07-21-2010, 08:32 PM
Hey Richard, per your request, I went over your ideas and I came up with, yet another, idea for you. I took the liberty of using your playing card idea and "tweaked" it a bit. Then I added some of my own ideas and brought them together. Here's what I came up with:
Instead of using playing cards, use index cards instead. Index cards give you more writing space to alter or add situations. Besides, they are easy to shuffle - like a deck of cards. So, here we go:
For EACH railcar, make out at least 2 or 3 index cards. Each seperate index card will give a different situation for the same car. Make sure you shuffle your deck fully before you start. You decide how many cards (cars) to start with (pick). If you pick the same card (car), just place it back in the deck. The cards (cars) you pick become your "inbound interchange". These are the cars you will be handling during your operating session.
Let's start: You picked up your 1st index card and it belongs to a boxcar - RBOX 32085. This index card states the following:
RBOX 32085 (L) (CR) spot at Industry A, middle door. When empty return to CR.
So place this car on your inbound interchange track and pick another card.
The information here is telling your crew that you received a loaded (L) car from Conrail (CR). It's to be spotted at Industry A at middle door (situation). When car is empty it must be interchanged back to CR (situation). You have created 2 situations for this car on 1 index card. Car must be placed at a exact location and must be returned to CR when empty.
Now continue picking index cards for as many railcars as you want to handle. What you add for information is up to you. Be creative so that you keep your operators "on their toes".
Now I said to make out at least 2 or 3 index cards for each car to create different switching routines for the same car. If you keep going to the same place with the same car all the time, it could get boring. So that being said, let's create another index card for the RBOX 32085. It could read something like this:
RBOX 32085 (E) (CR) place car to RIP track for repairs per Car Department. When repaired place to storage track.
These instructions tell your crew that the "car department" found something wrong with this car (situation) and they need it placed on RIP track for repairs (situation). That's it. Maybe your Kadee is hanging low or your missing a hand brake wheel. But when car dept. repairs the car, it must be placed on storage track (situation).
See, be creative and think about your own "situations". Situations ALWAYS show that you are doing something with a railcar other than just running around a loop of track.
I hope this answers some of your questions - maybe created more. Either way, let me know. I can walk you through it. Oh yes, don't put the cards back in the deck UNTIL the cars are interchanged back to the originating carrier (CR). Keep them in your "played" pile.
Instead of using playing cards, use index cards instead. Index cards give you more writing space to alter or add situations. Besides, they are easy to shuffle - like a deck of cards. So, here we go:
For EACH railcar, make out at least 2 or 3 index cards. Each seperate index card will give a different situation for the same car. Make sure you shuffle your deck fully before you start. You decide how many cards (cars) to start with (pick). If you pick the same card (car), just place it back in the deck. The cards (cars) you pick become your "inbound interchange". These are the cars you will be handling during your operating session.
Let's start: You picked up your 1st index card and it belongs to a boxcar - RBOX 32085. This index card states the following:
RBOX 32085 (L) (CR) spot at Industry A, middle door. When empty return to CR.
So place this car on your inbound interchange track and pick another card.
The information here is telling your crew that you received a loaded (L) car from Conrail (CR). It's to be spotted at Industry A at middle door (situation). When car is empty it must be interchanged back to CR (situation). You have created 2 situations for this car on 1 index card. Car must be placed at a exact location and must be returned to CR when empty.
Now continue picking index cards for as many railcars as you want to handle. What you add for information is up to you. Be creative so that you keep your operators "on their toes".
Now I said to make out at least 2 or 3 index cards for each car to create different switching routines for the same car. If you keep going to the same place with the same car all the time, it could get boring. So that being said, let's create another index card for the RBOX 32085. It could read something like this:
RBOX 32085 (E) (CR) place car to RIP track for repairs per Car Department. When repaired place to storage track.
These instructions tell your crew that the "car department" found something wrong with this car (situation) and they need it placed on RIP track for repairs (situation). That's it. Maybe your Kadee is hanging low or your missing a hand brake wheel. But when car dept. repairs the car, it must be placed on storage track (situation).
See, be creative and think about your own "situations". Situations ALWAYS show that you are doing something with a railcar other than just running around a loop of track.
I hope this answers some of your questions - maybe created more. Either way, let me know. I can walk you through it. Oh yes, don't put the cards back in the deck UNTIL the cars are interchanged back to the originating carrier (CR). Keep them in your "played" pile.
Doing my best to stay on track and to live each day to it's fullest, trying not to upset people along the way. I have no enemies.....just friends who don't understand my point of view.
Steve
Let's go Devils!
Steve
Let's go Devils!