Phase Two Operations Planning

Schematic of Phase One and Two

The trackwork is all working, and my plan is to work on my initial operations planning while unpacking and checking rolling stock. As I mentioned in my last post, I want to make sure everything is working smoothly and aligning with a first phase operations approach before moving into track painting, ballasting, or other scenery. 

The advantage of including the Ferndale Jct. yard and the Great Northern interchange with the mainline in Ferndale is in providing both a connection to the rest of the world and for a diversity in roles for a solo operator. Byron Henderson explicitly recommends including a classification yard with switching operation for solo operators in a post on his Layout Vision website to highlight a variety of roles with resultant "fun". When or if I move into having others visit to operate, I may want to work towards the NMRA Dispatcher Achievement Program. Their minimum requirements include "at least two mainline trains plus yard switching in simultaneous operation." Even if I am not working towards the NMRA's operations AP certificate, I find their AP programs provide structure and guidance; why not plan to meet their minimum? 

My approach is to start simple and then build complexity. This approach aligns with the fact that I will be operating by myself. Again, why not align my simple start with the NMRA AP framework minimums of "some system of freight and passenger train and car movements." 

I intend to start my initial solo operations, at least formal solo operations using a "sequence of trains" traffic control system. In an earlier post, I described how I might use Daily Train Line-up forms in such a system. Now, in order to use a sequence of trains system, I will need to start by figuring out what trains I plan to sequence. This will be based on the story I am attempting to tell as well as the industries and rolling stock I plan to use. 

In the engineer/conductor role, I plan to use switch lists to provide the information needed for car forwarding. I provided an overview of switchlists in a post from a number of years ago. At least in solo operations, I plan to just use a switchlist to provide the information needed to accomplish the car pick ups and set outs that are planned for that train's job. As the 4th Subdivision grows beyond phase two or as the operating crew grows the paperwork may expand, but for now a switch list is it for the train crew. While I have a number of these switch lists on hand, I have two changes that I might make on the master before having more printed: a more era appropriate logo and the addition of AAR codes for ore and covered hopper cars.

Yesterday, I started unboxing some rolling stock, focusing on what I call the "Rock Train." Part of this train is made up of the transfer of limestone from a quarry near Sumas, Washington on the NP line to the Olympic Portland Cement Company in Bellingham, Washington. In real life this transfer was done on a Milwaukee Road line, but in my version the GN 4th Subdivision was in Whatcom county, not the Milwaukee Road. Also in the so-called Rock Train would be covered hoppers transporting silica sand from a (fictional) silica sand quarry near the end of the branch. 

I cleaned wheels, checked couplers and weight of the four or five cars ready for this train that I unboxed. I also checked that they had appropriate waybills in their existing car cards. While unboxing them, I also gathered some other cars that are on hand, but need work to be a part of the rock train. I ordered an NP gondola from ebay to also bolster the rolling stock for this major revenue and traffic source for the 4th subdivision. The car cards and waybills will be needed for classification in the yard, even though they will not be used by the switch crew. 

Although I will be a solo operator, I see that as the system develops I will need to (or get to) fill several roles: engineer, yard master, and traffic manager or freight agent.