RMweb Gold Phil Bullock Posted January 1, 2019 RMweb Gold Share Posted January 1, 2019 (edited) Have been giving this more thought over Christmas.... As a main line layout with stock and locos to deliver a 24 hour timetable organisation is key. \We have a rotating pool of operators who have been brilliant but who inevitably havent shared my crazy determination for prototype recreation in the trains we operate. So how to make things as easy as possible to: 1. Find the right stock for a given train 2. Find the right loco 3. Marshall correctly Heres the latest stab at sorting - comments welcome, especially from those who have tested the previous systems! Prompted by completion of a 10 wagon freightliner rake over Christmas... The Bachmann stock boxes have stood the test of time - have decided on a new colour coded labelling system including train information.... Blue border = Air braked stock Brown border = Vacuum braked stock Grey border = Unfitted stock Black border = Passenger Red border = NPCCS Colour coding helps to locate correct box - blast, just realised have left serial number off this box, will have to add as having them numbered ensures we can quickly check everything is present at the end of a show. Label also contains headcodes of trains stock is booked to work. Label inside box adds further information including loco rostered to each train (locos have correct headcodes installed), marshalling of train, brake van requirements and any removable load details. Also decided to include back of operational spares - couplings - taped inside the box lid to save hunting elsewhere for them when needed quickly. Blue foam is there in trays to protect couplings.... Now just need to get the layout rebuilt so this system gets tested! Phil Edited January 5, 2020 by Phil Bullock Change of title 6 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Premium Barry O Posted January 2, 2019 RMweb Premium Share Posted January 2, 2019 A simple solution that.... I have tried having rakes set up in stock boxes (invariably someone pulls a vehicle out of the box in the wrong sequence, photos of trains, lists of trains, marking underneath stock etc.... Problem I have is that some of my stock multitasks on a number of layouts.... and gets swapped around to suit each layout..lummy isn't Railways Modelling difficult when it wants to be... Baz 1 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Gold Phil Bullock Posted January 2, 2019 Author RMweb Gold Share Posted January 2, 2019 Cheers Barry And some of our stock has to multi-task between trains - particularly the Bescot/Washwood Heath to Gloucester/Bristol/Severn Tunnel Junction workings which were largely wagonload traffic in our era so pretty well anything went. Some were booked to shunt at Ashchurch however which means military traffic.. Much of the longer distance workings were single wagon based block traffic by the early 70s.... . The real railway was even in pre computer days a major exercise in organisation and logistics - if we are trying to get somewhere close with our models then I guess we need to emulate that... Thanks for dropping by! Phil 1 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
EddieK Posted January 2, 2019 Share Posted January 2, 2019 On our club 4mm scale layout, when the stock is put out at a show, every train is assigned a particular fiddle yard road. Every wagon, carriage etc has a pre-set position within the train. Every train has a specific loco assigned to it (unless DMU). All stock is stored in those cardboard A4 box files with the hinged lids. These are divided with foam and item of stock has a designated space in its box. Each box file has a unique serial number. A refinement made after several years was to only have vehicles from any one train in any one box; in the past there may have been space for four Mark 1 carriages in a box along with a couple of small 4-wheel wagons. Not any more! If a particular freight train has 36 wagons, and you can fit twelve such wagons into one box file, then to put the train out, the person doing so needs boxes 17, 19, 28 (for example). He can then take the box with the first dozen wagons and place them fairly rapidly in the correct order and on the correct road. Ditto with the middle and tail end of the train. To further organise things, the box files are grouped into those plastic Really Useful Boxes and these might be labelled as "Up Freight Trains" or similar. A ring binder contains lists of what train is on what road and what each train formation is. I realise that this sounds very complicated and takes a lot of pre-planning and paperwork, but we have been refining this system of the last seventeen years or so, and with nearly 700 individual vehicles to put out, anything that can save a little time is a bonus. Unlike some, we keep all the stock out until the show closes, but then we want to be able to pack it all away and head for home. A slight exception to this is that some freight trains deliberately do get re-marshalled during the course of an exhibition, but we can cope with that. In addition, the road vehicle fleet currently comprises 172 vehicles and all of these now live in defined spaces across 10 box files. Unlike the trains, these can be placed on the road in any way that I like, although the buses with destinations need to face the correct way. At the last show, that was probably why it took me almost as long to put these away as it did for the rolling stock team to pack the trains..... 