Operating game

Monitoring this thread as I'm looking for some ideas as well. I've got a 3 and a 6 year old that I've been looking to have do more than just run the trains around in a circle. The 3 year old is happy blowing the whistle, but the 6 is starting to want to actually run things.

@Mike Wyatt Thanks for posting this, already have a few ideas.

You are only an hour away- you might consider joining up with our OGR Forum NE Ohio group.  Send me an e-mail- mikewyatt49@gmail.com, and I'll send you some information.  Our next meeting (In Kirtland) is Saturday, April 27.

Mike, I really like the concept of teaching kids about what trains do and how they do it, however, given the times we live in, perhaps coal isn't the best commodity to use as an example. There may very well come a time in their lifetime when coal is no longer used to generate power.

I'm not trying to be overly politically correct here, but rather pointing out that there may be some slight irony here. Food for thought.

I love this idea!  When I build my layout I want to do something similar, but with a twist.  When I've fully vetted my track plans and ideas, I'll share them on the Forum!  Great job Mike!!

Big_Boy_4005 posted:

Mike, I really like the concept of teaching kids about what trains do and how they do it, however, given the times we live in, perhaps coal isn't the best commodity to use as an example. There may very well come a time in their lifetime when coal is no longer used to generate power.

I'm not trying to be overly politically correct here, but rather pointing out that there may be some slight irony here. Food for thought.

Maybe that's why Lionel made "nuclear cars"??  The same concepts could (and are) used for:

Lumber operations - sawmills - cabinet factories

Grain silos- breweries

Farms - meat packing

Iron ore (ship dock) - steel mill

Oil fields - refineries

and on and on.  However every one of the above is politically incorrect, at least to someone.

 

Good point Mike, some of those industries have fallen by the wayside. A couple have a limited future, but a couple more are alive and well. The thing about coal is, for the most part, the world is trying to stop using it (even if the US is lagging a bit).

Oil may never totally go away, even if we stop putting it in our cars. I have yet to see a jet airplane run on an alternative fuel. There are also a wide variety of petroleum derivatives that will still be produced and shipped by rail, but eventually the volume will go down.

Livestock no longer travels by rail, trucks have taken that job over. I'm not sure about finished meat, that may also go by truck these days.

Iron ore and steel production certainly aren't what it once was, but as long as there are ore reserves and demand, that one is safe. It has given rise to recycling, as gondolas full of scrap are headed back to be re-smelted.

Lumber and grain are bigger than ever and will never go away. At one time the lumber industry did come under fire from conservationists, but you don't hear much about that anymore, as they have changed their practices to a much more sustainable model. While we don't make furniture like we used to, we sure do build houses (and train layouts).

Grain is trucked from field to local elevator, where it is loaded to rail and sent to domestic end users or to shore based terminals for export by ship. Huge!

All of these are great examples of the ever evolving rail industry and its customer base. Perhaps there's even a way to incorporate some of this material into your game.

Big_Boy_4005 posted:

Mike, I really like the concept of teaching kids about what trains do and how they do it, however, given the times we live in, perhaps coal isn't the best commodity to use as an example. There may very well come a time in their lifetime when coal is no longer used to generate power.

I'm not trying to be overly politically correct here, but rather pointing out that there may be some slight irony here. Food for thought.

Alternatives

Paper recycling station on one end (any old warehouse type building will do) and paper mill on the other end.  All box car traffic.  Return traffic an be paper to the local newspaper next to the recycler.  Switch empty box cars fromone to the other for loading.

You don't have to model the paper mill, just the loading docks.  A printing plant looks like any other warehouse type building.

Lots of things you can do with box cars and not be locked in to a car type specific l;oad like coal.

But coal doesn't have to be to a power plant.  It can go to a steel mill.  That traffic will continue until the last blast furnace is clsoed.

 

 

 

 

 

and on and on.  However every one of the above is politically incorrect, at least to someone.

 

We should have some pride in being politcally incorrect.  I wonder if those correct folks have thought about what it would be like to be in an old-fashioned agraian economy before the development of manufacturing industries,.

 I don't think coal would catch too much crap.

I'd consider turning the brewery's into a flour plant or bakery if this is a public display.

I'm not a prohibitionist and I hope like heck "those guys" make that brewery  for folks eventually and even worked in the "drink" industry myself too.

  But I do my best to avoid it's promotion around other people's kids. Especially at 14 years old.

  How about a tobacco plant for the kiddies too? The former is responsible for the loss of far more folks I knew than the latter.

Nuff said. Sorry, but not sorry if you know what I mean.

My layout is set in 1950 - so back "in the day" where coal was a main source of heat, and (almost) the only source for electricity except where hydro was possible and developed.

 

 

I am thinking about a fog machine for the "pollution effect"!!!

 

Mike Wyatt posted:

My layout is set in 1950 - so back "in the day" where coal was a main source of heat, and (almost) the only source for electricity except where hydro was possible and developed.

 

 

I am thinking about a fog machine for the "pollution effect"!!!

 

Why not hide a Lionel smoke unit in the plant ?

Hmmmm. good idea.  The two stacks.  How can I make the smoke black, like a 1950 coal plant??

I don't think you can without real fallout. Red, violet, or blue lights/led in the stacks would bounce some light and color into the clouds but it will only be above the stacks, slightly diffused and wider. The closer to the top light, the wider the "beam" will be.

So- how about some other ideas with different loads-destinations for operating?

