Defining Sorts

You should complete all the switched road (route) definitions for each Hump Crest in your yard before moving onto Track Assignments - see Hump Setup.

It is recommended that you get to know what trains you dispatch from your Hump Yard and what trains work there and perhaps pickup one or more blocks of cars (use the TSARs). You really need to know what destinations these trains serve and what blocks of cars they carry. Only then will you be able to plan your track assignments effectively. You might find it useful to list your bowl tracks and assign either trains or part trains to them roughly before proceeding with the detailed Track Assignments.

I. Track Assignments

1. Press 9 (keyboard top row) to open the Track Assignments form.

2. All train movement will be paused while this form is open.

3. Unlike the switched roads definition operation the Track assignments can be done in any order. You can also revisit the setup many times and edit any of the parameters.

4. Select the Hump Crest you wish to work on. This will display all the tracks for which routes have been defined in the Track Listbox below.

5. Select the track you wish to work on. Current assignments will be displayed in the Assignments Box. If nothing is yet assigned then "*******" will be displayed.

6. You can also add a Track Name for this track - by default the track number will be used.

7. The buttons immediately below the Track Listbox and Assignments box enable you to edit the assignments as follows: Copy - will copy all assignments plus the Track Name from Track N to track N+1. Delete Selected - will delete the single assignment selected in the Assignments box. Delete Track - will delete all assignments for the selected track. Delete Everything - does just that.

II. Setting the Track Assignments

1. To set track assignments you need to use the drop down lists and buttons on the right hand side of the form.

2. The various assignments in search order priority are as follows: a. B/O or Wash (Specials) b. Car/Yard/Status/Siding c. Specific Yards d. RR & Empty e. RR & State f. RR & None g. States/Provinces h. Cars

3. When a car is uncoupled at the Hump Crest a search is made through all track assignments until a match is made satisfying one of the above, or all track assignments are exhausted and no match found - for the latter the car is assigned a special "Others" value.  It is for this reason that you are recommended to set at least one Track to "Others" - otherwise an unmatched car will simply follow the car in front.

Single Autoracks and IM Flat Cars are only tested against the criteria b) and h) above. Multi-unit lashups such as 3 unit autoracks or 3 and 5 units IM sets can not be humped and the hump process will stop.

4. The priority order given above is always adhered to no matter on which track the assignment is listed. So for example if Atlanta, Inman Yard, GA is listed on track #10 but all cars for GA State are listed on track #5 then the Inman cars will go to #10 while other GA cars will go to #5.

5. Car/Yard/Status/Siding allows you to filter any car type for any yard (default current yard) whatever it's status i.e. loaded or empty (default either) and having a specific siding number (or 0 if you are not using siding numbers).

The data is set when the siding number is selected so you should have your other choices selected before choosing a siding number. If you are not using siding numbers then choose siding = 0.

This allows you to filter say all Empty Box Cars for Yard X and siding number N to one of the bowl tracks while having all other Box cars for Yard X go to a different bowl track.

6. RR & Empty will match all empty cars of selected RR. To set select RR and then press "Empty" button. If used then to have empty cars for specific States or Yards go to a different track you must set this other track for all yards in that State belonging to that RR or for the specific yard.

7. RR & None is a catch all for that RR. All cars for that RR will be directed to this track unless any match one of the previous 4 criteria.

8. To set RR & Something then first select the RR and then either None or a State from the drop down list or press the "Empty" button.

9. You should set your assignments carefully to generate blocks of cars appropriate to the trains you will dispatch from your yard.

III. Blocking Sidings 1. If you have multiple tracks set for the same assignments then all cars will be sent to the first appropriate track. To have cars directed to the next appropriate track - you need to block the 1st track.

2. This is done by either double clicking on the Track number (A) or by selecting the track number and pressing the Block/Unblock button (B).

3. Blocked tracks will have their assignments listed in red (C) while unblocked tracks will have their assignments listed in green.

4. To unblock a track do one of the following: a. Double click track number in track list (A). b. Select track in track list and press Block/Unblock button (B). c. Double click the track in the Blocked Tracks List (D).

IV. Saving & Closing 1. To Save your changes press the "OK" button (E). This will also close the form (and Help form if open).

2. To exit without saving then press either the Form Close button (F) - top right or the "Cancel" button bottom right (G). This will also close the Help form if open.

V. Limitations 1. Trains to be humped must have at least 1 engine attached.

2. Trains must be pushed to the Hump Crest.

3. Trains must encounter the hump crest at 5 mph or less.