# Individuals or clubs with "railroad operations?"



## Jerry McColgan (Feb 8, 2008)

I was visiting a large HO layout yesterday with multiple operators running various trains with operations similar to an actual railroad. It was/is impressive.

I have wanted to do something like that for years but never got past just running trains in circles.

Whether one operator or several, does anyone simulate railroad operations with your layouts?

If so, how do you do it? Does it take a really large layout and a lot of people to run it and maintain it or can it be done with a few people on a medium size layout?

Is the type of power or control critical?

Thanks,

Jerry


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## David Leech (Dec 9, 2008)

Jerry,
This is not quiet what you have in mind, but I'll tell the story anyway.
My Brother in the UK went to a 'live steam' meeting at a very large railway.
When he arrived, he was asked what locomotive he was going to run and what type of train he wished to pull.
He was then given a piece of paper that informed him of what time that he was to leave, and from which platform at the large terminus station.
This meant that you had to have you loco in steam and ready back into the station at, or just before that time.
Then after running for the prescribed time on the main loop, you then had to bring your train back into the terminus at the correct time.
It added a challenge for the live steamers.
Now of course there was no dropping off, or picking up, of freight cars etc., as the HO people would do, but there is no reason why you couldn't do that, even with live steam.
It really is up to our imagination as to how we might do something more realistic, whatever the power system used.
Cheers,
David Leech, Delta, Canada


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## chuck n (Jan 2, 2008)

A few years ago I visited a RR here in northern Virginia for a session. Upon arrival I was given a piece of paper with car identifications, an engine and a hand controller. My task was to assemble a train by picking up the various cars at different sidings on the layout. It was an interesting and enjoyable exercise. 

The engine was RC controlled and powered by a battery.

Chuck


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## Jerry McColgan (Feb 8, 2008)

Hi David,

Thank you for your comments. I am a better copy-cat than an inventor. I like to take the shortcut and borrow/steal ideas from others rather than to try to come up with my own ideas. I tend to think two dimensional while others come up with a fantastic layouts by thinking three dimensional.

Sometimes I can copy three dimensional ideas even if I don't come up with them myself.

Jerry


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## Jerry McColgan (Feb 8, 2008)

chuck n said:


> A few years ago I visited a RR here in northern Virginia for a session. Upon arrival I was given a piece of paper with car identifications, an engine and a hand controller. My task was to assemble a train by picking up the various cars at different sidings on the layout. It was an interesting and enjoyable exercise.
> 
> The engine was RC controlled and powered by a battery.
> 
> Chuck


 Hi Chuck,

That is what happened when I visited a large HO layout yesterday. It was a DigiTrax DCC layout and got me to thinking about it which led to this topic.

Thanks,

Jerry


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## Peter Eaton (Mar 11, 2015)

The Vermont Garden Railway Society has built a Timesaver module and takes it to several shows during the year. It has become very popular with the youngsters. They have to move and spot several cars during their time on the layout. It's modeled after John Allen's. Peter


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## Dave Meashey (Jan 2, 2008)

Used to operate (mostly as a yard conductor) on the HO scale Lakeside Lines in Wythville, VA. My friend, Brad, and I usually got the West yard. Had to sort cars per a switch list. Making sure the train was sorted out for the branch line could be especially challenging at times.

The layout's owner is now modifying the layout for primarily mainline operation, with one local serving industrial sidings. This will make operations a totally new "animal." The entire operation is DCC, and train lengths of 85 cars plus helper locomotives on the rear are not the least uncommon. The staging yards are as big as the visible layout.

So far, I have only done an orientation session. I would say that the real operating sessions could get pretty hectic. The layout at least operates in real time rather than using a fast clock. The owner also indicated that all trains could be ordered into restricted speed if the dispatcher gets overloaded.

That is my personal experience,
David Meashey


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## Fred Mills (Nov 24, 2008)

Check out the OVGRS web page at: www.ovgrs.org/ We have been operating as you suggested for many years, using the RailOps programme. There are quite a few "Outdoor Model Railroads that enjoy OPERATIONS....seems to be more of us over at LSC.......


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## Jerry McColgan (Feb 8, 2008)

Thanks guys.

I used to know some OVGRS guys and was going to drive up there years ago but plans changed. Same with LSC. Haven't been there in years and lost touch.

Most of the G Gauge "operating" layouts I've been aware of were very large & very far away. I had hoped to find an operations type of layout less than a days drive and/or perhaps small enough to be run by a relatively small club.


