Here is Search I did on Forum re your question.
Never a stupid question, ask away,,,that is how we all learn.
So in answer to your question, I did a quick search on "Industry Sort" and got this return of Msg's which I think will help you get started.......
http://forums.auran.com/trainz/search.php?searchid=2439990
One of other thing you can do?
Go into a route edit or quick drive doesn't matter, open the Find Object sub menu, Left Corner of your screen and you see this pop up,,,,this is going to be one of your best friends for all kinds of things in your route once you get used to using it.
I searched in my route with this option, all the Industry's on the route, or the other picture Track side Objects, this will tell you what you have going on your route, quick and easy......You can also find lost ?Trains, Cars etc if you don't recall were they are on a big layout.....
Until you get used to that Find Object, ignore the All Sub menu, it will show an extremely long list of everything on your Route combined.......
Now as far as what goes to what, actually it's only limited to what your Industry will take, and having the correct Car that will carry that commodity, think of it this way,,,,You wouldn't carry a Bulldozer in a Coal Car, and you would drop Coal on a flat car either, right?
Then Box Cars carry anything in a Box or a Bag , Crate etc., Tank Cars carry liquids, Beam Cars, carry all sorts of Wood Products, Gondola's carry Scrap of every kind imaginable......And there are other special cars for oddities later when you want to expand what your playing with........Like Smelter Cars......Depressed Center Flatcars......
On your other menu, you have something called Commodity picker, it shows if I'm correct what you have on the Route your operating on? Someone else correct me if I'm in error.
Also in sessions, you'll see another menu in Tools Menu, that says Waybills, that becomes active when an Industry runs out of a product, and says it in the way bill, what it requires and the name of the industry.
It takes some time to learn this stuff, also when you download different stuff, Cars, they may come with Commodities that you haven't acquired before, and you might not have the Industry for that new car, then you'll need to add that new industry to your Route, or change the commodity or add a commodity you have already.
I seen cars come with a 12 different commodities, not unusual....
Hope this helps a little, I'm sure others will way in with help too....And maybe explain it better than I have.
Good luck.......
