How many people does it take to Operate?

[Anonymous]

This morning at the Hobby Shack in Jacksonville AR we had a Ops session as part of a teaching seminar that exposes us to Operating model railroads.

We had a HO scale 4x8 layout to use and a several rolling stock and a loco/caboose combo to work the railroad.

We had a engineer, two brakemen (Throwing switches front and rear) and a conductor as well as two observers all closely watching the train as it went about it's assigned duties.

First we pulled some cars out of freight house and teamtrack sent them to interchange. Pulled 4 inbound cars from the interchange and visited two other towns "Up line" to switch inbounds and setouts.

Then we returned to the depot and placed the caboose near the diner.

Easy enough isnt it?

Well in practice one switch had to be quickly cleaned which took 4 people to find the problem and decide how to fix it. We fixed it. And then it took some time for the conductor to get everyone on the same page for each stage of the ops session... that was interesting.

The session was very enjoyable and educational.. both from a hobby view and also from a humor view as people worked to fulfill the switch lists and run that extra around the railroad.

I wonder if your ops sessions run as smootly or are they clogged with a knot of people working a train around the railroad?

I am curious to hear your input.. particularly if other hobby shops in the USA takes the time to have interested parties participate in the hobby.

[Anonymous]

Our LHS doesn't though maybe I should mention it next time I am there. I enjoy operations, it puts what would be a just run trains around the layout into something more entertaining, and I feel enhances the realism and adds imagination to the hobby.

[Big_Boy_4005]

You should consider yourself lucky to have a hobby shop that is willing to use square footage to have an operating layout. The hobby retail business is a tough one to make any real money in, and most would choose to use that space for more shelves.

Actually, the operating layout is probably the better use of space, because it promotes the hobby by getting people interested, and giving them ideas. It is also much less costly than filling the same square footage with inventory

[jeffshultz]

Joe Fugate can have anywhere from 8 to 18 at an operating session. 8 is really too few, and 18... well, you can sit around waiting for a train a lot.

[Anonymous]

To answer to topics question, How many people does it take to operate.

1

[Anonymous]

[#ditto] David's number, however 2 is also a good number. Problems seem to grow exponentially with the number of operators/fixers/indian chiefs With 1 operator the embarasment level at malfunctions is less, but the conversations aren't usually as interesting (perhaps a little "bluer").
It is refreshing that your LHS would put together an "event" like this to educate their customers about operations. As long as their prices are reasonable, they should be around for a while, good promotion/customer service.
Will

[Anonymous]

What in the world is a "prople?"

[Anonymous]

QUOTE: Originally posted by Lotus098

What in the world is a "prople?"

The dreaded fat finger typing, keyboard layout on the upper row of the letters:

qwerty < E = R = prople

[jfugate]

QUOTE: Originally posted by jeffshultz

Joe Fugate can have anywhere from 8 to 18 at an operating session. 8 is really too few, and 18... well, you can sit around waiting for a train a lot.

Jeff is right, and he ought to know, he's one of my regular operators.

Per train, we run two-person crews. One time we had 20+ people show up for an op session, so we tried 3-person crews. Just too many bodies in the aisles ... so we have not repeated that experiment. Now if we have lots of visitors show up and we don't have a train for everyone, you sit in the crew lounge, watch train videos, and munch on goodies until a train is called.

When you come in the door, you sign up on a job roster. You are called in the order you arrive, so there is an incentive to not be late!

[Curmudgeon]

Two gives you somebody to talk to and stage meets with.
All of my experienced crew operates "one-man-rule", we add a second to the train for training purposes, when they are comfortable, we have the hostler haul out a unit, hand them a waybill (and a laminated map), and off they go.
Maximum at once has been 20 trains.
Average is 8-10.
We have had all 120 freight cars out on the railroad at once, next guy out had to wait until a train came in to get enough cars to fill his "order".
TOC

[SpaceMouse]

I think operating is a team sport. I've said that before. I'm designing my basement layout to be run by 6-8 people.

That said, I have my eye on a N scale shelf layout that would be operated by 1-4 people.

[lesterperry]

I could keep 5 people buisy running and myself dispatching if I had 5 people but I don't. So I keep 1 very buisy running switching and dispatching ME.

