Construction Update #12 - Operating Software & Upper Staging Yard

Caroute

NOTE:  If you don't have any interest is operations or you are currently using a system with good results you may want to skip down to the layout construction update section below.  If you are considering the use of two sided waybells with four destinations and a car card or another computer program, I suggest you take a look at CAROUTE (www.decapodsystems.com). The program is written in visual basic for Windows based PC's and costs $67.00 plus $3.00 for shipping.  The system works as advertised and the owner of Decapod System, Jim Botsko, provides excellent customer support.  When you need help or have a question, he actually answers the phone and returns emails!

What follows is not a detailed set of "how to" instructions for the installation of the CAROUTE software.  Those instructions are included with the software.  It does however illustrate how one of several available software applications can be implemented on a model railroad. 

Planned Railroad Routing "CAROUTE" from Decapod Systems

 

CAROUTE is similar, in concept, to the long standing two sided, four destination, waybill and car card system used by many modelers.  As a result, this section may be useful to those who are planning to use that system.  CAROUTE does however offers several advantages over the two sided, four destination waybill and car card system and in my opinion is a preferable solution.

1. CAROUTE is fully automated and easily edited.
2. CAROUTE generates a customizable switch lists for each train.  There are no cumbersome waybills and car card to deal with.
3. CAROUTE will also generate a switch list for one or more industries/yards
4. CAROUTE allows for up to 20 different destinations on a single waybill.
5. CAROUTE automatically assigns each car to the appropriate train.
6. CAROUTE includes a data analyzer and several other tools to fine tune the program.
7. Your operators won't take home a pile of car cards by mistake when the operating session is over. (I did that once)

CAROUTE requires four different data files in order to generate a switch list.  For a large railroad like mine, this requires a significant amount of time.  I suggest building the files in the following sequence.

1. Town File
2. Industry File
3. Car File
4. Train File 

Once these are set up, they can be added to the Main Menu/Setup File.  The Setup file will automatically load the four data files each time you start the program.  The set up file also incudes links the data file editor, a switch list generator, and a data analyzer.

In order to load the data files, some preliminary work will make the process easier.  I started with a operational schematic based upon my track plan:

At this point, it should be noted that I only model the portion of the railroad from a point west of Bowling Green to just beyond Cookeville Junction to include a short section of the line to Rockwood.  The rest of the MBG&C is represented by staging,  In the diagram above, the MBG&C is shown by a solid green lines with trackage rights to Louisville over the Paducah & Louisville between Madisonville and Louisville (solid red line) and trackage rights to Memphis over the CSX between Guthrie and Memphis (solid blue line)

The MBG&C, much like the present day Montana Rail Link, is dependent upon overhead traffic.  In the Montana Rail Link's case it's the BNSF providing the overhead traffic. With the MBG&C it's CSX.  As a result, lots of CSX power and equipment are present.  3 trains a day, in each direction, represent this business; one in each direction between Louisville and Memphis and two in each direction between Madisonville and Chattanooga.  With the exception of auto parts for the GM assembly plant at Plum Springs and TOFC for the South Kentucky pig ramp in Smith Grove, these trains are limited to swapping blocks as necessary at Preston Miller Yard in Bowling Green.

Two other trains work the entire length of the line.  There is a general merchandise freight in each direction between Madisonville and Chattanooga and a long distance local/turn between Madisonville and Rockwood.  In addition there are three locals and a yard job centered around Bowling Green.  These trains will be expanded upon in the "Train File" section.

The Town File

 

The Town File is the simplist of the four files.  While the MBG&C is a north/south operation the CAROUTE software is set up for east to west,  The towns in staging are highlighted in red. They are listed east to west and are entered into the Town File in the same order.

1. Chattanooga (CSX/NS Interchange)
2. Crockett
3. Memphis (SP/SSW Interchange
4. Memphis Jct
5. Rockwood (NS Interchange)
6. Cookeville
7. Grundy
8. Coalmont
9. Westmoreland
10. State Line
11. Preston Miller (Bowling Green Yard)
12. Bowling Green
13. West Bowling Green
14. Smith Grove (South Kentucky/Bowling Green TOFC Ramp)
15. Plum Springs (Bowling Green GM Assembly Plant)
16. Madisonville (CSX/Paducah & Louisville Interchange)

Here is a sample of the data imput screen for the Town File.  Data entry points, for all four files, are alway shown in white and in all but one case should never be left blank. There are only two significant data points on this form; the name of the "Town" and the "Print code".  The print code is only useful if you want to print a switch list for all trains servicing the industries in that town.  If you want the switch list you would enter a 1 in the "Print Code" box and list the train numbers in the column on the right.  These can be added after the Train File is created.  All of the fields can be edited at a later date.  This process is outlined in the CAROUTE system manual.

Always save the file before returning to the Main Menu.

