Forwarding is simply getting the goods from one place to another.

In order to Forward cars, the railroad (just like the post office or a bus/truck line) must be given a lading instruction sheet, called a WAYBILL, that specifies:
1- What needs to be transported,  2- Where it needs to be both retrieved and delivered, and  3- When it needs to arrive.

The shipper (not the railroad) writes the Waybill, leaving the How logistics up to the railroad. Waybills are dynamic, and can even change while the lading is enroute. This is in fact a commonly allowed practice with perishable goods, where the customer who created the Waybill will sell the entire contents of a reefer to another consignee, which then modifies the Waybill and requires the railroad to re-route in-transit car to a different destination.

Looking at their internal infrastructure, the railroad will charge the customer based upon such factors as:
What is being moved (people, hazardous liquids, bulk gravel, etc.), How it is being transported (cushioned boxcar, luxury sleeper car, leased car [EXPLANATION], etc.), Speed of movement (normal, expedited, at railroads convenience, etc.), Distance/Difficulty in getting it to and from there (across the entire line, wide load routing, using a foreign railroad interchange, etc.), and Frequency of its movement (daily, seasonally, one time, etc.).

Quantity is determined through ticketing and weighing. On the prototype all loaded passengers (and specially contracted/tariffed freight) are ticketed and all loaded commercial freight is weighed, before either unloading on the same railroad or before the car leaves the home railroad. As otherwise nearly any railroad would go out of business, these two primary revenue generating operations must be either implied or directly modeled on your layout.

Passenger tickets may be issued by a Station Agent (e.g., an authorized office clerk) or by a trains Conductor. Less-than-carload freight is usually weighed under the control of a Station Agent on Platform Scales [EXAMPLE] at the originating freight house (just like your packages are weighed at the originating post office). Carload freight is usually weighed along with the car (who's weight is subtracted) under the control of a trains Conductor on Track Scales [EXPLANATION], which due to installation costs and regular re-certification requirements [EXPLANATION], are generally located only at strategic freight yards, station complexes, or major shippers. Expected scale usage will dictate where at a location the track scale is physically installed. Typically cars are weighed at the first convenient scale in the direction of their destination.

While both passenger and freight cars are selected for individual customers based on their capability of carrying their lading, cars are also sometimes specifically chosen for their positive perception value in that customers eye. Marketing [EXPLANATION] is an important aspect of the railroad business, and image is why railroads invest in specialty features such as view domes [EXAMPLE] on passenger cars, or operate glamorous merchant trains [EXAMPLE].

Tip: Modelers can eliminate their office clerk needs by using a computer program to produce and modify customer generated Waybills, as well as to make proposals of cars to carry the lading (the fun of figuring out how to move the cars to collect/deliver the lading, as well as what to do if a proposed car becomes unavailable [EXPLANATION], will still fall under the layout owners personal jurisdiction). A computer program can also be used to indicate passenger ticket sales, so that you can dynamically adjust the number and type of cars on a train, or even determine if a special train should be created.


Waybills

Waybills are what separate a passive Railfan from a participating Model Railroader. Every model railroader who switches cars with purpose is using a Waybill, even if that Waybill only exists in their head. The trains Conductor is the person responsible for processing the Waybills of cars moved by his train (the engineer and brakemen are just lackeys who attach, move, and detatch cars at the train Conductors command).

While there are numerous car forwarding systems [EXPLANATION], they are all just variant ways of tracking cars and lading (and in the real world - who to bill). Because you probably don't want to be managing an office full of clerks, initially you should Keep It Somewhat Simple by only concerning yourself with a minimal what&where Waybill for the ladings description, and selecting the appropriate Car type needed to carry the lading.

Freight Train Operation and Model Car Forwarding Methods (*.pdf)
Yard Operations (*.pdf)
Unloading Time (*.pdf)
Operate with prototypical waybills (*.pdf)
Prototype Car Routing (*.pdf)
A More Prototypical Waybill for Model Railroads (*.pdf)

Prototype modelers in other scales often have difficulty finding R-T-R cars labeled for their prototypes road name. A 3rail freelancer whos primary focus is operations has it easy, in that it matters little what owner name, including a fictitious one, is displayed on a car (or even what paint scheme [EXPLANATION] is used). If however you do have access to more prototypical road names, choose one that would be of the home road that services the source of the initially loaded commodity on the Waybill (e.g., a car filled with California fruit would most probably have Pacific Fruit Express markings). Remember that cars in interchange service remain the property of the Home Road, and they expect their return in good condition. It is ok however if a foreign railroad fills the returning car with another commodity, or briefly "confiscates" the car for an in-between shipment prior to returning the car.

Keep in mind that some cars, especially specialized cars, may only operate in "captured" service between an (sometimes quite distant) origin and destination. Railroads may also decide to keep some cars out of interchange service, either because they do not comply with interchange safety regulations, or more likely, because they are needed for home road duty (like in merchandise service [EXPLANATION]).

To locate cars for Forwarding, each car must be uniquely identifiable; with identifying hierarchy flowing from car Type, then Owner, then Number/Name, and finally (if necessitated due to the model manufacturers older practice of using the same number on all of their car releases) the paint Color. The continued use of some cars from earlier eras (including assumed second-hand purchases) or with unusual fittings is prototypically acceptable, so long as they are still suitable to the customer for the lading.


Procedures Booklet

Real railroads, like all large businesses, need to familiarize employees with their specific job duties. One extremely helpful method that we as modelers can emulate is called the "Procedures Booklet". This booklet outlines what is expected of a specific trains crew during their shift, and helps the crew and others interacting with that specific train, grasp how the train fits into the railroads system wide scheme of moving goods. Visitors who want to participate in running your model railroad, especially those unfamiliar with controlling electric trains, should probably initially be given duties on a passenger schedule or yard transfer assignment that moves cars in a simple back-and-forth manner [EXAMPLE].

Freight Train Procedures Booklet (*.pdf)

Some typical model railroad job titles are:
   Superintendent = the person who sets policy.
   Agent/Redcap/Salesman/Marketer = staffworkers who interface with the public to bring in revenue for the railroad [computer simulated].
   Yardmaster = the senior operator responsible for Car Forwarding within a Yard.
     - Hostler = subordinates of the Yardmaster, who physically transfer and store locomotives.
   Dispatcher = the senior operator responsible for Car Forwarding outside of Yards.
     - Towerman/Stationman = subordinates of the Dispatcher, stationed in the field.
   Conductor = the operator assigned to a train (e.g., the trains "captain").
     - Engineer/Brakeman/Flagman = subordinates of the Conductor, who physically manipulate the locomotive/cars on a train.
     - Fireman/Porter/Drover = subordinate staffworkers assigned to a train [never role played].
   Maintenanceworker = persons of various roles who physically maintain the railroads plant [occasionally role played].

Note that on real railroads where a foreign motive power run-through keeps its crew, the train may need to take on a "Pilot" who provides Operations advice to the foreigners. Layout owners who allow others to operate their model railroad would be smart to emulate this practice, and assign a Pilot to watch over newbies.