " Transporting those who refuse to keep their mitts off the layout" as the logo on the side of the car. The model has the box car side door replaced with a barred "Jail Door" Reporting marks on the side of the car are JBOX. I really don't mind people looking around the layout and poking about but the car made me laugh. I love giving kids a throttle and letting them run a train. If someone hadn't done that for me as a kid, I probably wouldn't still be on the hobby.

The waybill for the car has it carrying hazardous dog food as well. not sure what is hazardous about dog food but I figured I would play into the joke car and give an equally ridiculous load.

So in short, no its not a real term, its just a way to easily identify the car visually by the operator.

I just realized, that you're car card system is what I use! I just put two and two together! Bravo good Sir! Your excel sheet is excellent!

 

[cv_acr]

It's a bit of a joke car. I got gifted a box car call the Jail Box and it has a sign on it on the side that say " Transporting those who refuse to keep their mitts off the layout" as the logo on the side of the car. The model has the box car side door replaced with a barred "Jail Door" Reporting marks on the side of the car are JBOX.

Ah, got it. I've seen images of that before, I might have figured that's what it was, just the example card had the very real FBOX 502xxx number. Maybe just some crossed data in the example.

Glad my car card excel was useful to you.

 

[Guilford Railman]

I couldn't tell you because I made my own. This gentleman developed a very useful spreadsheet for generating car cards and waybills. I used his system to do all my card cards and waybills. It took a bit to figure out how to change the colors but it was worth it. https://vanderheide.ca/blog/2018/01/04/excel-car-cards-and-waybills/

Credit to him for developing this system. Once you get everything entered, I printed out the car cards on cardstock and then laminated them after cutting them on a guillotine and folding them. I cut the pocket open with an exacto knife for the waybill. wyabills are still paper and not laminated because they do change. Car cards rarely change which is why I laminated them.

hope this helps.

Very helpful, thank you!