So far:

- coal mine to power plant and coal dealer (hoppers and gondolas)

- Coal mine to a steel mill.  The Steel Mill can be a photo backdrop, w/ HO Walther's structures (they are close enough to scale looking to be used at the Carnegie Science Museum's O Gauge display): 

https://www.google.com/search?...mgrc=-11enBBgyoV-JM:

or your Mill made scratch-made from various sizes or PC pipe, cut in half and glued to the backdrop.

 - "Docks" w/ ore cars carrying ore from ships (pictures or half models against a wall) to your steel mill

- Lumber-based: logging operation w/ saw- Paper mill to local newspaper w/siding in the city. You don't have to model the paper mill, just the loading docks.  A printing plant looks like any other warehouse type building, but w/ newspaper signage.mill at one end, paper mill at other  Flat cars

- Recycling:   Paper recycling station on one end (any old warehouse type building will do) and paper mill on the other end.  All box car traffic. Mill next to the recycler.  Box cars.   

- Grain Silos in a farm setting- carrying grain in closed hoppers to a brewery, a flour plant ("Pillsbury"), a cereal plant ("Quaker Oats") etc.

 

 

What is your goal for the effort?  Are you trying to"

-  Explain to the kids how a power plant works, and what coal was/is used for, how it is crushed, then powdered to be burned etc. These are girls, aged 14 and 10.

Or

- explain to the kids what a railroad infrastruture does?

You could easily swap out the Power Plant for a chip foundry.  It would need sand in high volumes for silicon production, ship completed chips.  Covered Hoppers for both sand and plastic pellets - load in -empties out. out.

Boxcars or intermodals for chips and board - empties in and loaded out.

Tractor trailes for chips and boards as well as some raw/partially finish components to show the interconnected-ness of the transportation network

Trying to make this a game of operation rather than "just running trains", and interest others in creating a model railroad vs. having a train set.  This is accepted so well in HO, and N Scale railroading that books have been written, why not O Gauge/Scale?  The better-running characteristics of "O" ought to lend itself to operations. IMO.

got it.  

I'm a fan of operating games.  I've created a little game that I think enhances running trains.  I can share if you like, but I don't want to hijack your thread.

I like what you've got going on with the different industries taking loads to different locations.  A couple things you might consider adding to your concept:

1. Put a clock on it.  5 - 10 minute timers keep it moving and are short enough intervals to say, "Hey, let's do one more and see if I can get the coal to the powerplant, get the logs to the sawmill, AND THIS TIME get the grain from the elevator to port."  It also encourages quick thinking, strategy, and moving the trains quickly - but under the posted speed.  The clock gives that extra element of urgency.

2. Rewards - Example: They get a dollar for each task completed under the time limit or you all get to go get some ice cream once they complete the tasks in the allotted time.  

3. Environment - Set up a radio and let them pick the tunes - no matter how bad the songs are haha   Once in a while sneak in some of your favorites to share your musical interests, too.

4.  Incorporate things they like - example: all kids love playing on their phones or on their parents phones.  Rather than ban phones from train time, use them as a tool to enhance the experience.  If you have bluetooth locos, let them control it with their phone.  Have them download a railroad sound effect application so they can add some extra sounds.  Have them take a 'selfie' trying to catch their train running past them.  Ask them to take a video of the train as it completes the operations.  If they have other interests, think of ways to let them bring that to the trains.

Have fun and keep us updated! 

Mike, I think more 3 rail O people are catching onto the idea of operating and switching, as opposed to loop running. It is an aspect of trains that has been somewhat lost on our group, partly because loops are what we grew up with, and for many they are nostalgic. 

Your game shows that there's so much more to this hobby, and it's there for the taking. This is a slow process of evolution.

 

I'll update everyone as to how this might go.  Tomorrow, I'll run the through myself first to make sure all is OK.  I have been buying (on auction site) the el cheapo 6012, 6032  postwar gondolas and hoppers to match the ones I have so I have one loaded and one empty of 7 cars. 

The  grandaughters  (at least who consider us as "the Grandma and Grandpa" they never knew") come after school tomorrow and stay through Sunday.

Consider these four words...

The Empty Load Trick

Anyone know what I’m talking about?

This plan could easily be modified to do it.

FORMER OGR CEO - RETIRED posted:

Consider these four words...

The Empty Load Trick

Anyone know what I’m talking about?

This plan could easily be modified to do it.

Sounds like a box car.

?  Lost on me except maybe for unseen swaps of duplicate cars, one loaded, one empty. Simple but effective trick that would send minds racing like you just produced a quarter from thier ear.

  I think an "equal" focus on operations while touching on aspects of production like sand for chip, glass, cement etc.  I don't think todays kids are as aware of where the things at stores originate, let alone the transport aspect of it.

Either way they will learn something.

The use of BT may also be exculding some kids .

 Be it budget or simply family policy, not evey kid will have a phone. Not every kid is allowed to download apps unsupervised,and not every parent will appreciate the expectations to do it. A phone is a definite status symbol teachers have to fight against as is.

Supply the device(s). It need not be an activated or expensive phone either. 

Gosh Rich, only guessing but I've heard of having complementary industries back-to-back against a shared wall.  You shove loaded hoppers into a power plant.  The track passes through a hole in the wall and comes out of a tunnel near a coal tipple, as loads to be picked up.  Is that the "trick?"

"Grandaughters"?

Lol, I thought it was a school or show in a public venue 😌

It's a toss up in public on which is tougher to please everyone  by being asas nuetral respectful as possible, taking care of thier kids, or taking care of thier cars.   

Have fun with the family! You know them best

Spellwreck run amok, you'll have to fish the context out.