Operations

 

Car cards, switchlists, and speed....

Even on a small layout you can use car cards and switch lists to add that prototypical feel and realism. The use of both of these will also add time to an operating session, as does running at prototypical speeds. Speaking of this, it almost sounds elsewhere like this is a brand new theory and concept. Heck, I’ve been doing this and operating this way on my layout for three years. Guess it helps having worked on the real thing.

In other words, take that time and run at a prototypical speed for your layout, prototype, topography, and situation. For example, when doing research before I built my PC branch, I looked at track charts and time tables I have in my possession of the Hitop branch proper, and of the West Virginia Secondary. Both these segments were actually kept in decent shape maintenance wise, as far as PC could, as coal for Union Carbide was a money maker, as was all the chemical traffic coming out of the Kanawha valley itself on the Secondary. That being said, speeds were low on the Hitop branch itself due to lighter rail, and the sharp curves, plus many bridges on the branch. Keep the prototype in mind when designing and operating your railroad. Run your layout at a prototypical speed for the terrain and circumstances. For example, I have all my locomotives set to creep along, which comes in handy on a switching layout. It also replicates the prototype if you’re modeling grades, sharp curves, and more poorly maintained track. A few times I’ve seen a beautiful layout run at speeds simulating the Northeast Corridor. Just not realistic!

Also as far as taking time, and mentioned in another post here on this webpage, it takes time for switching in the yard. It takes time for a brakeman to walk to that switch and throw it. It takes time for those hand signals to get relayed, and time for the engineer to respond. It also takes time to start that locomotive and get it cranked up, especially an older veteran like those geeps I run. It takes time for that air test before the train moves. Then it takes time to get that clearance from a train order or dispatcher to move. You get the idea. See more in my blog about using time to enhance your operating experience.

Now for card cards and switch lists. I use both. Both are copies of actual ones used by PC, which I also have in my collection. I simply took mine to a FedEx office store, had them reduced to fit my use in their original colors, and I was all set. These documents I also have posted elsewhere on this page.

The car cards all have listed what to do with the car next and where to route it. These I’ll pull out, then fill out a switch list accordingly. I’ll then take those cards I need for set outs with me, along with the switch list. The next inbound train will be handled the same way for whatever job or turn it’s going out on. Those cards for cars that are going off line are of course pulled completely until the next cycle or session. Just a side note here on this topic. For those outbound cars going off the layout, again, I’ll pull those cards completely off the layout when the car is pulled. As I have, like probably most modelers, an over abundance of rolling stock, I’ll shuffle this stack then before the next session to determine which cars are then inbound.

Again, even for a small switching layout, the use of these cards and switch lists combined can add both more fun and more realism to your sessions. Along with prototypical speeds, and taking that time mentioned above, all this combined can also add more time and stretch those sessions as well.

Re-line that switch....!

When operating on my layout, and running a road job or turn, I always stop my caboose at a switch and reline it for the proper direction, especially on the mainline. I guess this comes as habit from working on the prototype.

Although not quite as disastrous and deadly as the consequences of not doing so on the prototype as we’ve seen recently, it can be embarrassing and problematic to do so on your layout if a switch is misaligned. I’ve seen this happen even on a museum layout where inattentive operators ran through an open switch into the rear of another train, derailing one or the other. I’ve seen it as well on a home layout once.

You can imagine on the prototype this kind of inattentiveness can lead to deadly results. Again, not deadly on the layout, just embarrassing. This ties into a previous blog post about taking time which I believe is on my “operations “ page. Take that time as a real rear end brakeman would do, to reline that switch back to its normal position. This also leads to helping in the next operating session knowing that switch is lined properly. Of course, this leads to another must do, especially on the prototype, and that is, when you’re moving down that track, be aware of how that switch IS lined! But, that’s another story for another time…..

Give it some time....

For modelers, one thing perhaps missed in home operating sessions is time. Replicating time it takes for example for the crew of that local or road freight to grab it’s orders, switchlist, manifest, etc., and climb on board. Then there’s the time it takes to get clearance to depart, whether by signal indication or by train order/authority. Trains just don’t get up and go like jack rabbits. Sometimes you sit on the prototype waiting on traffic to clear, or that broken down train ahead that has a broken knuckle, or whatever the situation.

Time can be taken as well in simply operating at prototypical speeds. Set that throttle to step 128, and momentum, and you’ll see what I mean. Trains don’t fly at a scale 100 mph either, unless you’re modeling Amtrak in the Northeast Corridor.

Time can be replicated elsewhere on your layout as well. Take time to stop your train to let that head end brakeman, or rear brakeman for that matter, to throw those manual switches, and climb back aboard. All this takes time in real life railroading. Time can be taken as well for a simulated emergency application of air. Or time can be taken on those lonely branchlines to stop at the local deli or store by the tracks for that cold bottle of pop, and friendly chit-chat.

Finally, time can be taken to confer on those switching moves, a few seconds for that radio command or hand signal from the man on the ground to be acknowledged. All these factors can be taken into account on your home layout to add more time (and realism) to that ops session. These simple steps I use on my layout to replicate the prototype, and not only does it feel more prototypical, it also stretches out the ops session….

Operational challenges.....

Reading another blog post about the difficulties and challenges facing a local crew on a particular layout made me think of some on my own layout.

Per the previous post above about challenges on my branch concerning working my mines with different size hoppers, I’ve had to change out one operating procedure. Since to switch out my Hitop mine I would normally have to pull my train of 70 and 100 ton hoppers up the hill to the end of branch, then run around my train, I’ve changed this procedure.

