I do sequential operations.
When you complete your trains, you draw the next card in the box.
If this is a passenger train it gives direction, dropoff point, and meet points.
If you are to meet a train a point C, his order will be the same, and the first one waits!!! Once the track ahead is clear, because the train occuping it is now beside you, you already have authority to proceed.
No writing during session involved. We have three operating teams.
Just another thought, yours may be to complicated for this.
Dave
Graham LineIf you have not studied the book already, the OPSIG's well-written "19 East, Copy Three" is a good introduction that's more explanatory for the modeler than "Rights of Trains," which is also high on the reading list. See it at www.opsig.org/doff/DOpages/TTandTO_ad.pdf
+1
Membership in the Operations SIG is also an inexpensive investment for lots of good information and connections to others who are doing TT&TO.
In my own experience, TT&TO does not work well on many layouts due to the distances being too short between stations and stations being within sight of one another. The short distances don't allow train crews time to think -- and having stations down the line in sight encourages "cheating" by making a run for it if the coast is clear; even if that wouldn't be prudent based on the timetable and orders themselves.
Byron
Layout Design GalleryLayout Design Special Interest Group
A lot of it depends on how many trains will runs, how many will be regular trains, how close you are planning to run on time and how many orders you will be issuing.
I ran about 8-9 road trains a session, all were scheduled trains and generally I wrote less than one order per op session. I didn't even fill the dispatcher position. When I did need an order, I wrote it and delivered it. But I had a fairly low key schedule.
Others have an operator that copies and delivers the orders. Some have the dispatcher copy and deliver the orders. Some have the crew copy the orders. Under an ideal situation the trains shouldn't have to stop for orders, the orders should be in place before the train gets there and the train picks them up as they go by. Having the crews copy the orders will not allow that.
As far as OS's go, I am thinking of having cameras over the TO offices and the DS will have a screen and will get the OS when he sees the train go by (just like the operator OS's when the train goes by.)
Dave H. Painted side goes up. My website : wnbranch.com
Although it is hard to recruit operators for the individual stations, having a separate person in charge of distributing orders and recording OS's adds a great deal to the realism.
Depending how much traffic you want to run and the size of the layout, you may be able to get by with a dispatcher and one operator. Crews can write their OS time in a register at the appropriate station and the operator can relay this to the distacher.
If you have not studied the book already, the OPSIG's well-written "19 East, Copy Three" is a good introduction that's more explanatory for the modeler than "Rights of Trains," which is also high on the reading list.
See it at www.opsig.org/doff/DOpages/TTandTO_ad.pdf
There is good material online in a discussion following a Jack Burgess article on train sheets on the April 2014 Model Railroad Hobbyist.
Railroad of LION has no train orders. Him runs Subway Trains, and yes the subways *can* receive train orders, a low double white light tells the motorman to call in. LION does not do that kind of detail, since him has only one LION and ten trains and as many as six stations that would have an operator.
LION operates the 242nd Street Tower and receives and dispatches trains accorting to the printed timetable which also serves as the OS sheet for that station. Towerman must log trains in and out according to the lead motor number, the time, and the track that was used. LION uses train numbers diferently than the NYCT, but all trains must be accounted for. If an outbound trip is annuled, then obviously the return trip will be missing. There are put-ins prior to the rush hour, and layups after the rush hour. Tower operator must keep track of which trains need to be laid up during the session. He cannot pull just any train out of the conga line, though the truff be told NYCT does just that all of the time.
Just running 242nd street correctly is more than enough to keep the tower operator busy. As I have said, I only have one LION, and him being in the tower, the trains must run without assistance. All is automated with analog automation / no computers of any sort. Still is fun for tower-man, keep those records, and get the trains in and out of 242nd Street.
ROAR
The Route of the Broadway Lion The Largest Subway Layout in North Dakota.
Here there be cats. LIONS with CAMERAS
Check these guys out: http://www.railsonwheels.com/ors/opershow.shtml
That's where I was first introduced to TT/TO. They do something similar, but use the actual symaphores at the train orderstation on the layout to control the trains. The clipboard/phone idea is exactly what they do.
The only changes I would make:
Working train order signals - either color light or, better yet, semaphore.
How do you deal with 31 orders. Normally the train doesn't stop, and call, copy, read back takes time. My stations aren't that far apart.
I presume you've acquired and read Rights of Trains. Everything you never wanted to know about wording and handling train orders.
Chuck (Modeling Central Japan in September, 1964 - TTTO 24/30)
Looking for comments from people with medium-large layouts that have several train order stations!I'm trying to design an inexpensive system for train control on my layout. I have 5 train order stations that will need some communication with a dispatcher who is in an end of the room that isn't easily reached. I am strongly against having station operators at each TO station.My idea so far: Dispatcher has a panel of toggle switches to control LEDs mounted in the fascia at each TO station - Red/Green for each direction. Each station will have a cordless phone, as will the dispatcher's office. On green, each train will call in and OS. On red, the train will stop, call the dispatcher, and using materials on a clipboard at each TO station will write down their own train order (form 19s) slips as the dispatcher dictates them.My idea is just the best I've had yet. I welcome any ideas and advice that you have! How do you do your TT&TO operations?
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