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## Fred Mills (Nov 24, 2008)

The OVGRS operating group is a relatively small group. We "Operate" every Saturday morning, weather permitting, May to October. We average about 15-20 people every operation. The majority of the people that operate here, never wanted to go back to "Roundy-roundy", after they experienced true operations. We use the RailOps program, but don't use a clock. We do have a dispatcher, and use two way radios for communication. We use two person crews.
The railroad is a single track short line operation, and we alternate, week to week between Narrow Gauge style equipment, and more modern SG style equipment.
We do not have track power.....battery, R/C only.

There actually are two railroads. The IPP&W, and a branch line called the RP&M. There are three main yards, and lots of industries.

We seem to continue to have fun, even after 30 years. We do not have a membership charge. We do charge for hot dogs at noon every Saturday....$1 per hot dog. Members contribute soft drinks and bheer......I provide coffee....
Members are all Vice Presidents. we do not have a president, treasurer, or any other official. We do have a web page, which acts as our newsletter. We do communicate by Email, and telephone. We are all great friends.....it is truly a sharing and caring group. I'm proud to be a member.

Fred Mills


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## eheading (Jan 5, 2008)

I ran operations on a friend's HO railroad in NJ a couple of years ago, with his railroad club. It was a lot of fun. We too had cards that told us where we were to go, and what we were to do.

On my garden railroad I basically only run operations, but I generally just run one "train" at a time. On my railroad I have a coal mine where I load hoppers for delivery to my power plant. I also have a sawmill where I drop off cars to be loaded with cut lumber, a grain elevator where I drop off covered hoppers to be loaded, a small tank farm where I drop off tankers for loading with oil. I also have two farms that have refrigerated cars left there to be loaded with milk, cheese, etc., a grain store, a freight terminal and a saloon and restaurant that have a refrigerated car left of there too. I just find it more interesting to do that than run my trains around just to watch them run (unless I'm tired, then "just running" isn't so bad!!!!) My railroad is a point to point, with the "yard" and power plant inside the RV garage at one end, and the coal mine and the tank farm at the other end of the run, but I could do everything that I do even if the mainline were a large loop.

Ed Headington


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## Jerry McColgan (Feb 8, 2008)

eheading said:


> I ran operations on a friend's HO railroad in NJ a couple of years ago, with his railroad club. It was a lot of fun. We too had cards that told us where we were to go, and what we were to do.
> 
> On my garden railroad I basically only run operations, but I generally just run one "train" at a time. On my railroad I have a coal mine where I load hoppers for delivery to my power plant. I also have a sawmill where I drop off cars to be loaded with cut lumber, a grain elevator where I drop off covered hoppers to be loaded, a small tank farm where I drop off tankers for loading with oil. I also have two farms that have refrigerated cars left there to be loaded with milk, cheese, etc., a grain store, a freight terminal and a saloon and restaurant that have a refrigerated car left of there too. I just find it more interesting to do that than run my trains around just to watch them run (unless I'm tired, then "just running" isn't so bad!!!!) My railroad is a point to point, with the "yard" and power plant inside the RV garage at one end, and the coal mine and the tank farm at the other end of the run, but I could do everything that I do even if the mainline were a large loop.
> 
> Ed Headington


Hi Ed,

That is the sort of thing I had in mind.

Thanks,

Jerry


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## Fred (Jan 2, 2008)

On my HO layout (1986-2004) 6 to 8 guys were needed to operate the point to point layout. I used the card type "waybills" color coded for each of the 8 "towns" on the railroad. Each "waybill" listed the originating location (including those located "off" the railroad brought in off an interchange), destination, type of car & contents. This waybill was attached to 3x5 index card for every car on the layout (name of rr, car number, type of var). The local crew would service the industries & build up an outbound train. When the crew for the outbound train took over he would proceed over the line setting out & picking up according to the waybills in his consist plus what each billbox at the other towns would have for him. I use that same system for my outdoor point to point railroad today. Although this railroad (along with my new but smaller HO layout in the basement) can be operated by just one person, it also can handle 2-4 guys as well. Point is you don't need to have a large railroad to enjoy good operation. You just need something for the trains to do and some form of waybill/train consist to direct the location of the cars. The card system is simple and there are other computerized systems out there as well. "Operation" is the reason I've enjoyed model railroading for the last 50+ years.


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## Jim Agnew (Jan 2, 2008)

Jerry, Andy Clarke has 4 operating sessions a year and is located in Nashville Illinois. The next session will be held on September 25 th and 26th.


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## Jerry McColgan (Feb 8, 2008)

Jim Agnew said:


> Jerry, Andy Clark has 4 operating sessions a year and is located in Nashville Illinois. The next session will be held on September 25 th and 26th.


