Index of Available Issues for the Dispatcher's
Office 1990-2001
Go to Index for 2002-Present
The following issues of the Dispatcher's Office are still available. 1990 (40 pages) $5; 1991 (64 pages) $7; 1992 (30 pages) $5; January 1997 - July 2007 $4/each; October 2007 - current $5/each (plus postage - see form). Make check (US funds only please) payable to "Operations SIG, Inc.". To order issues please use the back issue order form (PDF).
Operations SIG
PO Box 67
Wood Dale, IL 60191-0067
Membership@OPSIG.org
(Please include "OPSIG" in the subject line)
| Issue Date/ Article Title |
Source | Description | ||
| June 1990 | ||||
| Putting Operators at Ease | Mark Quarles | Operating session management | ||
| Operating on the York Haven Short Line | Mark Quarles | Operation paperwork | ||
| Operator's Guide to Better Operation | Cliff Robinson, Keith Gutierrez | Directives for guests | ||
| Layout Guidelines for Varied Operations | David Doiron | What an operating layout should be | ||
| Car/Industry Spot Location Systems | Cliff Robinson, Mark Quarles | Marquette Union Terminal | ||
| Sept. 1990 | ||||
| Yosemite Valley Model Railroad Operating System | Bruce Metcalf | |||
| Forms for bad orders | Mark Quarles | York Haven Short Line | ||
| Dec. 1990 | ||||
| Simulating Effective Tractive Effort Constraints | Mark Quarles | Analysis of loco tractive effort | ||
| Operating Paperwork Shelves | Mark Quarles | Where to put paperwork on the layout | ||
| Road Crew Instructions | Charles McLean, Mark Quarles | Informing & training new operators | ||
| Where is This Train Going? | Charles McLean | More on training | ||
| March 1991 | ||||
| Operating Budget Simulations | Mark Quarles | Run your railroad with simulated profit/losses | ||
| Top Speed of Western Trains | Compuserve | |||
| Training of New Operators | Russ Kress | |||
| Operations in Vancover B.C. | John Green | Including the Vancover Model Railroad Club | ||
| Forms used on the York Haven Short Line | Mark Quarles | Derailment / Collision/ Near Miss Report Forms | ||
| An Operations Model | Mark Quarles | A computer concept | ||
| June 1991 | ||||
| Managing Layout Operating Sessions | Edward Novit | Based on Ed's Northern Pacific Tacoma Div | ||
| Transcript of 5/12/91 Conference on Compuserve TrainNet Forum | ||||
| Operating Paperwork | Cliff Robinson | Computer switchlists on Marquette Union Terminal | ||
| Hempstead Atlantic Central Railroad - Open House Invitation | Peter Hess | With layout diagram | ||
| Sept. 1991 | ||||
| How to Operate Your Model Railroad | Scott Given | Running the Maumee at the Batavia IL club | ||
| The Way Freight | Mark Quarles | Switching techniques for the local way freight | ||
| Handouts to New Operators | Sandy Davis | Two-page handout | ||
| Prototype Forms | Dennis Smith | Division Special Instructions re Amtrak; ICG Industry Service Report; Soo Line Conductors Wheel Report | ||
| Dec. 1991 | ||||
| York Haven Short Line Freight Car Forwarding System | Mark Quarles | New operating methods | ||
| Database for Waybill Generation on a Model Railroad | Mark Quarles | Statistical database for computer generated operating session | ||
| Operations on the Maumee | Mark Quarles | CIC&StL at Batavia IL | ||
| Mar. 1992 | ||||
| Computers and Model Railroading | Mark Quarles | Sources of information | ||
| Some Thoughts on Fast Time | Compuserve TrainNet Forum | |||
| News on Prototype Operation | Railway Age Magazine | Natural gas locomotives | ||
| Sample Prototype Forms | Dennis Smith | Soo Line Track Warrant | ||
| June 1992 | ||||
| Model Railroads and Telecommunications | Mark Hilmantel | Electronic media re railroads and models | ||
| Amtrak Gas Turbine Proposed | Railway Age Magazine | |||
| Car Loadings | Compuserve | US freight car loadings 2/22/92 to 3/21/92 | ||
