Getting ready for operations - Preparing for the first session.

[Greyryder]

I use a round toothpick jammed into the end of a piece of plastic tube.

[MVW]

You know, for some reason I've never had much luck with the bamboo skewers. Maybe I need to sharpen 'em.

I've been using a T-pin, taped to the end of a mini LED flashlight. Works well.

Jim

[peteski]

You know, for some reason I've never had much luck with the bamboo skewers. Maybe I need to sharpen 'em.

I've been using a T-pin, taped to the end of a mini LED flashlight. Works well.

Jim

The ones I use are slightly thicker in diameter than round toothpicks, and they have needle-sharp end.  They are about the same diameter as the Rix uncoupling stick. To me a T-pin seems too thin for easy uncoupling.  But if it works for you, that is all that matters.

[mionerr]

I use the bamboo skewers when operating on HO layouts with so so results. Best I've found for N scale, thanks to Roy Cutler in Tacoma, is plastic cocktail picks. Long ones, 3" or so. Not much more than bamboo skewers. Your choice if you want to buy them new or save them from martinis, Gibsons, etc.
Some other modelers in the NW collect Mickey D coffee stir sticks and sharpen one end.
I've seen guys swear by using a flat blade jeweler's screwdriver, too. Lots of choices. Try them all and choose one. Offer a variety to your operators.

[John]

These?

http://www.karaspartyideas.com/shop/tableware/party-picks/arrowhead-cocktail-picks-250ct.html

[rickb773]

Getting back to the main thrust of the thread, the initial set-up and running: I ran the rest of the Tuesday schedule and the Wednesday schedule (I am retired and have more time than most) and I am exhausted.

Continuing the lessons learned:

•   I actually think it was worthwhile to clear the railroad and only add cars as needed. I actually ended up with about the same number of cars that we had originally calculated but in different car type proportions (less box cars, more tankers and reefers).

•   My industry sheet tries to generate more cars than the sidings can hold (using the set-out - hold- pick-up cycle  [on all but Texaco tankers (since the industry is not yet built) and icing reefers (shouldn't take 2 days/cycles]) in Woodbury. I forgot the sidings have to hold both the set-out and hold cycles together. I will cut down on traffic generation especially in Camden (I got carried away with the big name companies there).

•   I need to add cycles to the waybills and shift the Philly cars "off-site" (I have 2 long sidings behind the Camden industrial complex to hold cars)

•   My feet hurt! The railroad was built at 54" to make the trains closer to eyelevel for realism (and to make the duck-under easier). Eventually I will need to get some used bar-stools for the operators.

•   The pair of PRR RS3s I got on eBay are touchy with electrical contact going through my Electrofrog switches. My other engines seem unaffected.

All-in-all this has been a worthwhile experience. We will see what happens June 28th!


In order to get the gondola of sand to Buzby's Cement, you need to move the box car on the team track out of the way.


Then you can get it placed.


Suburban communities don't like the road crossings blocked so this layout has the additional challenge of not blocking the streets and in suburban communities that means you may have to split long trains in 2 or 3 places. To get to Woodbury's Holloway Lumber Co. with a short train, I only needed one break.


Don't panic the buildings are not permanently placed yet! The foundations will be covered. I need to make sure the buildings do not interfere with manually throwing the many, many turnouts (~50).

This layout has many, many crossovers, which so far seem to work well with only occasional electrical tune-ups. Here the Deepwater local has to get over to the Penns Grove/Deepwater branch trackage.

[John]

did you consider using the JMRI operations program?

[Rich_S]

Rick, A few questions I haven't seen answered in your thread:

• Do you have a dispatcher?
• How do the crews communicate with the dispatcher?
• Is the railroad controlled with CTC or is it Dark Territory?
• If Dark Territory, are you using Form 19 orders for train movements?
• Do you have a timetable that lists all scheduled trains?

I know you are working through your schedule using your car cards but, while working the various industries are other trains able to work at the same time and are scheduled trains able to pass the locals? Personally I find moving the trains across the line as fascinating as having trains pick up and set out cars at industries.   

[rickb773]

did you consider using the JMRI operations program?

No. I figure I can keep the cards aligned between sessions and run any of the locals or sweepers when I feel like it or just turn 2 to 4 trains loose and watch them run. I considered making up my own MS Access or VB system but didn't bother.

I am new at this, so I will need some time to figure out what is best for us. I am just happy to find some volunteers to help and get started. I figure it is more just to have fun and socialize with some new friends. If this system doesn't work out We'll try something different. I have wanted to try this since I saw Don Small's (?) article about 40+ years ago.

Rick, A few questions I haven't seen answered in your thread:

• Do you have a dispatcher?
• How do the crews communicate with the dispatcher?
• Is the railroad controlled with CTC or is it Dark Territory?
• If Dark Territory, are you using Form 19 orders for train movements?
• Do you have a timetable that lists all scheduled trains?