3 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Gold Enterprisingwestern Posted January 3, 2019 RMweb Gold Share Posted January 3, 2019 My only concern would be the ability of the Bachmann boxes to withstand the rough and tumble of exhibition life, I can guarantee one will get stood on/sat on/crushed in the general melee of setting up. Also, what colour coding is the millionaires shortbread going to have? Mike. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Gold Phil Bullock Posted January 3, 2019 Author RMweb Gold Share Posted January 3, 2019 They have survived 7 years of rough and tumble Mike - probably 30 exhibitions and numerous other set ups including the damp garden in that time. A couple are now past their best however - and we dont trust the locos to them, they go in really useful boxes. As for the shortbread - no colour coding required, it has its own coding system - the smell of lovely baking!!! Phil 3 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Premium MJI Posted January 3, 2019 RMweb Premium Share Posted January 3, 2019 I was just going to suggest Really Usefull 10l boxes with marker pen notes on the lids. Then I saw locos live in them. 1 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Gold Phil Bullock Posted January 3, 2019 Author RMweb Gold Share Posted January 3, 2019 On our club 4mm scale layout, when the stock is put out at a show, every train is assigned a particular fiddle yard road. Every wagon, carriage etc has a pre-set position within the train. Every train has a specific loco assigned to it (unless DMU). All stock is stored in those cardboard A4 box files with the hinged lids. These are divided with foam and item of stock has a designated space in its box. Each box file has a unique serial number. A refinement made after several years was to only have vehicles from any one train in any one box; in the past there may have been space for four Mark 1 carriages in a box along with a couple of small 4-wheel wagons. Not any more! If a particular freight train has 36 wagons, and you can fit twelve such wagons into one box file, then to put the train out, the person doing so needs boxes 17, 19, 28 (for example). He can then take the box with the first dozen wagons and place them fairly rapidly in the correct order and on the correct road. Ditto with the middle and tail end of the train. To further organise things, the box files are grouped into those plastic Really Useful Boxes and these might be labelled as "Up Freight Trains" or similar. A ring binder contains lists of what train is on what road and what each train formation is. I realise that this sounds very complicated and takes a lot of pre-planning and paperwork, but we have been refining this system of the last seventeen years or so, and with nearly 700 individual vehicles to put out, anything that can save a little time is a bonus. Unlike some, we keep all the stock out until the show closes, but then we want to be able to pack it all away and head for home. A slight exception to this is that some freight trains deliberately do get re-marshalled during the course of an exhibition, but we can cope with that. In addition, the road vehicle fleet currently comprises 172 vehicles and all of these now live in defined spaces across 10 box files. Unlike the trains, these can be placed on the road in any way that I like, although the buses with destinations need to face the correct way. At the last show, that was probably why it took me almost as long to put these away as it did for the rolling stock team to pack the trains..... Which layout is this Eddie? Phil Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
EddieK Posted January 3, 2019 Share Posted January 3, 2019 Which layout is this Eddie? Phil Phil, it is Mostyn. Eddie Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Gold Phil Bullock Posted January 3, 2019 Author RMweb Gold Share Posted January 3, 2019 Ah - enough said! Cheers Phil Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Liam Posted January 3, 2019 Share Posted January 3, 2019 Have you considered different coloured Really Useful boxes Phil? Their website gives you information on the various options: http://www.reallyusefulproducts.co.uk/uk/html/colours.php Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Gold Phil Bullock Posted January 3, 2019 Author RMweb Gold Share Posted January 3, 2019 We have a mix but no structure to their colours - just what Hobbycraft happen to have when we need some 4 litre - take 4 type 1s 2s or some type 3s - Hymeks and D65xx 7 litre - take 4 type 3s - D67xx or type 4s Blue channel foam is your friend.... Phil Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Premium Barry O Posted January 24, 2019 RMweb Premium Share Posted January 24, 2019 Getting ready for the Pontefract show this weekend I have lettered my stockboxes (purpose built wooden ones), produced a list of which coaches go where on the layout per box..should I take a photo or two as well? We shall see if the plan works.... Baz Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Gold Phil Bullock Posted January 24, 2019 Author RMweb Gold Share Posted January 24, 2019 Sounds like a plan that’s as cunning as a fox from the ministry of cunning Barry! How many crew with you? And yes photos always tell a thousand words if you have time ..... Phil 2 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Premium Clive Mortimore Posted January 24, 2019 RMweb Premium Share Posted January 24, 2019 We have a mix but no structure to their colours - just what Hobbycraft happen to have when we need some 4 litre - take 4 type 1s 2s or some type 3s - Hymeks and D65xx 7 litre - take 4 type 3s - D67xx or type 4s Blue channel foam is your friend.... Phil Hi Phil I just use the foam from the lids in Heljan and Dapol boxes. 