Operating Session...I encourage you...

That sounds like a lot of fun!  I hope to one day participate in or at least watch an operating session on an O-gauge layout.   Kudo's to you for giving it a go!

-Greg

John,

That's great to hear. Could you post some pics of your trackplan and any details of the schedule, train orders, etc. that you assembled for the session?

I wasn't able to click on the link at the bottom of your post.

The idea of a single mainline with passing sidings seems like a great format for operations. No room for error.

Thanks,

Mike

John, congratulations on reaching what I consider to be the ultimate level of the hobby. It sounds as if you have been working toward this goal for quite some time. It is a lot of work, and takes a lot of planning to pull off an operating session, but the rewards are worth it.

I joined my regional NMRA so i could start learning about operation and It's opened up a whole new dimension to my hobby.  

I highly recommend Tony Koester's Book " Realistic Model Railroad Operation: How to run your trains like the real thing"  It will teach you almost everything you'd want to know about the subject.

John C. posted:

I just wanted to share that last night, for my very FIRST time ever, I was involved in a model railroad operating session.  I have only been in the hobby since 1972.  Some times it takes me a while to get going.

I have read countless suggestions/accounts/stories of how to and participation in these sessions and all the various ways, an operating session may be conducted.  Regardless, I enjoyed it more than anything I have ever done in the hobby!

I will forewarn those who have never planned one that it is a ton of work!!!  It took me approximately 5 hours and two days of revisions to coordinate my proposed operational plan; which involved 14 trains.  In addition, prior to the session beginning, it took over a hour to set-up the trains.

I did have the major advantage of my track design is patterned after an actual real life railroad--point to point--and possesses all of the similarities of the prototype; single line with passing sidings.  

I used actual time versus fast clocks and the Operators all used their cell phones to see/coordinate the time as the cell phone satellite would give the precise time to everyone.

As expected, things didn't go perfectly, we had our share of issues, because we did this session with 5 rookies--no one ever created or was a participant in an operating session.  But, we all enjoyed it tremendously and will attempt this again, with some revisions, in 13 days.

I strongly encourage you to set-up a time schedule for your railroad, large or small, and experience the fun for yourself.  It will also be a learning experience and provide you with a greater appreciation of what real railroaders experience.

We are going to continue with actual time, and somewhere down the road, maybe, a sequential sequence; as the main thing that I learned was to plan for much additional time to either assemble or disassemble a train.  That action does NOT scale down!

Give it a try!  The more you have to do, the more fun, interesting and challenging it is!

Looking forward to session 2 with the Glacier Line crew!

Operating sessions are great if that's what you like. But it's not fun for everyone. Some of us prefer casual spontaneous train operation on the spur of the moment without lengthy set-up times and tedious rules and procedures for a drawn-out session. I just can't get interested in switching of individual cars. I'd rather highball trains down the main, different trains with some dispatcher duties.

My real-world rail-fanning generally involved watching different trains go by and that's the main feature I want from my model railroads. I have various trains ready to roll on short notice ("self-staging") and I often run trains for just a few minutes at a time.

If you really want the full program of "what real railroaders experience", call your crews at 2am and work them 12 hours with all the background noise of older actual locomotives, drafty cabs and stinky toilets etc.

photos by Ace circa 1980

Congratulations John!  If everyone had fun, it was worth it!!  Evidently since you are planning another soon!

graz posted:

John,

That's great to hear. Could you post some pics of your trackplan and any details of the schedule, train orders, etc. that you assembled for the session?

I wasn't able to click on the link at the bottom of your post.

The idea of a single mainline with passing sidings seems like a great format for operations. No room for error.

Thanks,

Mike

 

You'll have to give me some time to scan the timetables.  I do have the track-plan, same as is in the OGR magazine Aug/Sept 2016 edition; less yard/staging areas.

My "lower" yard is directly under the highest point of the main-line.  It is kind of hard to get a good perspective of the ENTIRE layout.

Be sure to check out OGR VIDEO #13, as Rich Melvin and crew are working on it now.  My understanding is it MAY be available come October.  I'm NOT sure if you can get a good understanding of the entire track plan because I haven't seen the video.

In addition, I have two hidden fiddle areas--one on the low end of the layout and the other at the highest point.  The layout is a point to point run of linear non-repeating run climbing from 36 inches to 60 inches.  It is patterned after Montana's Marias Pass around Glacier National Park.

I'll see what I can come up with.

one of the HO clubs in the museum has operating sessions a few times a year lasting 48 to 36 hours straight. they follow a schedule from the 1950's right down to derailments and accidents if they happened on the day they pick.

By the way, for those of you considering operating, it's not as hard or as time consuming as you might think to get started. There is a Quick-Start guide in Tony Koester's book that will get you up and operating fairly quickly.

All you need to have is some freight cars, industries to ship them to and a very simple piece of paperwork called a "switch-list". You'll be running trains like a pro before you know it.

Your layout doesn't have to be large either. In fact, sometimes a smaller layout will result in a lot more action and fun for the crews. A big layout can be so much like the real thing that you find yourself stopped for an hour at CP125 until the dispatcher gives you the green!

The important thing, as always, is to adopt the concept to meet your objectives & desires. But I will say it again, I think everyone should try and attend an operating session and experience it for yourself. I'm sure most of you will enjoy it.

What Rich said.  I have a 12x12 around the wall layout and thoroughly enjoy basic switching, it doesn't have to be complicated especially if you're running 1 train.  I have 1 train running the mainline while another switches the industries, making up or breaking down cars the mainline freight dropped off or that will be picking up.

I normally run trains of less than 8 cars, if you're setting out/picking up, a list might be a good thing to have.