Waybill Content: Commodities

 I use car cards and waybills (CCWB) to forward cars on my layout. Generally I use the system used by numerous other layout owners which I’d describe as “The Micro-Mark/Rail Graphics” system, for lack of a better term. Manila card stock folded up to create a pocket, in which the second half, the waybill, is held.

These two pieces of paper make up the waybill. This “Waybill” directs the travel of cars on our layouts. 

For example, a waybill reads: “Old Dominion Furniture: Lumber Door”

Reading this, the switch crew brings this car to Old Dominion Furniture, the large building over there, with the big sign on it that reads “Old Dominion Furniture”. Once there the crew finds two spurs adjacent to the building, one labeled “loading track” and the outside track is labeled “Storage”. On the building there are five doors adjacent to the loading spur, numbered 1, 2, 3, 4, and “Lumber Door”.

Can you guess where this car goes?

Here’s my point. Does it help the switch crew to be informed that this car contains 20 tons of Cherry Hardwood Lumber from Halstead Lumber Company, Asheville, North Carolina?

What I’m really trying to say is, the added flavor of Commodity and Shipper information YOU include on your bills is dependent on the way your layout actually operates. Is the game you play one that moves 50 to 100 cars, total, during a four hour session, or do you operate a layout that spots 100 cars at one industry on a layout with five or six other such industries or switching districts?

I would word it, “Is your game moving loads, or moving cars?”

If, like me, your game is moving cars, all the additional “flavor” on your bills is wasted, and in fact becomes a nuisance.

I would temper this by saying that I have several industries where knowing the commodity IS important to completing the switching task. At my elevator/mill I’m asking crews to classify inbound loads of grain by commodity in order to spot the correct loads for milling or storage; For example, “Today we are milling corn.”

I’m railing against those that insist on one particular format against another, or use the term “More prototypical” as an excuse to bend you to their ways.

I think promoting a system that allows your crews to perform the tasks YOU have outlined, in a way that lets them efficiently do the work the way YOU want it done is the best system.

 Let’s get back to the switch crew at Old Dominion Furniture. He arrives with eight boxcars for the furniture company. Seven boxcars billed to storage, and one flatcar billed to the lumber door. As you can see my game is one of moving cars, and I think the extra “flavor” on my waybills is unnecessary. It might not be on yours.

What game are you playing?


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