jmri operation part ii more fun with operation nmra national convention cleveland, oh july 14, 2014
TRANSCRIPT
JMRI Operation Part IIMore Fun with Operation
NMRA National ConventionCleveland, OHJuly 14, 2014
More Fun with OperationJMRI Operation Part II
Getting more out of JMRIMore than Random Moves
More than “Loads” and “Empties”
Graphic: MR, June, 1962
Today’s Agenda• Explore more JMRI features
– Tie to Part I– Moving cars with a purpose
• “Custom loads”• “Schedules”• Multi-step material flows
– Other JMRI track types• Yards• Interchange/classification• Staging
– Different types of trains
• Example RR Operations– Birmingham Southern MRR– Birmingham District MRR
Graphic: MR, June, 1962
Wonder what’s in them cars?
Wonder where they’s going?Wonder why they’s going?
Charlie Getzdemderteryieu
BEGIN WITH THE END IN MIND…Today’s Goal: Moving Cars and Loads with a Purpose
Graphic: MR, June, 1962
Things to Think About• Running a railroad can be very complex• Operations can reflect all of this• But it doesn’t have to • You can have fun• And keep it simple…• Or make it more complex…
• Run a train• Switch cars• One at a time• And More…
What is JMRI?
• JMRI (Java Model RR Interface)• Today’s focus is on “Operations” module
– Not about “dispatching”; does create trains– Develops “manifests” to move cars/do work
• JMRI Ops has multiple layers of complexity– May be your “random” car mover– Can be your “supply chain logistics” car forwarder– Another dimension for your model railroading fun(?)
Key Things to Do in JMRI Ops• Build database of your RR
– Settings– Locations– Routes– Cars– Trains– Locomotives
• This can generate lots of moves and fun• Adding “relationships” can make more fun
Build train at origin
Do “work” at interim locations
Un-build (“terminate”) train at Destination
Typical JMRI Manifest
End
Trai
n
Ro
ute
Beg
in
There’s more to model railroading operations…
Than plain old “loads & empties”
HOW/WHY DO RR’S MOVE CARS?The Basic Work of the Railroad is Moving Freight
Graphic: MR, July, 1961; Nov. 1975
So, trains move cars with specific loads for a specific purpose…
Can JMRI Operations do this for us?
Graphic: MR, June, 1962
Yup!
TYPES OF LOCATIONSAll Locations are NOT the Same
• Store cars, “swap” loads• Store cars (only)• Store cars for forwarding• Store trains (only)
Fundamental Stuff
• In JMRI a “location” is a place with track• 4 types of “locations” in JMRI
– Spur tracks– Yard tracks– Interchange tracks– Staging tracks
• We can put “conditions” on locations– Loads – Cars – Sequences and numbers of cars– Trains– Routes
SET UP LOCATIONSRemember “Name Every Place” on the Railroad
• “Locations”– Amhurst “Yard”– Community Lumber– 4L Jct.– Passing Siding– Twenty Five Jct.– Evergreen
• Dagget Electrical• Evergreen Furniture
– Indy• Getty Oil• Iron Works• Hegert Whsl
– Forman Foundry– Wm’s Hardware
NBSB
• “Locations”– Forman Foundry– Iron Works– Wm’s Hardware
• “Products” (aka “loads”)– Forman Foundry
• Receives: billets (?)• Ships: bars
– Iron Works• Receives: bars• Ships: crow bars
– Wm’s Hardware• Receives: crow bars• Ships: empties
Business --It’s All About Relationships…
Car
Mov
eCa
r M
ove
Car
Mov
eCa
r M
ove
• Now we have:– Set of three locations
• Foundry• Iron Works• Hardware
– Set of three loads• Billets• Bars• Crow Bars
– A reason to move cars!– A sequence to follow
• JMRI can do this!
• Let’s see how to do it…
What do we have to do next?
• Edit CARS
• Create “custom loads”– Tell JMRI about loads
• Select a car type• Define a load for that car
– Use with “schedules”
• Next step
• Edit LOCATIONS
• Create a “schedule”– Pick a location– Edit the spur track– Add a schedule to spur
• Name the car type• What is received?• What is shipped?
CREATE CUSTOM LOADS FOR CARSYou may need to create “custom loads”
Let’s review some…
Cars Needed for Work to be Done
• Make a list of locations• Assume car types for locations• Yards should serve all car types• Some locations are
– “Placeholders” for routing – Don’t need cars
• There is no “right” answer – Just select some cars to start– You may fine tune/adjust later
Create Custom Load for Boxcars
CREATE A SCHEDULE FOR A SPURModify a location’s spur track to create a schedule
Locations
Edit Locations
Edit Spur Track
Add Schedule
Schedule Created!
