Sir Madog Rich, here is what I would do if I were to operate a continuous loop layout. I´d write a train order, i.e. "storybook" for each train I plan to operate. In this storybook, I write down with what cars I want to start out, which cars to take where, which cars to set out and pick-up where and finally, where the train will end. I´d also determine the number of laps the train has to run between each stop, which could vary to simulate distance.
Rich, here is what I would do if I were to operate a continuous loop layout.
I´d write a train order, i.e. "storybook" for each train I plan to operate. In this storybook, I write down with what cars I want to start out, which cars to take where, which cars to set out and pick-up where and finally, where the train will end. I´d also determine the number of laps the train has to run between each stop, which could vary to simulate distance.
I like that, Ulrich, thanks.
Rich
Alton Junction
Thanks, Dave, that helps.
Am I using the term "interchange" correctly?
I can't tell you what I do since I haven't had a "loop" layout in about 30-40 years.
If you want to roll up some miles you can do a lap or two between each switching event. You might even want to fomalize it that every place is 2 laps fron the next station.
If you are just switching and concerned about car forwarding that works fine. It only becomes a problem when you try to incorporate the operations of the trains in a prototypical manner. Running a train through the same place multiple times gets problematic then.
Or.
You can consider the layout a smaller slice of the railroad and just do the local work out of your yrad and let the through trains do laps as interference. In that case the local only goes through any place once and every lap the through trains are a different train.
Dave H. Painted side goes up. My website : wnbranch.com
dehusman Anything YOU want to do is acceptable.
Anything YOU want to do is acceptable.
I appreciate that notion that anything is acceptable, but I am just curious what others do on a continuous loop layout?
Do you arrive at your destination as soon as you reach it, or do you bypass it the first time around and make one or more loops before ending that part of the run?
dehusman Anything YOU want to do is acceptable. It just depends on how close to prototypical operations you want to get and what parts of "operation" do you want to model. I thought you were using the 4 track yard as staging?
It just depends on how close to prototypical operations you want to get and what parts of "operation" do you want to model.
I thought you were using the 4 track yard as staging?
Someone on that other thread suggested the use of the 4-track siding for staging which I am contemplating.
Maybe my use of the term "interchange" is incorrect in this context. But, I thought that one of the suggestions was to use the 4-track siding as staging.
In that thread, Mike remarked, "Unless I break up or somehow turn the train, if a train goes into staging as a westbound, it will emerge from staging as another westbound when you decide to send it off again. You can then consider using 4-Track Yard as a fiddle yard. In effect, it's your connection to the rest of the North American rail network".
That concept appeals to me, and I may be incorrectly referring to that activity as taking place at an interchange. Help me with this concept and the correct terminology.
I am starting to get interested in conducting "realistic operations" on my layout which raises a basic question.
My layout is fairly large with a double main line. My principal objective, when I first designed it, was simply to "run trains". As a lone operator, I can generally run four trains simultaneously, two trains on each main line track.
My question is: what do those of you who conduct operations do about a continuous loop layout regarding "destinations"?
Here is an example. I have a farm siding and I want to move a series of covered hoppers west to a 4-track siding which I will treat as an interchange. Headed west, it is not that far away from the farm siding - - maybe 20 feet on a 200 foot main line. To me, it doesn't make sense to have a local pick up the covered hoppers at the farm siding and then fairly quickly drop them off at the interchange. Meanwhile, I may be running three other trains on the layout. So, to me, it makes sense to let the local make several runs around the layout before dropping off the cars at the interchange. Of course, it is not prototypical, but is it acceptable? What do others do in this situation?