Car Cards

[engineAL]

I am trying to figure out how to operate my model railroad and came across these: http://www.nmra.org.au/Pages/waybills.html. I figured out how to fill out the waybills, but I must be stupid or something because I cannot figure out what to put on the car cards. I know what the car # is, but what is the road name referring to? Is it like CSX, B&O...? Also, is the type like Hopper, Boxcar...? Then why would it be replaced by the reporting mark on the type two card that is mainly for n-scale because you cannot see it? Thanks for clarifying this for me.

MRR should make an operations how-to.

[dehusman]

WWtrain

I figured out how to fill out the waybills, but I must be stupid or something because I cannot figure out what to put on the car cards. I know what the car # is, but what is the road name referring to?

In the US each car is identified by "reporting marks" which consiste of the initials of the railroad or company owning or operating the car (e.g PRR, B&O, UP, CSXT, SHPX, RBOX, TTX, FURX....)and the number of the car. 

In addition most people put the car type on the car.

Other information might be the color of the car, a picture of the car, its owner, its home road, any comments about special loading restrictions or any other special information.

   MRR should make an operations how-to.

Already been done.  There are several books on operations out there and over the last couple decades MR and other magazines have published dozens of articles on operations, in addition the Operations Special Interest Group publishes a quarterly magazine on operations, the Dispatch Office.  You can join the OpSig and subscribe to an online version of the Disp Office for $5 a year.

[cuyama]

WWtrain

MRR should make an operations how-to.

Realistic Model Railroad Operation: How to Run Your Trains Like the Real Thing by Tony Koester

Operations SIG on-line membership has gone up to $7, but is still a great value.

[jeffrey-wimberly]

Don't know if you have this yet but a car card generator could be of use to you.

[wedudler]

I wrote How to car card & way bills. there you can see how I make and use them.

Wolfgang

[ratled]

MRR should make an operations how-to.

There is this DVD (3rd down)

Description of Running Trains...Anatomy of and Operating Session

http://paulscoles.com/V3_description.html

Paul takes you along on an actual operating session with a group of friends on his layout.  He shows how to create and use schedules and train orders to bring your layout to life in an "almost protypical" manner.  Watch as Paul and the other operators deal with scheduled and unscheduled events!

 

ratled

[Graffen]

jeffrey-wimberly

Don't know if you have this yet but a car card generator could be of use to you.

I´ll second that!

Best website ever!

[engineAL]

jeffrey-wimberly

Don't know if you have this yet but a car card generator could be of use to you.

I just looked at that, and it is just what I was looking for when I found the the other website! Thank you!

[rockislandnut]

You can get car cards and others here also.

http://www.micromark.com/Waybills-Pad-of-100,8278.html

[BRAKIE]

Here's a example of my basic waybill..Each car has 10.

 

As you can see its a no frills waybill with direct routing.

Let's say that was a BN car loaded with bags of cement from Washington..It would be routed BN CSX.

 

And the car cards look like this.

 

I use a very basic and straight forward method.

 

Cars from BN,UP,SP etc is "When empty return  via reverse route."

[chatanuga]

Here's how I started up operations on my layout.

http://chatanuga.org/WLMRops.html

Kevin