Tips and help with my first operating session

Model Railroader General Discussion (Model Railroader)
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After almost a year of ripping up track, laying down new track, repairing track, soldering track, replacing locomotives, wheelsets, couplers, covering the unfinished ceiling, and of course paying for almost all of this (I did get a lot of help from some members here, which I will list later), I’m finally ready to hold my first operating session! I’ve already got the date for it and an list of interested operators.

I’ve got the layout operating well, and the equipment I need for the session. I just need some tips and questions answered, I’m really starting to get overwhelmed by how much stuff there is to plan and what will happen if I don’t plan it all well enough. So bear with me, this post may not all make sense as I try to put it all into words.

First, some general information on the layout and my plans for the session.

There are two manifest freights, 402 and 403. These stop in White River Junction Yard to drop off and pick up cars to and from local industries. These each run with two locomotives.

There is also a yard switcher and a local wayfreight, 42T. These each use one locomotive, and the local runs with a caboose. The local is a turn, running east from the White River Junction, VT (WRJ) yard through New Poland, Dooley, and Stude, switching the local industries. Then it leaves it’s cars in Ogden Siding in Stude, and serves one industry just east, in West Formanek, NH. It runs around it’s trains and heads back to WRJ yard, servicing the industries along the way.

The railroad runs with Digitrax DCC, using wired throttles via the Loconet bus. It uses a 4-cycle car card and waybill system for car handling. I have not figured out a system for dispatching yet, so I will most likely do it “out on the field” while answering questions.

I haven’t gotten any commitments yet, but if everyone I’m inviting can come (which is unlikely), the crew assignments will be something like this. I’ll have three people who have operated once or twice before and one c

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Tyler,

your first operating session(s) should be to simply work out the bugs and develop and operating scheme. In order to do this, you start at the front door.

I use a system I call “doorbell seniority” which goes something like this:

When I send out a notice for an opeating session, I ask that no one show up before a specific time, say 900AM. First person to ring the doorbell after 900AM is No. 1 seniority, and signs a guest book in that manner (think of it as a seniority roster). If two or more people arrive in a car and are the first folks after 900AM, the driver gets top seniority for that group (he/she did the driving, right?)

Next, it is important to develop some type of method of operation, i.e. track warrants, DTC, Timetable and Train Orders, etc. This is a critical step to have in place or at least have as an idea, since everyone who runs on your line will have to learn it.

The first session should include things like determining the time it takes to get from one siding to the next, the capacity of each yard and siding, how long certain work (switching, setting out, picking up) takes and so on. Having a good idea about these parameters will save headaches later on.

It should be relaxed, with the conductors on each job writing down the necessary infor about length of runs, etc. and the engineers trying t

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I think we’ve worked out most of the bugs already that we’d be able to run a session. It might be less awkward if you paired the teens together, and the adults together, but on the other hand, we’d all get to know each other better.

Golden Rules

  1. Don’t give me a throttle.

  2. Have lots of refreshments. A 12 pack of Coke or Fanta, and some tortilla chips and salsa. Avoid Potato Chips or Doritos because they either get hands really greasy, or orange.

  3. Don’t give me a throttle.

I might be able to handle rules 1 and 3, but then again, your freshly painted GP7/18s might end up in West Formanek. Maybe we could run two operations in one day. First time around is instructing everyone, and second time around we can choose who and what we’d like to run. I have no problem running the local, but I may want to run with Sidd, and your other operators may want to do something else as well.

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Yes, I had considered using something similar to that scheme where there would be a sign-up sheet, first to come picks first. The only thing I would worry about is if a first-timer picks the hardest and most influential job, which will slow down the rest of the railroad and skew the recorded times.

I’m not too worried about the session being exciting, I know this is just the session where we figure everything out. The sessions following will get a lot more fun and rewarding as we develop an operating plan and settle into a routine.

I plan on having a friend over a couple weeks before the session to develop the most critical parts of the operating plan. Since I did away with a staging yard when I rebuilt the yard, we’ll need to figure out where trains will origanate and terminate, and if they will (gasp!) make multiple laps around the layout, etc.

I think that once we figure that out, I’ll use (at least for the first few sessions) an order-based system. Train A runs to Siding X and waits. After Train B passes, Train A proceeds to Siding Y. The local will have to stay out the way, however, and that’s where the dispatcher comes in. When the local is on single track, it holds the main and uses the order. When it’s on double track, it’s given one track to work on and has to receive permission to use the other track for runaround, tail track purposes. Any train nearing Ogden Siding must check in with the dispatcher to see if the track is clear before proceeding.

Comments?

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Good idea, Alex. I know that I personally would prefer working with another teen. On the other hand, it might promote a bit of a rivalry between the adults and the teens, which in an already stressful environment (the idea of which I’m not promoting, but running on someone else’s layout always ends up having some stress) isn’t a good thing.

