Adding Realism to Free Play

By Alfred Barten

This article was first published in the Winter 2003 issue of Woodbridge's Train Simulation Crafstman magazine. - Ed.

In "Time For Free Play" I presented a method of operation on the Timesaver route that I call free play. It's a freeform substitute for formal activities, which are scripted and therefore inflexible. This time I'll talk about adding some realism to the free play. In the route schematic you can see there are eight destinations/points of departure. Two are interchange tracks (1 and 2) and six are loading/unloading points in the yard (A through F). I've defined these points, for my own use, as described in the following paragraphs and summarized in the accompanying table. You are, of course, free to make your own assumptions and establish your own rules. This is simply a way of adding some structured realism to our free play. It’s your game and your railroad. Whatever you say is the law of the land.

Interchange Tracks

West (1) and East (2) Interchange Tracks. The interchange tracks handle every kind of car imaginable. Cars from one interchange track that are not destined for one of the industries located in the yard are routed to the opposite interchange track. Every car on an interchange track at the beginning of an operating day is to be moved to another destination –- either a yard industry or the opposite interchange track. In practice, certain types of cars do not appear on a particular interchange track. This is because I have decided, in one instance, that incoming tank cars are delivering materials from a single supplier to a single receiver and thus always arrive via the same interchange. Similarly, another industry ships certain items only by gondola car to a certain destination. These cars also move only through a single interchange.

Yard Industries

Unlike the interchange tracks, industry sidings handle only certain types of cars. Additionally, cars do not necessarily have to be moved on a given operating day.

Nels Scrap Yard (A). The scrap yard receives items destined for scrap or parts removal/reuse by way of flatcars. It also ships items via flatcars and gondola cars. Somewhat arbitrarily I’ve decided that gondola cars are used for specific items that are delivered to a specific customer. Thus gondolas move only through East Interchange (2). Flats move through either interchange.

North Team Track (B). The team track is not related to a specific industry, but does have a loading/unloading platform that I have decided is serviced by boxcars and flatcars. These cars are used for shipping and receiving, and are routed via both interchanges.

Allen Clockworks (C). The clockworks receives materials and parts, and ships finished products using boxcars. Although there might conceivably be only one destination for the shipments, there is no realistic way for me to decide what is incoming or outgoing and remember that from one session to another. Therefore it is convenient to assume shipping and receiving are via both interchanges.

Jupiter Equipment (D). Jupiter Equipment is similar to Allen Clockworks.

Braddock Plastics, Dock #1 (E). Braddock Plastics, Dock #1 (E). I’ve decided that Dock #1, the northernmost of the two Braddock Plastics docks, is used for incoming shipments of chemicals via tank cars. I’ve assumed the chemicals arrive from a single supplier that always ships through West Interchange (1).

Braddock Plastics, Dock #2 (F). Dock #2 is used for shipping finished products via boxcar (sheet products) and covered hopper (pellets). Shipments are via both interchanges.

Timesaver Traffic Summary

Remember, the scenario I have created is simply my interpretation of the route. There could be others. I may even change this one in time. Meanwhile, I am having a lot of fun shunting cars around the route according to a rationale.

The following table may be useful when deciding which types of cars to include in a consist. Don’t try to get all types in a given consist. Figure, instead, on having more than one consist.

Car Types by Destination

A Few Operating Tips

Based on my use of the Timesaver route I’ve come up with a few helpful hints that I’ll pass along in the following paragraphs.

Car Naming Conventions. As you acquire more and more freight cars, you will find it increasingly difficult to identify cars when selecting them for a consist. You can revise or assign any car name that displays in ConBuilder without affecting a previously defined consist or severing a link from another car that may be relying on the first for shared information.

Using an editor such as WordPad, open the car's WAG file and scroll to the bottom. You should see a line like the following:

Sound ( "GenFreightWag2.sms" )

You may also see a line below that looks something like this:

Name ( "TNK Humble-1000gal" )

This particular car did not have the Name line. I created it. You can edit the Name line if one exists. ConBuilder displays the text contained within the quotes. Now when I want a tank car I look for all the cars beginning with TNK, which just happen to be grouped together because the listing is alphabetical.

I've decided upon a naming convention - and I make no claims about this being the best - in which the type of car appears first, followed by the associated railroad or owner, and supplemented by any additional identifying detail as needed. I use the following prefixes for freight car types:

You could also use the AAR designations if you're familiar with them or don't mind learning them.

Building Consists. Resist the temptation to include too many cars in a consist. Shunting complexity increases dramatically as you add cars. Begin with about five and work your way up.

Coupling Cars. MSTS is a little fussy when coupling cars. You need to bang cars together at around 3 to 5 miles per hour. Softer collisions don’t work. Harder collisions cause derailments, which end the activity. It is a good idea to use the overhead view (6 key) to see the action. The collision is likely to move a single car that is being coupled, so it is a good idea not to place uncoupled cars too close to the end of the track. If the collision from coupling drives the loose car into the end-of-track bumper, a derailment and end-of-activity occurs.

If, when you push cars together and the loco fails to move as you try to continue pushing, it is an indication that the cars have not coupled. Back up and try again.