 

The Industry File

 

The Industry File is next.  Industries are always a subset of a town; they can be listed as a industry name, spur, yard, interchange, destination, or anything else for that matter.  The program logic uses the number associated with a industry, not the name.  The same is true for Towns, Cars and Trains.  I made a list of all my industries, again from east to west before I started my data entry.  I'm not going to list my entire Industry File but here is a sample for Chattanooga:

1. Chattanooga (Staging)

1. NS De Butts Yard
2. CSX Waycross/Jacsonville
3. CSX Waycross/Tampa
4. CSX Atlanta Montgomery

All the industries (interchanges) could be combined but that would require a lot of shuffling around of cars in staging between operating sessions.  The program always assigns cars to the first available train that serves a destination/industry so it may route a car into staging on one train and out on another.  I didn't want that, especially on the upper level 80" above the floor.  Using the 4 different industries (interchanges) insure that trains always come out of staging the same way they went in and any block swapping is done at Preston Miller Yard in Bowling Green.

Here is a sample of the data imput screen for the Industry File.

Note:  A situation may occur where the program will try a send a car to a industry that is already full.  In that case, the program will route the car to the nearest industry with Yard code 1.  On my railroad, the various tracks in Preston Miller Yard are the only industries that have the Yard Code 1. The Industry Files for the town of Preston Miller Yard include the following:

1. Local
2. East Bound
3. East Bound Shorts
4. West Bound
5. West Bound Shorts

During the next operating session, the program will make another attempt to ship the car to the original destination.  If this happens repeatably, then the industry capacity is to small or there are to many cars on the layout with that destination.

The town of Preston Miller Yard should also be given the Print Code 1.  Then when the program generates switch lists, it will include one for Preston Miller Yard.  The resulting switch list can be used by the Preston Miller yard crew or yardmaster to help expedite the flow of cars in and out of the yard.  The Car File sample in the next sections includes routing through the town of Preston Miller Yard.

Always save the file before returning to the Main Menu.

The Car File

 

Here is where things get really interesting.  In order to facilitate this process, I took every piece of rolling stock off the layout and built the Car File car by car, industry by industry.  Each time I added a car to the Car File, it was placed on the layout at the appropriate location.   On my railroad, it  generally takes 4 cars to service a single spot industry during every operating session.  For example, Graham Packing in Bowling Green receives raw materials in 50' XM boxcars.  RBOX 10824 is one of 4 cars assigned and its waybill includes the following destinations:

1. Graham Packaging
2. Preston Miller Yard-East Bound
3. CSX Atlanta/Montgomery
4. Preston Miller Yard-Local

When I was setting up the layout, I placed RBOX 10824 on the inbound local track in Preston Miller Yard; industry 19, waybill Step 4.  During the next operating session, RBOX 10824 will be forwarded to Graham Packaging (Industry 33).  Additional destinations for ROBS 10824, up to 20, can be added at any time.  Destinations can also be edited or deleted at any time.  The Load Status is the status of the car entering the destination for that step of the waybill, 1 for load, 0 for empty.  Based upon this file, ROBX 1824 will arrive, loaded, at Graham Packaging every 4th operating session.

Here is an sample for the data input screen for the Car File

Always save the file before returning to the Main Menu.

The Train File

 

I find that developing the train files is more fun than work and a lot of different combinations can get the job done.  In fact, you can develop more that one Train File and change things up from time to time.  Again, the files are easily edited and the system will let you know if a car can't be moved because there isn't a train assigned to switch a particular industry.  Here is an example of the data input file for the Smith Grove Local.  The Smith Grove Local switches all the industries west of Bowling Green.  Note that the train originates and terminates at Gemco Yard.

Power assigned to the Smith Grove Local lays over at the Gemco Yard Office.

The case for Train Symbols

 

The MBG&C uses alpha numeric train symbols.  I think train symbols are one aspect of operations that many models discount or don't use at all.  Symbols give substance and depth to a train and a sense of reality to the layout.  They tell where the train came from, where it is going, it's purpose, and how it should be handled.   The trains symbols used on the MBG&C are based upon those used by the Southern Pacific prior to 1985.  The first group of two letters is the origin and the second group of two letters is the destination.  The last letter is the type of train.  For example the Memphis to Louisville SP run through carry's the symbol MFLOP (Memphis to Louisville Perishables).  The symbol tells us something about the train.  The MFLOP is a high priority freight with a block of reefers (Colton Block) coming out of California on SP's LAMFT.   The train will probably have big burly SP Tunnel Motors up front that will have to be swapped out for a brace of Paducah & Louisville GP-10's at Preston Miller Yard in Bowling Green.

The "Colton Block" passing through Bowling Green on the MFLOP (Memphis to Louisville Perishables).

My friend, Kurt Boyd, gave me theses "Blue Box" Athearn kits.  I assembled and weathered them in one evening and had them on the layout the next morning. Intermountain wheel sets, Kade #58 Couplers, an extra once of weight, and some weathering turned these inexpensive kits into perfectly good, in my opinion, layout quality models.

