Do you simulate RR operations on your layout?

[palallin]

...Been Nuthin' since Frisco ...

I don't mean to digress, but that is the first time I have seen BNSF referred to that way.  Is that a common reference?  If so, what does it mean?

Regards,

John

 

John,

Here on the old Frisco main, we lament the loss of our great road, having been swallowed by the Be Nuthin' which transmagorified into the Been Nuthin' Since Frisco.  We miss our Coonskin Herald, our Racehorse E-8s, and our gilded Greek fretwork on the sides of the tenders (especially since the 1522 has gone back into retirement).

Nostalgia is a powerful fuel, ya know?

frisco.org

[cnw1995]

Event cards! I made a pack of them ages ago when I was in N scale. I wonder if I still have them. Sir Hatt to visit. All engines return to shed; Clear main line for breakdown train. Derailment ahead, use Down line instead of Up. 3rd car in your train is bad-ordered. That sort of thing. The randomness was fun.

That reminds me. Have you ever known a modeller who built his layout scenery first, then set the track amongst it - like in the real world Buckeye refers to - John Allen did a bit of that I think. But then again, he was a careful planner.

[fifedog]

But gentlemen, if you stop your train, uncouple, pull ahead, throw a switch, back your milk car/coal car/culvert car/log dump car...etc into the industry siding, perhaps pick up another empty/loaded car, pull out on the main, align the switch, couple back to your train, then continue on your trip--->have you not just simulated RR operations?

Discuss.

[johnandjulie13]

But gentlemen, if you stop your train, uncouple, pull ahead, throw a switch, back your milk car/coal car/culvert car/log dump car...etc into the industry siding, perhaps pick up another empty/loaded car, pull out on the main, align the switch, couple back to your train, then continue on your trip--->have you not just simulated RR operations?

Discuss.

I agree.  That is how I run my layout.  Ultimately, it is wherever your imagination takes you while you operate your layout.  For some it may be really detailed as outlined at the start of this post and for others it may be as basic as turning the transformer on.

Regards,

John

[fifedog]

Let's face it. The guys that read "model railroader are the artist thjat paint the"Mona Lisa." We at CTT.,are still drawing stick figures.  Hopper

I disagree.  I'll put our Sunday Photo Fun up against their Weekend photo fun any week, any month.

[johnandjulie13]

Here on the old Frisco main, we lament the loss of our great road, having been swallowed by the Be Nuthin' which transmagorified into the Been Nuthin' Since Frisco.  We miss our Coonskin Herald, our Racehorse E-8s, and our gilded Greek fretwork on the sides of the tenders (especially since the 1522 has gone back into retirement).

Nostalgia is a powerful fuel, ya know?

frisco.org

Thank you for the explanation.

Regards,

John

[hopper]

C'mon you all. The most avid operators & readers of CTT that have money,go out and hire some contactor to build them a layout to show off in the magazine. the guys that follow Model Railroader are deep into their practices & build everything themselves.that's the beauty of it.Don't get me wrong,I love my trains & what they do for me,they allow me the flexability to be loose with scale practices.I was into HO but gave it up,because I couldn't attain the realism I felt was needed.  Hopper  

[dbaker48]

Let's face it. The guys that read "model railroader are the artist thjat paint the"Mona Lisa." We at CTT.,are still drawing stick figures.  Hopper

I disagree.  I'll put our Sunday Photo Fun up against their Weekend photo fun any week, any month.

Some guys seems to be taking this thread a little to seriously.  But I just couldn't imagine having an internal telephone system on a personal layout, with the intent of calling in (for real) to notify that my train had passed a milemarker.  And then with these car cards, that another person has to verify the information on the card, and underline each data item indicataing it has been verified.  This level of detail is fine for those that build ships in bottles, count rivits, etc..  But I would be going nuts.

[Jumijo]

Some guys seems to be taking this thread a little to seriously.  But I just couldn't imagine having an internal telephone system on a personal layout, with the intent of calling in (for real) to notify that my train had passed a milemarker.  And then with these car cards, that another person has to verify the information on the card, and underline each data item indicataing it has been verified.  This level of detail is fine for those that build ships in bottles, count rivits, etc..  But I would be going nuts.

