Hello my HO module club has been invited to a large venue to show off our 42ft x 72ft layout.
There are a lot of discussions concerning our two large staging yards.
- How do we insure people don’t park trains in staging all day. How are trains sitting in staging matched to their owner? My idea of place cards with the members name at staging time…placed on a frieght car.
We also have some concerns over the 5 days of the show that some people may not get a chance to run their trains. Sounds crazy for 25-30 members but it happened at the last show.
- Should people running trains be scheduled to run at specific times?
I think you answered your own question. You need to go into it with a game plan and stick to it. That way everyone knows in advance when they need to be there and when and how long they will be running their trains.
I think the question of who owns what (in consists where two or more members have brought equipment) can be dealt with easily by the use of adhesive labels. Just write the name on them and stick them underneath, they won’t be visible when the train is running and will easily identify whose models these are at the end of the show. Post-It or similar notes could be placed next to yard tracks to show the owner of the consist parked there. As for everyone getting a chance to run your best bet might be to put all names in a hat, then pull one out at random until all have run. Then put the names back in and start again. This should allow everyone to get some running time and generate a near-random traffic flow rather than the same trains repeatedly.
Edit: as I realise not everyone can be there for the whole show, it might be better to do that beforehand and make a list of times and names. Members would then know that they were “on duty” at 10am on day 1, 2pm on day 2, etc.
i think someone needs to take the job of dispatcher and write up a schedule for the trains and operators . this may require a bit more organization than the club was hoping for , the dispatcher will need to know when the members are planning to attend , and maybe even get some of them to come at times they weren’t planning to so there are enough operators in the quiet times and the whole club doesn’t show up at once . hopefully there will be enough people who are able to be flexible , make sure the dispatcher understands work and family schedules don’t always match train show requirements
have fun !
Been a few years but - We scheduled people in 2 hours shifts during which they were to be at the layout, and if track is available, running one of their own trains. When you were off shift, the train came off except for certain special trains like Amtrak superliner and a very long grain train. Others were ok to run a throttle but the owner had to be there. Try to keep a good mix of trains, not all peddler freight running at the same time as it gets boring for the viewers. Also remember high visibility stuff like bicenntennials may not be prototype, but it attracts viewers. An available handout about model railroading is a good idea, and it is NECESSARY to have someone good with the public to answer questions. Not every member is willing to deal with the public.
Good comments.
We actually have a system already for indentifying cars to their owners etc. We simply make a small colored paint mark at the bottom of each car. I think the place cards will work. I worry about sticky’s. They actually confuse me. I use them all day long here at work. At the end of the day I never remember what the heck I was writing. 
I think we agreed a schedule would be created. I honestly not sure what all the fuss is about last time we had a hard time finding people that would run trains. I think I ran a members UP Turbine sound equiped loco for 2.5 hours one day. (Way longer than I should) Ran his Big boy for about 2.0 more hours after that. I asked every few minutes. Anyone want to take a train out of the yard??? No takers.
With our membership about the same,and a similar layout size (60x100) I can tell you that we have an appointed Dispatcher who assigns consist numbers and track warrants. The dispatcher is set up in the middle of the layout with a backup NCE system with Decoder-Pro on a laptop to clear and reassign consists.
Members are also instructed to share yard tracks, or be asked to vacate yard tracks based on the dispatchers disgression. (Club yard space only, members with thier own yards are thier own landlords) The tough part is selecting someone who will be fair and equitable, plus be on duty all day.[^]
So far it has worked well, everyone has co-operated with sharing track, we have no real track hogs, but it is within the dispatchers power to make someone give thier engines a rest… [:0]
of all the train shows i have been to, and all the displays and layouts presented, this is the one thing that is missing in 99% of them.
get someone that has experience in the “public eye” and knows how to act accordingly !