[jimrice4449]

My hump yard operates most effectively w/ 3, but we can keep 4 busy if available. A hump job to run the trains over the hump (obviously), a lower end job to pull cars from the yard and build trains and a DS/yardmaster/hostler to run trains into and out of the yard from and to staging, cut off and put on power and generally supervise. If warm bodies enough are available we can shunt the hostler job to an individual. The bad news is, I live so far in the boonies (pop. density is probably less than 10 per sq. mile) that most of the time I'm the only warm body available in which case all of the above jobs are run w/ 1 opr., handling them sequentially. There's more than one way to depelate a feline!

[Jetrock]

I'm just not a social model railroader, I guess, or maybe I just don't want people to see the horrid mess that is my garage...but I prefer to operate solo. My slowly-expanding shelf layout (now bulging to an enormous 20 square feet, with 15'8" of mainline!) is gradually gaining in operations potential, though...at some point a second end will come into play.

[wpsteve]

I travel a lot to operate and what I see is a trend to try to have tooooo many operators at a session. Kind of keeping up with the Jones thing.. Very few isles will handle these crews and nothing kills a session for me more than climbing over other operators.. ( or sitting waiting for my turn to run a train ) <G>
The double crew trend does not help.. Here on the Western Pacific I have honestly set the number of operators needed at 14.. If because they are coming a long way someone wants to bring a buddy along I most of the time let it happen.. This can work out because the buddy is not an operator and we can have him tag along and learn the ropes.. But we do not use and will not use two man crews.. My regular guys do not like it.
We operate every Thursday alternating between the WP and Sierra railroads and on both railroads we find we have more fun when the crew is short. Guess it is more kick back, less keep things moving.
My crew size is determined by the Dispatcher job, we run unit trains to keep things hopping for him.. Without the Dispatcher we drop the units and just run the waybilled trains.
I enjoy when we have a full crew together with the hustle and bussle ? but seem to get to sleep faster after a crew short session <G>

WP Steve

[Anonymous]

I have one person ops sessions at home on my barely started seitching layout.

At my friens house we have 2 person ops sessions which are the most fun. He's a former CSX employee and insists on trying to do things like they are done on the real thing.

At my local club layout which is about 20' x 50' with two main lines we have had ops with as many as 6 trains and 20 people participating. These sessions usually degenerate into a cluster @#* but we still have fun.

Bob DeWoody

[trainboyH16-44]

On mine, I can operate 3 trains, throwing switches for manline meets on the two sidings, while switching in the yard. This could also have 6 people. One working the virginia panel, one working the mainline dispatch (Mainline switches as well as Hicksville) Two working the mainline throttles, one working the yard switcher, and one working the yard switches. Nobody is allowed to move, though, as we have 24" aisles.[:(] This has never happened, as I'm usually alone in the basement, and my railroad isn't impressive enough to warrent visitors.
It can get pretty exciting when I'm alone, though. Also, throwing the polarity switches from Cab A to Cab B on the main adds to the thrill of the hunt!
Trainboy

[n2mopac]

My 17' X 17' layout is set up for flexabiliyt in the numbers of operators. I can run one or two person train crews, 1 or 2 yard masters, with our without a "mole" in the staging area. Including the dispatcher a maximum of 8 can actuall operate on the layout at one time, with any other people waiting their turn. I also set up the layout, however, to enable me to enjoy running trains alone or with my 6 year old and 9 year old.

Ron

[jrbernier]

My layout usually uses 1 man crews, but a 2 man crew works out better for new operators. If the crew is familiar with the layout, only a single person needs to be on the job. I have had up to 3 crews working at once, but a single person can run the entire railroad if everything is run in sequence.
This past summer I ran on the 'traveling road show' Wabash layout at the NMRA Convention. I ran 5 different jobs, and all of them were just myself, except for one. I felt a little uneasy with the first train as I was not familiar with the layout. That first train was a thru freight and all I had to do was make meets(2) as I went across the division. The last rain had short work to do at 2 locations, and having a 'conductor' available to sort out the waybills and plan the moves was va big help.

Jim Bernier