After messing around (as described in a previous thread) with shuffling cards that represent my layout's industries and rolling dice to determine how many industries would be served, by how many cars, I've come up with something simpler.
I made a list of every posible car movment for each of the businesses on the layout:
(Ex. "Deliver ____ empty hoppers to Hedberg Aggregates",
"Pick up ____ loaded hoppers from Hedberg Aggregates"
"Pick up ____ loaded box cars at Sheridan Sheet Metal",
"Deliver _____ covered hoppers to Cargill track 2", etc.).
I came up with 34 possible ways cars might be set out, picked up, or otherwise moved to and from these industries and wrote them down, one to a card (regular 3 X 5 file cards).
I then shuffle the cards and pick out as many as I want to make up a train of reasonable length for my road. I also decide by whim how many cars to send to or pick up from each industry.
Based on the information on the cards I place cars at industries to be picked up and assemble a train of set-outs to go out and work. If I feel like it I can make out a switch list with car ID info to guide the job or I can simply hang onto the operations cards and use them for reference as I complete them one at a time.
Another nice feature of this plan is that I can seperate cards for industries that are located close by each other and use them in a smaller deck to determine moves for a yard job or short distance turn.
Ralph
I made a list of every posible car movment for each of the businesses on the layout:
(Ex. "Deliver ____ empty hoppers to Hedberg Aggregates",
"Pick up ____ loaded hoppers from Hedberg Aggregates"
"Pick up ____ loaded box cars at Sheridan Sheet Metal",
"Deliver _____ covered hoppers to Cargill track 2", etc.).
I came up with 34 possible ways cars might be set out, picked up, or otherwise moved to and from these industries and wrote them down, one to a card (regular 3 X 5 file cards).
I then shuffle the cards and pick out as many as I want to make up a train of reasonable length for my road. I also decide by whim how many cars to send to or pick up from each industry.
Based on the information on the cards I place cars at industries to be picked up and assemble a train of set-outs to go out and work. If I feel like it I can make out a switch list with car ID info to guide the job or I can simply hang onto the operations cards and use them for reference as I complete them one at a time.
Another nice feature of this plan is that I can seperate cards for industries that are located close by each other and use them in a smaller deck to determine moves for a yard job or short distance turn.
Ralph