As these larger hoppers don’t do well on the tight curves on the branch between Hitop and Morris Fork, they are in fact banned from the upper part, also on account of lighter rail and deferred maintenance. Headed into Hitop the mine lead and switches are facing point switches.

To accommodate this arrangement, a train of empty hoppers for Hitop is made up in Spring Street yard, the power is tied on the east end, and as there is a caboose on the west end, the train is shoved all the way to Hitop. This of course eliminates the move up past Hitop and running around the train.

Even working the end of branch at Morris Fork, care has to be exercised going around the tight curves on the branch, especially between Hitop and Morris Fork. The curve in particular starting at MP 33 has to be taken at 5 mph account the degree of curvature and the fact a passing siding starts right at the west end of the curve.

Speaking of the end of branch, as the Morris Fork hardware and farm supply is at the end of the same siding as the Morris Fork mine, cars for the hardware and farm supply have to be blocked in the right position in Spring Street yard, since at the end of branch the power must run around its train and shove any cars into the siding, as again, the siding and passing track both have facing point switches.

The same must be done for the day turn out of Spring Street yard going up the valley to switch, especially the Kanawha County feed and seed. In other words, these cars must be blocked in the correct position before leaving the yard. Just more operational challenges to add to the fun and realism of running the Hitop branch.

Operational changes.....

In running some trains now over the new expansion’s track plan, I’ve discovered a few more changes that are in order. The first change in operating procedure concerns the area and tracks around the scrapyard and Allied Chemical. We’ll discuss these first.

The tracks into the scrapyard and Allied Chemical’s lead and storage tracks are all facing point turnouts. This means the switch engine, which will be a small Alco S2 based at Allied Chemical, will handle all switching down at this end. This again is due to the fact that only one locomotive and car will fit into the end of the main and the ladder going into Allied plus Holsum Baking.

With these facing point switches, this also means that this switch job will need to run around its train in Spring St. yard, and shove caboose first down into the passing siding. It will then need to cut off its caboose (assuming the head end brakeman will then be on the locomotive), and shove down to the end of track to clear the ladder, then shove its car one at a time into or out of the sidings at Allied or Holsum. Time consuming? Yes, but that’s the idea! An unintended consequence of having to conserve space, and squeeze tracks into a 2 x 5 foot space, and still have room for the actual industry buildings.

For switching Holsum Baking, as this is a trailing point turnout, the switch job will need to pull each car out of the siding, down the ladder onto the end of track, then shove any cars it may need to pull out up into the passing siding, then again run around its train, to run up to Spring Street.

Now for the mine jobs and Spring Street yard. When the mine runs come into Spring St., either the Hitop run or Morris Fork run, they must position themselves correctly to switch these mines. Meaning that for the Hitop run, the crew will grab the transfer caboose in Spring St. and shove back into Hitop, then pull any loads back out into Spring Street, either in the yard preferably, or on the main, then shove its train of empties back into Hitop. For the Morris Fork run, its crew will run into the yard lead, run around its train, then pull its train up the hill, running around its train again at the top of the branch to shove back into Morris Fork.

For these situations, when operating, there will be an operator at Spring Street who is also the yardmaster, who will direct operations and trains coming into and out of Spring Street.

Now for Dickinson yard. As the new yard is a stub end yard, there will be an operator stationed here whose job it is to break down and make up trains. This operator will also use one of the geeps to tie on or take off a caboose on outbound or inbound trains. This operator on inbound trains will pull the train into an empty track after the power cuts off, so the inbound power can escape that track. The switch job will then reclassify that train. The other operator will assist with this, and run a switch job into Electro-Met and the industrial lead to switch out these industries. There will be several cabooses always stationed in Dickinson yard, including one transfer caboose, as well as two stationed in Spring Street yard, with one of these being a transfer caboose.

So there you have it. I’m anxious to try this plan out when the expansion is complete. Stay tuned as always!

Discoveries running the layout.....

Sometimes it takes running trains on a new layout or expansion of one to discover idiosyncrasies that you didn’t think about. One such instance occurred when pulling scrap gons up the main and attempting to back around the sharp lead into Spring Street yard. This lead to derailing the gons, as the curve is just too sharp for these longer cars.

So the answer? Well, when a train comes out of the scrapyard in Nitro with gons, the train will need to run around the back of the layout and enter Spring Street from the other end. This will actually take a bit more time and will be more realistic to simulate the trains run from Nitro to Charleston where Spring Street yard is.

While obviously still not having all the industries in place also has made me rethink putting in a building or two to represent Union Carbide’s Electro-Met. Instead I may substitute it for a different industry.

There are several reasons for this change. One is that my Electro-Met would be in the wrong place geographically-wise, as the prototype industry was downstream from Dickinson yard. One other reason is the prototype required loads of limestone and charcoal among other commodities of which I don’t currently have any cars for. The plant also took in wood chips of which I have one car.

The answer is I’ll probably change this to a different building kit and a different industry. I’m thinking of a manufacturing plant producing perhaps steel, as it would provide another avenue for my scrap steel gons of which I have six gons. I also have several steel coil cars left that I can also use. I have enough room for a particular kit I have in mind. In fact, the kit may work even better, as it will fill up more space in this area. Stay tuned….

Waybill/car card change......

I have decided to return to the original format waybill I started out with. Even though the current waybills using the actual PC form added a more prototype feel to operations, they were also hard to read being hand printed, and for us old guys, our eyesight isn’t what it used to be! The original waybills were formatted using Excel with typed information, then printed off on cardstock to of course fit the card holders and bill boxes from Micro-Mark. I am as of today (10/16/18) about half done with redoing all the waybills to the original format. Probably by the end of the week all of these will be converted, including all the new rolling stock and new industries. For those that may not have seen the original format, it’s shown in the photo above.