Tonight I directed my first operating session.[:)] I enjoyed it greatly.[tup] I only invited one visitor, an acquaintenance who wanted to see my layout and maybe “run some trains.” I had it set up with a list of cars to pick up and take to other destinations. He did a good job and we both enjoyed the challenge of the switching moves. [^] It only lasted an hour a 15 min. which was long enough for a “first time,” for him and me.
Having operating sessions have been my goal for a long time. I think it is a great way to get friends interested in the hobby.[:D]
I was wondering if you have had operating sessions or a goal to do so. What good (and maybe not so good) experiences have you had.[:)][B)]
Do you have any suggestions for anyone wanting to have operating sessions?[2c]
Well, I guess you couldn’t really call them operating sessions, but, everyday when I get home, my 2 yr old son always says “Hi Daddy!” then says “Daddy, CHOO CHOO!”
So, we go to the train room & I do a bunch of switching on the temporary 5 track yard I have set up.
Gordon, That’s great! I allow any grandchildren 5 and older to run trains, but I can’t call it an “operating session,” in the way that it usually means. I do look forward to the day that they can follow a switch list. At this time, they sort of do what they want. I’m glad they are interested. It’s funny that my sons weren’t that interested when they were kids, but my grandsons and daughters are all interested!
I cannot imagine running trains without having an operating session. Even if it is as simple as meeting the opposing traffic on schedule, or starting and stopping without spilling the soup in the diner.
Walter, I’m in a modular club that has about 15 regularly attending members. Most of them don’t have a home layout, but 3 or 4 of us do and another will have his up and running in a few months. I have all my track and most of the industrial spurs laid, well… I did until today when I tore some benchwork out to make improvements. It was all wired etc. I’ve had about 2 or 3 operating sessions so far and since my mainline is in the neighborhood of 75 feet I usually have two trains running and one switch engine in the yard making up another train. Usually each ‘engineer’ has someone working with him to handle coupling/uncoupling of cars, afterall no self respecting engineer is gonna do that. We also have one person acting as dispatcher, so we keep about 6 people busy for about an hour to hour and a half. It seems like that’s about the right time, not too short, not too long. I use a switch list, given to each engineer, that lists the pertinent info for his train, i.e. east or west bound, engine number, dcc number etc. It also list all industries where he has to set cars out and pick up empties. I always encourage the fellas {and one female} to bring their own engines if they want to run them and sometimes they do, sometimes they run mine. Everybody seems to enjoy it, and those that aren’t running trains can sit around and jaw with the other ‘off duty’ crew.
Oh, I’ve operated a time or two. [:D] When my father joined a local club when I was 15, I started operating my club’s old 2500 sq. ft. layout (blt. 1953) on a monthly basis. When I turned 18 in 1993, I joined up and I started going to operations twice a month until 1998 when we moved to a bigger and better locale. Operations attendance were usually 20+ on Monday night, 10+ on the Thursday night.
Our old operations scheme that I started with was the car car/waybill system, with homemade printed 3x5 index cars with clear plastic pockets taped on. The 2x2 waybills slipped into the pocket, and had hand written destinations and routing. The club used a 6 to 1 fast clock with Train Orders, Form 19’s (if need be), a dispatcher or two, 8 mainline cabs, 6 freight yards (plus two passenger terminals), and 5 local freights. There was also an HOn3 operation, plus a working freight trolley operation. We even had our own internal telephone system for all operators.
Everything I learned from the above, I took home and applied it to my own layout (which only lasted until 1993). My old home layout had typewritten car cars with all hand written waybills, and was sort of a 4x10 with a couple wing extensions on it. My father and I operated that monthly until we moved. In 1999, my parent’s bookstore moved into a new place that had a full basement…25’ x 50’. It’s now the new “home” layout for my father and I, and he and a friend (plus myself) operate it about every other weekend. We’ve stuck with 3x5 cars and 2x2 waybills, but now I print them all out in Excel.
