Car Types

RxRR car forwarding system is based in part by switching the appropriate car type/size. 

Since there are several types and sizes for cars use the following as guidelines.

Tank Cars

          10K tank cars are for chemicals and are 25 scale feet long.  All other tank cars are 20K in size.

          Food Tanks usually will indicated “Corn Syrup” or a Corn logo on each side of car

          Petro cars will have a “P” or indicate an oil company like “Standard Oil”

Hoppers

          Chemical hoppers are either 2 bay or 3 bay in size

          Food Covered Hoppers have an “F” on plate on upper right side of car or indicated flour

Box Cars

          There is 40’ & 40’ High Cube (Taller and most have White strip on top of each end)

 50’ box & 50’ High Cube (Taller and most have White strip on top of each end)

          Mechanical reefers are same as insulated or refrigerated box cars

(Note: look for “I” on plate on upper right side of car)

          “All door” box cars have multiple doors on each side

Gondola

Gondola covered or not car types are interchangeable Usually carry scrap material.

“Coil Steel” are NOT interchangeable with other types

Yard Transfers

Yard Transfers use Car Order cards in the yards to fill “Car Order” requests found in the “UNFILLED” car order box at each yard.   On the Havana (see example below) or Sexton Yard boards, find your train and read to the right for finding the priority of switching districts to be focused on.  If a car in your train can “fill” a request then you set out car on to appropriate Local track in yard and place car order card into the “FILLED” box.  You can pick up cars from pick up tracks (Locals)  based upon train direction to have a maximum numbers of cars. Yard transfers do not take any cards.

Train Orders

Obtain Train Orders from Dispatcher.  Local trains have train numbers with first letter indicating destination town and yard transfers have 3 letters indicating originating yard, intermediate stops and destination plus 3 digit number. Review and consult route diagram if required, ie,   206 would be Departing Logan yard (Westbound) from track 6, stopping at Sexton and terminating at Gotham. The “MAIN” is the outside track (next to isle way) and “SIDING” is the inside track, except at Lynchburg where too much “Lynchburg lemonade” was drunk by design staff.   Contact Dispatcher via radio for instructions.   See Car Forwarding section for addition information.  Please read Train orders and ask questions before you start.  Document any problems, suggestions etc on train orders.

Local

Local trains will be made up from cards found in “Filled” Yard box.  Depending on destination you will have to sort through the cards and pick the appropriate cars.  Remember if car orders require a 50’ box and you see 3 of them on the local setout track, take any one of them. Again the max number of cars is indicated on top of the Yard Board.  Verify the Car Order Cards with the rolling stock in train.  Contact Dispatcher when ready to depart.   Proceed to your destination per train orders or dispatcher directions.  At the towns make pickups per “Pickup Orders” and Setouts per “Car Orders’.  Remember for pickups you cannot exceed maximum number of cars when leaving town and remove “Pickup” order card from ”PICKUP” box.  (You will take these cards back with you to the yard.)    You will notice on Card Orders for each industry a Siding # and Spot # for where the car is to be spotted.  These spots a indicated on fascia panels.   Place car order cards into “Setout” box after you have spotted the car. .   Before you leave town we must do the paper work shuffle.  First take cards found in “HOLD” box and flip them over to “PICKUP” side and place in pickup box. (These cars will be picked by next local).     Proceed per train orders. 

Control panel and box located on fascia for town or industrial district.

At the yard,  you will place car on appropriate outbound track as indicated on Pickup Order side of card.  Flip card over to "Car Order” side and place in “Unfilled” box.  If by chance you find a car that has been spotted before but no “PICKUP ORDER”  you may add car to you train.  If by chance you find a  PICKUP Order and no car, just take order back to yard, flip to “Car order side and place in “ Unfilled” box. 

Car Types

RxRR car forwarding system is based in part by switching the appropriate car type/size. 

Since there are several types sizes for tank cars use the following as guidelines.

            10K tank cars are for chemicals and are 25 scale feet long.  All other tank cars are 20K in size.

            Chemical hoppers are either 2 bay or 3 bay in size

            Food Cov Hoppers  have an “F” on plate on upper right side of car.

            Mechanical reefers are same as insulated or refrigerated box cars

(Note: look for “I” on plate on upper right side of car)

Communications

RxRR uses telephone intercom system for communications. 

