Operating a layout question

[Ralph]

I'm not sure how they use the playing cards but I made up my own deck of cards with the names of my layout's industries on them. I've made two cards for each industry, one representing deliveries or set-outs to that business (with the letter "S" on the backside of the card), and the other representing pick-ups with the letter "P" on the backside). The cards include a little information about what kinds of cars might be associated with each business. I shuffle the cards and decide how many I want to select. I then deal out that number of cards and create a train and set up the layout accordingly.

For example, if I decide to deal myself 10 cards I might get six set-outs, three pick-ups, and maybe one industry that needs both a pick-up and set-out. Before starting operations I place freight cars at the industries the cards indicate need pick-ups and then create a train that includes the cars needed for the set-outs. I build the train with the set-out cars arranged in the most sensible order for convenient delivery. When I feel like it, I make a written switch list of these cars and use it as I run the train. I've experimented with using dice to determine how many cars each industry needed set-out or picked-up but it became cumbersome for me so I just decide myself if more than one car might be needed for any particular industry.

Here is a card for one of the customers on my layout. This one has the letter "P" on the backside to indicate "Pick-up".


I might decide that there are two cars to pick up at Hedberg's....


This quick and easy system creates provides some randomness to make things interesting (I never know for sure which industries I'll be switching) but the operations make some sense. Appropriate cars come and go to the industries they would serve. Its been fun for me!

Ralph