Operations with a Computer Spreadsheet
Operations on the Webster Groves & Fenton RR
by Dave Roeder, MMR |
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Early operations
The Webster Groves & Fenton RR was planned from the start as
an operations oriented railroad. I wanted
lots of switching and as many rail side industries as
possible to create traffic. Compromises had to be
made. The time period of the 1980's made some of the
switching somewhat fanciful and the train lengths
were shorter than prototypical, but operations came first. I
started out in 1994 as soon as the track work
was down and some scenery was in place.
The first sessions were very informal using hand written
switch lists made up on the spot. I would invite
a random group of guys over and we would run the switch
lists as best we could. These early switch lists
were the basis for my emerging operations schedule. I soon
realized that the computer was a much more
efficient way to keep switch lists. The next step was to get
organized and put the trains in some sort of
order. Since I was not interested in doing it exactly like
the real railroad, it was a simple matter to
number the trains I had staged in the main yard and send
them out in that order.
It soon became apparent that we had too many through trains,
so I started tweaking the schedule to create
a total of 12 jobs that could be done in about 3 hours with
a crew of 6 or 7 people. I was not able to
eliminate all of the through trains on my first pass at a
schedule. This was caused by not having enough
trackside industries and not having industries that matched
the freight we were trying to deliver. You
can't have coal hoppers at a grain elevator or tank cars at
a rock quarry. I had way too many flat
cars with nice loads and no place to deliver them. I had
boxcars with roof walks and gondolas with rivets.
This was when I entered into the brutal phase of "thinning
the herd." I had to get rid of any freight cars
that did not fit the era or were of no use on the railroad.
I gave some away, sold some; and in general
just took them off the layout and hid them in boxes. The
layout now runs with 220 freight cars. I will not
add more, if I get something newer or better, then something
else goes. It is a discipline that must be
adhered to if I want to run 12 trains as scheduled.
The details of operation
The railroad has a single track main line with a loop for
continuous running, but during operating
sessions the railroad runs as a point to point layout. I
re-set the jobs between each monthly session. The
schedule is done in excel spreadsheet with a separate sheet
for each train order. A master schedule sheet
provides the dispatcher with the overall game plan and each
train order has notes describing the details
of the switching moves. Sidings are all numbered and
turnouts are lettered. The control panels have full
details showing numbered sidings as well as lettered
turnouts. Manual ground throws are all close to the
fascia. I have made 1/4" diameter metal discs soldered to
.031” music wire with the turnout letters on them
to assist crews in identifying the various powered turnouts
in the switching areas. These can be rotated
sideways for photography making them invisible.
Other operational aids include clearly marked names on all
major areas of activity, Place names and
directional arrows for all destinations mentioned on the
train orders. These items are all generated on
the computer in an Excel spreadsheet using Microsoft word
art and draw. I provide hooks to hold the
clipboards with train orders and schematics as well as cup
holders for beverages. The most common requests
are for more cup holders. The floor is covered with black
foam rubber interlocking squares and I have
numerous bar stools for seating. I provide various devices
for uncoupling cars since everyone seems to
prefer a different type. The most recent is a 1/4" wood
dowel sharpened in a pencil sharpener.
#108 The Valley Park Cement Train
The paperwork for train #108 is typical of the jobs run on
the WG&F during one of the monthly sessions.
This train is blocked and has the power attached. It sits in
Lindenwood yard ready to go lacking only a
crew and a caboose. We run cabooses because I like the looks
of them on the rear of the freights.
Caboose Tale
The BN had gotten rid of cabooses by the 80's, but as late
as 1993 there were still some holdouts,
including one in the Hall Street Yard in north St. Louis.
The yard crew used it to eliminate long walks in
the cold when blocking cuts of grain cars. The story was
that it had been taken off the books but escaped
the cutting torch. It was lost to the BN but not to the yard
crews who made good use of it.
Getting out on the road
When train #108 is ready to depart, the crew (one person)
takes the train order from the dispatcher and
checks the consist. (A copy of the train order for #108 is
included. This is the paperwork carried by the
engineer. Pencils are provided for use in marking off cuts
of cars on the train order as they are
blocked.) This train has 2 locomotives placed back to back
since it has to move West first, then East for
two more moves.
The engineer pulls down the yard lead to clear the switch
for the caboose track. A reverse move allows him
to pick up the next caboose in line. Train #108 is not
released until the switching crew (two people) over
in Valley Park have blocked the empties and communicated
this to the dispatcher. After getting clearance
for the move, train #108 pulls out and proceeds directly to
Valley Park. Upon arrival, they drop off 13
cars per the orders and then wait until the switching crew
puts 15 cars on the rear of what was the front
of the train coming in to Valley Park. The caboose is also
placed at the opposite end of the train as it
came in.
The next move takes the 15 car train out on to the single
track main heading East to the Webster Groves
Yard. Sometimes traffic on the main will require #108 to
hold a siding while some other work is done. If
all goes as planned, #108 arrives in Webster Yard where the
yardmaster accepts 4 set outs from the front
of the train. The remaining 11 cars and caboose then request
permission to head East once again returning
to Lindenwood Yard. The train enters Lindenwood Yard from
the East and pulls into yard lead #4. This ends
the job.
Plan it, Build it, Run it
There is no substitute for running trains to gain experience
and confirm your general direction as the
railroad takes on a more finished look and the operating
crew becomes more familiar with your overall
operation scenario. Early operation sessions pointed out the
need for changes in rolling stock and a
switch from 6 axle to 4 axle diesels. These are things I did
not see when doing the track plan. A
good track plan is a requirement, but you also need to have
operation experience to create a smooth
running railroad.
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