Last update: 2023-12-13
This is the experimental version of the web application for working with scheduling of model railway operation at module meetings.
This experimental version has been developed step-by-step after gaining practical experiences and user input at several module meetings in Sweden and Norway since 2016.
The prototype is based on a Microsoft Access database. Initially, all printed material was using the built in report functionality in Microsoft Access. As more functionality was added, it became obvius that it had some limitations and performance issues. It also was non-web, a complete local single-user, single-language solution.
The overall goal is to create an online scheduling system as a cloud application. However, this needs to be divided into steps that can be utilised also in short term.
The priority is to move and extend reporting/printing functionality to use standard web concepts; HTML and CSS and to retrive all data through a WEB API and make it easy to print. In addition, everything new should have multi-language support from start. This refinement can be made still using the Access database.
It also makes it easier to gather further learning what data needed for schedule planning, before moving the planning features and the database to the cloud. The good part with Microsoft Access is the ease to prototype the data structures and the reports.
In parallel, the Module Registry, is developed to support all necessary module and station data and for planning module meetings. This will also supply a future fully cloud based solution for planning schedules. The Module Registry is in operation and development is mostly completed.
All data is entered directly in Access tables, so no fancy user interface yet. To enter data requires detailed knowledge of the data. Because it's a prototype, not all data fields are longer used, and this is not documented. However, Access supports hierarcial data entry, so it is not as bad as it seems.
Storing data in a relational database like Microsoft Access means you can enforce data consistency and integrity much better, compared to store data in spreadsheets or plain text files. The database is also well designed and makes changes in data easy.
The most common planning system within module railway operations planning is XPLN. It stores data in spreadsheet, and here you can read my experiences when trying to import XPLN-data into the Access database.
This experimental version has currently a set of features, some of them not found in any other model train planning software.
All reports can be printed in any of the supported languages, currently English, German, Danish, Norwegian and Swedish. This is currently controlled by your preferred language in your browser settings.
In order to maximise loco driver utilisation and minimise waiting times between jobs, a report shows number of loco drivers required per session minute. You specify the maximum available number of loco drivers for the layout, and the report helps you not to exceed this maximun by coloring levels different and also helps with spreadning train operation more evenly over the session.
For each train, loco, trainset and duty operation days can be specified. This enables flexible planning, for example loco or trainset schedules over several days. It can be used when game sessions are assigned a running weekday.
Operation days are specified on three levels:
- Trains
- Schedules, there are Loco Schedules and Trainset Schedules.
- Driver Duties
The application deducts the actual operation days for trains and schedules in the driver duty.
A sequence of stations forms a timetable stretch. Timetable stretches may overlap each other. Each timetable stretch prints as a separate grapic timetable, with all trains passing som part of the timetable stretch. Also track occupancy of any train is shown for all stations.
When trains are operated on different days, the graphical timtable can be blurred with details. It is therefore possible to print the graphical timetable valid for only a subset of operating days.
Shows the usage of all locomotivs. Each loco displays on a row, with bars showing when the loco is used in a train. In order to see the true occupancy of the locos, the lead-in and lead-out time is also showed.
One of the hassles with other planning systems, is entering notes to loco drivers and station staff. In this solution, most aspects of the train operation is entered as data and not as free text, which means you seldom enter any manually written notes. Instead, the system creates all notes on report generation. Examples of automatic notes are:
- If train not stops at a station.
- Train meets or passes each other at stations. It can be disabled per station, for example on a double track line.
- Where to couple or uncouple locos, trainsets or freigth wagons to specific destinations.
- What to do at arrival to an unmanned shadow station.
- If to perform local shunting with the train locomotive.
- If locos should be circulated, turned or exchanged at some station.
- The operation day (i.e. weekday) of when the note apply, if different from the trains operation days. The operation days notes consider the union of the operation days of the train, loco/trainset, and the duty, and if they not overlap, the note is automatically excluded, and if it applies to all of the duty days, the operating days are excluded from the note.
