I was unable to post this message a few weeks ago, so I'm posting it today and will have follow up posts with additional info, questions and thoughts.  Some of the questions in the last paragraph (below) have since been discussed on a one to one basis with Jim and I thought it may help others if we start a group discussion about staging options in this thread.  If no one is interested, then it may die but at least you will all have a chance to add your thoughts and questions. 

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Hi All, during the PT Weekend, Bob B and I talked to Jim about the use of staging track designations to better control the freight car routing that we wanted. I have just ended a session and am playing with staging track designations before the next session.

I have 5 trains running in each direction between Gresham Yard and Indianapolis.  Four of these trains make setoffs and pickups enroute.  Each train works one designated town or yard.  The 5th train is a run-through with no stops.

I have 5 staging tracks for Indianapolis (IND), they all go to the same region (Region #1).  Until now, all trains used only one staging track (IND01s) which is longer (in the program) than the length of all the trains combined.  This had worked well for me when all the trains were run-throughs with no stops enroute.

Now, with each train working a single and different town or yard, it is important to get the correct cars on the correct train for delivery to the correct town or yard.  After discussing this during the PT Weekend, I decided to re-designate each of the staging tracks and assign each of the 5 trains to a specific track #.

I will then assign each of the inbound waybills (out of staging) to a specific staging track for the appropriate train that works the destination or routing for that waybilled car.  For example, all waybilled cars destined for South Adam will be assigned to track IND03s / Train 211.

The question that I have is in regard to the outbound cars to staging.  As many know, Gresham Yard has a lot of traffic that is routed through it enroute to staging.  I need to keep this traffic flowing through and out of the yard as quickly as possible.  With this in mind, I need to be able to forward all traffic going to staging on the next train out and not be assigned to a specific train late in the 24 hour schedule.

My option is to either assign all OV and other cars going to Indianapolis staging to a specific staging track, or assign them all to IND01s (track 1).  But I'm not sure how that will effect delivery of the cars.  If I assign all inbound traffic to Indianapolis staging to IND01s, will PT only send those cars to IND01s?  Or will it send those cars to any track within the same region on any of the trains that are going to Indianapolis staging?

Best, Andy K.