| Sample Prototype Forms | Dennis Smith | Air Brake Inspection Report; Soo Line Switch List; IC Empty Car Bill | ||
| Nov. 1992 | ||||
| Permission to Occupy the Track | Frank Bryan | Five methods of train movement authority | ||
| More about Timetables and Train Orders | Don Carrington | Interesting facts re prototype TT&TO. | ||
| Operating Night on the Virginia Midland | Steve King | How to operate without a model railroad | ||
| Virtual Reality: Future of Model Railroad Operation? | Don Carrington | How hi-tech may change the way we operate | ||
| Layout Planning for Operation: Painstaking Design, or Just Do It? | Steve King & Rich Montesano | Two approaches to layout design | ||
| Off the Wire - News about model railroaders | ||||
| January 1997 | ||||
| Handling Perishables on NP Tacoma Division | Ed Novit | Paperwork and operations | ||
| Book Review | Frank Bryan | Mallery's Operation Handbook | ||
| Trombone Players in a String Ensemble | Tony Koester | All playing the same tune? | ||
| Dialog on Expectations | Tony Koester | What can we expect from our crew members? | ||
| Tehachapi Train Orders | Don Mitchell | La Mesa Model RR Club | ||
| My First Time | Dave Acheson | Scary initial operation | ||
| Better Use of Operating Personnel | Linda Sand | Three tested ideas | ||
| Rules and Language of Train Orders | Don Carrington | From General Operating Code | ||
| April 1997 | ||||
| When Push Comes to Shove | Symposium on Helper Operations | |||
| Rolling Fruit on the Lake Erie Road | Ed Novit | Perishables at destination | ||
| Leave Those Radios Behind | Bill Jewett | Thoughts on operations communications | ||
| Why Tony Doesn't Operate | Tony Koester | Risks for the owner | ||
| Balance - Guest Editorial | Craig Bisgeier | Key to smooth operations | ||
| Switching Prototype Style | Alan Bates | Retired rail tells how it's done | ||
| July 1997 | ||||
| Operations on the C&IG Railroad | Peter Bryan | An outdoors Texas pike | ||
| Conductor on the Clear Lake Line | Working the Michigan 2-foot gauge | |||
| Cattle Car Roundup | Joe Antosiak | Handling the livestock business | ||
| Train Registers and Clearance | Frank Bryan | Essentials for timetable operations | ||
| Hoboken Yard Clerk | Working with waybills and switchlists | |||
| Computerized Operating Systems | Joe Morrison | Report from a ProTrak user | ||
| Guest Operating | Linda Sand | How to be invited | ||
| October 1997 | ||||
| O.S. Soldier Summit | Mike McClaughlin | Recalling the D&RGW | ||
| Simulating Train-Order Operators | OSing in operating sessions | |||
| Preparing your Layout for Operation | Ed Novit | From "running" to true operation | ||
| Creating Your Employee Timetable | Ron Copher | Detailing how the railroad runs | ||
| Modeling Rules Examination | Linda Sand | Demonstrating crew understanding | ||
| C&G Qualification Examination | Gene St. John | Ensuring operator training | ||
| Software Survey: Shipit! | Review of computer switchlist program | |||
| January 1998 | ||||
| Working at Clemens | Dave Bayless | Running an L&N local | ||
| Spotting the Medaryville Grain Train | A real-life switching problem | |||
| Timetable & Train Order Operation | Steve King | Part I - Rules, Superiority | ||
| Different Operators | Linda Sand | Crew do things differently | ||
| Freight Operation | Norm Beveridge | Incorporating fun goals | ||
| Digital Throttle Review | Joe Morrison | RealRoad computerized throttle | ||
| Setting Up for Operations | Ed Novit | Session planning and details | ||
| Dialog on Expectations | Glenn Glastetter | Satisfying the owner's goals | ||
| April 1998 | ||||
| Prototype Yard Operation | Bill Jewett | Soo's Schiller Park | ||
| Timetable & Train Orders | Steve King | Part II | ||
| How Well Do You Know Rulebook? | Was another order needed? | |||
| Model Yardmaster's Guide | Ted Schnepf | Keeping Yards Organized | ||
