Switching Puzzle

Model Railroader Layouts and layout building
1

Hi,
Does Anyone Know where I can get a detailed layout of a switching puzzle(s)?

Thanks, Ken

2

Not too detailed, as with parts lists, etc. but this is a good site to start looking at puzzles.
You’re probably aware that puzzles don’t usually make the best switching layouts.

Wayne

3

Am I missing something ? To what site are you refering, Wayne ?

4

Oh, ok, then. For those who can’t read my mind, here’s the link:
http://web.syr.edu/~pdverhey/eisenbahn/puzzle_article.shtml

It’s the site of a member here and has links to a number of other RR puzzle sites.
My favorites are two from the Large Scale Central site:

http://www.largescalecentral.com/fun/shunting/inglenook.php
http://www.largescalecentral.com/fun/shunting/riverside.php

Wayne

5

Well Inglenook took me a couple of minutes to crack (at the second attmept), as for Riverside I gave up in desperation - just how is it possible to do this???

Ian

6

******************SPOILER NOTICE *******************

The Riverside puzzle is fun.

Hint: after spotting the first car in its proper place, tuck the boxcar that was there back on the same siding temporaily to keep the run-around clear.

Wayne

7

There was a tough one at the NMRA convention in Houston in 89’ …there were 5 cars to spot and 1 run around track…but the problem was the main line track was only long enough to support 1 locomotive and 1 car…there were 5 tracks to spot the cars on two cars on one siding ahead of the locomotive, two cars on two different sidings behind the locomotive and yet another car to spot on another siding ahead of the engine…it took a lot of practice and i took 3rd place in the event …we had to spot 7 cars during the finals…first place did it in 22 minutes, 2nd place did it in 30 minutes and the guy that’s not the sharpest knife in the drawer did it in 41 minutes…[:D]…chuck

8

My gosh, I had no idea “puzzles” existed. These are fun to work on.

Even more important is it helps me understand why folks have yards and stuff on their layouts, in addition to continuous running. I don’t have a layout but am interested in model railroading. One issue I am still wondering about is what do people actually “do” with their roads, now I see that switching challenges can be a big part of it.

Thanks for the eye-opener!

9

http://www.wymann.info/ShuntingPuzzles/

10

ecod,

What people do with their layouts? Well there are tons of things people can do with their layouts. You can run it like a real railroad, time cards, way bills. You can have friends come over and have them run trains, drop off cars, pick them up, all on a time scale. On the so equipt layouts, one person can run multipule trains, at the sametime, in diffrent directions, using the dispartchers desk. Some people just like to build the sceanes and buildings, then place them in a realistic setting. Invlolving trains or not.

I could go on and on.