I will be setting up a card table in an area away from the layout with snacks and drinks. And I’ll have a roll of paper towels and request that members clean their hands before touching the layout after a snack.

The “two sessions” idea is an interesting one. I think that might work, since a single session doesn’t actually take that long (perhaps 45 minutes?) and the advantages of two sessions (especially for the first one) are obvious.

Perhaps we could run the first session for practice and timing, then take a snack break and develop a more detailed operating plan during that. Then the second session would be whoever wants what, more realistic, and would most likely work better.

What do the rest of you think?

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[quote user=“TrainManTy”]

Yes, I had considered using something similar to that scheme where there would be a sign-up sheet, first to come picks first. The only thing I would worry about is if a first-timer picks the hardest and most influential job, which will slow down the rest of the railroad and skew the recorded times.

The idea being that your operators have to “post” to a job, just like the prototype. They can work the job if there is someone who has experience on it to go with them, or they need to “ride” with a qualified crew to get "qualified. That process would disqualify them from taking too difficult a position.

I’m not too worried about the session being exciting, I know this is just the session where we figure everything out. The sessions following will get a lot more fun and rewarding as we develop an operating plan and settle into a routine.

That’s good. It sound like you’ve really thought this thing out.

I plan on having a friend over a couple weeks before the session to develop the most critical parts of the operating plan. Since I did away with a staging yard when I rebuilt the yard, we’ll need to figure out where trains will origanate and terminate, and if they will (gasp!) make multiple laps around the layout, etc.

Nothing wrong with that. Figure it out, maybe put it in writing so you can refer to it from time to time and who cares if the trains make multiple laps…you guys are the boss right?

I think that once we figure that out, I’ll use (at least for the first few sessions) an order-based system. Train A runs to Siding X and waits. After Train B passes, Train A proceeds to Siding Y. The local will have to stay out the way, however, and that’s where the dispatcher comes in. When the local is on single track, it holds the main and uses the order. When it’s on double track, it’s given one track to work on and has to

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Yep, just make sure theres enough for me to drink… I drink soda, like a Humvee drinks deisel, and SD45s use less than SD40s… I don’t think there’d be much rivalry. Is Steve coming? We could team up you and steve, and me with sidd, or myself with steve, and you with Yoshi for the beginning, or the 2nd sesh.

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This page has a lot of good tips for both operators and layout owners.

http://www.gatewaynmra.org/opguide.htm

Kevin

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You also don’t have to leave the local cars out on line, you can bring them back to the origin yard. Your choice. If you want to stop the through trains twice or if you want to stop them once.

I would start out with a “verbal authority” or “mother may I” where the crews ask the dispatcher what track they can use or how far they can go and if they have to go in the siding or stay on the main to start with. Much easier and you can see how it flows, then try something more formal. You might want a magnet board with the schematic of the railroad and magnets with the train numbers on them to help the dispatcher.Be sure to have some extra marked “Cars”, “Switching”, Poke" etc…

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For those curious, I went to the effort of making a WRS Track Schematic. In future operating sessions I would like to further clog the line with helpers based out of Dooley or New Poland.

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I think that there is some putting the caboose before the engine going on here. I think that worrying about seniority, train orders vs timetables, who gets paired with whom, et cetera at this point is a little premature. As to the number of people required, this will be dependent upon the size of your railroad and your aisle dimensions. If you have a lot of space to roam and aisles of adequate width, you can accommodate more friends at one time.

What I think you should be thinking about is what trains you want to run, and what work they will do. You only mentioned four “engineer” jobs: two manifest trains, a local, and a yard job. Not worrying about the yard job at this point, since I assume that its function is to sort cars in the yard, you should make an effort to take each of the other positions yourself and see what the train does, how long it should take to do it, and if its time of operation is dependent upon something else happening first.

Take the first manifest train for example. You have to decide where it will start from, and where it will end up. I assume that it will be pre-blocked with through cars and the cars to be dropped off at the yard. So, if the train starts at point A, runs to the yard and drops its cut of cars and makes the pick ups, what happens next? Does it then run to point B and terminate? Or does it make multiple laps of the railroad bypassing the yard and then terminate at point B? Or does it stop at the yard every other time and drop/pick up? (not very realistic/convincing by the way, unless you change the train identification every time it stops) And if the plan is to only make a pass or two around the railroad, what does that engineer do for the rest of his visit (other than grease his fingers with cheese curls)?

And what about the local? Is the local work on a separate branch where there is no inter

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Replying to these in order… Your name may come up twice.

Earl: I think I’ll play crew assignments by ear when the time comes. Or I’ll figure it out sooner to that date. Yes, it is very close to Track Warrant or T&TO operation, but both of those require paperwork, which isn’t so bad except I have not yet installed paperwork shelves for operators. Plus I’m trying to keep it as simple as possible so my operators can focus on learning the railroad and all that.

