I've posted this in a few forums as the number of responses is lower than I was hoping for, so if you have read this in another forum, my bad and my apologises:
"On one particular layout using timetable and train orders, I have found the ops session can get bogged down in train orders. With train orders delivered by the dispatcher and received by the agent operator, then repeated back by each operator involved in the order (and written), engineers are waiting around with trains that can depart but don't have clearance, and even the task of OS'ing can be problematic if the train order process is long and involved.
The time clock we are using is 6:1 but it can be slowed down to 1:1 if needs be, the most typical ratio is 6:1. I'm not sure slowing the clock down would do anything as the wait times are in "real" time.
So for example, an operator may wait 10 - 15 minutes to get a clearance if the dispatcher is involved with other operators and the orders is longer and involving more than one operator, which is usually the case. During that same period you can't OS in or out either.
Any suggestions."
Many (most) layouts aren't well-suited to Timetable and Train Order because the distances between stations are too short and/or owners try to run many more trains than would a real railroad with TT&TO in "dark" (unsignaled) territory. Yet the owners feel that because it is the operating "flavor of the month", they must do TT&TO. That leads to the problems you describe.
I often also see owners who aren’t willing to let the schedule do its job and so write a flurry of orders whenever a train is late rather than just letting things work out on the railroad (which does take time – by hey, it’s a hobby).
Writing and reading back orders is a real-time process. You cannot speed it up to match the short distances of a model railroad layout.
Options:
1) Use a different train control method than TT&TO
2) Run many fewer trains per session
3) My pragmatic heresy: Create a schedule with 2X to 3X the number of scheduled trains that would be needed to handle all the desired movements. Assign trains to run on one of those pre-defined schedules whenever they are ready, and annul the unneeded scheduled trains as you go with a simplified form. Far fewer orders to write – just a clearance card. This eliminates extra trains, the cause of many orders, yet still maintains some of the flavor of TT&TO, with trains working against one another's schedules. If you want, add two orders, maybe "Run Late" and "Meet At"
For the most knowledgeable discussion, post your question to the OpSIG YahooGroup, join the Operations SIG, and buy their excellent book 19 East, Copy Three by David Sprau and Steve King.
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cuyama My pragmatic heresy: Create a schedule with 2X to 3X the number of scheduled trains that would be needed to handle all the desired movements. Assign trains to run on one of those pre-defined schedules whenever they are ready, and annul the unneeded scheduled trains as you go with a simplified form. Far fewer orders to write – just a clearance card. This eliminates extra trains, the cause of many orders, yet still maintains some of the flavor of TT&TO, with trains working against one another's schedules. If you want, add two orders, maybe "Run Late" and "Meet At"
My pragmatic heresy: Create a schedule with 2X to 3X the number of scheduled trains that would be needed to handle all the desired movements. Assign trains to run on one of those pre-defined schedules whenever they are ready, and annul the unneeded scheduled trains as you go with a simplified form. Far fewer orders to write – just a clearance card. This eliminates extra trains, the cause of many orders, yet still maintains some of the flavor of TT&TO, with trains working against one another's schedules. If you want, add two orders, maybe "Run Late" and "Meet At"
Hail, fellow heretic,
My own (Japanese-accented) take on TTTO is heavy on TT - just about every possible train movement for total saturation of track capacity, down to and including helpers drifting down hill light, is on the employee timetable. OTOH, the TO portion is VERY light, consisting almost entirely of Train Anulled or (Special movement) run as (Numbered schedule, usually unused.) Both types of orders are issued with the d'raiba's schedule card and clearance, are not sent to or repeated by agents along the line and don't require any special action by anybody. (Actual control during multi-person operation is CTC on the JNR and staff and ticket on the Tomikawa Tani Tetsudo. There's no such thing as 'dark' territory on my layout.)
The OP should be glad that all that train order traffic is verbal, not Morse Code...
Chuck (Modeling Central Japan in September, 1964)
Railroad of LION runs on 1:1 time. Trains leave the 242nd Street Station every five minutes, and it takes 20 minutes fro them to make the round trip run to South Ferry Station and Back again. Trains have LPPs in the cabs, so I do not need to run each train. At the moment there are six trains running the railroad (four on the local loop as per above and one each on the two express loops which do not travel to 242nd Street.
LION has big timetable book showing 500 + daily trains. Some originate and terminate in storage pockets around the layout so that the night time schedule can be relaxed to 15 minute headway and the work trains can come out to play.
Railroad of LION has a "PAUSE" button that stops timers, clocks and trains so him can just pick up where him left off.
ROAR
The Route of the Broadway Lion The Largest Subway Layout in North Dakota.
Here there be cats. LIONS with CAMERAS
TT & fast clock will work if one doesn't shove a ton of train on a half ton layout. On a small bedroom size layout it may even be better just to use a dispatcher instead of tower operators to move trains.
The simple rule of thumb should be(if it isn't already) the smaller the layout the simpler the operation plan and that plan must be well thought out and tested before actual operation begins on a weekly or monthly bases and any and all bugs must be worked out and don't forget to listen to your operators suggestions on improving the operation scheme.
Larry
Conductor.
Summerset Ry.
"Stay Alert, Don't get hurt Safety First!"
On a busy line, TT&TO operation should be heavy on the timetable side. In the ideal situation NO train orders need be issued, just a clearance at the originating terminal. Meets and overtakes are predefined and it is the responsibility of the crew to take siding and wait for other trains as shown in the timetable. A train order only needs to be issued to vary the superiority of trains under the rule book, commonly if one gets delayed. Even an "Extra" train could operate solely with a clearance, keeping clear of all scheduled trains. Of course, if "Extras" are running in both directions they do need specific orders with respect to each other.
In the model world very few layouts have sufficient distance between stations to allow faithful adherence to the prototype operating rules. Combine that with high train density and it becomes nearly impossible.