How Do You Operate Your Railroad?

I switch a 4 unit engine NS,NS,Pan AM,NS each session hauling inter modal and lumber with a 4 unit engine CSX,BNSF,CSX,CSX  from a siding onto my first mainline. When that one is rolling i pull a 5 engine Guilford Pan Am mu off a siding and connect with a 40 car[mostly chemical] and join my second mainline. All coupling and track switching done remotely[DCS and side track switch control box] I never have to leave my command couch I do have to get up for a beer

I just run my trains around and around. 

I run a mainline freight around my 12x12 layout in either clockwise or counterclockwise direction, pulling up to 8 cars.  While running the loop, I can use a switcher to either breakdown and set out cars that have been delivered, or pickup cars and assemble them for the mainline freight to pickup.

Sometimes, I just let a 3-5 car passenger train run the loop to relax.

I don't "operate my railroad."  I'd much rather play with my toy train setup.

Pete

Most of my layout is in a yard amd passenger station, so I run by "Yard Limit" rules!  Outside the yard, DTC or WTC rules, without block signals!

Pete,

   I hear ya buddy, I play with my Train Layout also,!

Tom D,

   I am basically a Loop runner with several different Loops on each level, and a few sidings thrown in.   Having limited space now, with the Christmas layout being in the formal living room, I try to get the most operating track area, out of the limited space I can now use.   I run DCS/Legacy and Conventional also.  The 1st level has a DCS Auto Mode Pittsburgh, Street Car Route & 263E Work Train on it, all levels have DCS & Legacy combined, and can be operated at the same time, via Hand Held Remote Control.  Like Willygee, I do not really have to get up if I do not want to, the dog has been trained to bring me my Russelle's, Booker's, Fitzgerald, Single Barrel Jack and Glenfiddich Reserve, he just needs to learn, to quit licking the Ice Cubes.

PCRR/Dave

My layout is essentially a branch line handled by a single 0-4-0 engine. i usually operate it like this:

The working day begins in the small shed where the driver starts and stokes the boiler, heating water for morning tea. The engine is then moved out and topped off at the water column. The driver waits for the signal box to raise the semaphore flag to let him out and off they go to a town depot where orders are received for the day and parcels picked up. Sometimes an coal truck is also picked up here from the freight siding behind the station. Then it's off to a coal mine where the empty truck is pushed under one of the towers to be filled and moved on to the gasworks or sometimes just exchanged. The engine stops before the railway owner's manse to usually drop off or pick up a parcel or two; then moves on to stop at the gold mine with supplies for the miner or to pick up some slag to dump.  The engine goes through a long tunnel, passes a supposedly extinct volcano and stops in another town for more parcels and to dump coal for the local gasworks. Then they travel to the junction with the main line where they might pick up a van or two. This is also where the engine stays for scheduled repairs. After leaving the junction, they may stop at a large farm to drop off or pick up livestock or produce then after a bit of a run, they end up at the signal box controlling the line into the shed which they can back into, dumping or banking the fire and finally shutting down for the night.

I just enjoy running my trains.

An easy game however is one I use to do.

Print up index cards with a car on each then randomly pick cards and make up a train.

with electricity

 After some purchases at Christmas time, I mostly operate in the red .

At a point in time I researched the card-destination system and found it an intriguing train puzzle. I made up cards for all my rolling stock (about 75 cars) and the folders for train consists in preparation for "system operation". But, then I looked at the trackage and scenic idiosycrasies in my layout and got side tracked.  I spent 5 months redoing many of those but still have a lot of scenic things to do. But, I want to operate.  So I will have to identify the destination, yard, switching part of the equations to get some type of system going.  I can see the entertainment value in both the "system-operation" and "just run'em" ways of doing things. Whatever keeps it interesting; running, building, scenery, electrical, history . . . . .     

At a point in time I researched the card-destination system and found it an intriguing train puzzle. I made up cards for all my rolling stock (about 75 cars) and the folders for train consists in preparation for "system operation". But, then I looked at the trackage and scenic idiosycrasies in my layout and got side tracked.  I spent 5 months redoing many of those but still have a lot of scenic things to do. But, I want to operate.  So I will have to identify the destination, yard, switching part of the equations to get some type of system going.  I can see the entertainment value in both the "system-operation" and "just run'em" ways of doing things. Whatever keeps it interesting; running, building, scenery, electrical, history . . . . .     

I will have to read more closely the previous posts to see if i can develope a system for my layout.  Intriguing discussions.

The idea of "playing with trains", to me, is one of the reasons I tired of the hobby when I was much younger. Once I started getting invited to op sessions, I realized how interesting operation can be and how tough it is to grow tired of it (unless the owner goes overboard with paperwork and such).

I use the Micro Mark car card system with the rotating waybills tucked into them. Setting up for an op session is easy as it pretty much re-sets itself when you're done.

My layout is quite small but on my first op session, two other guys ran two interchange trains through it and it took a couple of hours to do so.

 During operation  session  on my Railroad  can be  run  1 to 3   Operators with manual block control,  train orders ,  Job cards, locomotive cards ,   Caboose cards, prototype waybills  and some  rules.

12'x15' room modeling Coal and steel railroad / Pennsylvania railroad Lake division  central region /new castle pa / Conway yard / lum / Jacob coal Co and freedom pa.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=df50ZB6FbGI

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mT4soWPeIq0

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ILNBXYEX0BY

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=a-SzODWDtpM

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PgALhUkn_58

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Q-3w_BzxzCI

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=e24BhQXoqzo

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QVFG80kss9c

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pPgY6TvkHnw

Some of my best work is when playing

Brent

TOM DENSEl can  we see some pictures of your layout?

 Does anybody else have  Group operating session too?

Instead of a "FAST" clock, we use the real clock!  I set-up schedules, including detail of pick-ups, deliveries, taking on coal, water, picking up passengers, etc.  We run 14 trains in about 1.5 hours.  They may sound easy, but its not.  Operators carry their own cell phones so we all have the exact time!  Thank goodness for cell phones!  Our trains are traveling a single line with passing sidings.  We have two long bridges that a train is crossing every 3 to 5 minutes!  It makes operating the layout, challenging, realistic and fun!  The Crew loves the Operation Sessions!  Thus far, we've done it only twice.  January 9th will be #3.

I hope we can recruit a few more good people!  It would be great to have people working the yards and fiddle areas to assist in removing or adding rolling stock to and from the layout.

It is one giant board game!  :-)

Computer generated switchlists.    The schedule is sequential not timed.     Even with a fast clock, the yard work seems to take a lot more time than the train runs.   

Operate? This stuff is supposed to operate? I just thought it was one building or painting project one after the other, endlessly...

I use a computer software called Protrak http://protrak.org/wpt/ it  generates switch lists for my railroad.  The program is great and the support is excellent!!  There is also bi- annual operating sessions with the group of protrak users.....

D500 posted:

Operate? This stuff is supposed to operate? I just thought it was one building or painting project one after the other, endlessly...

Boy that sums it up for me for the last year or so.  Bigger the layout, the more to do and then I redo the scenery! Yikes. Good thing I like doing that. Getting closer.