Bill
I've setup operations one 4 different layouts around the area and all but one runs the session in real time, generating paperwork as the trains move along the layout. I have one that we print out the whole session. Yes some cars still are used or moved more than once but here is what needs to be done for this to all work. The crews have until the mid-session break to have their setouts all in place. After the mid-session break the later trains will pull those setout cars?and drop off cars for the next session. So to orchestrate all of this we build and terminate trains. This is all done using the automations in the trains area under tools. When a train is built the automations generate the paperwork, move the train to the final location on its route and terminates it. Then a popup tells us?the next train is ready to build and a click on the OK?builds the train?and the process goes on for the next 20 trains.?On the layouts running in real time, a movement on the JMRI dispatchers panel of the train icon will set further train building in action, again all automatically. Here on my layout I use CATS for dispatching. A train occupying a certain block, station, location, will trigger an automation creating a train and its paperwork. When the CATS computer sees a certain train is at a certain "station" that move will trigger a train movement on my JMRI computer which in turn triggers an automation. Works pretty slick and many thanks to those that created this feature for me to use. It truly does simplify dispatching in real time for the occasional dispatcher.