1 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Premium Barry O Posted January 24, 2019 RMweb Premium Share Posted January 24, 2019 Sounds like a plan that’s as cunning as a fox from the ministry of cunning Barry! How many crew with you? And yes photos always tell a thousand words if you have time ..... Phil 6 operators, about 12 large boxes of stock.... Photos will be taken today methinks. Baz Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Premium Barry O Posted January 24, 2019 RMweb Premium Share Posted January 24, 2019 (edited) "lettered" boxes and inside Box K and the train is.... BSK train 3/1 Stanier M5685M Box K FK train 3/2 Stanier M1127M Box K SO train 3/3 57' M8790M Box K RFK train 3/4 Period 2 12 wheel M23M Box K SK train 3/5 Stanier M1668M Box K SK train 3/6 Stanier M13096 Box K CK train 3/7 Stanier M3907M Box K BSK train 3/8 Stanier M27095M Box K baz Edited January 24, 2019 by Barry O 3 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Gold Phil Bullock Posted January 25, 2019 Author RMweb Gold Share Posted January 25, 2019 Nice one Barry - is the 9F for when the Peak fails?? We label coaches underneath with a white marker so theoretically they return to their correct position in the correct box You must have more Heljan locos than us Mr Mortimore! But that foam is good stuff, I use it at the end of the blue foam to provide cushioning between loco ends and box sides - saves buffers and coupling loops from damage, have had a couple of rough shunts. The most spectacular was when the sack truck, laden with loco boxes, wheels went down in to the rail groove inside the engine shed at Toddington one year when we were there - a whole heap of boxes hit the concrete deck but only superficial damage to 2 locos - the protective system worked! Phil 3 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Premium Barry O Posted February 4, 2019 RMweb Premium Share Posted February 4, 2019 well .. the trial worked. I have now reorganised the stock boxes as some changes were required for the next outing at Chapel en le Frith (New Mills Show) Baz 1 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Premium Barry O Posted February 4, 2019 RMweb Premium Share Posted February 4, 2019 On 25/01/2019 at 21:38, Phil Bullock said: Nice one Barry - is the 9F for when the Peak fails?? Phil no need it just fitted in the space. We have spare Rebuilt Scots, Brits, Jubilees and Black 5s available for passenger train use. Baz 2 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Gold Phil Bullock Posted August 26, 2019 Author RMweb Gold Share Posted August 26, 2019 In the light of recent show issues we thought we;d do some photos of all our locos yesterday so we have a record for insurance purposes. Whilst we were about it we couldnt resist a couple of line up shots - the 47s and all the Sulzer type 4s.... poor attempt at pasting with the last one, sorry! 8 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Gold Enterprisingwestern Posted August 26, 2019 RMweb Gold Share Posted August 26, 2019 Like the 2nd Brush 4 with Cantons version of painting out the D with a green cab side, well observed. There was a peak, (damned if I can remember which one, but D165 if memory serves), which had just had a full yellow panel painted, and under the nose side panel was a yellow hand print and "painted Canton dd/m/yy" underneath it. Mike. 1 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Gold Phil Bullock Posted August 26, 2019 Author RMweb Gold Share Posted August 26, 2019 1 hour ago, Enterprisingwestern said: Like the 2nd Brush 4 with Cantons version of painting out the D with a green cab side, well observed. There was a peak, (damned if I can remember which one, but D165 if memory serves), which had just had a full yellow panel painted, and under the nose side panel was a yellow hand print and "painted Canton dd/m/yy" underneath it. Mike. Ah - diesels are all the same Mike! Not sure any two of those 47s are.... Just popping you a PM 1 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Liam Posted August 27, 2019 Share Posted August 27, 2019 Are you likely to do a line up of your Wizzos at any time Phil? Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Gold Phil Bullock Posted August 27, 2019 Author RMweb Gold Share Posted August 27, 2019 Could do! Ranger is in works at moment so once he is released then yup ,... 1 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
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