- Automatic notes also are assigned any combination of target auduence: loco driver, train dispatcher and/or shunting staff. For example, only notes intended for loco drivers appear in the loco driver duties.
- Automatic notes are also applied to either what to note after an arrival or what to note before a departure.
The advantages with automatic notes are that:
- you don't have to write them yourself, just click some checkboxes or enter some data,
- they are formulated in a consistent way,
- they have the same formulation in every report,
- they are applied contextually in a predefine and systematic way,
- they can easily be generated in any supported language.
Even if it is rarley needed, it is possible to enter manually written notes and specify whether they apply to loco driver, train dispatcher and/or shunting staff and if they apply to an arrival or departure at the station. You can apply which operating days a manual note should be valid and its also possible to write manual notes in several languages.
These schedules can be planned with great flexibility, for example different schedule depending on operation day. One or more schedules can then be assigned to a specifc loco or trainset. Each loco and trainset schedule are printed per operation day, so there might be two or more schedules than you have to change before the next session starts.
Trains, loco- and trainset schedules and driver duties can be assigned a railway operator signature. This can be real or fictive operators.
A driver duty printed in A5 booklet format contains:
- a first page with some general information about the duty, most of it are deducted from the trains in the duty.
- a page for each train to drive. If the duty has more than one train, it writes a red highlight to continue to next train.
- eventually empty pages with text intended empty page.
- an optional page (last) with general instructions for the operated layout.
All pages are numbered, also the 'empty' ones. They are printed in booklet order, which means easy print on A4 paper double-sided and fold. This works regardless of the number of pages.
It is possible to select to print a subset of driver duties:
- a specific duty number,
- all duties for a specific operator.
A station duty printed in A5 booklet format contains:
- a first page with some general information about the duty, if its a dispatcher duty, a shunting duty or a combined duty. The combined is intended for single manned stations.
- an optional station specific free text instructions. These are entered for each station and for dispatcher and shunting staff separately.
- one to several pages with trains that require some special attention (don't just passes through).
- eventually empty pages with text intended empty page.
- an optional page with general instructions for the operated layout, same as in driver duties.
All pages are numbered, also the 'empty' ones. They are printed in booklet order, which means easy print on A4 paper double-sided and fold. This works regardless of the number of pages.
Each manned station needs a table where train arrivals and departures are ordered by time. These sheets are used for train dispatch and control. The sheets can be resused up to seven sessions, one column for each weekday.
It is possible to print loco- and trainset schedules that fits in the A6-pocket on the cards. The type of schedule are indicated by a coloured diagonal line:
- red: loco schedules,
- green :passenger wagon trainset schedules,
- blue: cargo wagon trainset, and
- yellow : non-wagon cargo circulation.
It is possible to plan all cargo flow by specifying what destinations to pick up and let off at each station. Each cargo flow destination is called a wagon group. There are also features for:
- ordering wagon groups within a train.
- specifying to bring wagons to all destinations or to a station and beyond,
- if train does not reach the final destination of a wagon group it could have a transfer destination as it final destination,
- if train driver shall do local shunting or not. If not, local shunting is expected to be carried out by station shunter staff.
The wagon grouping report shows the order of the wagon groups should be in a train from a specific station, usually the shadow yards. The maximum number of wagons in each wagon group can be specified, to better control how many wagons is sent to each destination. A wagon group destination can be a single station or a set of stations.
Each shadow station can have one or several regions attached to it. Regions defines what geographical area the shadow station represents of the 'outside world' in relation to the meeting layout. The wagon group planning also consider the regions as destinations when a wagon group ends at a shadow station and has and regions checked.
For each initial train it is possible to print out a start label, that can be placed on the track ahead of the train to make it easier to find.
It is possible to specify the font family to be used for the printed material. A font can enhance a historically look and feel.
Some station owners want data instead (or in supplement) of paper. The data export creates a CSV-file, with all trains passing the station, including all station notes. The output can be created in any supported language.