AI and Operations

There is a lot of discussion in the news and many other places about Artificial Intelligence. No matter how you feel about it, it is here and it is not going away. I decided to give it a try on creating some basic operations for my line. I know, I can barely get a train around on the main line and not much else, but I like looking ahead. I decide to see if AI could find traffic information for me for the American Standard plant the opened in 1958 in Plainfield CT. I used Microsoft Copilot to create the following:

 

Plausible New Haven Railroad switch list

American Standard Plant, Wauregan/Plainfield, Connecticut

Wednesday, October 15, 1958

This is a historically plausible operating document rather than a surviving company record. The plant had opened in 1957-1958, was a significant customer on the Norwich & Worcester line, and its siding divided into two tracks near the building. [researchwo...s.oclc.org], [norwichand...ogspot.com], [norwichand...ogspot.com]

Later government reports identify Wauregan as a vitreous-china plant producing toilets, lavatories and bidets from ground ball clay, china clay, flint and feldspar. That provides a solid basis for reconstructing its likely rail traffic, though the exact 1958 car numbers, origins and quantities below are modeled assumptions. [ntrl.ntis.gov], [osti.gov], [cdc.gov]

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Train assignment

Railroad: New York, New Haven & Hartford Railroad
Job: Plainfield local switcher
Power: NH Alco RS-1
Home terminal: Plainfield Yard
Industry: American Radiator & Standard Sanitary Corporation
Industry station: Wauregan, Connecticut
Weather: Clear, cool
Call time: 7:00 a.m.

Plant track arrangement assumed

• Track AS-1, Shipping Track: Finished fixtures, cartons and miscellaneous supplies
• Track AS-2, Materials Track: Clay, feldspar, flint, glaze materials and fuel

The actual siding reportedly split into two tracks near the plant, but the precise use of each track has not been documented in the sources located. [norwichand...ogspot.com]

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Conductor’s switch list

Cars to spot

Sequence	Car	Type	Load	Origin	Spot
1	NH 31462	40-foot boxcar	Corrugated cartons and packing paper	Springfield, Massachusetts	AS-1, Warehouse Door 1
2	B&M 76543	40-foot boxcar	Wooden pallets, crating lumber and kiln supplies	Boston, Massachusetts	AS-1, Warehouse Door 2
3	ACL 88217	50-ton covered hopper	Ground kaolin/china clay	Georgia clay district	AS-2, Silo 1
4	SOU 92084	50-ton covered hopper	Ground ball clay	Tennessee/Kentucky clay district	AS-2, Silo 2
5	PRR 257614	40-foot boxcar	Bagged feldspar and flint	Pennsylvania distributor	AS-2, Materials Door
6	SHPX 10328	Tank car	Fuel oil	Providence, Rhode Island	AS-2, Tank Unloading Stand

The clay, flint and feldspar loads are based on the documented later production process at Wauregan. The 1982 survey states that these materials arrived already ground to production specifications, were mixed with water into slip, then cast, dried, glazed and fired. It is reasonable, although not proven, that the basic process and principal raw materials were similar in 1958. [ntrl.ntis.gov], [osti.gov]

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Cars to pull

Sequence	Car	Type	Status	Contents or disposition	Destination
1	NH 30187	40-foot boxcar	Load	Crated toilet bowls and tanks	New Haven classification
2	NYC 171945	40-foot boxcar	Load	Lavatories and assorted fixtures	Worcester interchange
3	PRR 604128	50-foot double-door boxcar	Load	Commercial chinaware fixtures	Cedar Hill classification
4	ACL 88106	Covered hopper	Empty	Residue: china clay	Return south
5	SOU 91873	Covered hopper	Empty	Residue: ball clay	Return south
6	SHPX 9841	Tank car	Empty	Fuel-oil residue	Providence refinery
7	NH 32904	40-foot boxcar	Empty	Carton and packing-material car	Plainfield Yard

The outbound products reflect documented later production of toilets, lavatories and bidets at Wauregan. Finished pieces were inspected, packed and shipped after firing. [cdc.gov], [stacks.cdc.gov]

