Operation

[Anonymous]

Lots of you talk about it being more important to operate than model. Lets see howmany truly do operate! If this subject has been beaten to death in past posts, I appologize, as I have only been paying attention to this forum for a month or so.

[ShaunCN]

I simply run trains but make and break them up in yards.

[Eriediamond]

Simply like to run the trains, like shaun, make up and brake up trains in the yard. Sometimes they are made up in the yard and broken up out on the main line, depending if Bubba (my cat) is present.[(-D][(-D][(-D]

[Anonymous]

I'm in the process of figuring out what I'm gonna do. I'll run trains around sometimes for fun also.

[Anonymous]

i voted for the second choice but can u explain the last 4 choices and how to use them?

[Hawks05]

i'll just run trains for the fun of it. but i think if i can somehow get a big enoug yard into a 4x8 layout i'll have that to break up trains and start again. i'm thinking about just having like 1-2 industries then as big a yard as i can fit on a layout with 2 mains on it.

[Anonymous]

Elias, The last four selections are methods by which your model railroad can be operated similar to a real railroad, Ie. delivering a car to a specific location to be loaded with freight or passengers, moving the car down the line to another location needing the freight or providing delivery of passengers to their destination. It turns your model railroad into a miniature railroad. The four types quarried about are differnt method of doing the above. A description of ecah is beyond the scope of this forum and also beyond my capibilities and there are likely considerably more methods.

[Anonymous]

I'm happy just running whatever model makes a request to be run whenever I'm in the train room.

[Anonymous]

oh it's that simple?

[Anonymous]

I'm surprised by the lack of interest in this topic!

[AggroJones]

I don't have a layout big enough for "operations". The space may be large enough for a switching layout, but the track work isn't planned out like that. I'm mostly a railfan type operator.

[CBQ_Guy]

I haven't decided yet if I will be using car card/waybills or a computer generated switch list. They say cards are the most versatile and are "forgiving", whatever that means.

I have used both methods over the years, but now I have disabling rheumatoid arthritis and I don't think using cards would work out too well, though MAY be possible. I like the finished product/concept of a single sheet or maybe two computer printed out switch list as it's much easier for me to deal with. The problem with the computer ops programs I have run into is, first, all that data entry and, second, every one I have used or read comments by other users requires at some point what I call "tricking the software" to get it to do what you want it to do, or as nearly as possible, which is a less than ideal "fix", IMO.

So the jury is still out on this but I have a LONG time to decide because I haven't even started building the layout yet!

[Anonymous]

I don't have a layout yet but i will use a type of card sysetem. I like the sound of realistic operation.

Alex in the sooner state

[orsonroy]

I voted car cards. Only one problem: car movement really isn't operations, it's a system of telling operators where cars go. To me, OPERATIONS means how you run trains on your layout.

This means either sequential train movement, timetable, TT/TO, CTC, PTC, or "anything goes"

[Jetrock]

QUOTE: Originally posted by elias

i voted for the second choice but can u explain the last 4 choices and how to use them?

A car-card system uses two sets of cards to give cars a destination--one card representing each car on the railroad, and a deck of cards representing different cargoes and destinations, sorted by type of car. To use, draw some car cards, then draw some cargo cards of the appropriate type (boxcar loads for boxcars, reefer loads for reefers, etc.) and clip them together with a paperclip. Make a train in the yard, then ship each car to whatever location is indicated on its card.

Thumbtack systems use a thumbtack or other little metal or plastic binky that is stuck directly on the car, with information (color coding, letters and/or numbers) on it that indicates where the car is supposed to go and what it contains.

Computer-based lists use computer software containing a database of your cars and industries to generate a random list of destinations and cargoes.

Not sure about the other one...

I've got a switching layout six feet long, so I make and break up trains but don't run them around (not having a loop makes that difficult.) Once the other sections of the layout are built I'll add a car-card system, although I might try a computer-based system as a way to make up things like switch lists. Right now with only two industries (a fruit-packing warehouse and a team track) and an off-line interchange there isn't much operation to be done...and right now most of my operation is MOW crews trying to fix those *&$%$@ derailments!!!

[CNJ831]

I have to say that I am always amused by the response to this particular aspect to the hobby. MR and many of their authors have ballyhooed operations as the one and only ultimate goal of the hobby for better than 50 years now. However, the actual hobbyists seem to have always had quite a different opinion! While the current poll still has relatively few responses, it depicts what every other such poll or survey on the question before it has: three-quarters of all model railroad hobbyists are mainly interested in running their trains and switching cars around in the yard. Clearly, true operations is currently, and always has been, a niche element in the hobby.

CNJ831

[ClinchValleySD40]

I prefer car cards/waybills for their flexibility.

I strongly encourage (beg?) anyone that has not tried operations to do so. You will be absolutely amazed at how much more you'll get out of the hobby. And it is not as complicated or formal as some people lead you to believe.

If you'd like to try it, we (SE Mich Proto Operators) are hosting an Operations Weekend the end of March. Plenty of info on the web site at www.michops.org

Regardless, please try it.

[Anonymous]

I'm glad to see I'm not alone here on this one. I have2 big mainline loops and run trains in opposite directions. I'll lay on the couch and relax and read a book. Sometimes I'll mess with them on sidings and in the yard. Most of the time it's just the enjoyment of running them. I am clueless about how a railroad really operates. I've never worked for one and get my interest from living next to them for a large portion of my life. Learning how they function and work in real life is fun and I do that by reading.

RMax

[PistolPete]

My intent when the track is down is to have a yard and shop area, an industrial area to switch and an interchange area. So the operation will be switching and breaking down and building trains. No hidden staging or loops.