I guess you do what you feel

I guess you do what you feel you need to.  I was never into creating all that logistics, paperwork, and programs for anything on my small layout.  Just seems like way to much work.  I'd rather run trains, and fix or maintain rolling stock as I use it, and build more.

I usually have two trains on the layout, one main line with i loco, and about 16 cars,and one local, one loco and about 6 to 10 cars, and about 15 to 20 cars scattered around in the trans load yard, and at industries.

Some people thrive on such things as inventory, maintenance, and creating computer programs for such, or extensive use of programs like JMRI.

I have JMRI, I've read it has lots of capabilities for such logistics and record keeping, but I hardly use it.  It's just as fast for me to program with the throttle.

Mike.

Well, I intend to...

After putting the finishing touches on my existing roster lists (locos, freight cars, MOW, and passenger cars are separate) in Excel this month as I weed out cars, I intend to import them into EMRI.  I haven't looked at it yet, but I hope I can import a "next maintenance date" as well, since I'd like to scatter the maintenance across the next three summers, so I can cycle all the cars through a checkup during my cottage summer time (I can haul a boxload or two with me for each trip, spreading the work across several months).  Doing an initial maintenance of the entire roster would, simply put, bring me to my knees otherwise.  Since the layout is currently under construction, I'll take care of the roster portion that's required for the layout portion that's built as of the end of each winter.

That's the theory, anyway.  If I can't import that date field, I'll have to do the import in stages, changing the default for that field between each import.  Not ideal, but still relatively simple, and a whole lot better than editing each and every car later.

Have you read Joe's "Run like a Dream" books, by the way?  While in my opinion he's not offering a whole lot of new thoughts, he's done a first class job of pulling the disparate concepts, practices, and failings together, and weighing their varied results, in a comprehensible and accessible format.  On any given topic, you may or may not agree with his conclusions, but you won't find a better place to assess the various inputs for that topic.

So far, he's released the Trackwork and Rolling Stock books, and I'm impatiently awaiting the Locomotive release, which will complete the series.

His section on PM for rolling stock is very good, by the way, bringing up several issues I had neglected.

Just my 2 cents, Canadian.

Blair

Maintenance, Run Like a Dream

Preventative maintenance is a noble goal.  But from what I’ve seen at shows and other layouts, in many cases it would be better to focus on any maintenance at all first.  Preventative maintenance is something like pre-emptively checking wheelset gage on your rolling stock is a noble goal, but time consuming.  An far less time consuming way to get most of the same benefit is plain old maintenance - like when a car derails, don’t just stick it back on the track, check the wheelset gage, the track gage where it happened, couplers for free movement, adjacent cars, etc.

Yeah, it’s obvious.  But a lot of people don’t do it.  I have to admit myself included at times.

Blair, I’ll second the run like a dream books.  There’s a lot of good info in there, collected nicely, and with some useful practical guidelines.  The only thing I’ve noticed missing from the trackwork book is the formula for easement offset (offset = L^2 / (24*R)), pretty much everything else you need to know is right there.

Ken,

I believe you meant "Blair, I'll second the run...".  Don't send them, I've got them...

As for the PM vs M comment, proactive vs reactive, I think proactive is more my style; comes from working in the nuclear industry.   (couldn't find a mushroom cloud, so a smile will do)

Blair

Oops

Blair you’re right I got bitten by spell correction and didn’t notice that one.  You can’t pry those books away from me!

Maint vs Prev Maint

My idea is that straight out of the box they better be running correctly although I know that it's not always the case.  Some of my comments above were made based on running tank cars about a year ago, putting them away and then pulling them out and for whatever reason finding that they didn't run as smoothly as before.  Or perhaps the coupler was damaged in a run and then next time it was used it simply doesn't work or the wheels don't turn as freely.  So I'm a believer that some PM is needed especially when you offer your layout for an ops session.