 Hi Jim,

Thanks for the information. If it seems possible I will contact you via email.

Regards,

Jerry


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## Jim Agnew (Jan 2, 2008)

Jerry, my email address is [email protected]
Checkout the comments on his last session.
http://largescalecentral.com/forums/topic/23832/bluestone-southern-6-7-june-2015-ops-session


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## Jerry McColgan (Feb 8, 2008)

Jim Agnew said:


> Jerry, my email address is [email protected]
> Checkout the comments on his last session.
> http://largescalecentral.com/forums/topic/23832/bluestone-southern-6-7-june-2015-ops-session


Thanks Jim,

I sent you an email.

Jerry


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## Jerry McColgan (Feb 8, 2008)

Fred said:


> On my HO layout (1986-2004) 6 to 8 guys were needed to operate the point to point layout. I used the card type "waybills" color coded for each of the 8 "towns" on the railroad. Each "waybill" listed the originating location (including those located "off" the railroad brought in off an interchange), destination, type of car & contents. This waybill was attached to 3x5 index card for every car on the layout (name of rr, car number, type of var). The local crew would service the industries & build up an outbound train. When the crew for the outbound train took over he would proceed over the line setting out & picking up according to the waybills in his consist plus what each billbox at the other towns would have for him. I use that same system for my outdoor point to point railroad today. Although this railroad (along with my new but smaller HO layout in the basement) can be operated by just one person, it also can handle 2-4 guys as well. Point is you don't need to have a large railroad to enjoy good operation. You just need something for the trains to do and some form of waybill/train consist to direct the location of the cars. The card system is simple and there are other computerized systems out there as well. "Operation" is the reason I've enjoyed model railroading for the last 50+ years.


Hi Fred,

This sounds similar to a local HO layout. I would like to do something similar to that but have to work out the details. It seems to me that MTS/DCC might make this more possible. I have a few more decoders on the way and hopefully will be able to try something like this before too long.

Thanks, 

Jerry


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## East Broad Top (Dec 29, 2007)

I do regular operations on my railroad. I use small flags I hang on the brakewheels of the cars designating where the cars go, based on a spreadsheet I worked up. This spreadsheet is nothing fancy; it just tracks a progression of loads/empties back and forth to their various sidings. My dad does a similar thing on his railroad, using painted pennies on the roofs of the car. 

All you "need" to set up basic operations is someplace to take cars from and someplace to take them to, such as a lumber siding and a sawmill, or coal mine and cleaning plant, or maybe an interchange track and a factory. The more of these sources and destinations you have, the more complex the operations can get, but pretty much each car has something on board it's taking from one place to another, then gets returned empty back to its starting point. 

You can then get even more complicated and add in passenger operations, etc. 

Later,

K


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## Jerry McColgan (Feb 8, 2008)

East Broad Top said:


> I do regular operations on my railroad. I use small flags I hang on the brakewheels of the cars designating where the cars go, based on a spreadsheet I worked up. This spreadsheet is nothing fancy; it just tracks a progression of loads/empties back and forth to their various sidings. My dad does a similar thing on his railroad, using painted pennies on the roofs of the car.
> 
> All you "need" to set up basic operations is someplace to take cars from and someplace to take them to, such as a lumber siding and a sawmill, or coal mine and cleaning plant, or maybe an interchange track and a factory. The more of these sources and destinations you have, the more complex the operations can get, but pretty much each car has something on board it's taking from one place to another, then gets returned empty back to its starting point.
> 
> ...


Thank you for the input.

How do you handle the layout and the equipment?

Is the layout/power supplies club owned, private or multiple owners/layouts?

Trains? Are they kept at one place or do members bring their own trains to run?

Controls? Are the controls provided by/kept at one layout or do the members bring their own?

Do you use track power? Battery power? Revolution? DCC/MTS? Does it matter?

I went back to the HO layout yesterday. The owner provided everything (even aprons for the guests to carry remotes, cards, pencil etc.). 

One problem I have had and observed has been guests setting their controls down and walking away to talk to someone while the train they were controlling is still running. A collision is not unlikely.

I did it myself last night. While running a very slow coal train. I did not notice when my remote lost control and I failed to stop where I had been told to do so. Fortunately the owner noticed and nothing happened but at least any damage would have been minimal and I would have been willing and able to pay for any damages but...

I have seen accidents done on friends layouts by other friends with no offer to repair or compensate for damages they caused. I doubt I will (in the future) let many guests run anything bigger than an 0-4-0 starter set.

Ideas?

Jerry


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