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Cars found at the plant before switching

AS-1, Shipping Track

From switch toward bumper:

1. NH 32904, empty boxcar
2. PRR 604128, loaded outbound
3. NYC 171945, loaded outbound
4. NH 30187, loaded outbound

AS-2, Materials Track

From switch toward bumper:

1. SHPX 9841, empty tank car
2. SOU 91873, empty covered hopper
3. ACL 88106, empty covered hopper

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Required final placement

AS-1, Shipping Track

From switch toward bumper:

1. B&M 76543, crating lumber and kiln supplies
2. NH 31462, cartons and packing paper

AS-2, Materials Track

From switch toward bumper:

1. SHPX 10328, fuel oil
2. PRR 257614, bagged feldspar and flint
3. SOU 92084, ball clay
4. ACL 88217, china clay

This arrangement keeps the tank car at the assumed unloading stand and places the covered hoppers beneath or beside the raw-material unloading area. If the actual Wauregan plant lacked pneumatic covered-hopper unloading in its first operating year, substitute 40-foot boxcars carrying bagged material for one or both clay cars.

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Suggested switching moves

1. Arrive from Plainfield with the six inbound cars.
2. Stop short of the plant switch and protect the movement.
3. Pull all seven outbound and empty cars from AS-1 and AS-2.
4. Assemble the pulled cars temporarily on the plant lead.
5. Place the fuel-oil tank car on AS-2.
6. Spot the feldspar/flint boxcar at the materials door.
7. Spot the two clay covered hoppers at their respective unloading points.
8. Spot the two supply boxcars on AS-1.
9. Gather the seven outbound cars.
10. Perform the air-brake test and return to Plainfield.
11. Block the three loaded fixture cars for New Haven, Worcester or connecting-road classification.
12. Forward the empty private-owner tank car and foreign-road covered hoppers toward their owners.

Operating complication

The plant lead and two-track split could make this a substantial switching job. Depending on switch orientation, the crew might need to pull the entire plant before placing the inbound cars. On a model railroad, the job should take approximately 25 to 40 minutes, especially if only one plant track can be handled at a time.

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Daily traffic represented

• 6 cars delivered
• 7 cars pulled
• 13 total car movements
• 3 outbound loads of finished fixtures
• 3 inbound production-material loads
• 1 inbound fuel load
• 2 inbound supply loads
• 4 outbound empties

This represents a busy weekday rather than an average day. A more typical day might involve two to four spots and two to four pulls. A reasonable modeled weekly level would be approximately 20 to 30 carloads, with more inbound raw material than outbound finished-product cars because dense clay and mineral ingredients would weigh more than the relatively bulky finished fixtures. Exact 1958 traffic records have not been located, so these quantities should be treated as operating estimates rather than documented totals.

Optional waybill notes

• Clay cars: “Keep dry. Do not contaminate.”
• Finished fixtures: “Fragile chinaware. No humping.”
• Boxcars for loading: “Clean car required. Inspect floor and roof before placement.”
• Tank car: “Place at unloading connection. Set hand brake.”
• All plant tracks: “Do not couple at excessive speed.”

This version emphasizes a satisfying switching session while remaining consistent with what is known about the plant, its two-track siding and its vitreous-china manufacturing process.

 

At this point the program asked me if I wanted waybill created, and this is what it created:

I have not reviewed any of the material for accuracy including car numbers. But it is very cool start to create waybills and traffic. I like that it gives routings, and they seem plausible. I used the highest level of deep thinking mode for Copilot to use. It also reference this blog in one spot so it could be using data that I potentially have wrong to reinforce itself. 

I will continue to play around with it to see what I can use for my layout. 

Layout Progress!!!

It has been a while since I have posted and even longer since I have posted on layout progress. It has been literally one year since I decided to drop Norwich from the layout plan and make the south end of the visible layout to be Plainfield CT. In October of 2025 I removed the entire track work I had laid for Norwich and planned out the area for Plainfield. I have also taken advantage of the depth of the benchwork to move the North end staging to the back of the bench work that will be hidden by a low back drop. In the last month I laid the main line for the entire layout, well sort of. A portion between Worcester and Plainfield is temporary and will be replaced eventually once a peninsula is built for Putnam. (This is a very long-term plan.) I also laid out the new north end staging as it needs to be in and operating before I do a lot of work in front of it. I have dropped leads and wired the full main line and the staging yard as well.

