I am a newbie but have read and studied as much as I could get my hands on the past couple of years, however, I have never experienced an operating session. I just watched the Dream-Plan-Build “Realistic Layout Operations” DVD and was amazed at how serious the participants were in that operating session. I know they were really in the process of shooting a video but it really cracked me up. Are operating sessions always that serious or is there usually a lot more goofing off?
Both.
The few I have visited were serious, but relaxed. These tend to be prototype people and “playing with trains” mean enjoying the form and style of a railroad. They certainly do not take the languge and opperations any more serious than I take getting the mountains right or the hoodoos the right color.
I agree. While there is the normal goofing off, you have to follow the rules or the system breaks down. IF the system breaks down. then nobody can do anything.
It really depends on who you are with. Some people have more serious sessions, and some have goof sessions. I think it’s more fun to have a happy medium between the two, but that’s just my opinion. [;)]
-Brandon
I’ve operated on several well known layouts and also belong to a regular Tuesday night operating group. In all cases, the groups have taken things rather seriously. In many cases the only discussion going on is between you and your train crew, if any and the dispatcher.
I’ve been at layouts where there were 10 or more operators and you heard little or no talking going on. The only sounds were the trains themselves, the occasional switch machine in operation and the phone calls from the train crews to the dispatchers.
Dale Latham
If you are not going to be serious about Operations then why have them?
Are you are trying to emulate the real thing or just want to stand around and BS?
If my group ends up BSing more than Operating the layout, then there is no sense in me wasting my time with a layout. I can go over to the Club and stand around for a couple of hours and not have to have all of the lights on in the basement.
My personal opinion of watching a train or several trains making endless loops around a layout is boring at the very least. I get to do that at our Club Open House shows. 12 hours watching the same trains going round and round. GEE what fun!
Now we do have discussions while we wait to get clearance to the next town or waiting to get assigned to the next train, but just standing around for the whole evening and shooting the breeze is not where it is at.
Just my opinion!
BOB H – Clarion, PA
If model railroading ever became like work, I’m out of here. That is why my operating sessions, when I get my layout fully operational, will NOT have a fast clock. Having a deadline to get things done would take all the fun out of it for me. Of course, I am a lone wolf so I can see how a clock would be useful in group operations to keep things coordinated. It will never happen on my layout. I am going to try to simulate railroad operations to the best of my knowledge but it is going to be at a relaxed pace. I want my layout to be as realistic as I can make it but it is still going to be my toy.
In my Thursday night group, We start or try to start out Serious. But then something just comes out in me and I am not serious. We operate our trains and follow the rules, but little things just happen. Like for instance, I was a Yard hogger 2 weeks ago, I was told by the yard master to pull all of the cars in yard track 4 and get them ready for the next train out. Well after I got all of the cars out and plugged the caboose on the end I put the cut out on the pickup/ready track. I was breaking down a cut, and looked at yard track 4 and there was a boxcar sitting there. Where did that boxcar come from?, It was suppose to be with that last cut of cars! Well I slid the engine over to yard track 4 and pulled that boxcar out and coupled it to the back of the cabboose. The road engine came from the enginehouse and coupled up to the train on the ready track. THe yardmaster then just noticed and said,
“Kevin, Whats that boxcar coupled to the back of that caboose like that?”
I replied, “Its carrying explosives! Had to be on the end!!!”
He just rolled his eyes and said fix it! Ya see, you have to have fun at serious sessions. Well atleast I do.
But remember this, If your trains are not moving they are not making money for your RR!!!
Kevin
If you want to get a good sense of what some prototypically-based op sessions are like, check out the op session reports on my web site.
Looks like they’re having fun to me …
(Click to enlarge photo)
Boths end of the spectrum. I have been at a few where it is serious. Regular groups where I get inivited to run. Unfortunatly, with wife working nites, it is hard for me to become a regular at an OP session. But, becuase fo that, I have had the great pleasure of running on several different layouts here in Phoenix.
It strikes me as not really playing trains… feels more like a chess game. Always picking your moves, trying to plan ahead so you can save a a few moves, save time. For these cases, it can be fun. I always enjoy makeing a cool move or doing something different and haveing someone comment or finish up with a quick time. And like others commenting about the chatter, or lack of. Could be a real crew talking about moveing cars.
And like the one fellow above, I have a bad habit of kicking in the humor… What can I say, I am young and cant help it. I have also been caught useing the “one finger swithcer” too much as well.
But that being said, when I am home on my layout… I am very loose. When I get out there, its after work. I am wiped, beat, and mentally blown. Drinking allowed. (sometimes encouraged) and if I fee like leaving the train parked on the main to get a new beverage, so be it. If I get tired and dont feel like sorting the cars out… well, the morning crew can figure it out. [:D]
I have freinds come over as well to operate. Usually we start off with good intents but things start fall behind as the BS factor increases. Which is fine by me. If they are haveing fun, it doesnt matter what we do or acomplish.
I have been to several operation sessions over the years as a invited engineer and have seen these sessions run the gauntlet from easy to complicated but,I had fun on each layout…
As for me I prefer a simple laid back car card/waybill approach with a 15-1 fast clock.That way I have one real hour to get 4 HO hour’s work done…I found on most of my past industrial switching layouts this works out quite well seeing most of my past switching layouts average 5 HO hours to switch at scale switching speed.
