OPS Session Documents

Our Session takes place in the early 1990s Era. This page presents the documents used for one OPS Session of 20 trains. Included are the Industries, Shipments, Waybills, Manifests, Session Timetables, Wheel Reports, Train Switchlists, Train Schedules, and Consist Orders. 

For this session we will run mostly 4th Class Locals (aka Turns) from three yards for the Industries served and 2nd Class Fast Freights to move empty and full cars between the yards and interchanges involved in the Industry orders and shipments. We can add Unit and Passenger as Extra Trains if our crew is outperforming schedule expectations. All documents are in PDF format and can be marked up as completed for quality control. Paper or Electronic (if available on your device) markup is supported.

Industries

The Industries using our Railroad ship about 40 types of commodity, aka Lading. We currently have 84 Industries defined but only about 60 are working for this session. Here are the Sellers of the Ladings carried and here are the Buyers of the Ladings carried. Industry work starting datetime is 12/30/1990 00:00

Shipments

As of Session 1 datetime 01/03/1991 21::00, we have created 118 Shipments since Industry work started 12/30/1990 00:00. These shipments are created by our simulator which is stepped by the hour and hence has run 117 hours. This start-up lag is needed for the Shippers to build inventory and for Consignees to create Orders!

A sample of a Shipment report is shown below.

A summary of the Session's Shipments is captured in this file 

For each shipment we display the Shipment #, Shipper, Consignee, and Lading. Each shipment is routed from Shipper Industry to Consignee Industry by one or more "Legs". Each Leg generates one or more Waybills. The status of each Leg completion is shown as is the Shipment Leg number associated with each Leg. Our convention is to use "Leg 0" as the request for an empty (MT) car by the Shipper from its Homeyard (or, if available, from its Siding) and "Leg 99" as the return of that (those) MT to the Consignee's Homeyard.

Waybills

As of Session 1 date/time 01/03/1991 21::00 we have created 385 Waybills and completed 240 Waybills. These Waybills are assigned to train manifests which in turn produce Switchlists and Schedules. A Waybill to transfer Grain from the ADM plant in Cleveland, via the Cleveland Interchange with the R&C Keystone Division, to the Philadelphia Yard serving the ADM Granary in Philadelphia is shown below.

Each shipment creates an average of four waybills to perform the following. Typically,

  1. A Shipper orders an empty (MT) car from their Homeyard. This car is usually spotted on the Shipper's siding.
  2. When the car is loaded, another train picks up the full car and brings it back to the Homeyard.
  3. If the Consignee Industry is also served by this Homeyard, then another local will deliver the full car to the Consignee and setout the car on an industry siding. Then the local departs.
  4. When the Consignee has emptied the car, the Homeyard will send another local to pickup the MT and return it to the Homeyard

However, this four waybills scenario is not prototypical in many cases. On our railroad, the number of waybills per shipment may be as few a one - for example to move a Full or an empty (MT) car between two yards. Some other Shipments may require a lot more than four waybills. If  the Shipper and Consignee are served by different Homeyards, at least one more Waybill will be required and, depending on whether there are other yards or interchanges that must be traversed to deliver the Full car to the Consignee. Think about returning the MT to its correct Homeyard after this journey. We have three major yards and three interchanges working on our railroad at this time but because of the multiple stops planned for our Fast Freights, most of our shipments can be delivered with at most five waybills.

See the our OPS_Sessions car cards set that is an alternative to the switchlist based session approach.

 

Manifests

Each Train requires a Manifest. The Freight Forwarder assign an appropriate list of eligible waybills to each train. We have some automation tools to assist us in these assignments. The twenty manifest used in Session 1 are accessible via the following list.