| Mt. Hood RR Spot-It Guide | Joe Brugger | Local industry maps | ||
| Switching Edgefield on CM&SF | Barrow & Jewett | Planning industry work | ||
| July 1998 | ||||
| Passenger Train Operatons | Bruce Ryan | Part I - Mail & Express | ||
| Passenger Service on GN | Bill Jewett | Don Strike's layout | ||
| Kalispell Division | ||||
| Omaha Road's Paperless | Bill Jewett | Dennis Blunt's system | ||
| Car Forwarding | ||||
| Great Lakes & Northern Freight | Birney Summers | Building waybill files | ||
| Traffic | ||||
| Software for Car Cards & Waybills | 3 software reviews | |||
| How Well Do You Know the Rulebook? | Dispatching Quiz | |||
| Timertable & Train Order | Steve King | Part III - Orders | ||
| Operation | ||||
| October 1998 | ||||
| Passenger Train Operations - Part II | Bruce Ryan | Sleepers, Diners, Coaches | ||
| Labor Agreements & Crew Work | Ted Ferkenhoff | MP auto facility rules | ||
| How Well Do You Know the Rulebook? | Bill Kuebler | NP Daylight Savings Time | ||
| Time Table & Train Order | Steve King | Part IV - Running Extra Operations | ||
| January 1999 | ||||
| Getting Started in Operations | Rick Rodrick | Overcoming newbie fears | ||
| CSX Shenandoah Division | Bruce Faulkner | First op session report | ||
| Train Control Acronyms | Mark Hemphill | Explaining signaling types | ||
| Running Ahead of 16 | Darrel Dewald | '40's Milwaukee action | ||
| More on Passenger Trains | Bill Jewett | Readers add their recollections | ||
| Timetable and Train Orders | Steve King | Final chapter | ||
| Car Movement Systems | David Doiron | Setting up your car cards | ||
| April 1999 | ||||
| Modeling the Sierra RR | John Zach | Cal foothills layout | ||
| Operations in the 1870's | Don Ball | Before TT&TO standard code | ||
| Direct Traffic Control | Bob Schramm | Alternative to track warrants | ||
| DTC on the C&NW | Farewell to unique system | |||
| Great Basin Getaway | John Zach | Operating four fine Utah layouts | ||
| Operations on the Maumee | Steve Karas | First-time crew's defense | ||
| Orders for Magellan | SP presidential special orders | |||
| July 1999 | ||||
| Yardmaster at BN Eola Il | Dan Holbrook | Prototype YM's duties | ||
| Yard Switching Tricks | Craig Bisgeier | Tips and tricks | ||
| Planning Yard Work | Jeff Leaman | Switchlist basics | ||
| Switchlists on Oak River RR | Gary Rhebergen | Bypassing cards | ||
| Computer Switchlists | Jim Moir | Bypassing paper | ||
| Switching Basics | Cabooses, blocking, etc. | |||
| Barge Operations | Jeff Childs | Interchange by water/mail | ||
| The Van Asselt Transfer | Mike McLaughlin | Seattle memories | ||
| Freight Operations | Norm Beveridge | Switching "The Cans" | ||
| October 1999 | ||||
| Tracking the Turkey Trail Train | Roger Mier | Paperwork on C&O | ||
| Communicating Work Assignments | Work messages and train briefs | |||
| Car Knockers Keep Wheels Rolling | Dave Crammer | Mechanical Dept in the yard | ||
| Modeling Prototype Train Makeup | HazMat, special cars, dynamics | |||
| Switching by the List | YM lists keep waybills out of yard | |||
| Researching Prototype Information | Drake Omstead | NYO&W at Scranton | ||
| January 2000 | ||||
| OpSig Plans for San Jose Convention | NMRA July 30 - August 6, 2000 | |||
| What's in Those Cars Anyway? | Bill Jewett | 1955 commodities by car type | ||
| Coal Cars and Operations on the "Q" | Detailed look at the coalfields | |||
| Ordering Locomotive Fuel | Steve Karas | Using secondary waybills | ||
| Rip Track & Cleanout Operations | Drake Omstead | Keeping the shops busy | ||
| How Well Do You Know the Rulebook? | Dispatching puzzler | |||
| Western Passenger Switching | Mike McLaughlin | UP in the Northwest | ||
| April 2000 | ||||
| Flying Green | Bill Jewett | Train sections under TT&TO | ||
