Model railroading offers so much more than just model building for train fans. Linn Westcott, former editor of Model Railroader magazine, once said that operation was “one of the world’s most magnificent board games” in an editorial during the 1960′s.
When you think of operations that way, he’s right. There is a game board (your layout), tokens (your rolling stock roster), a card deck (car cards and waybills), and multiple choices that influence whether you will win or lose the game.
This series of blog posts will not discuss layout planning for operations, because I am by no means an expert on layout design. However, there are great books available on that very topic: Have a look at Tony Koester’s Realistic Model Railroad Operation or Track Planning for Realistic Operation by John Armstrong.
Operating a Railroad
The process is never as simple as moving from Point A to Point B, either on a real railroad or on the one in your basement. However, if you’re going to successfully operate in a realistic and prototypical manner, it’s important to consider one fact: this is a business, and you’re in it to remain profitable.
Put on your CEO hat. You are in the business of moving freight in the fastest, cheapest, and most efficient way possible.
The main goal of operations is to move railcars to and from industries and staging yards to serve your customers. Accomplishing this task presents many questions that must be answered:
- How do I decide which cars go where?
- How do I get them there?
- Which cars do I pick up?
- How can I make this fun and keep my sanity?
These are all very important questions. Over the years, several car-forwarding systems have been introduced. We will examine a few of those in a later post. For now, let’s take a look two key factors that go a long may in making sure your layout is operations-ready.
Beginning Operations
In essence, we’re creating a schedule here, so what does every schedule need? At a bare minimum, a time and a place. More specifically: who, what, when, where, why, and how? Therefore, it is vitally important that you name everything on your layout and give it a geographical position on a map.
Your unfinished refinery model is no longer just taking up space, it has become Mega Steel Corporation located in the town of Springfield. It requires coal loads from Empire Coal on the westbound train. Now you are shipping freight, and not just moving cars around.
Be sure to put labels on your layout, especially if you have multiple operators during a session. Not just on industries; also label junctions, towers, and towns. This will help eliminate confusion.
Don’t forget to check out Part 2 of this series: Types of Trains