 

 

[hopper]

Sounds like"homeland security,:" to me.I would make sure we also saw a valued ID & Visa before I would let that sucker thru. Hopper 

[palallin]

C'mon you all. The most avid operators & readers of CTT that have money,go out and hire some contactor to build them a layout to show off in the magazine. the guys that follow Model Railroader are deep into their practices & build everything themselves.that's the beauty of it.Don't get me wrong,I love my trains & what they do for me,they allow me the flexability to be loose with scale practices.I was into HO but gave it up,because I couldn't attain the realism I felt was needed.  Hopper  

 

Do you really believe that?  You do understand that you are stereotyping without even much of a post hoc fallacy to support it, right?

[dougdagrump]

What's the old saying, "Whatever floats your boat".

But every week I get to see an amazing "HO" layout and it is built and operated in only one standard. Prototypical. Hey, if that makes 'em happy why should I complain. However, if our 3r club were to try to implement the same type of operations there would be an absolute revolution. That operating style would bore me to tears, hmmmm RR Rage maybe.

Gentleman, they are only toys.

 

[CTValleyRR]

But gentlemen, if you stop your train, uncouple, pull ahead, throw a switch, back your milk car/coal car/culvert car/log dump car...etc into the industry siding, perhaps pick up another empty/loaded car, pull out on the main, align the switch, couple back to your train, then continue on your trip--->have you not just simulated RR operations?

Discuss.

I agree.  That is how I run my layout.  Ultimately, it is wherever your imagination takes you while you operate your layout.  For some it may be really detailed as outlined at the start of this post and for others it may be as basic as turning the transformer on.

Regards,

John

But that's exactly the point.  HAVE we simulated RR operations or just done something with our model trains that breaks the monotony of watching a train run in a loop for hours on end?  I would argue -- and feel free to disagree -- that this is no more a simulation of railroad operations than playing a computer game is a simulation of reality.  It's intended to be SOMEWHAT realistic, without letting reality trump fun.  So I would say that what most of us do is "play" in a manner that approximates real railroading, without attempting to simulate railroading.

I enjoy having a good laugh with the kids when I bury the flatcars 10 cars deep in the yard, then have an "event card" task me to run up the mountain for a load of logs.  In my (admittedly limited) experience with "simulating" operations -- by my definition -- someone would be having a conniption because I had delayed someone else's departure, or (gasp) wasn't taking things seriously enough.

I think it all boils down to sacrificing reality / realism in favor of fun, or whether you find fun in the exacting reproduction of reality.  I put myself squarely in the former camp.  While I enjoy the knowledge of how real dispatchers, car cards / waybills, train orders, etc. operate, I have no desire to immerse myself in such minutia.

[ChiefEagles]

But gentlemen, if you stop your train, uncouple, pull ahead, throw a switch, back your milk car/coal car/culvert car/log dump car...etc into the industry siding, perhaps pick up another empty/loaded car, pull out on the main, align the switch, couple back to your train, then continue on your trip--->have you not just simulated RR operations?

Discuss.

Fife, well put.  You barked up the right tree that time.   Doug Wallace [Dougsnotagrump] took me to see that fabulous HO layout.  Really outstanding and big.  Almost went to sleep watching a tank train move from one side of the mountain to the other.  SO SLOW!!!.   

[johnandjulie13]

But that's exactly the point.  HAVE we simulated RR operations or just done something with our model trains that breaks the monotony of watching a train run in a loop for hours on end?  I would argue -- and feel free to disagree -- that this is no more a simulation of railroad operations than playing a computer game is a simulation of reality.  It's intended to be SOMEWHAT realistic, without letting reality trump fun.  So I would say that what most of us do is "play" in a manner that approximates real railroading, without attempting to simulate railroading.

I enjoy having a good laugh with the kids when I bury the flatcars 10 cars deep in the yard, then have an "event card" task me to run up the mountain for a load of logs.  In my (admittedly limited) experience with "simulating" operations -- by my definition -- someone would be having a conniption because I had delayed someone else's departure, or (gasp) wasn't taking things seriously enough.

I think it all boils down to sacrificing reality / realism in favor of fun, or whether you find fun in the exacting reproduction of reality.  I put myself squarely in the former camp.  While I enjoy the knowledge of how real dispatchers, car cards / waybills, train orders, etc. operate, I have no desire to immerse myself in such minutia.

I think you may be splitting hairs (or rails ).  We are basically saying the same thing.  Just by turning the trains on and letting them run in a continuous loop one can be argue the activity as a form of simulation.  Lionel marketed his products in this manner from early on.  But in the end I agree with you, hobbyists are able to choose the level of detail that gives them the most enjoyment.

