Operating On the RTRR:
As before with version 1, when I designed the railroad, I tried to keep in mind how I saw operations in my mind's eye. I gamed out how trains would move over the rails and how a crew would be able to switch a certain industry or reach a siding. Since I wanted a signaled railroad, this also drove where I would place signals so the crews could see them.
Track layouts in many cases are taken from the protoype locations on the RF&P.
The signal system is ABS (automatic block signal) for the majority of the railroad, as befitting a double track line. There is CTC control around certain control points, most notably North Acca, which is used to control traffic into or out of, Acca Yard.
Operating Sessions are held the 2nd Sunday of the month, unless prempted for major holidays or crew scheduling conflicts.
If you would like to get on the announcement list for the session, please contact me!
Richmond Terminal Operations Documentation
A successful operating session is built on the crew's ability to execute the vision of the layout owner (the layout Superintendant, in Ops parlance).
As my goal during a session is to enable the crew to succeed, no matter their position, I want to provide clear and concise documentation that clearly explains a certain situation, or sets a certain expectation.
All this documentation is created and maintained manually, using the LibreOffice suite of tools. The largest challenge, like most things have, is just getting started. Once you have a template to work from, small updates get much easier.
One thing that I do as I create documents, is that I put a revision number and date on them, so I can tell if they are current or not.
Operations - The Basics
Generally, when model railroad folks talk about operations, it means that trains move across a layout with some sort of purpose beyond "watch the trains go". Now, this doesn't mean that running your layout and just having the trains go around and around is invalid or strange. There are plenty of layouts built, and more will be in the future, I am sure, for the express reason "just to watch the trains go". There is a fair amount, and some would argue it is a majority, of hobby participants that like to simulate what actually happens on the prototype (aka 'real') railroads. At the base level, this means that freight is picked up, transported, and then delivered to where it is going. The freight could be (and will be) almost anything you can think of; as the railroads are common carriers and are obligated to accept for delivery a wide variety of 'stuff'. This stuff could be coal or iron ore or fertilizer or grain or plastic pellets or sand or appliances or cars or trucks or orange juice or any of hundreds of other things. This fact, that the railroads carry everything, is what makes model railroading such an engaging hobby.
Mostly, the operation framework or scheme that is used is dependant on a bunch of factors, but the biggest one are what the layout owner/host feels comfortable with. This can sometimes work against you as some schemes are only suited to certain situations. Other factors that should be used are what suits the railroad (traffic levels, number of crew, what the physical plant can do), what did the prototype do, and how formal or informal sessions are desired to be. No matter what, you have to define two facets of the scheme:
- How cars (freight and passenger) are tracked
- How trains are allowed to move across the railroad
You can answer these questions with answers as simple as "I say put all green cars here" or as complex as using computer generated (and updated in real time) lists with full signalling and track warrant systems.
The subject of operations is deep and for those who wish for the absolute prototype fidelity, it can be almost a full time job to understand. If you want to learn more about operations, the commercial press has books, articles and discussions galore. The NMRA also has a SIG (special interest group) dedicated to the furthering of operations, the Operations SIG (aka OpSIG). There is a link to this wonderful organization on the sidebar.