What, Why, Who, Where, When, and How of Operations

[ncbqguy]

All-

I am doing a clinic at the upcoming N Scale Enthusiast Convention being held June 15-19, 2020 here in Nashville and would like to solicit any insights you can share on each of the aspects of "Operations" as outlined in the title.

I am not attempting to get into detailed niceties of Operating systems but rather present the general concept to encourage Model Railroaders to "get into" Operations.

I am posting this here to garner N Scale-specific views so Administrators pleas don't move it to another area that many of us don't visit.  I have also queried the Operations list and my old operating group in the Chicago area.

I feel that "Operations" is a great way to establish and expand a network of Model Railroaders and a great way to get new people into the Hobby of Model Railroading.
I am not attempting to get into detailed specifics but rather present the general concept to encourage Model Railroaders to "get into" Operations.

I am posting this here to garner N Scale-specific views.   I have also queried the Operations list and my old operating group in the Chicago area.

I feel that "Operations" is a great way to establish and expand a network of Model Railroaders and a great way to get new people into the Hobby of Model Railroading.

Charlie Vlk
Mt. Juliet, TN

By the way, if you haven't signed up for the NSE Convention, please consider doing so.  I am not a "collector"....just an "accumulator" like most of us are and have thoroughly enjoyed every one I have attended...I feel it is the premier gathering of N Scalers from all over the world!!!

[John]

1) Operations in N scale can be harder due to the physics of smaller trains.

• Dirty track
• equipment weight
• space

[mu26aeh]

1) Operations in N scale can be harder due to the physics of smaller trains.

• Dirty track
• equipment weight
• space

Ability to read car numbers, as that's what most operations based layouts use to distinguish/designate/match cars to cards/switch lists etc

[randgust]

You don't necessarily have to get stuck in a pile of cards and a magnifying glass to have a more interesting layout than just run a random train in circles, although you certainly can.

Depending on how you look at it, N has an advantage in that many of us work in multi-car blocks.   It's not hard to figure out that the six-car block of tank cars goes to the fuel oil supplier, the bulkhead flats go to the lumberyard, the piggyback flats to the ramp.   Most of our industries are big enough to handle more than one car.

I evolved into a relatively simple car block-swap system where an entire block gets cut out of through freights in the yard, gets reblocked into two locals, and the car types are so disgustingly obvious on what goes to where you don't need to squint for individual car numbers.   Smaller car blocks are swapped at industries and the car flow is not controlled by individual cars or a random deck; it's a lot more typical in the modern era for similar-block car swaps loads vs. empties to an industrial sized customer.  The cars return to the yard, get reblocked into their respective through freights, and it's a constant cycle of 'usually' 3 block sets of cars in motion; one on the through freight, one in the yard, and one at the industry itself.   And at various times the yards may be almost packed or nearly empty.   That is combined with a sequential train schedule of the through freights from hidden storage to the visible division yard.   And the entire world doesn't screech to a halt if you just want to suspend the cycle and just run trains for fun for a while, just pick it up again where you left off.   You get switching without ANY paperwork needed other than a basic guide for a new operator.

There is a prototype for this, you know.   If you've ever worked in actual car billing for unit trains, you know the concept of 'first car - last car' and you are NOT allowed to re-arrange the cars, you're billing and receiving by the block to a single receiver.   

The 1950's era of individual car numbers to individual one-car small industries is typical in HO, it's not so typical in N.    I model '72, and it's just about the very end of freight houses and majority one-car shipments.   Most of my industries take 2-6 cars per cycle.  2 cars to the lumberyard, 6 hopper cars to the ballast pit, 2-3 tanks to the oil distributor, etc.  The only thing left for 40' boxcars is the freight house, and those are all home-road cars.

The other thing is that despite a lot of opinion, train performance including low-speed switching, lack of derailments, magnet uncoupling, etc. is just as practical in N as HO.

Our local railroad runs about that simple; 20-40 tanks of asphalt to the refinery every day, swap empties for loads, same with ethanol and LPG, swap 2-8 covered hoppers to the plastic molder, take the damaged cars to the contract repair shop.  Lather, rinse, repeat.   Single car moves are darn near extinct.