I know you are working through your schedule using your car cards but, while working the various industries are other trains able to work at the same time and are scheduled trains able to pass the locals? Personally I find moving the trains across the line as fascinating as having trains pick up and set out cars at industries.

I'm the dispatcher but it is just sequential dispatching. Once we figure out what we are doing we'll add the morning and evening computer runs using RDCs and a Baldwin with 2 or 3 P70s.

The unique fun on this railroad is Woodbury where 3 branches join and an icing facility exists. I am sure the bottleneck will be the Camden/X yard(s) which will also service the Camden industries.

This is a DC layout (I have about 120+ engines - this is what happens when you collect things for 45 years). Because of the duck-under headaches (and DC) it will operate as a 2 tower system with trains being passed from Camden/Philly (Brown tower on the prototype) to the Westville/Woodbury group (Red Oak tower). All trackage is 2 to 3 mainlines with all trailing turnouts (as per the prototype). Two people will man each side (which is about all I can fit in the loft!).

The freight schedule is similar to the prototype. Transfer runs from Philly brought the coal across the Delaware River to Camden. Long hopper trains fed the (off-line) Atlantic City Electric power house in Deepwater (with DuPont also there). A sweeper handled the on-line Texaco refinery in Westville and the off-line Sunoco refinery in Paulsboro. I will also run locals to Millville and Deepwater/Salem). All 4 of these runs are out and back in the same day so there will be traffic but it shouldn't get in each other's way. There should be plenty of activity in both halves of the room but I fear the twin yards will be a bottleneck even with 2 operators and 2 separate yard leads. The turntable hasn't been fixed yet so 0-5-0s will be active.

The crews communicate by yelling at each other (the room is only 12'x17-20'). (We can throw things if necessary!)

As you can tell at this point I am just happy to get things off the ground. We will learn as we go along. The only one with experience is Tim Harrison (of Model RailCast Show moderator fame; who is also modeling the PRSL in HO) and if he gets out of hand we will ask him to show us some scenery on his railroad.

Obviously by your questions you are much further along than I ever hope to be but this is where we are at on the learning curve and having fun is priority number 1. We hope to advance but that will take time. I do appreciate your interest (and advice).

[John]

Hey, the longest journey begins with the first step.  Ultimately, have fun .. and if you make an error - ehhhh ..  you can't kill anyone on a model railroad .. (except for critics )

[rickb773]

Hey, the longest journey begins with the first step.  Ultimately, have fun .. and if you make an error - ehhhh ..  you can't kill anyone on a model railroad .. (except for critics )

I am so glad you have authorized the latter!   

[Rich_S]

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 ... this is where we are at on the learning curve and having fun is priority number 1. We hope to advance but that will take time. I do appreciate your interest (and advice).

Rick, That is what it is all about, having fun. Even though we run TT/TO (Timetable and Train Order) operations, it's still about having fun. If someone misreads an order and ends up someplace they are not suppose to be, we give them a little gentile ribbing, then we all have a good laugh and continue on. We try to simulate a prototype railroad, but if a car ends up at the wrong industry it's not the end of the world, even the prototype has issues from time to time.

 

[rickb773]

...but if a car ends up at the wrong industry it's not the end of the world, even the prototype has issues from time to time.

Somewhere around 1990 I had my favorite computer consulting gig working for Conrail in Philadelphia (where you could gaze out the upper story window and watch your car being broken into in the parking lot below).

I used to enjoy wandering by the operations department printer and seeing things like: "has anyone seen ___ car number ___, if so please report it's whereabouts to ___" 

[Rich_S]

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I used to enjoy wandering by the operations department printer and seeing things like: "has anyone seen ___ car number ___, if so please report it's whereabouts to ___" 

That is funny Our ops sessions are not that bad, although we did loose one car and I think it's hiding in a tunnel someplace. But, we do occasionally have cars end up in Slaty Fork and their true destination is Asher Glade    When the owner (Roy) finds one, he inserts a off spot card into the waybill and makes a note on the dispatchers yard report. Next operating session the dispatcher advises the yard master of any off spot cards when they are determining what trains are going to be run. The yard master can then place that off spot car into the correct train for it's proper destination. As a crew, you know when when you see a off spot card to remove that card after spotting the car at it's proper destination. Off spot cards also work for team or storage tracks when all industry tracks are full.

This has been a very enjoyable thread, thank you for starting it Rick. I look forward to reading how your operating session are progressing, what pitfalls you're encountering and how you're solving the problems.

 

[mionerr]

These?

http://www.karaspartyideas.com/shop/tableware/party-picks/arrowhead-cocktail-picks-250ct.html

Looks right. I find them at the grocery store. I recall less dollars for less quantity.

Sorry for the delayed response. Just got back from a trip to see the grandson. And the one in the oven.