I have been able to get a train completely around the layout, using DCC. This includes both lift-out sections. I did discover several shorts that I eliminated and replaced a couple of bad turnouts.  The first “Train” was a brand new Rapido 44 tonner number 0811. This unit was assigned to Norwich for a good chunk of the 1950s. I know, I am not doing Norwich anymore, but it may become the Plainfield or Putnam switcher down the line, both literally and figuratively.  I still have a lot of trackwork to do, but I can run a train and that is an awesome accomplishment. Next step is to clean up stray rolling stock from around the layout. I also need to set up a RIP area as I discover cars that need to be fixed, low couplers, wheels that don’t roll and detail issues.

Here is the main line going the Plainfield. The tracks
in the background are the north end staging. 

Here I am starting to drop feeders to the rail, The portion
of track going from the diamond leads to Willimantic CT.
The opposite direction is the route to Providence RI.

Here is the first trin running under its own power into the
staging yard. There will be a short view block hiding
the sating yard. See the photo above.

Please note I have posted a couple of my recent clinics I have present at the New England Prototype meet and/or the New Haven Railroad Historical and Technical Association Convention.

Happy Independence Day

 

Travel

My wife and were fortunate to be able to spend 10 day in Budapest Hungry, Vienna and Salzburg Austria. While trains were not a focus of the trip we did travel by train between each city and used local transit with in each city. The line we took from Budapest to Vienna, about a 2.5 hour ride, was a double track electrified line. The train had a very basic cafe car, but was clean and comfortable. I must have seen a minimum of 6 fright trains traveling in the opposite direction during the trip. The trip from Vienna to Salzburg was about the same length and very similar, except the passenger cars were bilevels. Lots of trailers in well cars and tank cars, covered hoppers and  lot of pulpwood loads. 

What I found intriguing was each small city or large town had a very, what I would call traditional small yard. Often with a diesel unit stationed there. Very much what most of model in the transition era of the late 1940s into the 1950s. If I were doing a European layout I t could b a neat mixture of modern equipment , but a more traditional track layout.

The following photos are all from Budapest, the last is a photo I found in a shop of the original station at the location. 

The next one is from Salzburg

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New England Rail Proto Meet Posted

I have posted my Clinic on MOVING SPUDS STEEL REEFERS USED IN THE 1950’S BY THE BANGOR AND AROOSTOOK TO MOVE POTATOES. Click on the page labeled as that to see the presentation.

Projects and the New England Prototype Meet

Sorry for the long gap since my last post. I have been doing some modeling, but I have not posted about it. I am finishing up some projects for a presentation I will be doing at eh New England Prototype Meet in Springfield, MA May 29 and 30. https://www.nerpm.org/  I will be showing how to model some steel reefers used in the movement of Maine potatoes in the 1950's and 1960's. 

The above is the partially complete 8000 series BAR reefer. I will also be doing the 7000 series BAR reefer and at least 3 classes of MDT reefers.

I have some other project that I plan on displaying as well:

These are Rapido 35 foot trailers, the one on the right has been modified as an open top with a tarp over it. I still need to make tiedowns for the tarp. I had custom decals made for the NH as it is shorter than the closed top trailers. I used the the name plates above and below from the Rapido trailers. They are sitting on a Walthers G-85 TOFC flat. It would be wonderful to have Clejan flat for these. Maybe someday.

These are Eastern State Farmers Exchange insulated box cars. They are basically bunkerless reefers without roof hatches, The prototypes were built in 1953 by Dispatch Shops and originally did not have the large logos. The large logo was added in the late 1950's, Eastern Farmers Exchange became part of Agway in the late 1960's, 

Brian Johnson and I have actually done 6 podcasts, and it has been a lot of fun. Always looking for people you would like to talk model railroading to be on the podcast. https://tfmrr.com/