I actually operate my toy trains, meaning I make up trains with freight cars to switch at specific stations, I have specific trains that run in a certain order, and go to certain stations, and actually try to run the railroad like I think a railroad might run, Whenever I mention this to the CTT editors, they lead me to believe that I may be the only one who actually does this, with everyone else just running the trains in circles or keeping the trains on the shelf.
I generally just grab whatever looks good and let it run in circles. But I know some people do operate, at least in a limited fashion.
It’s your hobby, so if operating is what you enjoy, more power to you. The stereotypical O gauger buys everything ready-made, plunks it down on a table, pays little attention to scale or realism, and runs the trains in circles like they’re Ferraris. But most people deviate from the stereotype at least a little.
I like scratchbuilding. Often when I design a structure, I design it in prewar tinplate style, rather than trying to make it realistic. Every once in a great while I even try my hand at scratchbuilding rolling stock. That’s my deviation from the norm. It keeps life interesting.
IN my most recent layout (now defunct - story forthcoming) - I had a fair amount of operating. I had five lines:
Gang car banging back and through an industrial area;
Trolley - I ran a trolley to three different stations on the layout with a couple of #22 switches. The trooley line had a couple of operating stations, the whole line had telephone poles and sections had a number of teh original lionel post war streetlights with teh pointed crowns;
Ran the NYC 2344 on two sides of the outer perimeter of the 12 x 16 x 8 layout with reversing loops on each end;
Ran a 681 on a simple L shape - about 10 x 8 which elevated to a second level over one of the reversing loops in item #3:
Ran my favorite 726 Berkshire through the interior. Had a cut off where I could park it and roll out either a 2026 or a 621 (nice engine) which could emerge with loads specific to operating accessories. Had an ice depot, a couple of milk cars, and NYC Central operating box cars on one.
Also peppered the industrail area with a #182 work crane, #455 oil derrick and coal ramp and coal loader, water tower and the like.
Had a nice setup of six single and double dome Sunoco cars on the 2026.
The Bershire line had a number of sidings and runoffs to different areas and having teh flexibility to run and operate three different trains on the line was kinda neat.
My trains mostly run in dogbone circles. Sometimes passing one another on a siding and sometimes switching directions. I like to run two conventional trains on each of two tracks (four total) so some of the challenge comes from ballancing the cars and the amount of power so the speeds of the trains are similar. I usually have the two tracks going in opposite directions for some nice “passing in the night” train views.
Currently on one track is the new Thomas set along with the K-line mine unit with one car. On the other track is two K-line switchers with cars.
I just run them in circles and figure eights, round and round, fast and slow… sounding the horn, ringing the bell, and playing passenger/freight announcements. I play with my O-gauge trains and enjoy collecting too. My wife and I like to do the Christmas village set-up around the tree during the holidays… Its like being a kid again!
My HO scale layout is where I model and operate trains… with this comes all the frustration and tedious work of modeling (and derailing a lot!).
Each to his own though… I just happen to be fortunate enough to have the space to serve both of my interests.
It depends on my mood. I like doing both and since my railroads are all rug centrals I can. Sometimes, I’m with 3railguy and sometimes I like to operate. I can tell you that if and when you show off your railroad you should try for a mix in terms of operation. When I invite people over I set the stage. First we meet audience expectations - fire up and run first one train and then another and another until all of the loops have something moving. Then, gradually turn on the various and sundry operating accessories - signal lights, operating gateman, and city lights. Then turn off the room lights and let everything roll in the dark. Once this is done bring the trains to a halt and roll out the peddler freight and let it switch industries making sure that each stop has some kind of operating accessory (culvert loader, log loader, log dump, etc.) I find that if it isn’t overdone your audience will be absolutely fascinated at the idea that you can actually switch out and uncouple cars and make and unmake trains while you are sitting in front of the control panel. This may sound silly but the impression I get is that most people, when they show off the trains, just run them. Consequently, none of the audience is even aware of the fact that trains can be made up and that switching operations can be performed.
Nice to have a kindrid spirit. I too operate my trains, about 95 percent of the time, vice circle running. I’m designing a point to point layout which I will keep all of you updated on (ad nauseum) throughout the year.
A bit slow going on this layout. The layout I did for CTT about 18 months ago was completed in about 6 months. But I’m doing a writing project (that includes trains) that is sharing time with the layout.
I hope to see you visit the CTT forum often in the future as I’m sure we will have a lot in common.
Not to say I don’t enjoy reading about other circle layouts.
I run them in circles, switch and build trains while one runs the outer loop, switch trains to the outer loop. I guess I do it all. DCS makes it eay to do a lot of this now.
Sam Posey’s recent book on model railroaders puts us in one of two (general) categories: operators, or scenists - I would define the latter as more ‘runners’. Fortunately, it’s a v. wide ranging hobby. I like the ‘toy’ aspect of trains, and enjoy the lights and colors when running them, but I enjoy pretending this is the crack Limited racing against the local freight.
YES!!! That is exactly what I am working on doing. My layout will have NO CIRCLES!!! I also plan to use a card system for car routing. My trains will go places!!!
Personally, I think I’ve out grown CTT magazine even though I have 3 rail trains. MR is more to my liking and style these days, in spite of the fact that it almost exclusively 2 rail. I guess I subscribe to CTT for the advertising.
Hi there. I am a novice in the HO world. Since I am space-limited in my home, I have constructed a 3-track, inter-linked test and display model 7’6" long x 12" wide. I use this area to test locomotives before sale and upon receipt of purchases. Also when I am assembling kits or building models, I use the track to test the balance and smothness of the passenger cars and rolling stock. I do actually run my trains and ‘build’ freight/passenger trains to be tested. This is a great-‘little’ hobby.
Frank, that is only the lower level. There is an upper deck, and a hidden storage yard below. Here is a panoramic shot of the room. This photo is already quite out of date, as much progress has been made in the 2 months since it was taken.
I think I’ve grown a bit weary of my trains just going around in circles. Especially now that command control is here. My new layout will include an roundhouse and engine service facility and several industries that will enable me to move freight cars back and forth from a hidden staging area. Passenger cars will also travel to and from staging stopping at 2 or 3 stations on the layout. Railsounds and Station Sounds makes this too much fun to not include in some version of an operating session. Lack of space just limits the scope of operating my trains in a more realistic manner.
Bob
That’s an interesting question. I love to read the stories in MR and then envision something similar in my world, but there are obviously greater size constraints in O. I have a good bent dogbone that I am reworking to maximize the operating possibilities, but I can’t really expand beyond that. As my wife likes to point out, if we switched to N in the same space I could model an enormous area.
When I was a kid, my favorite library book was Harvey Weiss’ “How to Run a Railroad”, which really left a mark on my current approach. He really emphasized the importance of thinking about how your railroad operates, so that when you’re putting the layout together, you think about picking up freight and moving it along to other locations, even on a simple circle.
This forum is rich with different approaches, with some true “classicists” that love post-war accessories and some avid hi-railers who lament that even a new Atlas engine lacks some key element. My sense is that most of us fall somewhere in between, operating consists on dogbones or reverse loops.
