Opinions Wanted

 

Ultimately, it is the host / layout owner that should set the rules based on his preferences and how he wants his guests to experience the layout, although he should also take into consideration the hopes and expectations of his guests to whatever level he is comfortable with.

 

Andy

I have been to many of Hot Waters "Run Beer Drink Trains" sessions, and for me it pure fun.  If you follow what Jack does I guarantee all of your guest will enjoy it.

What Jack did not mention is that most often his lovely wife feeds the guest before we even get started.  After we have our fill of drinking trains and running beer we pack up and head over to a local pizza joint and stuff our bellys with some of the finest thin crust pizza on the planet.

Hey Art I shot ya an email.

Art....I am also interested in the replies you get here as I have had some of the same questions.

 

I have called our get togethers "Training Sessions" which seems to get a chuckle out of the guests. 

 

Alan

Alan - I don't know how I missed your reply, but that is pretty funny. 

 

I'm a little underwhelmed with the replies, but maybe it's because there aren't that many of us hosting these events?

 

Art

Let's try it from the other direction.

 

Is it more fun to attend a train session where you bring your own train or engine to run? 

 

Is it worth having to pack everything up, transport it, put it on the track, install it in the remotes, and then undo it all?

 

When attending a session, you would rather run trains or watch others run theirs?

 

Art

Every once in a great while, I'd like to run one of my trains. Most of the time I'm happy watching others run their trains.

Before I ripped out half my railroad when we did our house renovation and train room expansion, I held "operating sessions" on my HO railroad.  These sessions utilized timetable and train order operation, and all of the equipment on the railroad for these sessions was mine. 

 

I used to hold run sessions prior to finally starting my operating sessions, and that was a "run what ya brung" session.  I have not done that in over 10 years, but I will probably hold those on an infrequent basis once I get my layout back up and running in April.  Two friends of mine have indicated a desire to see their equipment run on my railroad.  I need to accommodate that.  The challenge for me will be to hold these type of sessions without screwing up the car locations and waybills for the next operating session. 

 

When I restart my operating sessions, I will not be encouraging my guests to bring their trains.  My railroad is being built to satisfy my desire to recreate the vision of the Spokane Southern Railroad that I conjured up one night when my brain was in an alcohol sodden state.  That vision includes the type of equipment I want to see running on the railroad.  The Empire State Express doesn't fit too well into that vision.  A connecting train to the Empire Builder in Spokane does.    No amount of alcohol can alter that vision. 

 

When I held my past sessions, I did not operate the railroad unless I was short of crews.  I used to hold six hour sessions followed by beer and pizza (from Rozati's in Darien).  Wife also whipped up assorted snacks for the session. The beer fridge was available for the whole session. I started running short of crews after about four hours.  I'm going to cut my sessions back to four hours, and run a 3:1 fast clock.  The beer and pizza stays.  

 

I have tossed my name in the rink to have my layout on tour for the Dupage Division April NMRA meeting, so right now I'm just focusing on getting ready for that, which means completing the main line, cleaning up the construction mess, and spending about one month ahead of the show running the beast and working out the kinks. 

 

This works for me.  Suffice it to say, you are building your railroad for your enjoyment.  If enjoyment for you includes seeing others run their trains on your railroad, there is nothing wrong with that.  If enjoyment for you means you want to see your trains run, there is nothing wrong with that either. I gravitate to the latter.

 

To quote Rich Melvin in another thread, "Whatever blows your hair back".  

 

Regards,

Jerry

 

 

 

Thanks Art....as far as when I am a guest at a layout or operating session, we have usually used the host's trains.  Most of the time, I just enjoy seeing someone else's trains run because I get to see mine run all the time.  BUT...in some cases we have actually brought a locomotive or two to a session to represent visiting power to that railroad....

 

Alan

Ours are club meets at members houses. It gives us a chance to run our own trains on someone else's layout. Not all members choose to take something, they watch, they talk and just enjoy the evening with others that have the same love for toy trains.

When it comes to gatherings, if I am running the trains, I prefer to bring mine and see them in a new setting.

 

When it comes to other people's trains, I'd rather watch watch them run than run them myself.  That way I can socialize more.  I don't mind, however, taking turns as a "designated driver" so that others can socialize as well.

 

Andy

Thanks for your thoughts, ideas, and opinions.

 

Gnnpnut - Jerry I wish you well as you prepare for the next event.  It sounds like you have things well planned and executed.  You hit a nerve for me when you said that you had a couple friends that wanted to run their trains on your layout.  I too have had that and haven't done a very good job of responding to it, shame on me.  These friends have beautiful equipment, not my taste, but do not have the layout to run their trains on.  I need to be more understanding and work with them better even if it means separate session just designed for them to bring things to run.

 

 

I just remembered one thing that none of us want when we have a bunch of friends over to run trains.  And that is when someone  brings something over that they can't get to run and they want to put on the track at your session to see if anyone can help them fix it.  It ties up the mainline, prevents the majority from operating anything, and generally brings things to a screeching halt.  Please don't get me wrong, I love trying to help a friend solve a train problem, but at a group operating session is not the best time to do it.

 

Art

A lot of these answers for me depends on certain variables.

 

regarding bringing trains, if I am going to someone else's layout I would prefer to watch their trains run than my own. It's nice to observe different equipment. however this isn't always the case. If the host asked to bring an engine I would have no problem packing one up.

 

say I was going to your place art. There seems to be a major lack of steam on your layout. Something needs to be done about that, and as a visitor I would step up and correct that situation.

 

another example, say someone was coming to my layout which is modeled after Joliet, and the visitor had a train that would perfectly match the layout, such as a Metra with the double decker passenger cars. In that case bringing a train would be acceptable.