Real railroads operate under the very definition of teamwork. There are many people involved in performing specific tasks that make the railroad run. That said, it’s often not practical to model all of these different jobs. Typically, the ones modeled involve those directly involved in moving and making trains.
During a typical operating session, one person will usually wear many hats and perform multiple jobs. Even if you have a small layout, its still possible to involve several other people so that you can all share in the fun of operating your miniature empire.
Let’s take a look at the people involved in making a real railroad operate, and how that can translate to your modeled version.
Train Crew
A train crew consisted of the people actually on-board the train. The crew consisted of the following jobs:
The engineer drives the locomotive. They are responsible for mechanical operation of the train, train speed and handling. The engineer must have sufficient knowledge of the locomotive and the route to safely operate the train.
A conductor is charge of the train, its freight and personnel. All members of the crew work under his supervision. The conductor must be aware of signals, position of switches, and other conditions that influence safe operation of the train. During the steam era, the conductor would ride in the caboose.
The brakeman assists the conductor. In years gone by, he would walk the length of the train atop the cars and turn brake wheels to apply the train’s brakes. He would also make sure couplings between cars were properly set and signal to operators during switching maneuvers.
During the steam era, a fireman would be assigned to tend the fire of the locomotive’s boiler, riding in the cab with the engineer. They were often referred to as “stokers” and sometimes “boilermen”.
Depending on era and railroad, there may be different designations. For example, sometimes the head brakeman rode in the cab with the engineer while the flagman or rear brakeman rode in the caboose with the conductor.
Yard Crew
Locomotives assigned to switching duties have their own crew, called a yard drill that consisted of an engineer, conductor, and brakeman.
The yardmaster is responsible for making and breaking trains, and also supervises the yard drills. In larger yards, they are usually assisted by switchmen. In smaller yards, the yardmaster may be replaced by a freight agent.
A hostler is a railroad employee who jockeys locomotives between the yard and the engine servicing facility. He would report to the roundhouse foreman, who made sure the appropriate motive power was assigned to the correct train.
Dispatchers controlled all train movements along the mainline. During the steam era, they communicated with towermen at interlocking towers to direct train movements. Today, they communicate directly with the train crew via radio.
Trainmasters supervise all personnel and operations within the yard limits. This person is usually located in the yard’s main office along with a rules examiner, who makes sure the railroad’s regulations are being followed safely.
A superintendent is in charge of the entire railroad division. They prepare rule books and timetables, oversee operations, and solve problems that may arise within their district.
Scaling it down
Obviously, it would be nearly impossible to model all of these jobs. Most of us don’t have a layout large enough, nor the manpower to fill all of these positions. Some of your friends would be bored to death, while others were ready to pull their hair out.
For smaller layouts, a one man train crew is ideal. One person can control (drive) the train and manage the route. Many large layouts operate smoothly with two man train crews. One person controls the train, while the other handles paperwork (such as waybills) and throws switches. The two man crew usually change duties at some point during the operating session.
Even large yards can be supervised by a one man yard crew. One person can serve as both yardmaster and yard drill, making a breaking trains within the yard and handling all train movements. Layouts that feature more than one yard should consider adding another body to assist with those duties.
Modeling the front office
Of particular importance is the dispatcher role. Especially so if your layout is large enough to warrant multiple crews. Because the dispatcher is responsible for tracking where the trains are, he should be located where he can not see the layout. This makes communication vitally important, and adds to the realism of the operating session.
The superintendent should be the layout owner, and hold a short orientation before the session begins. He should ready timetables prior to the session and help guests become acquainted with the layout.
Erie & Southern Operations
For my own layout, I estimate that a maximum of 5 people is enough for an operating session. My layout is not large, though I could realistically operate 3 trains at once. Sure, it could just as easily operate with just 1 person at the controls, but I believe that there is enough work to do to keep that many friends busy for a few hours.
I think it’s important to say that you don’t have to be fancy. I have been a part of a few operating sessions on some very impressive layouts, and it’s extremely fun. However, you don’t need a full-basement spread in order to have a few guests over for a good time.
The most important aspect of operations is planning. Even a small layout that can only run 1 train at a time can still hold an operating session with several other model railroaders. The key is making sure that everyone has a job to do. Use your imagination!