[Pomperaugrr]

The shortline I model in N scale does not have that many customers, and each take fairly unique car types.  It is easy to sort an incoming train from the CSX interchange and block them for the local road jobs without the need for car cards. Pick ups and set outs are fairly straight forward.  I do use a simple switch list.  For example:  Pick up 5 empty boxcars from Bay #2 at Kimberly Clark.  Spot 4 incoming loads of sheet pulp in the same bay.

Some of the customers do take in cars that contain hazardous materials, like ethanol.  This adds an operational twist, in that buffer cars are required between the locomotives and the hazmat loads.  I make sure to operate that way on the layout, since it is required on the prototype.

I try to keep it simple, as most of my guests don't have an understanding as to how actual railroads operate.  I would increase the complexity for more experienced operators.  Hell, on a busy day, the Housatonic would not have more than 3 road jobs out on the same day, so I keep my model operations simple too.

[greenwizard88]

I'm quite happy railfanning on my T-trak layout, which has a single siding that's mostly used for storage. As John said, N scale doesn't lend itself to operations.

[peteski]

I'm quite happy railfanning on my T-trak layout, which has a single siding that's mostly used for storage. As John said, N scale doesn't lend itself to operations.

Well, there were (couple owners moved away) at least 4 N scale layouts in my immediate area regularly running operating sessions, and also participating in "Operation RailRun", a private, invitation-only annual meet of model RR operators (of all scales).  I'm not sure if I would agree with the "doesn't end itself to operations" statement.

[jdcolombo]

"N scale doesn't lend itself to operations."

Absolutely, completely, irredeemably WRONG.

There is no reason that an N scale layout cannot operate just as well (and as interestingly) as an HO layout.  Mine does.  At least, so I've been told by numerous HO operators that have run my layout.  And if anyone doubts it, you have a standing invitation to visit the NKP in N Scale in Champaign, IL and judge for yourself.

My recipe for reliable N scale operations is as follows:
1.  Engines must run flawlessly.  No stalling, no jerking.  And they must be able to run smoothly at 1 smph.
2.  Trackwork must likewise be flawless.  No kinks; absolutely flat subroadbed to avoid humps, and smooth transitions from curves to tangents and vice-versa.  I don't have grades, so I don't need to worry about that. 
3.  Rolling stock needs to be weighted to improve tracking.  1 oz. per car.  Unweighted, too-light rolling stock is an invitation to derailments and poor operation.
4.  Standardize on trucks/couplers/wheels.  For me, it is MT couplers, all body-mounted, MT trucks, and Fox Valley wheelsets.
5.  As others have said, keep the track clean to help with item 1.

As for operating sessions themselves, I take the "let's have fun moving trains" approach.  My layout requires 7 operators, and I can accommodate up to 10.  I use a very simplified waybill/car card system so it is easy to see where a car should be spotted.  My jobs range from the very simple (mainline trains, which just leave the staging area, go to the main yard at Bellevue, then back to staging), to the modestly complex (running the local that switches Fostoria).  I assign jobs based on an operator's skill set and interest.  This keeps folks from getting overwhelmed and increases the fun factor.  The simpler everything is, the more fun people have and the less one worries about making a mistake.   I don't use a fast clock; I don't use CTC; I don't use train orders - instead,  I use the "yell across the room" dispatching method, which is uncomplicated and simple.  I'm not interested in trying to recreate a full-on prototype operating experience; I'm not interested in putting my operators under pressure; I'm interested in people having a good time while running trains in a facsimile of the prototype.

Sessions start at 9:00 a.m. and run until 12:00 or 12:30, almost always on Saturdays, and then I serve a sandwich lunch to operators afterward and debrief them on what they liked or didn't like about the session.   I've done longer sessions (10:00 - 4:00 p.m.) on a friend's HO layout, and while I'm fine with it, it does get tiring by about 2:00 p.m., even with a lunch break.  So I prefer a more modest session time-wise.

Everyone has different priorities regarding operations.  Mine is having fun.  But you can't have fun if engines are stalling, derailments happen everywhere, and the trackwork is lousy.  This happens in HO, BTW - I've operated on some very lousy HO layouts.  Scale has nothing to do with it - it may be a bit harder in N to get things "perfect" but it is imminently doable and should be the goal for someone serious about inviting people to their layout for operations.

