Shipping to others

[Lester Perry]

I am not sure of how this would work but. I have a Gern Flux processing plant, Some one else might have a Gern Flux dealer or distributor. They would need Flux shipped to them.I have a furniture plant, someone else might have a steel mill that manufactures springs and steel components. I have a saw mill that produces Kiln dried finished material. Ideally the person with steel mill would have a need for wood which could be sent when their car is returned. I have a few questions.

1 Does this sound interesting to anyone?
2 If we did this how would it be coordinated / dispatched?
3 Can it be successfully done?
4 Has anyone been involved in anything like this before?

[Ralph]

I can answer question #1. YES!

[Green_Elite_Cab]

So we're talking shipping trains literally to eachothers layouts?

[jwb]

Railroad Line Forums has a program that's maybe somewhere between the Big Blue boxcar thingy here and what you have in mind. In that, each participant sends one car from his layout (whether private-road or just anything off his layout) around on a circuit determined by the number of people who sign up in a given year. There's no "interchange" per se, in the sense that modeler A models the DM&IR and sends ore to a steel mill on modeler B's PRR layout. Instead, a sort of freelance narrative has been imposed that I find somewhat silly.

There are some features of that program that I don't like and can see not being used in a better one. The first is that it's sort of an annual event, you have to sign up well in advance, and if you miss the deadline, you can't even ask to get in until the following year. This stifles interest from potential participants. The second is, again, the rather silly narrative that accompanies the posts.

The good feature is that it furthers the fellowship and creativity that can be at its best on a good forum (like this one). On one hand, though, there's no special need that it be associated with a forum, though if the forum is good, there's offline interaction among many members, and that would simply foster this sort of interchange. On the other hand, if it were completely offline, it could lead to in-groupery and cliquishness.

Another issue could be that Modeler A has weekly op sessions and wants to route his ore offlline in some quantity, but he can't locate a Modeler B who has a big enough steel mill and op sessions frequent enough to satisfy A's requirements. The whole thing would have to be flexible enough to accommodate this sort of discrepancy.

You'd also have to deal with the problems of modelers losing cars, cars getting lost in the mail, modelers losing interest, etc. But heck, for starters, I'd contribute an expendable car or two or three to this sort of program!

[MasonJar]

Perhaps a sort of "inventory" could be compiled, in terms of what you have, and what you are willing to do. For example, my layout is far from complete, but based on my current plans, I could:

1) forward/interchange anything across OA&GB or CNR rails (e.g the Dominion Flux Turbine loaded on a flat)
2) accept various GERN products for retail sale (bagged flux, GERN HOTCoal, etc) by less-than-carload

I currently have no GERN production facility, and no post-processing facility either. Only retail sale.

If we build such a list, perhaps the possibilities will become more clear.


Andrew

[jwb]

GERN is just one of the possibilities that Les listed, and others, like cut lumber, would have wider potential. And naturally, if even a very small layout has just a team track, a great many items could be shipped even to that layout.

I do think part of the fun would be posting photos and maybe even "paperwork" of the interchange moves.

[jwb]

Here's a first cut at what industries on my layout produce and the car types involved:

Coal -- HM and HT hoppers
Logs -- AAR interchange FL log cars
Cut lumber -- FM, LU, FBC, FB, XM
Wood chips -- GTS
Grain -- XM, LO
Flour -- LO
Machine tools -- XM, XL, FM, FD
Shoes -- XM, XL
Soda ash -- LO
Talc -- XM, LO

Here's what some consignees receive:

Cement -- XM, LO
Paper -- XM, XP
Beer -- RBL, RP
Produce -- RS, RP
Coal -- HM, HT
Cut lumber -- XM, FB, LU, FBC, FM
Steel pipe, wire, etc -- GB
Transformers -- XM, FB, FD

I'd be interested to work with any members who might be willing to work out some kind of interchange pattern using this sort of equipment, including the possibility of including some kind of "paperwork".

[MasonJar]

If we expand the focus, we may run the risk of getting very complicated, very quickly. But I do like the idea of knowing what the other members' industries are though - in case I need anything.

Marlpost, Ontario (circa 1920s & 30s):

Receivers -

Small co-op type store - anything for retail/special order from bagged feed to tractors including the full line of GERN products for farmers
Fuel dealer - oil, coal, and anything else bulk
Ice - Ice in reefers or insulated box cars (winter)
Stock yard - stock cars of sheep, hogs, cattle
Interchange - just about anything
Team track - ditto


Shippers -

Elevator - Grain/feed mixes
Station - express, milk, chicks in boxes
Stock yard - watered & fed sheep, hogs, cattle
Interchange - forwarding
Team track - anything conceivably produced in the first part of the 20th century in a rural town in Southern Ontario; spring may include saw logs for furniture or flooring, fall shipments may include bulk loaded sugar beets, turnips, apples in gons

I am thinking of adding a canoe factory and a small foundry that produces wood stoves.

[jwb]

Maybe for simplicity, we could limit it to certain car types? For a wide variety of eras, a lot of things could go in an XM box, for instance.

[Tyson Rayles]

Is this for HO only? If not how do you get around the different scales issue?

[tomustang]

So Les, you thinking of a national shipping/waybill system on a model railroad scale?

[jwb]

If you're going to have physical cars actually appearing and being photographed and operated on another layout, I don't see how you can get around the scale or gauge issue. On the other hand, you could certainly have an N gauge circuit and an HO (or any other scale) circuit, depending on interest. And if it's just two guys exchanging cars, so be it.

I'm wondering if a good approach might be to do it starting as a pilot project, adopting what works and not adopting stuff that doesn't. If it's two guys starting out, that's fine, they'd begin to get an idea of what works. (For that matter, if guys in the UK, Germany, or wherever wanted to participate, I don't see an obstacle -- you'd just have to work out what the best way would be to ship, declare the stuff for customs, and so forth.)

[Lester Perry]

I kind of think ship at your own risk. Knowing that proper care would be given all cars. Which could be explained in the rules.( hopefully that would eliminate any hard feelings ) Any repairs needed could be performed by the person who is holding it after owner is notified. Shipping container ( BOX ) would be supplied by the owner. Paper work? yes, that would be how you could keep track of you equipment. It is possible you could have more than one car out at any given time, if you allow it. "

MasonJar"]If we expand the focus, we may run the risk of getting very complicated, very quickly. But I do like the idea of knowing what the other members' industries are though - in case I need anything.

So if he orders a Gern product from me and someone else orders some lumber then I could if I allow it have two cars out. This could get as big as we / you want it to. If you can supply 5 different needs / orders at one time and want to send out 5 cars so be it remembering it is at your own risk. If you wish only one at a time that is OK too.
Photos could be a requirement.
FOOD FOR THOUGHT.

[Lester Perry]

As far as scale goes. If one is started in scale A you could watch it, see how it goes and start one in scale B if you desire.

[jwb]

So Les, why not draft up a set of rules for us to look at? I've got to say this sounds like a good idea, and I'm basically in.