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 YardMaster
is a new automated system of Freight Forwarding for TrainPlayer
-- a script-based system which
simulates waybill cycles, generates random switching tasks, and
presents you with a different challenge every time you climb
into the cab and report for work. It seeks to reproduce a realistic pattern of prototypical car
movements through a simplified scripted alternative to the
original TrainPlayer Ops system without compromising the
original Ops system. By replacing the car ID labels on the car
tops with the individual car destinations we have eliminated the
need for constantly referring to and memorizing complicated
switch lists.
YardMaster is a simulation of
typical railroad freight forwarding operations where you:
- can generate numerous switch lists based on realistic
waybills for the customers on a specific layout
- then decide how you want to
“work” that overall list by using multiple different engines
to perform part of the tasks required OR by using only one
engine and performing the required tasks in an order of your
design and choosing
- upon completing a specific scenario, you then can
generate another switch list or Save your progress and
return to it later
To see brief descriptions of each of the new YardMaster
layouts, see the YardMaster Layout
Grid.
We believe that a YardMaster-enabled layout
introduces another new fun element to TrainPlayer. By
using subroutines to set up, control and monitor the car
movements we have been able to adapt the system to
function in a fairly prototypical manner with many
different layout designs, from simple shelf layouts,
through room size layouts to large club size layouts.
YardMaster sets you the task but it is up to you the
user to decide how best to complete it.
YardMaster began in Version 6.4, released Oct 2016.
Version y2 appeared in 6.5 (Jul 17), and y3 in 6.6 (Oct
17). There are now more than 160 YardMaster layouts
available for you to download and more in the
pipeline. If you have a favorite layout that
you would like to adapt for YardMaster we suggest you
take a look at our PDF file
Designer's Guide to YardMaster. If you have any
problems we will be happy to offer support.
YardMaster is a natural progression based on the
experience we gained from developing the
Switch Games and DOG
(Directed Operations Games) for the earlier versions of
TrainPlayer 6. Unlike the early scripted games, a
YardMaster layout can be saved at any time to enable you
to reload it and continue with the same task in a later
session.
With YardMaster, all car destinations are clearly
shown on the car tops and also as track labels on the
layout plan. All the user needs to do is to move the
cars which are displaying their labels onto the tracks
which are displaying matching labels. Progress is
monitored automatically and the number of cars still to
be spotted is clearly shown in a note above the main
layout window.
Only the cars which need to be moved will be
displaying a label, once a car is correctly spotted its
label will no longer be displayed. However, unlabeled
cars which are obstructing other car movements may need
to be moved away temporarily to access the other cars.
This will cause the label on the removed car to be
switched on to remind you that to complete the switching
task this car will need to be respotted back into its
original position.
When you complete the current switch list the next
set of tasks will be generated from the current
positions of your cars just like the real railroad.
Simulated waybills (or empty car orders) are added to
your cars in staging and these will remain with your car
until the car has completed its assigned task, no matter
how many times you save and reload your layout. If you
want to layover your cars in a yard to wait for a train
in your next operating session you can generate your
next switch list at any time and the outstanding
undelivered cars will be added to the new switch list.
The switch list itself is never needed for reference as
the delivery information for each car is clearly shown
on the top of the car due to the adoption of a waybill
on car system. When the layout is saved the car details
include the current destination, the return location for
the empty car and the waybill for the car movements from
staging to industry, or empty car movement to industry
and onward waybill for the shipment.
The YardMaster layouts are organized in four
different folders under the Layouts/YardMaster
heading within your Layout Chooser:
Shelf type– smaller layouts
you can complete in 30 minutes or less
Room sized – larger layouts
you can complete in 60 minutes or less
Club sized – very large
which will usually require more than 60 minutes to
complete
Sequenced trains -- y3 layouts of
all sizes: run trains in a predefined sequence to simulate a
day’s work on your railroad
A Shelf type layout would be a good place to learn
the basic switching moves while dealing with a smaller
more manageable number of cars to shunt about. club
sized plans may demand some management skills as well as
you may need to work through a list of 100+ cars to move
or spot on a layout.
If you want to develop and set up your own layout for
YardMaster, you will get the full story in the excellent
new PDF document by Richard Fletcher:
Designer’s Guide to YardMaster (click
here to download as a zip instead). Or just
fire up 6.4 and try any file in the
Layouts/YardMaster folder -- open a layout, it
gives you the layout’s background story and then tells
you what to do, and congratulates you when you complete
it.
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