Operating instructions

 Road Crews

            Calling Dispatcher. (Instructions on top of phone display)

1. Press “Menu” button and scroll down using large center button to "Intercom".
2. Press “Menu” button again.
3. Curser should be on Dispatcher.
4. Press "Menu" button and screen will indicate calling dispatcher.
5. If screen displays "Dispatcher not available" he/she is talking to someone else.
6. Repeat you call in a few minutes.
7. A typical conversation with dispatcher would be.

Road Crew            “Dispatch, this is Crew  # (7) Train 100.” ( Crew  # displayed on phone)

Dispatcher             “Go ahead Train 100”

Road Crew            “Setting at a Red at Ida junction”  See Relay box or fascia for name of OS section

Dispatcher             “Train 100  hold for Train 200 then proceed per signal indication”

Road Crew            “Train 100 to hold for Train 200 then proceed per signal indication, over”

8. To terminate call press "OFF".

          Receiving Call From Dispatcher

1. Phone will ring and display will indicate call from Dispatcher.
2. Press Green "Phone" button and listen to dispatcher.   
3. Once conversation is complete  Press RED "OFF" button.

 Dispatcher

            Calling Road Crews

1. Press "Menu/Select" Button .
2. Press down arrow key labeled "CID")
3. Press "Menu/Select" button Display will indicate "Crew 1"
4. Press the down key until you have crew that you want.
5. Press "Menu/Select" button and display will indicate "Calling Crew 7" and phone will be ringing.
6. To end call press "Speaker" button.

            Receiving Call From Road Crews.

1. When a call comes in.  Phone will ring and Display will indicate Crew #.
2. Just ignore, they can wait.  (Just Kidding)
3. Press "Speaker" button found on bottom right of phone and you will be connected.
4. Listen carefully and be patient as to why they have disturbed the "all great and wise Dispatcher".
5. To end call press "Speaker" button.

Dispatcher’s Panel

RXRR utilizes a 45” 4K LG TV to display and control the railroad.  Computer connections for input/output  is via C/MRI serial nodes. Since the railroad is a loop and most trains leave the interchange yard of Logan this is where the schematic is split and displayed. The panels provides various types of information, Track Status, Turnout Orientation and Control( CTC vs Local control(OFFLINE), Signal Indication, Direction Of Traffic(DOT), Track and Time at industrial switching districts and Train ID.  West is the left and East is to the right.  The curser will change based upon what function you a controlling, “+” for turnouts, hour glass for Direction of Traffic (DOT), and “I” beam for signals.  Basic operating procedure is first select route by via turnout control and then clicking on signal for DOT which turn appropriate signal indication, line status to green and DOT arrow.  To clear an assigned track either click on signal or DOT.  Yards are labeled in Red, Town are Blue, and OS Sections in light Blue.

Track Status

White Lines represent clear unoccupied tracks

Red Lines represent Occupied tracks

Green Lines represent assigned tracks

Yellow Lines represent Yard tracks (non dispatcher control)

Blue Lines are the various switching districts

Turnout Orientation

Turnouts are controlled by place curser is middle of OS section.  The curser will change from arrow to a “+”

Signal Indication

All RED signals are absolute. Yellow prepare to stop at next signal (only cleared for one block) and Green proceed (cleared for two blocks)

Direction Of Traffic DOT

If there is clear unassigned track ahead and turnout orientation is correct then clicking on signal turns track line green and change signal indication.

Track and Time (TT)

Each industrial district will have a small button labeled “TT”  Clicking this with display a pop up box which will add 15 minutes to current time.  Time call be adjusted up or down by clicking on corresponding arrows.  Once time has expires the red word “Expired” will be displayed.

Train ID

            When a train leaves a yard its train number MUST be entered into the appropriate text box.

Dispatching

Operators will come to you for train orders, there is 2 copies one for dispatcher and one for the road crew to review and discuss any questions. Make appropriate log entries on “Dispatcher Train Log Sheet’. The road crew should contact you via radio when ready to proceed.  Dispatcher will notify via radio that a train is at Yard Limits and is entering yard. To align turnouts and assign Direction Of Traffic (DOT) for trains leaving Logan click on signal head.  Trains leaving Gotham, Sexton, or Havana crews can proceed on Yard Lead to Yard Limits as posted and must contact dispatcher.  ALL Red signal indications are absolute and dispatcher controls the flow of operations and may adjust trains orders as needed.