So now, if you see a couple of SP tunnel motors up front followed by a block of 57' PFE/SPFE reefers making track speed on the MBG&C, you'll know it's the "hot" MFLOP.  If you're the Preston Miller Yardmaster, you won't want to risk the wrath of the Terminal Superintendent by delaying the MFLOP.  And, if you are the crew assigned to the MFLOP you won't waist the dispatcher's time by asking to hold at Coalmont so you can scurry over to the mine's company store for a cup of coffee or a ice cold Mountain Dew.

Train types on the MBG&C

A    Auto Parts
K    Chemical
D    Drag
F    Forwarder
J    Juice Concentrate
L    Local
P    Perishable
T    Trailers/Containers (TOFC)
Y    General Merchandise

Origins/Destinations

BG   Bowling Green, KY
BE    Bedford Park, IL (CSX)
CH   Chattanooga, TN (CSX, NS)
ES    East St Louis, IL (CSX)
JA    Jacksonville, FL (CSX)
LO    Louisville, KY (CSX)
MA    Madisonville, KY (CSX, P&L)
MF    Memphis, TN (SP)
PB    Pine Bluff, AR (SP)
PS    Plum Springs, KY
RO   Rockwood, KY (NS)
TA    Tampa, FL (CSX)
WA   Waycross, GA

Switch Lists

 

So....  Now that all the work is done its time to print out the switchlists; go to the main menu and press SWITCH LIST and then press MAKE SWITCH LIST,   The program will ask you for a date or ID number for the switch list and then press OK.  At this point you have three options:

1. Preview Switch Lists 
2. Print Switch Lists
3. Output Switch List to File

Since I like to simplify and add  "Special Instructions" to my switch lists I normally preview and then output the Switch List to a file.  Then I load that file into Word, make any changes, and print out the switch list.  You can also print out the Beginning Status (car locations), the Final Status and errors and warnings. Once you are satisfied, you can press Return and then Update Files and you will be ready for the next operating system.  If you press Continue instead of Update Files, you will be taken back to the main menu and the system will not be updated.

Finally, creating the switch lists requires a complex inter-related set of data to work properly.  This generally means your data will require some fine tuning after the initial data entry.  I'm not done fine tuning my switch lists so a sample will have to wait for a future update.

CAROUTE can handle up to a 200 towns, 300 industries, 100 trains, and 1500 cars.  You might want to give it a try.

Finishing off the Upper Level Staging Yard

 

The track and wiring on the main part of the layout is all down and tested at this point.  As a result I am just finishing the upper staging yard and have started the bench work for the lower level. Originally, I planned to have the lower level staging yard on a swing gate in front of the garage door.  A couple of weeks ago, I changed my mind.  I concluded that keeping 6 tracks in alignment over a wide range of temperatures and changes in humidity probably wouldn't work.  Eventually Smith Grove will be located were the red toolbox is sitting.  The South Kentucky TOFC ramp and bulk transfer facility will be located in Smith Grove along with Bowling Green Metal Fabricators.  Trace Diecast was also supposed to be in Smith Grove but I have decided to replace it with Univar Solutions, a chemical ingrediant and solutions provider (tank cars).

Here is the entrance to the upper staging yard.  The far track, next to the backdrop, is the eastbound main.  The track in the foreground is the westbound main.  There are four double ended yard tracks inbetween the two mains.  If you include the east and westbound tracks for staging purposes, there are five tracks capable of holding at least three six axle diesels, 20+ cars and a caboose.  There is one shorter track capable of holding two six axle diesels, 14 cars and a caboose.  The turnouts are controlled by Tortoise switch machines.  At some point, I would like them to be dispatcher controlled.  In the meantime, they will be controlled by a small panel at Crockett.

The six tracks run down the west wall of the room and duck into the dispatchers office through a hole in the wall.  The track here is Peco Code 83.

A view from the dispatcher side.  Here, the eastbound main is on the far left.  It loops around the dispatchers office and becomes the west bound main as it ducks back through the hole in the wall..  The radius around the loop is 34"

And finally, here is a view of the dispatchers office from just outside the door.  The bench work for the lower level stub in staging yard is in front of the window.  A couple of the lower level staging yard will duck through the near wall, to the left of the doorway, and continue another 6 feet above my work desk.

Roster Additions

Two additional locomotives have been added to the fleet.  Both were purchased with pre-installed Tsunami2 decoders; both have working rooftop beacons. some light weathering (MIG Panel Line Wash) and came equipped with Kadee couplers.  All I did was install a TCS KA2 Keep Alive and reprogram the speed curve, momentum, and volume.  Both are Master Series Atlas GP-38's.  These are the first two locomotives on the layout in the Y2 paint scheme.

  

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