Transcript TRAIN OPERATIONS IN THE GARDEN

TRAIN OPERATIONS
IN THE GARDEN
DONALD NUTE
http://laketownandshire.net
2009 SEGRS
What do you do in an operating
session?
• Run trains with a purpose.
• Transport passengers and/or freight from
point of origin to destination.
• Construct trains with cars headed in the
same direction.
• Pick up and drop off cars at industries.
• Arrange for trains to meet and/or pass
each other.
Three questions that need to be
answered to operate trains.
• How do I design my layout for the kind of
operations I want?
• How will the trains be controlled?
• How will cars be dispatched?
How do I design my layout for the
kind of operations I want?
• Real railroads operate from point-to-point.
• For operations on garden railroads,
shorter trains seem to work best.
• Some shortline railroads like the ET&WC
only operated one train on their line at a
time.
• Many railroads operate several trains at
once, sometimes in different divisions.
Simple one train operation
Adding Industries and
Stretching the Line
Passing Siding for Two or Three
Trains
How will the trains be controlled?
• DC – traditional track power – block wiring
for multiple trains.
• DCC – Digital Command Control track
power – simple wiring for multiple trains.
• Battery power with radio control – no
wiring, cheaper aluminum track can be
used.
• Live steam – probably not feasible.
DC – traditional track power – block
wiring for multiple trains.
• Track is powered with low voltage DC
current.
• Direction and speed controlled by
changing polarity and voltage of current.
• Remote control possible without modifying
locomotives.
• Simple wiring for one locomotive.
• Track must be divided into blocks for
multiple locomotives.
DC block wiring with engine
parking.
DC block wiring with passing
sidings
Digital Command Control – running
your trains instead of your track.
• Track is powered with low voltage AC
current instead of DC current.
• Digital signals are sent over the track to
decoders in each locomotive.
• Multiple trains can go at different speeds
in different directions.
• Must install a decoder in each locomotive.
• Only need one track block.
Battery power with radio control.
• Track is not powered.
• Batteries must be carried in locomotive or
in battery car behind locomotive.
• Multiple trains can go at different speeds
in different directions.
• Must install a radio receiver in each
locomotive.
• Batteries must be recharged.
How will cars be dispatched?
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Switch Lists
Way Bills
Simplified Way bills
Paperless Car-Routing System
Switch list
Leave Hobbiton at 8:00 with
LT&S 1234 boxcar
MERR 5678 gondola
Arrive Mirkwood Forest at 8:30
pickup LT&S flatcar 9012 at Lumber Camp
pickup LT&S flatcar 3456 at Lumber Camp
Arrive Mines of Moria at 8:47
drop MERR 5678 at Coal Mine
Arrive Lake Town 3 at 9:13
drop LT&S 1234 at Industrial Supply
drop LT&S 9012 at Lumber Mill
drop LT&S 3456 at Lumber Mill
Way Bills
• Car #: 1234
• Owner: LT&S
• Car type: boxcar
• Car #: 5678
• Owner: MERR
• Car type: gondola
• Load: widgets
• Destination: Industrial
Supply, Laketown
• Load: empty
• Destination: Coal
Mine, Mines of Moria
Simplified Waybills
LT&S 1234 boxcar
MERR 5678 gondola
• Hobbiton, Widget
Factory
• Laketown, Industrial
Supply
• Laketown, Lumber
Mill
• Hobbiton, Pallet and
Crate
• Mines of Moria, Coal
Mine
• Hobbition, Widget
Factory
• Mines of Moria, Coal
Mine
• Laketown, Lumber
Mill
Paperless Car-Routing System
• Assign a different color to each town or
major industrial siding.
• Assign a letter to each industry.
• Prepare train cards with instructions and
town/industry codes.
• Prepare tags (steel washers work well for
garden railroads) with appropriate colorletter combinations.
• Place an appropriate tag on each car.
Train cards – a simple example
Train cards – town/industry side
• Hobbiton
– A. Pallet and Crate
– B. Widget Factory
• Mirkwood Forest
– C. Lumber Camp
• Misty Mountains
– D. Coal Mine
• Lake Town
– E. Lumber Mill
– F. Industrial Supply
Train cards – instruction side
• Train 100, east-bound, starts in Hobbiton
and ends in Laketown. Drop off all cars
routed for Mirkwood Forest and the Mines
of Moria as you reach the sidings. Deliver
cars to Laketown industries. Leave your
engine on the Industrial Supply siding and
give this card to the dispatcher.
Train cards – instruction side
• Train 101, west-bound, starts in Laketown
and ends in Hobbiton. Drop off all cars
routed for Mirkwood Forest and the Mines
of Moria as you reach the sidings. Deliver
cars to Hobbiton industries. Leave your
engine on the Widget Factory siding and
give this card to the dispatcher.
Colored washers indicate car
destination
A loop-to-loop design lets you turn
engines.
A loop-to-loop design with a
turntable can operate as two
divisions.
Yard design for operations
• Switching problems can be fun, but they
are a pain in the neck during an operating
session. DON’T BUILD A SWITCHING
PROBLEM INTO YOUR LAYOUT.
• Real railroads arranged track to make
switching as easy as the circumstances
would allow. Design your yards for easy
switching.
Simple “yards”
Rivendell Yard on the
Lake Town & Shire
No-Switching Operating Session
No-Switching Operating Session
• This is a good mode when you have a lot
of operators with little experience.
• Assign one train to each operator.
• Each train stops at each passing siding or
reverse loop until the dispatcher gives it
clearance to go to the next passing siding
or reverse loop.
• No cars are switched.
Multiple operating modes on the
Lake Town and Shire
• No Switching mode
• Two Divisions mode
• End-to-End mode
Operations on the
Laketown & Shire
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DCC track power; manual switching.
Monthly operating sessions.
Ages six and up.
Two-man crews for switching modes.
Paperless Routing System.
• Dispatcher moves routing tags as needed.
• Separate loop for training and very young
operators.