| IC Accident Report | Frederick Garret | Casey Jones' last run | ||
| Passing a Disabled Section | Warren McFarland | ACL dispatcher's lapse brought fatal collision | ||
| Coal operatons, steam servicing | C&O turns 100 engines daily | |||
| Station agency operations | Prototype paperwork | |||
| Waybills, car cards, switchlists | Installing movement systems | |||
| Coordinator's Comments | CallBoard layout list announced | |||
| July 2000 | ||||
| Operations on the Durkin Sub | Glenn Gastetter | Using prototype information | ||
| Freight Operations in Hinton | Roy Long | C&O activities in 1950s | ||
| Modeling Small Shipments | Express, LCL, forwarders, team tracks | |||
| LCL with Secondary Waybills | Steve Karas | Model your small shipments | ||
| Switchlists or Carcard Inserts | Bob Warren | "Chalking" cars with temporary waybill inserts | ||
| Freelancing No-Bill Coal | Drake Omstead | Broker orders coal on NYO&W | ||
| Off-Line Industry Database | Bill Jewett | Real customer names for waybills offered on Internet | ||
| CallBoard List #2 | Operators open for visitors | |||
| October 2000 | ||||
| Sharing the Oregon Trunk | Lowell Smith | Operations on a hobbyshop layout | ||
| A Day on the Thermal Belt | Ray Poteat | Prototype shortline operations | ||
| Town Turns and Yard Jobs | Structuring local switching | |||
| Wreck on the BAR | Identifying trains at meeting points | |||
| Improving Prototypical Fidelity | Bruce Chubb | Realistic communications | ||
| Operations Weekend | Verne Alexander | California ops trek | ||
| Radio and Battery Alternatives | Chuck White | Tips on radio buying and use | ||
| January 2001 | ||||
| Plans for St. Louis Convention | OpSig activities in July '01 | |||
| 24 Hours on Tehachapi | Bill Jewett | Boomers at San Diego museum | ||
| LaMesa Club Standards | Bill Jewett | Specs for equipment performance | ||
| Heard on the Train Wire | Bill Jewett | Issuing an order step by step | ||
| The Allentown Project | Bill Jewett | Eastern traffic flows in 1976-77 | ||
| Tom's Register 1938 | Tom Gloger | New directory of '30s industries | ||
| Tire Business "Recalled" | Mark Amfahr | Tire plant receipts and shipments | ||
| Car Routing Software Survey | Bill Jewett | User comments on ProTrak | ||
| Freight Cars on the Sierra | John Zach | Actual cars used in 1950s | ||
| April 2001 | ||||
| Plans for NMRA St. Louis Convention | OpsSig activities detailed | |||
| Operations Road Show | John Young | Layout in convention hotel | ||
| Frankfort Yardmaster | Don Daily | NKP High Speed switching | ||
| Making the Grade | Ron Stevens | Tonnage ratings details | ||
| Tonnage Ratings in Practice | ...and HP/Ton | |||
| Shelby Switcher Number Two | Ray Poteat | CSX solves a power problem | ||
| Car Routing Software - Part 2 | Bill Jewett | Looking at ShipIt! | ||
| July 2001 | ||||
| Setting Up Your First Op Session | Lance Mindheim | Beginner's perspective | ||
| Getting Started with
Operations Wheel Reports Colored car tacks Switchlists Carcards and waybills Computer applications |
||||
| Breaking the Code | Ron Stevens | Car type codes | ||
| Car Routing Software - Part 3 | Bill Jewett | RailOP system | ||
| Callboard Status Report | Tom Turner | Ops layout registry | ||
| October 2001 | ||||
| I Like Locals | Roger Meir | C&O railroader's viewpoint | ||
| Peddler of Local Freight | Warren Crater | CNJ switching in the 50's | ||
| Respecting Work Rules | Blair Kooistra | Properly assigning duties | ||
| Caboose First | Shoving cars ahead of engine | |||
| Two-Person Crews | Al Oneto | It's more fun with two | ||
| Mine Run Operations | Dan Bourque | Appalachian mine switching | ||
| Carcards, Bills and Operations | Bob Warren | Organizing when space is tight | ||
| Car Routing Software Survey | Bill Jewett | Concluding 4-part series | ||
| Go to Index for 2002-Present |