John C.

[jdcolombo]

BTW, here's a video of one of my N-scale RS3's doing a switching move at National Carbon in Fostoria on my layout.  If I didn't tell you this was in N scale, would you know?

John C.

[u18b]

I think part of your introduction could be to ask what kind of trains do you like to run?  Meaning, there are often two kinds of people who run model trains.

Sometimes called "roundy-round".  Meaning this person just likes to put one or more trains on the track and simply turn them on and watch them run.    Lots of people are like that.   This is not what you will be talking about.

The other kind is "operators."   They like to do switching moves.   Pick up cars, drop off.  Assemble trains in yards, etc.   And there's lots of ways to do this.


As to possibilities, I think you should have something for everybody.   
One extreme is more prototypical- this car number/car goes to THAT business.  etc.

But I confess, several years ago when I had a yard module that could hold about 70 cars..... there were times when I simply made up a "yellow train".    That is, I switched the yard to assemble a train with all of my yellow boxcars (Railbox, Mississippi Export, Valdosta Southern, Etc.).   

I know that may sound simplistic and really dumb to some people,       but it required switching moves.   I was still picking cars out of the group.  But going by colors instead of road numbers was easier to see and faster.
And I enjoyed it.

Just an example of doing what you like.

As an interesting aside, my son and I spent some time discussing my future layout.  We had originally planned a large roundy-round with a good sized yard.   That fit my interest.  Make up trains and let 'em run.

By I recently changed with I decided to create a Chaffee Branch layout.  It is point to point and NOT roundy-round at all (not my typical preference).  In fact, it will be an operator's/switching layout which will follow pretty prototypical action.    I look forward to telling y'all about it in future months.

[John]

As John said, N scale doesn't lend itself to operations.

Sorry .. I said "Operations in N scale can be harder due to the physics of smaller trains."  .. purely a function of size .. I run ops on my layout .. it's fun .. but it does require some extra work that the HO guys probably don't deal with as much .

[John]

you have a standing invitation to visit the NKP in N Scale in Champaign, IL and judge for yourself.

John .. I don't doubt you .. but I would like to come visit some time .. I used to live right up the road in Rantoul .. Chanute AFB .. Did HO San Juan Central in basement of base housign ..

[brokemoto]

the focal point of my operations is a three way junction station.  The station switcher stays busy. It must switch baggage and express cars out of and into trains as well as spotting them at the baggage/express/mail building.  It must switch cars out of and into freight trains, as well.

Two of the roads that run into this three way junction are prototypes the third is a fictitious short line. 

I tend to keep the car sorting simple.  Anything headed to the Pacific Coast gets sent to Washington where it is handed over to the Southern which will deliver it to the SP.  Anything going to the Northeast gets sent to Baltimore where the B&O will take it as far as it goes on its line then hand it over to the Penn or CNJ for shuttling further north.  Anything going to the midwest goes to the WM which takes it to Dickerson Run.  Anything bound for points on the Penn, WM or B&O. RRs can go anywhere.

I d o not need cards or anything like that.

Another thing I do is take cars for non-modelled businesses on the short line.  I do not model the shop facilities for the short line, but it gets gondolas of coal and tank cars to fuel the power. 
I do not model the oil dealer or the power plant, but they get tank cars and hoppers, respectively.  I simply run the train with the appropriate cars from the junction to the short line terminal where the terminal switcher drags or shoves them down the parade track.  I then take them off the pike, keep them in a box for three or four operating days, then they go back empty to the junction.  It does not matter which cars are going where as they would be destined for non-modelled trackage.

[cfritschle]

Charlie,

ShipIt is an operating program that works for all scales, and the operating sessions are a lot of fun!  You get a print-out that tells you where your set-outs and pick-ups are, so there are no car cards to worry about.  There is a Group.io users group for it that might be helpful to get a better idea of what it does.  https://groups.io/g/shipitusers/topics

[jdcolombo]

John .. I don't doubt you .. but I would like to come visit some time .. I used to live right up the road in Rantoul .. Chanute AFB .. Did HO San Juan Central in basement of base housign ..

Visitors ALWAYS welcome.  If you were still in Rantoul, you’d be on my regular operators list!

John C.