Need an economical waybill and switchlist app as well

I'm in a similar predicament as the author, in modeling a relatively modern operation on a secondary line. Protrack would be even more overkill for my scope, as I only have about 150 freight cars and a dozen or so locomotives. Operating in analog DC I don't expect more than a couple of trains - four maximum - during an op session, and the higher number won't come into play until the final phase of construction. That is many years off right now.

What I need is a inexpensive PC-based program that would retain car and industry information, automatically generate car requests or shipments to consignees, and route those cars (as trains) from staging/off-layout storage to the modeled car spots along the layout. Whether as switchlists or waybill info (where the conductor would have to hand-write the switchlist from) isn't as important.

With a small industrial switching layout consisting of staging, a visible local yard and industries where all traffic is routed either staging-industry or vice versa are there any good prototypical options out there that don't break the bank? I guess that worst case one can always go with card cards and writing switchlists from these model RR waybills, but in this day and age of technology there's got to be a way to automate.

Flexbill

I've started using an MS Access app called Flexbill that can generate a lot of the paperwork for ops while saving time over doing it by hand.  Since the database keeps information linked, you can avoid making multiple edits to change everything.  There is a Yahoo group where you can learn a bit more, but it isn't particularly active.  At least you could find out about the product and see about a trial.  http://groups.yahoo.com/group/flexbill/

Thanks!!!

Rob,

Thanks for the tip and link!

I just joined the group - looking forward to demo'ing the app. I have MS Office 2007 on my home computer (with Access) so I should be all set.

Thanks again. One of these days - when the layout's operational - I'll need to join OpSIG, and get plugged in better to this stuff.

No, now is the time to join

Thanks again. One of these days - when the layout's operational - I'll need to join OpSIG,

No do it now not latter.  I would say the biggest reason to join now rather than after the layout is built is all of the AMAZING things you will see and learn that can be incorporated into the layout you are building now.  If a picture is worth a thousand words and video is that much better, then what would actually being there be worth?  REALLY, joining now will be the best $7 (e version) you will ever spend on the MRR'ing

http://www.opsig.org/

OK, end of rant, back to your regularly scheduled thread

Steve

Great Article

As someone who has never operated on a layout before (other than my own) and is gingerly stepping toward something more involved, I really enjoyed reading about all of your experiences, Mike. The stories were very beneficial and encouraging, at least to me. And all of the information on the different operating procedures and concepts certainly provides a lot of food for thought. Thanks for a great article, and I look forward to reading more about your adventures.

Tom Patterson 

Got Bored

I got bored by the long lead in about the childhood.

I would have read a focused article on some aspect of operations.

Honest feedback.

T

OpSig and Panel Pro

One of the great benefits of belonging to OpSig is receiving the Dispatcher's Office every three months.  There were a couple of articles recently on using the Operations segment included with Panel Pro, the download companion to Decoder Pro.  These programs are totally free and are open source.  They will run on any platform.  Check it out at  http://jmri.sourceforge.net/help/en/html/apps/PanelPro/PanelPro.shtml.