Tickler File Operations

A tickler file, as used in business, is used to hold reminders of actions that need to be taken in the future.

On my railroad, which has a specific date associated with each operating session, a seven-day tickler file is used to represent the collective results of action (or inaction) on the part of our customers. The tickler file is an ordinary 3×5 card file box, with seven tabbed dividers, one for every day of the week.

At the end of each operating session, after cars have been spotted for loading or unloading, or when cars have been sent off-line (to reappear at some future time) their waybills are filed in the tickler file according to when they are to be reintroduced into the system. To introduce another factor outside our control, a six-sided die (held captive inside a clear plastic bottle so it can be used without actually throwing it around) is used as a random-number generator to help select a reasonable number of days before the car enters operations again. There are two kinds of filings:

Cars sent away from their home. Home road cars and locally-owned private cars being sent off-line supposedly have to travel some distance, be unloaded, and then return the way they came. Foreign road cars sent the "wrong way" will also be returned via the H&E in accordance with ICC car routing rules. The tickler file holds the waybill, and the car is stored, until the time comes for it to return.
Cars on the layout. At the end of the day, the waybills of all cars that have been placed for loading or unloading that day are filed in the Tickler file according the number of days before they will be released for movement. The cars remain where they are, (unless they need to be moved to access other cars) until their time is up.

At the beginning of the next operating session, all of the cards that have accumulated for that day are pulled out, and the divider for that day is placed at the back of the file.

To figure out how to place a card in the tickler file, I look down the following list to find the first match for the waybill to be filed, follow the instructions, and file the waybill that many days into the future. This complication isn't necessary to the operation of the system, but it is self-imposed, and I enjoy it.

How many days in the future to file waybills.
Cars sent away from home	Use the largest of three random numbers.
Refrigerator cars	One.
Stock cars	One.
Tank cars at H&B Katz Paint Co.	One. A tank car being unloaded here would block access to their loading dock.
Cars at the A&P warehouse	Use one random number. If odd, one, if even, two. A&P hires lots of help to keep things moving.
NAVX cars being loaded	Use the smaller of two random numbers. New Albany Vitriolic isn't in any hurry to load their own cars.
All other cars being loaded	Use the smallest of three random numbers. Demurrage charges start sooner on cars being loaded than on cars being unloaded.
All other cars being unloaded	Use the smaller of two random numbers.

By using the smallest of two or more random numbers, the odds are weighted so that most cars move again in one or two days, (thus avoiding demurrage charges) with only a few hanging around for five or six.

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