Will it Work…?
Build the Train…
It Worked!• Let’s review…• Created a load
– Steel Bars– To be shipped– Where to???
• What about billets?– We didn’t ship them…– They weren’t rec’d…– OK, came yesterday…
• Start somewhere!
Things to Think About• Spur tracks swap loads
– May start with “Empty”– “Empty’s” become “loads” at
your plant• OR…• You could define the prior product as
a “custom load”• Spur track
– Receives prior product– Ships “new” custom load
• But remember…• Process must:
– Start somewhere– End somewhere
• How long is your “supply chain”?• Is the “prior product” on the layout?• You could have an “imaginary plant”
located off the layout– Generate prior products– Consume newly made products– How would you do this?
• It’s all up to your Industrial Development Department’s creativity
• Hmmmm….– Real factories– Imaginary factories…
CREATE A SCHEDULE FOR A SPURModify a location’s spur track to create a schedule
Ain’t got no crow bars…
CREATE A SCHEDULE FOR A SPURModify a location’s spur track to create a schedule
Gotta’ move them crow bars somewhere…
What are they going to do with the crow bars at the Foundry?
Melt them and start over?
• Let’s review
• Forman Foundry• Ships steel bars
• Iron Works• Ships crow bars
• Wm’s Hardware• Receives crow bars
Lessons Learned
• All efforts to make things more specific will increase the chance of something going wrong!
• Each time you try a new step, run the train and see what happens
• It may take multiple iterations for the desired effect to occur
• Murphy’s Law at work
• Check as you go!
• Your custom loads are competing with random movements
Lessons Learned• Custom loads & schedules are powerful tools
– Use for special cases – can become complex– Building blocks for great operations scenarios– Good uses are multi-step mfg. process– Works well with offsite (imaginary) producers/consumers– Good uses are “open top” loads– May “schedule” #’s of cars
• Schedule car sequence by type of car• Don’t necessarily have to use “custom loads”
• Let the “random” moves take care of other traffic• You can mix the two methods
– Process oriented industries with specific materials/products– Background warehouse or interchange traffic is not specific
Other JMRI Track Types
• Yards– Do not swap loads– May divide yards into parts
• Inbound • Outbound
– May restrict tracks for car types, e.g., hoppers only• Simplify switching (class by car type)
– May restrict load type– May restrict railroad that serves yard
Other JMRI Track Types
• Classification/Interchange – Special type of “yard track” – Do not swap loads– May restrict for:
• Load types• Car types, e.g., hoppers only• Trains/routes that setout vs. pickup• Railroad that serves track
Other JMRI Track Types• Staging Tracks (handle “trains”)
– Assign trains to tracks• Create “phantom” tracks w/ “# dash #” technique
– Departing track (#4-1)– Return track (#4-2)
• Remember: train hasn’t moved till terminated• Need “space” for the destination
– May swap loads• Train to staging is “rest of the world”• “Other” consuming industries are implied
– Some custom loads “leave” layout– Empties “return” to layout– AND – you may need to have “custom empties” too!
• Consider “continuous” staging; blocking but not “fiddling”– What comes into staging goes back out next time– We do block cars as required for “next run” when it is known
Putting JMRI to Work• Birmingham Southern MRR
– Industrial theme• Prototype industries• Moving finished products
– Recent era - diesels• No passenger
– Utilizes• JMRI custom loads & empties• JMRI Schedules• Onsite industries
– “Relationships”– Onsite & Offsite
• Offsite industries– Produce items needed– Consume items produced
• Interchange traffic (JMRI)– Local origin/destination– Traffic to wide world
• Classification(JMRI) in Yards– Car types for convenience– Offsite industries by tracks
• Birmingham District MRR– Industrial “district” operations
• Steel mill theme• Raw material to finished products
– Steam to early transition era• Freight and passenger
– Utilizes• Staging
– “Open” staging w/ engine terminal
– “Continuous” staging– Staging swaps loads
• “Mine to mill” logistics– Custom loads & empties– Schedules– Intermediate yards
• Interchange traffic w/ 8 trunk lines– Single track “yards”– Traffic to wide world
• Classification– Car types for convenience– Operators “sort by car type”
Birmingham Southern MRR• Craig Gardner’s short line
– Birmingham industrial area• Prototype 76 miles in county• Grew out of US Steel plant RR
– Onsite industries– Doesn’t use “staging”!
