Train Orders revisited.

Not a new idea as we have Train Orders for the ore train and coal train right now, but this is a different way to use them. This is also the ideal time to institute it with a new start up on the horizon. This would be somewhat like orders produced by programs like Shipit.
Sample train order
MAINLINE FREIGHT A                        A or card colour designates like consist list.
1 FLAT CAR, 1 STOCK CAR, 3 COVE'R HOPPER, 3 BOX CARS.              consist

VALLEYVIEW  ZORRA CEMENT WHAREHOUSE            Lcation & industry
SET OUT   2  BOX CARS      EMPTY
PICKUP     2 BOX CARS       BAGGED CEMENT

SPRINGBANK       TEAM TRACK
SET OUT    1 BOX CAR             BAGGED CEMENT
                    1 FLAT CAR           LOADED                                Has to be generic
PICKUP      1 BOX CAR             EMPTY
                    1 FLAT CAR            LOADED

LINCOLN      FREIGHT STATION
SET OUT     1 BOX CAR             BAGGED CEMENT
PICKUP       1 BOX CAR             HARDWARE
                       BUCKLEY MILLS                                       2ND INDUSTRY IN LINCOLN
SET OUT     3 COV HOPPER      GRAIN
PICKUP       3 COV HOPPER      EMPTY
                       STOCK YARD
SET OUT     1 STOCK CAR         CATTLE
PICKUP       1 STOCK CAR         EMPTY

JUTLAND     CORRAL
SET OUT      1 STOCK CAR        EMPTY
PICKUP        1 STOCK CAR        CATTLE

                          OVER ?                                        May have to add more to back side

What is the advantage of this over what we have now, you ask.
First, obviously you only have 1 card instead of several, to hold. Second the stops are listed in order, either top to bottom or bottom to top.Third because of the consist list, whoever makes up the train knows exactly what rolling stock is required.
Not so obvious. Before the train leaves a town, the consist can be checked, if incorrect, the TOWN STARTING LIST (to be made out when construction is complete), can be used to see where the missing or extra car should be, and corrections made. Now EVERYONE is responsible to keep everything correct, instead of 1 or 2 people. Switching is enhanced because you are now aware of what you are shipping and picking up and how commodities move around the layout instead of just swapping cars. The Friday crew could still make up and dismantle trains from the Wellington yard, as long as the swapping rules are followed. New cards can always be made.

Disadvantages, if an industry is moved several cards may have to be remade, but not unlike we have to do now. It would be nice if the open flat car and gondola loads could be standardized to have at least their LOADS identified, maybe 1 way would be the flat car in the Team Track in Lincoln is loaded with pipes and be replaced with a different load of pipes. We could also designate a load as machinery, which would allow for many types of machinery from a tractor to a large gear or transformer. Although oddball loads like say a transformer more complicated to fit into the train orders. There is a limitation as to how much information can be on a Train Order card.

Logistics. Using the above example we could make multiple train orders using this consist but change the switching, say the 2 BOXCARS switched at Zorra Cement could instead go to Bingham the Mover, the flat car for the Team Track could go to Allen Lumber, etc. Creating completely different switching lists. Cards with the same consist could be designated say A or the card could be a colour say red or yellow.
Then we make cards for 8 or more different consists, with cards of different  colours. We now have a minimum of 24 switching options, plus the ore and oil trains.

How does this play out? A train with a yellow consist card switching list, leaving Wellington would switch it's way to Elsewhere were it would be staged on an open track and the train order would be hung on the appropriate nail, as now done. A train leaving Elsewhere would switch it's way to Wellington and either be broken down in the yard or staged on an open track. The card would be hung on the appropriate nail or swapped with the next card of the same colour/consist. Defore dropping a train the consist should be verified against the Train Order,and corrected if necessary, keeping everything in order. This spreads the job of correcting switching errors to everyone not just a few, as a the information needed is right in front of the operator on a single card. JUST CHECK THE CONSIST LIST. Another check will be to verify the STARTING LOCATION LISTS posted at each town. If we end up running 2 man crews, this could also be done at each stop by 1 crew member, eventually covering every industry. Maybe a bit of over kill, but it would help everyone become more familiar on how our railroad works and why. This fundamental understanding will benifit all of us and help keep operation problems to a minimum, thus improving the enjoyment for everyone.

Muskoka & Simcoe County Model Layout Tour

15th ANNUAL:
MUSKOKA & SIMCOE COUNTY MODEL
RAILROAD LAYOUT TOUR.
“THE MUSKOKIAN”
SEPTEMBER 29th. 2019 10.00am to 6.00pm
GUIDE BOOKS AVAILABLE BY
SEPTEMBER 1st, 2019 SEE LINK AT BOTTOM
 plus LAYOUTS THIS YEAR FROM N TO G:
SPONSORED BY:
GEORGE'S TRAINS:
LAHAY’S HOBBY & CRAFTS:
CREDIT VALLEY RAILWAY:
ADMISSION BY DONATION:
ALL PROCEEDS DONATED TO SALVATION ARMY FOOD BANKS.
FURTHER INFORMATION
roger.berkeley@primus.ca; eamferris@icloud.com ;
GUIDE BOOKS WITH MAPS AVAILABLE AFTER SEPT 1ST @
www.nfr-nmra.org or
www.model-railroad-infoguy.com/muskoka-tour.html and follow link

Tuesday night at the Huff and Puff

Completed wiring all of block 7. The bus still needs to be hooked to the quad. Next week we will test out the system and start running. Alot of clean up was completed and general stuff was removed from the top of the layout.