Regards,

John

[hopper]

I agree with everybody,that's without sounding like a politition. We got the edge on the true realist.I just remind them,how the whloe thing got started. It was a big hung of metal running around a tree in a hardware store. Without Lionel there would be no realist. Hopper

[CTValleyRR]

I'm not really trying to split hairs, rails, infinitives, atoms, or anything else.

I guess you have to have a bad experience with a club / group "operating" session to really realize the lengths to which some people want -- even enjoy -- carrying their simulation.

Of course, I have been very firmly told, by people looking down their very long noses, which were pointed at the ceiling, that what I do on my layout is NOT simulation, and shame on me for even suggesting it!

It's actually nice to see some affirmation that most people are in MY camp, not the anal one.

[lionelsoni]

"Anyone who plays with trains differently than I do is not having any fun and is an anal rivet counter."  Do I have it right?

[cnw1995]

LOL, a good reminder, Bob - that what I prefer isn't necessarily what everyone should prefer.

[CTValleyRR]

"Anyone who plays with trains differently than I do is not having any fun and is an anal rivet counter."  Do I have it right?

I'm not saying that, by any means.  I firmly believe that if it's fun for you, you should do it.  Just don't demand that it be fun for everyone.

OTOH, I have had people imply that very strongly in their statements to me.  After my first operating session, one of the older members (and I'm no spring chicken, by any means) took me aside and told me that I had to take it more seriously. And I was dumb enough to think it was a bad night and try again two weeks later. D'oh!

[ChiefEagles]

If they want to be that anal retentive about a model train operation, maybe they should get a job on a real railroad?

Our trains go around in circles very fast. Like they should.

Jim 

Just a little harsh.  Each to his own.  If that is what makes their world go around, OK.  I don't let them fly as fast as I use too.  Looks better moving at slower speeds. 

"Anyone who plays with trains differently than I do is not having any fun and is an anal rivet counter."  Do I have it right?

Bob,I think it was this until I said it was a little harsh and he went back and editied it.  

[chicochip]

Careful!

Long noses and what??

[PostwarMan07]

I personally enjoy setting up a circle of track on my carpet, lying on the floor, and watching the train pass by my face at 250 scale MPH. 

I also love turning the voltage up to 20 volts and sending milk cans and logs across the room. 

I still get a kick out of an 18 scale foot tall man flying out of a shack after the 100th time.

After a stressful day I run my trains and feel like Im 8 again...no worries at all.

In the future, I will have a layout that has some characteristics of real railroad operation (stations, industrial areas, etc) but will still concentrate on the TOY in toy train.

 

I think its awesome if you have a layout that you can simulate real world train operations.  It just depends on what your looking for from this hobby.  I want to feel like a kid...so I collect and play with toy trains.

[Anonymous]

I simulate chaos...and do it well.

 

[ChiefEagles]

I simulate chaos...and do it well.

 

One of the most honest posts I've seen in a while.

[dbaker48]

  Well said.....  AND I ENJOY IT.  Heaven forbid if everyone enjoyed it the same way I do, then there wouldn't be anything for me to learn from, marval at, envey, and even laugh.  Gosh, I love this hobby.

[Andrew Falconer]

Simulating railroad operations using O Gauge 3-Rail Track and Trains is done only in a visual sense, like a motion picture. We would not keep track of everything so closely. The Train List and Train Orders would be simply a computer generated visual on an LCD Monitor. It would be more about the intensity and speed of Railroad operations rather than the dry, stiff bureaucratic methods of those N Scaler guys.

Andrew

[laz 57]

But gentlemen, if you stop your train, uncouple, pull ahead, throw a switch, back your milk car/coal car/culvert car/log dump car...etc into the industry siding, perhaps pick up another empty/loaded car, pull out on the main, align the switch, couple back to your train, then continue on your trip--->have you not just simulated RR operations?

Discuss.

FIFE, you forgot, All while drinking a cold OLD MILWAUKEE BEER?

laz57

[fifedog]

[Buckeye Riveter]

But gentlemen, if you stop your train, uncouple, pull ahead, throw a switch, back your milk car/coal car/culvert car/log dump car...etc into the industry siding, perhaps pick up another empty/loaded car, pull out on the main, align the switch, couple back to your train, then continue on your trip--->have you not just simulated RR operations?

Discuss.

FIFE, you forgot, All while drinking a cold OLD MILWAUKEE BEER?

laz57

WOW!!  I just realized after almost four years, why LAZ has a great train collection.  He drinks cheap beer and spends the money he saves on expensive trains.   I down to you buddy.  What a smart strategy.