• Uses lower level “offsite”• Has two helixes (EB & WB)
– Parallel main lines• BS & “Class I”• Two interchange locations
– BS RR• Captive industries• Central “home” yard & engines• Yard-to-point operation
– Class I RR (NS RR)• Through trains from “offsite”• Lower level engine terminal• Local switching
Oak Grove Coal Loader
Birmingham Southern MRRHO Scale 30’ x 15’ Digitrax DCC
BIRMINGHAM SOUTHERN OPERATIONS
Train Description Departs Visits Primary Loads Terminates
BS BP S1 Birminport AM switcher Birmingport Port / Ergon / Crockard Asphalt Birmingport
BS BP S2 Birmingport PM switcher Birmingport Port / Ergon / Crockard Asphalt Birmingport
BS C1 Crockard Junction turn Fairfield Crockard / Mulga Int. Asphalt Fairfield
BS ET 01 East Thomas AM turn Fairfield Offsite Ind. Coal + Asphalt Fairfield
BS ET30 East Thomas PM turn Fairfield Offsite Ind. Coal + Asphalt Fairfield
BS BP11 Fairfield / Birmingport AM turn Fairfield B'port / Ergon / Crockard Coal + Asphalt Fairfield
BS BP23 Fairfield / Birmingport PM turn Fairfield B'port / Ergon / Crockard Coal + Asphalt Fairfield
BS 19 Fairfield / Ensley EB AM local Fairfield Ensley & Int. Mixed freight Fairfield
BS 21 Fairfield / Ensley EB PM local Fairfield Ensley & Int. Mixed freight Fairfield
BS 20 Fairfield / Mulga / Ensley AM local Fairfield Ensley & 2 int. Mixed freight Fairfield
BS 31 Fairfield / Offsite / Ensley EB turn Fairfield Ensley + Offsite Ind. Coal & Asphalt Fairfield
BS SMC10 Fairfield / Steel Mill switching job Fairfield Steel Mill (Offsite) Steel products Fairfield
BS M1 Mulga / Ensley interchange train Fairfield 2 Int. Mixed freight Fairfield
BS OG35 Oak Grove Mine turn Fairfield Oak Grove + Offsite Ind. Coal Fairfield
BS PM1 Powhaton Mine turn Fairfield Powhatan Mine / E Thomas Coal Fairfield
BS USS15 USS Pipe Mill switching job Fairfield Pipe Mill / Offsite / Ensley Steel products Fairfield
NS 102 Class 1 Avondale EB switching job Offsite Avondale / 2 Int. Mixed freight Offsite
NS 101 Class 1 Avondale WB switching job Offsite Avondale / Offsite Ind. Mixed + Ethanol Offsite
CE 130 Class 1 EB AM interchange train Offsite 2 Int. + Offsite Ind. Mixed freight Offsite
CE 131 Class 1 EB PM interchange train Offsite 2 Int. + Offsite Ind. Mixed freight Offsite
CW 120 Class 1 WB AM interchange train Offsite 2 Int. + Offsite Ind. Mixed freight Offsite
CW 121 Class 1 WB PM interchange train Offsite 2 Int. + Offsite Ind. Mixed freight Offsite
Birmingham Southern MRR
BIRMINGHAM SOUTHERN OPERATIONS
TRAIN DESCRIPTION DEPARTS TERMINATES
BS ET 01 East Thomas morning turn Fairfield Fairfield
BS BP S1 Birminport morning switcher Birmingport Birmingport
BS 19 Fairfield / Ensley eastbound morning local Fairfield Fairfield
CW 120 Class 1 westbound morning interchange train Offsite Industries Offsite Industries
BS 20 Fairfield/ Mulga / Ensley morning local Fairfield Fairfield
TERMINATE PRIOR TRAINS
BS C1 Crockard Junction turn Fairfield Fairfield
NS 101 Class 1 Avondale westbound switching job Offsite Industries Offsite Industries
BS BP11 Fairfield / Birmingport morning turn Fairfield Fairfield
BS SMC10 Fairfield / Steel mill switching job Fairfield Fairfield
TERMINATE PRIOR TRAINS
BS PM1 Powhaton Mine turn Fairfield Fairfield
BS M1 Mulga/ Ensley interchange train Fairfield Fairfield
CE 130 Class 1 eastbound morning interchange train Offsite Industries Offsite Industries
BS USS15 US Steel pipe mill switching job Fairfield Fairfield
BS ET30 East Thomas afternoon turn Fairfield Fairfield
TERMINATE PRIOR TRAINS
CW 121 Class 1 westbound afternoon interchange train Offsite Industries Offsite Industries
BS BP S2 Birmingport afternnon switcher Birmingport Birmingport
BS OG35 Oak Grove mine turn Fairfield Fairfield
BS 31 Fairfield / Offsite / Ensley eastbound turn Fairfield Fairfield
TERMINATE PRIOR TRAINS
CE 131 Class 1 eastbound afternoon interchange train Offsite Industries Offsite Industries
BS 21 Fairfield / Ensley afternoon eastbound local Fairfield Fairfield
BS BP23 Fairfield / Birmingport afternoon turn Fairfield Fairfield
NS 102 Class 1 Avondale eastbound switching job Offsite Industries Offsite Industries
TERMINATE PRIOR TRAINS
Birmingham Southern MRR• Typical train order
for Ops Sessions
• Note “groups”
• How many trains should be built at a time?
