The Edmonton Model Railroad Association uses a car-card and waybill (CC&WB) operating scheme for our operating sessions (usually the second Tuesday of each month). Each crew is given a stack of car cards, corresponding with the cars in their train, and in each car card is a waybill, giving a destination and load for that car. Each waybill has up to 4 different destinations on it, allowing each car to move to 4 different locations before starting the cycle all over again. This system is almost an exact copy of the system used by Tony Koester, and explained in the March 1993 Model Railroader. Once a car is delivered to its destination, the card and waybill is placed in the slot for that particular industry. Between operating sessions, the traffic coordinator will flip the waybills and the car will be delivered to its next destination at the next operating session. This system gives the impression that the train is actually going somewhere and doing something.
Some waybills are dedicated to particular trains:
When a crew arrives in a town, they go through all the industry slots looking for cars to pick up. The waybill will tell you if the car is to be picked up or if it stays. If the waybill destination (the TO: line) indicates the car is to be delivered to the industry where it is already located, then the car is still being emptied or loaded. If the TO: line of the waybill has a different destination, then the car is ready to be picked up. Each town will also have a slot for cars that could not be delivered to their correct industry, due to lack of space or some other reason. These cars/slots will be called "off-spot" or "to be spotted". If any cars are found in these slots, and can be delivered to their rightful destination, they are to be delivered.
Here are the freight trains and what each one does:
@Monashee Summit: Ensure unit coal caboose is in track 8. Take loaded ELC hoppers from track 6, move to track 8. Take ELC empties from track 4 and fill out with cars from inbound unit train to 20 ELC cars max. Empty ELC hoppers in track 4 must be taken before cars in track 2. Take up to 4 non-ELC hoppers as well.
@Echo Lake: Switch ELC loader (front two tracks).
(Because of the grade on the hill, no switching can be done with loaded cars.)
Engines run light (no cars) to mine, and bring 1/2 of loads down.
Take 10 empty ELC hoppers up, and bring remaining loads down.
Take remaining empty ELC hoppers up.
Switch out MONP loader (behind mine).
@Monashee Summit: Shove loads into track 8 to max 25 cars. Put rest on track 6. Pick up ELC empties to maximum 20, put any extras from track 2 onto track 4. Fill out with up to 4 non-ELC hoppers.
Repeat after one mine shift, when cars at mine are loaded.
@Monashee Summit: leave train on track 2. Put locomotives in shop tracks.
@Monashee Summit: Pick up locomotives from shops, take loads from track 6 to add to train in track 8 to maximum 35 car length.
@Columbia Gardens: run through loop, leave train on track 4 (rear track).
@Monashee Summit: Cars to be picked up in Monashee Summit will be on track 3. Check for other outbound cars (especially at the engine facilities, and move them to their proper track.
@Echo Lake: At Echo Lake Coal, only switch materials track. Required to switch the rest of Echo Lake.
@Blue Springs: Switch all tracks.
@Lavington: If there are piggyback flats at the ramp, pick them up.
If there are NO piggybacks, pick up the cars from the siding.
Leave empty ore hoppers at Fire Valley and Renata mines. Pick up ore hoppers from Fire Valley and Renata on southbound trip.
@Renata: spot Expediter reefers at fruit packer with doors aligned between tracks.
Brings all cars picked up back to Vernon.
@Lavington: on southbound trip:
pull outbound traffic from all trailing point spurs.
Leave these cars in the siding.
@Lumby: switch all cars.
@Lavington: on northbound trip:
If there are piggyback flats at the ramp, pick them up.
If there are NO piggybacks, pick up the cars from the siding.
@Castlegar: Yard switcher will handle switching.
@Monashee Summit: Pick up cars destined for Lumby, Lavington, Vernon, Kelowna, and Armstrong. Do not drop cars
@Vernon: the crew is relieved until the train is reassembled for continuation to Armstrong. The same crew will then take the train into Armstrong.
Crew brings train into Vernon from staging and is relieved until the train is reassembled by Vernon yard. Crew is recalled when train is ready.
@Monashee Summit: Pick up any cars left on track 5 in Monashee Summit billed to Castlegar and Columbia Gardens. Do not drop cars
@Castlegar: Yard switcher will handle switching.
@Castlegar: Yard switcher will handle switching.
Picks up expediter reefers from Renata. (Expediter reefer cards have a red E)
Does not stop in Castlegar on southbound trip.
Put cars in track 3, take caboose to caboose track, take power to shops.
If time permits, switch cars into appropriate tracks upon arrival in Monashee Summit.