Impromptu Wiring, Sunday Morning

I called Jim about some wiring and we decided to just go to the club and do it. He wired in a plug for power to the Lincoln Booster and Quad unit as I put in the holders and bus wires for the lower mainline #7. Jim also had to make a long communication cable to check out the quad. Having forgot his crimper and not being able to locate the communication cable we called Joseph. Coming to our rescue, Joseph showed up with his crimper and the location of the spool of cable.
Potential problems identified, the unit under Herons Landing seems to have connection problems, some of the communication cables seem to be wire different.
Good news, after hooking up Lincoln #8, the Quad unit was powered up and voila, no shorts.
The last piece of the lower mainline was put in and small spots of ballast were glued down. A little clean up included locating and throwing out all the small finishing nails I could find. Why? When these are used as track nails, their large heads deform the ties which could result in out of gauge track. Then we called it a day.
On Tuesday night we can solder in the feeders and test run the mainline.
We also found enough braided white wire to use with the black and white wire to make the bus wires for the new part of the branchline.

Pictures of the new lower mainline above shows it all laid down and in place. Great job everyone! The improvements made with this new arrangement include, but are not limited to, more aisle space (everyone likes this new, large, open area) , a passing siding on both approaches to Lincoln, a longer run from the spar tree to the sawmill, a better location for the coal mine, with it's own passing siding and easily reached turnouts. Can't wait for operations to resume.
Now we have to decide if we will run 3 of every 4 weeks and work on the 4th week, or some other schedule. Maybe some Sunday morning work days? The part of the branchline behind Lincoln can be worked on while operating the mainline, maybe even the Lakeview and sawmill area. During the branchline construction,  the section of it through Lincoln will not be powered, especially when wiring on it, is taking place.

Meeting night

Up coming trains shows were discussed, Woodstock's is Oct 20th. Update on the ongoing construction was presented, however we were 1 length of track short of competing the lower mainline, as projected. Next week we should be able to solder in the feeders and may get to do some testing. A break from construction to run the mainline for a few weeks,will allow us to tweak any problems. Work on the Ortona area which would not interfere with mainline running, could also continue.

To Do List

-Install lower mainline between Jutland and Lincoln. Turnout connecting the branchline to lower mainline needs to be part of this installation, don't forget it needs a gap on the diverging track and the branch line. The turnout to the gravel dock needs to be installed also.
-push test cars through new track work.
- add feeders and bus wires to new track work.
- make sure the turnouts connecting the branchline back to the mainline in front of Hillcrest Packers are gapped.
-Make sure feeders on the branchline where it loops around Lincoln are disconnected from the mainline bus for Lincoln.
-power up the system to check for shorts and that the boosters are wired correctly.
- drop all the curtains.
-test run some trains.
- Replace buildings on the mainline and any sidings to them, e.g.. La France and Union Ice.
- add scenery and ballast where needed.
                    ENJOY OPERATING ON THE NEW MAINLINE!

                                 WHATS NEXT?
-do we have enough 2 x 4s for the branchline tables?
- add background behind coal mine.
-plywood for the track to the gravel dock needs to be cut out and raised.
- the corner in this area needs to be prepared for the fascia.
-level the plywood in the sawmill area and cut out the log pond.
-If we have leftover backgrounds, should we replace Elsewhere's?
-figure out the location for the ore mine, possibly before the curve into Ortona, freeing up Ortona for a good sized yard, and more flexibility in branchline operations.
- should we build a turntable at the end of Ortona like, but smaller than the 1 in Elsewhere?
- put in a new plywood top at Ortona.
- build new benchwork between Ortona and Lincoln and between Lincoln and Lakeview.
-locate the stream course from the spar tree.
-continue design and installation of the new branchline.

Tuesday night at the Huff and Puff

Started out by setting up the sawmill complex and the gravel dock. After agreeing to the layout of these structures we went back to grading the lower mainline. After some adjustments to get the grade between 1.6 to 1.8 % the road bed was added. The area under the gravel dock was lowered 2 1/2 inches so that there will be a straight run to the track coming from Jutland.

Power and a shelf were added under Lincoln for a quad unit and it's power supply. As there is an unused terminal on this quad we decided to split the branchline into 2 sections.
Up for discussion, to simplify the trackwork and add more elevation separation between Lakeview and the lower mainline, we could remove the connection to the lower mainline near the sawmill. This would allow all of Lakeview to be lower. However this would mean you would have to back out of Lakeview to the turnout at the east end of Lincoln to get onto the lower mainline to continue on to Elsewhere.