Below is my final plan for my layout. I have a few questions about operating. I had a 4X8 and experimented with different techniques and such. Now I am serious and am hoping to realisticaly model.
First, is there a scale time? How long does a session last?
Second, I want to simulate passenger operation, and maintain switching even though I dont have a full loop. I was hoping to start at one staging area, disrupt mainline switching traffic and then head to the other staging area? Is that an acurate simulation?
My Mainline Has 24’’ radius and #6 turnouts. The spurs have snap switches and 18’’ radius
There is no ‘one size fits all’ scale time. Each layout, and operator, determines that independently. For a single station like yours, ‘sequenced operation’ may be a better choice since realistic switching can take the same amount of time in (fill in the blank) scale as in full scale.
As for the length of a, “session,” that, too, is individual. Some people set a fixed time (7:30 PM to 10:00 pm, then 1/2 hour for coffee and discussion,) some (especially lone wolves) operate whenever, for whatever length of time pleases them. In my own case, I have a timetable that covers 720 hours of prototype operation, which would take a full-length (6 day) week to operate with a 5:1 fast clock. It will never be operated in one session (sleep deprivation isn’t my thing!)
Entirely accurate. Since you don’t show runarounds in your staging areas, you might consider either a single RDC or a train of them. No turning required.
Your next step is to add a car distribution system. One thing to consider is that loads will originate or terminate off-line. You really need more than one track in each staging area.
Chuck (modeling Central Japan in September, 1964 - running from staging to staging)
You might want to stay away from snap switches. They dont work very well, at least with my big steam. I probably have hammered through one or two in my time not knowing any better.
Two staging kinds of steals away room from your railroad. Consider staging at one end unless you plan to run short trains like… a 4-4-0 and a few overland coaches.
You will want to consider more areas to switch. If you dont have room for a full industry in the front edge, you could try what another forum member did and that is to place very small ledges in the front face of the table with specific industry partials.
Instead of having a puzzle palace, consider a flowing scheme that switches in one direction and maybe one opposite with a short run around for variety.
I dont use any kind of scale time. I look to 2 step or 4 step waybills for operations with each step being a full day. Example, Gondola will be spotted at the scrap yard for loading on monday, picked up and set out on interchange tuesday, set at the foundry for unloading wed and perhaps returned Thrus or Friday if it is in captive service to the scrap yard. If it gets reloaded somewhere and travels back, it will be into next week’s work load before it is seen again.
Step by step may not be for everyone, but for me it keeps it all in order.
