Paperwork!

Many individuals have asked me about documentation used during Operating Sessions. So this web page briefly talks about how each document is created, and provides examples of all of the paperwork used to facilitate operations. Enjoy!

https://sites.google.com/site/willowcreekrr/paperwork/P1090382%20sm.jpg

Register of Train Movements

The Register is essentially the "Sequence Schedule" -- the order in which trains are run during an operating session. I create the Register using MS Word and print it on 8.5x11-inch paper. An example of a Register is provided on the Operating Session Guide web page.

Yardmaster Arrival/Departure Guides

The Guide provides a yardmaster with information about the arrival and departures of trains as listed in the Sequence Schedule. Separate Guides are prepared for the Waverly Yardmaster and the Bucky's Crossing Yardmaster. The Guides are created using MS Excel, but MS Word could just as easily be used. Examples of the two Guides are provided on the Operating Session Guide web page.

Waybills and Car Cards

Waybills are inserted into the Car Card sleeves to identify the routing of a car. Customized Waybills on the Willow Creek have been created using MS PowerPoint. This enables me to print (rather than hand write) the specific information that operators need for routing cars during an operating session. A single Waybill represents a 2-cycle routing of a car -- i.e., the Waybill shows one destination for a car, and then when turned upside down shows a second subsequent destination. I create a pair of Waybills and put them back-to-back in the sleeve of the Car Card. This essentially gives me a 4-cycle (4 destinations) Waybill. A downloadable example of my Waybill file is provided below.

I also create my own Car Cards using standard buff-colored file folders, customized with computer printed car labels and a colored photo of each car. A PDF file with complete instructions for creating my Car Cards is provided at the bottom of this web page.

Train Orders

Train Order cards identify a train to be operated and include the train number, type of train (e.g., Through Freight), point of departure, and operating instructions for the engineer. Train Order cards are prepared using MS Word and are laminated to make them more durable for operating sessions. An example Train Orders file is provided below.

Engine Cards

Engine Cards give the operator important information about each locomotive, including the type of locomotive, the DCC address, key DCC function key assignments, and any special instructions pertaining to the locomotive. I create Engine Cards using MS PowerPoint and print the cards on tan-colored paper to differentiate them from other operating session cards. I also laminate the Engine Cards to make them more durable. An example Engine Card file is provided below.

Yellow Train Cards

These cards are very similar to Train Orders except they only identify the train (train number and type) and where the train departs. I create these cards using MS Word and print them on yellow paper so they are easily identifiable. Train Cards are used by Yardmasters to place in bill boxes during operating sessions to identify the track where a train is being built, or that has been built and is awaiting departure. Yellow Train Cards are also used in bill boxes for the Spokane Staging Yard to tell operators on which track trains are located in the staging yard. An example file for the Train Cards is provided below.

"Family Portrait"

The image below shows you all of the types of cards used during a Willow Creek operating session, and shows you their relative sizes. From left to right -- Engine Card, Yellow Train Card, Train Order, Car Card (with waybill in the sleeve), and a separate Waybill (2-cycles shown here). The Car Card is from Micro-Mark; the other cards are customized for the Willow Creek.

https://sites.google.com/site/willowcreekrr/paperwork/Portrait%20of%20all%20Cards%20sm.jpg

Documentation Examples: The following examples of operating session documentation are available for download. These files were created using Microsoft's Word and PowerPoint software using the Windows 10 Operating System.