Removable destination boards for wagons

[ge_rik]

Some of you may be aware that freight operations are important on my railway. With around 60 goods wagons and my freight management computer program, I can run fairly interesting and varied freight movements (though probably somewhat excessive for a light railway in the 1930s). However, trying to consult a freight manifest on my clipboard, while holding a transmitter and a shunter's pole was getting a bit onerous. I tried adding little self adhesive labels to each wagon showing their destinations but it looked like they had developed the early stages of measles.


A wargaming friend suggested magnets and 'blackboards' mounted on metal sheet. So I've given it a try.

A hundred 8x3x1mm magnets were bought via eBay (for £5.00) and mounted in various places on my wagons.


The destination boards were created in Word using downloaded images of blackboard backgrounds and chalky fonts and then printed out on to matt vinyl self adhesive sheet. This was then stuck to a piece of tinplate from an old can found in the garage.


The individual boards were then cut out with a pair of scissors


I can now add and remove the destination boards quickly and easily.


It's early days. I've put the boards on wagon solebars which makes them a but difficult to see (unless I lie down on the grass) - so I may experiment with larger boards in more accessible positions - but at least I've shown the principle works

For more detailed info see my blog post:
http://riksrailway.blogspot.com/2016/06/how-i-created-destination-boards-for-my.html

Rik

 

[dunnyrail]

Rik a master stroke. I had an Operating Session last Saturday and it became clear to me that my Wagon Cards with Waybills are just a little too unwieldy. My mind had been heading along similar lines. My thoughts were of Coloured Pieces of Tin with the Spot Numbers lettered on. Each siding on my line has 1 or More Spot Numbers to represent Differing Industries. Or just a Storage Line. However I do have the problem that two of my Locations will involve a reversal and the Wagon Labels would then become invisible. Things like Mirrors on a Stick come to mind, but more realistically I think a Switch List would have to be used for those two Stations with a Wagon Labeller carrying out placing Wagon Labels on when they return to the right way round at Silberhutte. Never an easy all fitting solution.

On my last line I drilled a small hole in each Buffer Head and use Coloured Map Pins for Destinations. Have to say that this worked very well if you can cope with the unrealistic side of things that Map Pins bring in. Horses for Courses I guess, at least my regular non Railway Man Operator at Hemel coped with this system quite well.

I am lucky re visibility as my line being mostly over 3ft high visibility of Wagon Labels will not be an issue.
JonD

 

[ge_rik]

Rik a master stroke. I had an Operating Session last Saturday and it became clear to me that my Wagon Cards with Waybills are just a little too unwieldy. My mind had been heading along similar lines. My thoughts were of Coloured Pieces of Tin with the Spot Numbers lettered on. Each siding on my line has 1 or More Spot Numbers to represent Differing Industries. Or just a Storage Line. However I do have the problem that two of my Locations will involve a reversal and the Wagon Labels would then become invisible. Things like Mirrors on a Stick come to mind, but more realistically I think a Switch List would have to be used for those two Stations with a Wagon Labeller carrying out placing Wagon Labels on when they return to the right way round at Silberhutte. Never an easy all fitting solution.

On my last line I drilled a small hole in each Buffer Head and use Coloured Map Pins for Destinations. Have to say that this worked very well if you can cope with the unrealistic side of things that Map Pins bring in. Horses for Courses I guess, at least my regular non Railway Man Operator at Hemel coped with this system quite well.

I am lucky re visibility as my line being mostly over 3ft high visibility of Wagon Labels will not be an issue.
JonD

Hi Jon
With the magnets costing only 5p each (maybe cheaper if you buy more than 100) they can be positioned in more than one place on each wagon. I'm fortunate in that in only one destination would the boards be facing away from the operator (the copper mine) and not much traffic is sent there.

Rik

 

[fridge]

Excellent idea!

 

[David1226]

Excellent idea!

So you would be using...... fridge magnets then... ?

David

 

[dunnyrail]

Another option might have been to put them on the Bodywork. Not an unknown thing, certainly many of my Continental Wagons show signs of Body Mounted Label Placement as can be seen in the picture below of an LGB Hopper Wagon.

For me I have ordered some similar Magnets and may just use them to attach to Steel Plates Mounted on my wagons at each or just one end. I will have to deal with Coaches similarly as they often get Crippled for Attention at Gernrode Carriage Shops, travelling as Freight in Mixed Trains.
JonD

 

[GNB]

Remarkable detail finish on that wagon, seen in the OPs excellent close up picture:

Could be convinced that the coach spring was real!

Outstanding step by step instructions for the sign boards on your Blog/Web site for a very original application.

Thanks

 

[merlin]

Brilliant.....a relatively simple but totally convincing affect.