Track Warrants and Other Forms

My article describing some ways to use Track Warrant Control (TWC) and some of the associated forms was published in the Dispatcher's Office June 2009 magazine, published by the Operations Special Interest Group. I had the opportunity to discuss the article and TWC on the Model Railcast podcast (Download Show #76 in .mp3 here -- it takes a while). For readers and listeners, here are some sample forms that you may download.

For more details on how the forms are used, please see the Dispatcher's Office article. Another good reference is "The Basics of Operation" by Bill Kaufmann and Jim Providenza; Railroad Model Craftsman, August 2002.

The forms are here in Adobe Acrobat (.pdf) or .jpg formats for easy download. I hope these will be helpful to you as you explore operations on your layout. Just click on the images below to download.


A slightly more verbose Track Warrant that allows crews to do less transcription – easing radio traffic for some tasks. This one is from my client's Oakland, Central California, and Northern layout.


A sample of the way Rick Fortin lays out his Track Warrant forms on a standard sheet of paper for duplication, cutting, and making into handy pads at a print shop.


Samples of Crew Call and Sign-Out sheets. The Crew Call helps the crew find their train to begin their run. The Sign-Out sheet is filled out by the train crew at the end of the run to tell the reset team where the train was left and any problems encountered along the way.


These images show how small clipboards may be used to hold train instructions (in a plastic sleeve), car cards and waybills (another plastic sleeve), and the Crew Call, Sign-Out Sheets, and Track Warrants.	back of clipboard front of clipboard