  1. Session1 Manifest 1 Train 730
  2. Session1 Manifest 2 Train 700
  3. Session1 Manifest 3 Train 106
  4. Session1 Manifest 4 Train 750
  5. Session1 Manifest 5 Train 732
  6. Session1 Manifest 6 Train 104
  7. Session1 Manifest 7 Train 701
  8. Session1 Manifest 8 Train 734
  9. Session1 Manifest 9 Train 752
  10. Session1 Manifest 10 Train 736
  11. Session1 Manifest 11 Train 702
  12. Session1 Manifest 12 Train 107
  13. Session1 Manifest 13 Train 754
  14. Session1 Manifest 14 Train 102
  15. Session1 Manifest 15 Train 738
  16. Session1 Manifest 16 Train 703
  17. Session1 Manifest 17 Train 756
  18. Session1 Manifest 18 Train 105
  19. Session1 Manifest 19 Train 100
  20. Session1 Manifest 20 Train 708

 

Session Timetables

This session has 20 Regular Trains which are nominally scheduled to depart hourly (every six fast minutes). There are fourteen 4th Class Local and six 2nd Class Fast trains defined for this sessions. We have 4 Unit trains ready as Extras (Logs, crude oil and two coal unit trains. We also have two Passenger Trains ready as Extras (East-West and West East)..

The regular session of 20 trains is presented on two ledger size pages - 1 to 10 on first page and 11 to 20 on second page. Click on the highlighted text to see Session 1 Timetable example page 1 and page 2.

The header line defines the Session number (left side) and the Train Start sequence numbers. The Manifest number (xx), Train Consist number (yyy) and Start time (hh:mm) are below the Start sequence number in the format Mmm#ttt:hh:mm.

For each train the schedule stop sequence and time of arrival and departure are displayed. The Stop sequence number is followed by a slash (/) then the arrival time (24 hour time), then the Stop Name then the departure time. If a train revisits the same stop, the 2nd stop results in a second line. (In a few cases a third visit occurs - shuttling cars between yards and their nearby interchanges. However, where a third stop occurs , only the stop sequence number is displayed.)

The first train is scheduled to depart on 1/3/1991 at 0200 and the fast clock is set at 10 to 1. The crew should arrive about an hour before the Operating Session begins. According to the info created for this session, almost all train runs should be completed in 24 fast hours or less than three real hours.

The timetables are used by the Dispatcher and are available to all crew members.

Wheel Reports

Arrival and Departure Wheel Reports are created for each Yard and Interchange master so each can plan for the blocking of departing trains and can classify incoming cars for future departures.

A portion of an Arrival Wheel Report page is shown below.

Switchlists

For each train Conductor we create a switchlist.  A sample page 1 of 3 follows below. Most of the data is likely self explanatory but there some we must point out. The ID Field defines the date "01031991" for the Era being used. The Conductor field is blank and is to be filled in.

The Stops and Pickup/Setouts follow this header. The square on the left before each Pickup or Setout is to be marked (X) when the action is performed. LCL are cars that are "Less Than Carload". LCL car setout on mainline or bypass trackage must be pickup'd within 30 fast minutes for loading or unloading time. Note that stops  "Drake Well Oil" ,  "WillLumbShpgStop" and "ScrantonSteelStop" are on normal sidings while stop "ScrantonFabricsSp" is on a Bypass (or Main Line) track and so LCL rules requires a Pickup within 30 (fast) minutes after a Setout!

The Switchlists for the twenty trains in this session are specified below. Click the name top see the switchlist.

  1. Session1 Switchlist Philly1 # 730
  2. Session1 Switchlist Reading1 # 700
  3. Session1 Switchlist Fast2 # 106
  4. Session1 Switchlist Erie1 # 750
  5. Session1 Switchlist Philly1 # 732
  6. Session1 Switchlist Fast2 # 104
  7. Session1 Switchlist Reading1 # 701
  8. Session1 Switchlist Philly1 # 734
  9. Session1 Switchlist Erie1 # 752
  10. Session1 Switchlist Philly1 # 736
  11. Session1 Switchlist Reading1 # 702
  12. Session1 Switchlist Fast1 # 107
  13. Session1 Switchlist Erie1 # 754
  14. Session1 Switchlist Fast2 # 102
  15. Session1 Switchlist Philly1 # 738
  16. Session1 Switchlist Reading1 # 703
  17. Session1 Switchlist Erie1 # 756
  18. Session1 Switchlist Fast1 # 105
  19. Session1 Switchlist Fast2 # 100
  20. Session1 Switchlist Reading1 # 708