• “Relationships”– Trains depend on
prior builds for cars or loads
– Complexity builds dependency…
• Prototypical…
Birmingham Southern RR
• Fairfield Yard to B’port turn– Moves hoppers– Inbound coal by barge
• Low sulphur in
– Outbound coal as well• High sulphur out
– S/O empty tanks for asphalt terminal
• Bulk asphalt in by barge• Distribute by tank car
Birmingham Southern RR
• USS Pipe Mill Switch• Starts “light” at FY• Picks up at Steel Mill
– Mill is “offsite”– P/U Coils– P/U Pipe blanks
• Switches – Pipe Mill “onsite”– Local related industries
• Returns to FY
Birmingham Southern RR
• Class I Interchange– Picks up “offsite” ind’s– Works 2 interchanges
• Sets out for BS• P/U’s from BS
– May do local switching– Returns P/U’s to “offsite”
Birmingham Southern RR
Let’s lookit uh difr’nt RR…
Birmingham District MRR• John Stewart’s Steam Era Industrial RR
– Birmingham Steel “District”• Iron & Steel Industries• 8 Trunk Line RR’s + Industrials
– L&N is home road• Others by “trackage rights”• Six interchange locations
– Yards• Main “staging”• Downtown pocket yard• Steel Works yard
– Steel theme – “mine to mill”• Iron ore• Coal to coke• Limestone
– Related industries• Scrap and iron pipe• Cement• Downtown industrial district
18 Miles
B
• Birmingham District MRR– HO Scale– Digitrax Control & JMRI Ops– 33’x12+’ plus 10’x14’ = 550 sf– Folded dog-bone – 5 branch lines
Birmingham District Trains
• Basic train “types”– Passenger trains
• Grade Separation project• Staging to L&N Depot• Head end cars
– Interchange trains• Staging to Interchange area• L&N includes Downtown Yard• Connects local industry to world
– Raw Materials Trains• More about this in Part III
• Created via JMRI tools
B
• Passenger Trains- from staging– Utilizes the “Grade Separation” feature
• 1928-1933 project• Impacted L&N/ACL depot and
platforms– Only running L&N trains at present
• Terminal Area Switcher required– Utilizes separate JMRI Switchlists
B
• Interchange trains - Background traffic from staging– L&N Local to Interchanges
• Cars to Downtown Yard & foreign roads• Foreign road cars to staging
– 18 train cycle, alternate NB & SB1. L&N Local (p/u from L&N, s/o to foreign)2. Foreign road (p/u “own”, s/o to L&N)3. Terminal Area Switcher assists4. Downtown switcher to DT Industries
– Local Industry to/from “world” via interchange
B
• Raw material trains– Mine to mill
• Downtown & Fairfield Yards– Includes processing plants
• Iron ore• Coal to coke• Limestone
– Serves steel mill– Affiliated industries
Graphic: MR, June, 1962
How d’ya run all them trains?
Birmingham District MRRPa
ssen
ger T
rain
s
Inte
rcha
nge
Trai
nsM
ater
ial T
rain
s Sequence of material trains varies depending on need for materials at time of ops session
For Ops Session
Birmingham District Operations
TRAINS CARS
LOCATIONSMAIN LINE TURNOUTS
Graphic: MR, June, 1962
Let’s move them cars!
Thanks!• Operating RR’s/Owners• OPSIG• Model Railroader DVD• NMRA Division websites
– Gateway Division
• Nicho Young – 25 Years!– “Operations Storyteller”
• Craig Gardner– Help with
• Construction• Digitrax• JMRI
• Our Ops Crews– BS MRR– BDMRR
Come See JMRI Part III - Steel Mill OpsTues 10:30 – 11:30 Rm 19
So…
You Want to Have a
Steel Mill
on Your Layout…
JMRI Operations Part III