Alex: I’m not going to worry about people assignments yet… That can be done before the session.

Kevin: Thanks for the link. Very useful info.

Dave: I already do bring the cars from the local back to the yard. The local swaps cars at the industries and brings the ones pulled back to the yard, where the through freight picks them up.

That’s the system I’ve always used, and I’ve considered a magnet board but haven’t had the initiative or extra funds to build one. Perhaps for a later session.

Alex: Yes, that is the WRS schematic but some of the labels are wrong… The yard is in Lebanon, NH, but is known as White River Junction since a lot more people not familiar with the territory know the name of that. And it’s just across the river… Also, it’s Agrawal Paper, not Lumber. And the Machine Shop and Scrap Company in Stude are the same company. That’s Kimball Recycling, and the tracks are the Metal Loading Track and the Scrap Track. And there’s an extra track in WRJ yard. Other than that, the track placements are perfect, and definetely demonstrates that you’re qualified to run the local! [tup]

Maxman: Yes, I agree with you. Definetely some overplanning going on. I have taken all the jobs myself, although not recently, and are pretty familier with most of their operation.

The local runs on the mainline, and most of it’s work is done on Odgen Siding, about 10 feet long. I am worried about traffic issues though. With two

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Sounds like you have a plan going. How many people you planning on, and how many yard areas? Ypu could possibly set up fake trains as well to be broken for the yard crews to have something to do whilst the cat’s away, so to speak. These could be second session trains, run-throughs, off-line interchanges, night shift, or just Spring Cleaning. Give them the list fo car-cards and a hat, and let them draw ut these random cars and sort their extra cars.

Have you measured your sidings? IE: Are you sure you aren’t likely to end up with 150’ (3 fifty footers)of boxcars ina track designed for 140’ (2 fifties and a forty)

Also, as you find dead-spots in the running scheme, I don;t mean the track, you might schedule in a couple run throughs just to add some extra challenge.

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Oops

IIRC The wall behind the yard master has a bulletin board. What if you put switch lists and information for the through freights on the bulletin board dictating what they should do.

Another thing is to put Mile Post Numbers every 10-20 feet, and have the crews call out the milepost numbers. Or you could try using Form D’s.

http://broadway.pennsyrr.com/Rail/Signal/norac_formd.html

See how far my scenery stuff will get you, because in the future a signal system could be installed, although at the moment I’d recomend a new fascia, with the ports set into hardboard, and not dangling in inconspicuous places under the foam.

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I wouldn’t it gets monotonous. It;s like doing “Left, Left, Left Right Left” as you walkIf you don;t shut up after the third time, your likely to be decked. Switching limits, yes. Especially if you have a ““yard"Master”” type person therem even if he’s just controlling the little towns

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The track plan that is shown is a point to point schematic. Based on your previous posts, I’m assuming (always a dangerous thing) that the two tracks shown east and west bound at the ends of the schematic are actually connected through some sort of loop, possibly behind a backdrop or other scenic detail. Is this a correct assumption?

If correct, I’m not sure why you want both of the manifest trains (402 and 403?) to start from the visible Ogden siding. If that loop is double track, why don’t you start the through trains from the hidden portion? It would seem more realistic to me if the trains started from the back of the loop, stopped at the Junction, did their thing, and then disappeared forever back to where they started from. That way, each train will only pass prototypically through the junction one time per session and not be clogging up the mainline at Ogden where the local needs to work.

If the issue is that you need to have the loop clear because you need it to build up mileage for the local before it gets to Ogden, how about adding a couple passing sidings to the backside of the loop so that you can have the through trains parked with at least one clear track for non-stopping trains to pass?

Another thought that comes to mind is that if you stop the thro

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There isn’t any hidden trackage.

West Formanek

White River Junction

I only drew half the yard. 3 of the tracks are double ended, and the other 3 are single ended. The Double ended tracks merge back into one, and end up being the mainline through West Formanek. The track that bypasses the yard continues through CP WF, and turns into Ogden Siding after the crossovers. All there is between the yard and West Formanek is a piece of 1/8" hardboard.

I was at an operating session this afternoon, and we started with 2 locals grabbing assembled trains out of the yard tracks. A train working out of staging and ending up in Church Point after an hour and a half. For Tyler, I’d suggest having 403 start as being outlawed on Ogden, or if short enough, east of the crossovers in West Formanek. 402 should start in the yard, if we assume QNE/NECR brought a cut of eastbound traffic in the night before, and the yardmaster has already assembled them into a train. To increase the ops session’s time, you should have 403 hold until 402 passes it, and 42T gets by it. Then once 42T clears Dooley, have 403 leave.

Down the road you should consider another major project, that I will go into detail by email, and you can choose whether to share it or not.