At the new club building, we started operations in 2003 using a schedule I devised. Eventually, our layout will fill a 6300 sq ft. room, but right now it’s only about 33% built. The new operations scheme uses switch lists, but we’re still on the 6 to 1 fast clock with Train Ord
Gandy Dancer, I agree that starting, stopping and running at realistic speeds is desireable. When he starts or stops too fast, I tell my grandson who runs the passenger train, “Don’t throw granny on her fanny.”
I was, however, refering to inviting others to follow a schedule in switching cars and runing the trains.
JaRRell, Thanks for mentioning two guys per train. That’s what I did. I let my guest run the train & I guided the switching.
Paul3, That sounds like a lot of fun. I have operated in a club before when I was with the Pocahonts Chapter of the NRHS in Bluefield, WV. But, this was my first attempt at setting up the schedule and having someone (who was totally inexperienced in mr) run the train. It really went well and perhaps we have another model railroader in the making!
I’ve been to a few operating sessions but have never hosted one. Maybe in a few months I’ll be able to plan one. MR this month has an interesting article on hosting a operating session.
Reminds me of a time 7 years or so ago, when my grandad taught me how to run trains on his lionel ZW type transformer. I was hooked before that even, when he brought me down to watch them when I was 2.
Sadly, now I enjoy the hobby without him. Luckily, someone moved from west virginia over here, he’s in my class, and he also likes trains. So at least I have someone to run trains with. [:)]
Well, they start out as “work sessions”, and quickly degenerate into an “operating session”, and playing with trains. Don’t know if I’ll ever get the layout landscaped.[:D]
We have ‘supposed’ operating sessions at our club, meaning we don’t have a real waybill or car forwarding system set up. The senior members of the club did put something in effect but it never gets used.
Being the coal drag enthusiest I am I do try to do what I can. We have a small yard outside a power plant, I run short trains through the plant which goes into a tunnel and comes out of a coal mine on the other side of the layout. -I didn’t set it up like that. The theory is you don’t have to worry about empties. LOL
Then on the other side I assemble a train in a siding (why not the yard in the coal mine area… long story) and then my bigger power comes in and picks up the train, runs it around back to the power plant.
I’m sure thats not entirely proto, but it’s what I have and I’m thankful for that. I had promised pictures of detailing and have yet to post em, I’ll get pics soon, of this too.
As a 24/7 caregiver (I am a Free-mo modular railroader) I don’t get out to operating sessions as such, but the half dozen or so times a year when I can get away, and we get to do a big Free-mo setup we do try to run prototypically and even have some switching, but it is not organized with car cards and train orders…yet! Maybe someday, eh? I do find that having sound makes me want to run prototypically and we do have slow orders for congested areas and bridges in effect. Loads of fun even though I don’t have the space or resources for a layout. Happy railroading wherever you can find it! jc 5729 John Colley, Port Townsend, WA
I am hoping that I can host some small (2-4 people) op sessions on my pike, someday. Trouble is, my layout is currently ‘under construction’ and the trainroom (a converted 2-car garage) is so choked with dust and clutter, that I’d be embarassed for anybody to see it in its present state[:I]. [If Bruce Carpenter’s article was an exam, I’d fail it miserably.] With my scarce free time, it will take a long time before I can get the Iron Belt ready for exposure to outsiders!
I belong to three different operating groups. It is great to get out and experience all the different types. Tabs, cards, RailOP generated train lists, preset schedules, dispatcher controlled, track warrents, etc. One of the groups tour includes Kampsnider’s “Gulf, Colorado, & Santa Fe” which we operate at this weekend. http://www.rockyrail.org/index.php/GC&SF
Yep, I have a regular monthly op session on my HO Siskiyou Line and try to report each month how the session went, with photos, on my layout web site.
I also have a complete “Ops Clinic” thread that I’ve done here.
Photo of Jeff Shultz switching Roseburg yard from a recent op session
(click to enlarge)
I’m big into operating realistically, and for me it’s a prime motivation for the hobby. Everything else leads up to having a great time running trains realistically with a bunch other soul-mate hobbyists. And we also enjoy ribbing each other a lot when we goof up – which happens now and then. It’s all in fun, and we generally have a blast in the process! [swg]
