Aids for operating the P&SF

Operation is fun, but it also requires some paperwork and some time for set up.

I use the well known CarCards and WayBills (CC&WB) system, with a little twist.

I print my own CarCards on heavy cardstock using EMRI - Easy Model Railroad Inventory. The program can be downloaded here.

I found an Excell sheet on the late Wolfang Dudlers site (link) and based my WayBills on his sheet, but with some significant changes.

First – I do not use four cycles per WayBill that needs to be turned. I use only one cycle per waybill, but have two to four or even more WayBills in each pocket of a CarCard.

Second  - I have have color codes for different switching areas and staging, making it easier for my crew when sorting cars.

For now I do not have details on what goodies the car ships, just the industry and the industrial area or staging.

I also have some cards with HOLD telling the crew to replace the car at the same spot.

My crews follow the instructions on the WayBills, but do not turn them or move them.

Between the opsessions I do move the front WayBill in the pocket of each CarCard to the back of the stack in the pocket.

I have mounted some boxes from Micro Mark for the CC&WB cards. I have also made some taller cards with appropriate colors the yardmaster can use when he is blocking the trains. I have also written some instructions on those.

I have schematic plans for the yard or industrial district hanging in clear plastic envelopes beneath the boxes. This is an idea I found on the great MRH-forum.
I also has schematic plans for the whole layout hanging around.

I have no timetable, but a loosely based sequens set up for the trains we are running.

A pair of passenger trains, the ”Hassayampa Chief” and a motorcar runs from Phoenix Union Station to staging and back during the opsession.

All freight trains are extras. The yardmaster calls for a freight train out of Mobest yard when he has 14-16 car going west or east, which still is to the same way to small staging yard.

We try to not send freight trains to the yard when the yard crews has lot of work.

I have also made  a kind of instruction sheet for each train. This has some instructions on trainhandling and use of horns, some tips, the number for the DCC decoder and a list of the functions of that decoder.

There is a system map and also a switchlist on the back side for those who wants to use such a list.

The opsessions are very informal, and we do have lots of fun operating the layout