Operations

Operations have evolved on the layout over the years. I first got interested in operations by operating on my friend Jack Langley's layout. I later joined the Operations Sig and learned more.
We started out using waybills that I had printed at the local print shop. The dispatcher would issue instructions to crews by FRS radio. We next started using McFall carcards and waybills followed by a prototypical waybill. We now use waybill I created that is easier to read.
The next evolution was switchlists. I cycled the waybills and made up the switchlists. Besides me only yardmasters used the waybills. Road crews get a manifest and locals use a switch list. At the yards the yardmasters had a card pocket for every train that is leaving cars in the yard. They used these to classify cars.This system proved to take too long to stage.
The railway was next operated using the OCS system which was introduced in Canada in 1990 with the CROR. This is 8 years too new for our era but worked. The Squamish sub was dispatched using TT&TO in 1982 and that is the system we currently use. The dispatcher can use an excel dispatcher board to track trains or a train sheet. This has worked well. We also use a simpler system I call Easyops when we have fewer operators or for the group that likes things simpler. It is 90% TT&TO with no dispatcher, OSing, clearances or registers.
Control is via Digitrax DCC using UT4, UT4D and wifi throttles.
Operating positions include: dispatcher, Squamish yard, North Vancouver yard, CWR turn,Squamish Switcher, Squamish Wayfeight, North Vancouver wayfreight and road crews.
See the links on the side panel for more information on operations.