I just recived this Dream-Plan-Build “Realistic Layout Operations” DVD, and think it is the best one of the series, and they provided some PDF paper forms to use too!
Don’t have operating sessions with very many modelers, my layout is a bit small for the big time operators. But when I run trains, I try operate like the prototype. The track work is done and I have a lot of fun running my railroad and that’s what its all about!
Well in my case I’m the Engineer, Conductor, Brakeman, Swithchman, MOW crew, car and loco shop foremen, and Owner. So, my operating sessions can get a little hectic. I’ve usually got about 3 trains going and a couple of switchers interacting with them.
My biggest problem is keeping turnouts aligned properly. I often have a derailment or two and sometimes send a train the wrong way and have to back up and try again. The Owner in me gets a little upset about this, but running alone is still a lot of fun and no, I don’t take it too seriously.
Jerry
Where can you purchase the Dream Plan Build DVD series? It’s not listed on shop portion of this website, couldn’t find it at Walthers or Amazon either.
My layout has two types of sessions:
-
Operating session. Freight is moved as realistically as possible between yards and industrial customers. Passengers are hauled on scheduled trains. I use sequential scheduling rather than a clock. Equipment is limited to a specific era of time (usually about 1960) and the railroad is (yep, you got it) CB&Q. Connecting roads are allowed.
-
Running Session. Anything goes. Any railroad. Any location. Any era. No complicated switching. No schedules. Just put trains on the tracks and let 'em run!
I think the type of session depends on the group participating. With the same railroad, same trains/schedules run, two different groups will have very different sessions.
I’m a firm believer in having fun and not making it too much like work. Not everyone feels the same, so they can operate the way they prefer. If you want to read some about operating sessions on various railroads, go to the forum “Railroad-line.com” and read the following threads (Sorry, couldn’t get the links to work.) under the Layout Design / Operation SIG Forum:
Operational Silliness at Ralph’s
Friday Night Group Train Ops begin at Mike’s place
A busy Sunday on the Roanoke & Western
Wednesday night Ops on the CL&W
The trains get run, all the industries and mines get drilled, and everybody has a good time. Then we get to beat each other up and laugh when we post it all on-line after.
On our railroad, the R&W (And several others), there are a number of railroad employees in the roster of crews, they work for shortlines, class I’s, and a commuter line. Mixed in with the other guys, it all works and we all have a good time.
If serious is your thing, find a like-minded group and have at it. Same for being a little more loose and easy. Whatever you like.
We have Operating sessions on the Colorado Consolidated every first and third Fridays.
Early birds show up at 12:30, setout begines (usually 60 cars minimum) and first train out by 1400.
We run until we quit, usually 2000-2100.
There are over 1400 total feet of track, three turntables, over 75 turnouts, the yard has electric, the main has 2 air, the rest manual.
Printed waybills, scheduled work trains, the occasional passenger run to confuse the issue.
Dispatcher goes out on the road when 9 trains are running.
We’ve had 20 at once.
One signal, an approach to the terminal, smoke signal indicators.
The fun parts are when it snows and we have to run the plow extra to keep the line cleared, and we’ve run through at least 4 power outtages, 3 of them at night, and just kept going, reading waybills by headlight.
I’ve done scheduled ops at a large railroad, we try to be far less formal.
We have a good time.
Been at it for 15 years, so I guess it works.
It is a very nice DVD and well done.
There are groups that when handed a Throttle, set of Car cards and issued an engine for thier train… their teeth clench, knuckles get white, grow tense and alert and behave as if ready to take control of an actual train and move it out onto the mainline fraught with danger and drama.
There are some that will throw the trains down onto the track, fire up the throttles and carry on a converstation about last week’s gossip while thier trains run around the track.
Even more groups that get together, do fun things together and cut up the air with all kinds of funny stories and spend much time if not more in the bullpen wrapped around the coffeepot than actually running a train.
And finally, my favorite. To enter a layout room and run the eye over the main taking in the overall status of the railroad’s switches, current industry state, yard status, engine house availibility and potential hazards to navigation while waiting for permission to take a train out onto the line.
The last great operating session I was at was around a LHS 4x8 railroad with like 5 people on a train crew. Engineer, forward brakeman, rear brakeman, conductor and fireman. I was the engiineer sitting patiently waiting for the conductor to allow me to move the train on a signal while the brake men ran here and there from switch to switch. Alot of activity for a 6 car train with several pickups and set outs.
All of us covered by a few more people in the peanut gallery all offering opinions on which reefer should go where at the Produce industry while the 2-8-0 patiently pumped air and waited with it’s small string of cars. Our depot was the last place we recieved our train order and we could not remember which car to pick up at the time. So we fudged it and hoped the cars matched the list back at the depot after we returned there with it.
Years ago we sometimes hear about someone who claims that they got the biggest strongest puller on the "Hole e
Hi HaverMan:
Welcome to the forum.
Not all operating sessions are that serious. It’s possible to have a lot of fun at such a thing, and can include a tremendous amount of goofing around.
And by the way, everybody was a newbie once, so don’t worry about that.
-Ed