Schedules

Each Train schedule specifies the stops where the Conductor needs to Pickup or Setout cars. Only those stops where activity is required are listed. Other potential stops on the 2nd, 3rd and 4th class trains are dynamically excluded from the schedule if there is no waybill requiring a pickup or setout stop.

A sample of a Schedule is shown below.

Homeyards may be Yards or Interchanges. A Homeyard might also be certain Sidings that host Industry owned cars. See the Stops on all of these Homeyards.

The complete list of Stops served by the Philadelphia Homeyard are:

The Foreign Railroad Industry Stops accessed via our Interchanges are listed here.

The Homeyards for the Rolling Stock used for this session are shown here. The "A" in the rightmost column indicates that it is assigned to a Waybill if it is a car or to an assignment if it is a locomotive or caboose. A "U" in the rightmost column indicates that it is Unassigned to any job at this time.

The 20 schedules for the trains on this session are:

  1. Session1 Schedule Philly1 # 730
  2. Session1 Schedule Reading1 # 700
  3. Session1 Schedule Fast2 # 106
  4. Session1 Schedule Erie1 # 750
  5. Session1 Schedule Philly1 # 732
  6. Session1 Schedule Fast2 # 104
  7. Session1 Schedule Reading1 # 701
  8. Session1 Schedule Philly1 # 734
  9. Session1 Schedule Erie1 # 752
  10. Session1 Schedule Philly1 # 736
  11. Session1 Schedule Reading1 # 702
  12. Session1 Schedule Fast1 # 107
  13. Session1 Schedule Erie1 # 754
  14. Session1 Schedule Fast2 # 102
  15. Session1 Schedule Philly1 # 738
  16. Session1 Schedule Reading1 # 703
  17. Session1 Schedule Erie1 # 756
  18. Session1 Schedule Fast1 # 105
  19. Session1 Schedule Fast2 # 100
  20. Session1 Schedule Reading1 # 708

Consist Orders

For each scheduled or extra train, a Hostler will pickup the required locomotive(s) and a caboose, if used, for each train and deliver them to the yard or interchange master responsible for assembling the Consist. After the Train reaches its destination, a Hostler transfers the locomotive(s) and caboose to their defined homeyard. The 20 Consist Orders for the trains on this session are:

  1. Session1 Hostler Orders Philly1 # 730
  2. Session1 Hostler Orders Reading1 # 700
  3. Session1 Hostler Orders Fast2 # 106
  4. Session1 Hostler Orders Erie1 # 750
  5. Session1 Hostler Orders Philly1 # 732
  6. Session1 Hostler Orders Fast2 # 104
  7. Session1 Hostler Orders Reading1 # 701
  8. Session1 Hostler Orders Philly1 # 734
  9. Session1 Hostler Orders Erie1 # 752
  10. Session1 Hostler Orders Philly1 # 736
  11. Session1 Hostler Orders Reading1 # 702
  12. Session1 Hostler Orders Fast1 # 107
  13. Session1 Hostler Orders Erie1 # 754
  14. Session1 Hostler Orders Fast2 # 102
  15. Session1 Hostler Orders Philly1 # 738
  16. Session1 Hostler Orders Reading1 # 703
  17. Session1 Hostler Orders Erie1 # 756
  18. Session1 Hostler Orders Fast1 # 105
  19. Session1 Hostler Orders Fast2 # 100
  20. Session1 Hostler Orders Reading1 # 708