This and That and Rule Books

Today was warm enough with bouts of calm (though they were few and far between) to allow me to get the clear coat applied to fifteen of the twenty cars. The other five needed some touch up of the box car red which they got. This paves the way to decaling.

Today also saw the arrival of the new power isolator so that should get installed tomorrow and then Thorny Point will be back in service.

For the last few days I have also been working on updating the website screens with the new look and feel. I now have most, if not all, of the screens accessible from the two sidebars converted.

I have also been working on an E&P Operating Rules book. It is currently at 40 pages and growing. (Do I hear groans?) The most important section will be the section on the standard format for the train orders. I plan to post this book to the website and make it available on the computer in the dispatcher's office. (And yes it will cover the rules around Fixed Signal blue light indications.)

One outcome from producing this rule book so far is a realization that Form 19 orders are not correct for the E&P. We should be using Form 31 orders. Form 19 orders are passed to passing trains while Form 31 orders require the train to stop to pick them up which is always the case on the E&P. So I will be changing that and should have the new forms ready for the next session.

And finally I have been looking into the idea of providing train order stations at Thorny Point and Brooke. No final decision has been made and probably will not be for several months but right now I am leaning in that direction.