Okay, this question my be a bit naive but here goes; do prototype railroads have a schedule or do you just show up track side and hope a train rolls through? I ask because the CSX main line runs through Fredericksburg but I never know when a train is going to come by and always end up missing it. Tom
Yes, real freight trains, at least the intermodal, automotive and general merchandise ones, have a schedule.
But the real railroads don’t publish them normally and there is no requirement to operate to them, they can operate early as well as late on the schedules. So there will be windows of traffic, times when there are more likely to be more trains than other times, but there is less chance of being able to go to the tracks at 3pm every day and seeing a particular train.
Bulk trains, coal , grain, rock, ore, are almost random (there are some patterns but they usually are so long they aren’t discernable to railfans).
I would check out railfan sites for your area or the railroads you are interested in, they may have some schedules posted.
Do both. As in, show up at a place that you know is busy. Bring book. Bring model trains to work on, listen to radio, make a relaxing picnic out of it.