My friend is starting to ready his layout for operations and it sounds like he doesn't have a different color ballast for his main line track. Short of painting ballast are there are commonly used ways to point out to operators which is the mainline? Sign posts at yard throats?  It's a large layout so any suggestions would be appreciated so he can get started.  I didn't know of anything other than the ballast coloring...

Thanks if you can help.

Several months ago in an MRH thread on tag-based car forwarding systems I attempted to briefly describe a variant we have been using on the N Scale Columbia & Western for a year.  I think it can be compared to the old tag systems in the same way the new waybill and card pocket forwarding system can be likened to 4 cycle car cards.  

On Friday evening, 06 Dec. 2013, I attended the set-up of a local train show. I would love to have gone to the actual show on Saturday, 07 Dec, however, I had to work that day. I bought an Athearn (GP-7 / GP-9) diesel that evening. Circumstances were such that I could not test run it. When I, finally, got it home, and ran it on my layout, it sounded more like a distressed, ready to die steam loco, rather than a diesel.

Watching the newly posted Ops Video on Joe F's Siskiyou Line layout, I have a question about Track Warrants.  I am more familiar with TT&TO and CTC, which is why I am asking this question.