Keeping Operating Sessions "Fresh"

Something that I started on another forum is the question of "How do you keep the challenge in operating sessions?" That is, how do you keep you operating session fresh and not the same old thing time after time?

I hosted my first operating session the other night and it went quite well! Well, if you don't include frantically finishing up that spur I put off, adding and moving magnets and a few other unmentionables.

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Scott Jay
member of:
Half Nuts Model Railroaders

 

One way we added variety was to start operations the first night, from the right hand end of the layout. The next we started from the left. The third night we started from both ends. The last night we started in the middle and worked out to one end. Then to the other end. Once we had a taste of what all was involved. We put these combinations in a hat and had a wife draw a slip. What ever was on the slip was what we ran that night, we never knew what it was going to be, so was exciting. There was one large yard, and one smaller yard. Several industry sidings along. The layout was basically a point to point, but had two routes for continous traffic. It caused some tieups, and a lot of fun trying to figure out who had to clear what section. There was enough variety, that we never did get bored in the two years I was with the club. We did try to operate as near as we were able to prototype dispatching. As in the real railroad action, sometimes we would find a car at one place that was supposed to be somewhere else. But in all, we had a lot of fun, and a lot of laughs!

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Watash

 

Some have used "DECKS OF FATE" cards. You draw a card and suddenly, YOUR TRAIN HAS LOST IT'S AIR! Draw a card, HOT BOX! Draw a card, TRAIN ROBBERY! Draw a card, SIT IN THE HOLE FOR THREE HOURS! Draw a card, YOU GET A VISIT FROM THE ROAD FOREMAN, SEEMS YOU'VE BEEN CAUGHT SPEEDING! Draw a card, WOOPS! THE YARD HOGGERS MESSED UP, YOU'RE OUT OF FUEL! Of course you could make up a few good things that can happen too...

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Brent Tidaback, Member #234
BNSF Railfan-to-the Max and a N-Scaler to boot!
"Ship it on the Route of The Roadrunners!"
The Aransas Odessa & Western, a division of the BNSF

 

Another theory is to run an open-ended timetable and randomly select the operating session length. When finished, leave everything as it stands until the next session then continue from that point. If necessary (and desired) the trains can be noted and removed from the layout until the following session.

Also Brent's idea of 'fate' cards is good. I ran a coal drag on a layout in the Twin Cities where I was 'dealt' a hotbox on the 10th car for set out at Missoula. Made for an interesting hiccup and gave the yard guys another headache.

Gary.

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Gary A. Rose
The Unofficial TC&W page
TrainBoard Moderator and Member No.377
N to the Nth degree!

 

<BLOCKQUOTE>quote:</font><HR>Originally posted by Gats:

<snip>...I was 'dealt' a hotbox </snip>
Gary.
<HR></BLOCKQUOTE>

And a hot box is what? obviously not what I think it could be......

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RR:
K, C, & Bird Butt Railroad - SP, NS, and ROCK admirer.
Its a coal mining region of a place far far away, that runs, SP, NS, and some CSX..
Also some Custom RARE Bird RR sd40-2's coming!
Era:
Time stands still round these parts, and we have everything from Steam, to Diesels of today.

 

<BLOCKQUOTE>quote:</font><HR>Originally posted by virtual-bird:
And a hot box is what? obviously not what I think it could be......

<HR></BLOCKQUOTE>

now, now...
It's an overheated bearing in a freight truck/bogie. It comes from the days, before roller bearings, when friction bearings were packed with grease and cloth packing. When the grease dried out, the packing would catch fire causing a lot of smoke.
These days, a hot box will generally point to a failing, or failed, roller bearing which could collapse and possibly derail the car.
The car will be inspected and a decision will be made to either continue to the next yard or set the car out in the next available siding, depending on the severity of the problem.
That is what I had to do during the operating session - stop and set out the affected car.

Gary.



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Gary A. Rose
The Unofficial TC&W page
TrainBoard Moderator and Member No.377
N to the Nth degree!

 

Sajay, what have you come up with? Did you get too many industries, and have to spread the layout into the hallway? When I first wrote "day dreamed" mine up, I would have had to rent the West wing of the White House but I couldn't afford it! With the help of a bulldozer I got it all into an extra bedroom. Don't open that door! (There's 'things' growing in there that man has never seen!) Ha.

Tell us how you are coming along, what progress?

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Watash

 

Nope, didn't add any more industries, yet. I do have some space reserved for a couple more. My second operating session last week went very well. The guys say that switching the town is very challenging (especially the brick industry that makes you have to disconnect on a 2% grade!). That mixed with random train assignments and maybe some "cards of fate", and that should do it. Do I have to make up my own cards, or can some be purchased?

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Scott Jay
member of:
Half Nuts Model Railroaders

 

Switching that town sounds like it could get tedious, Sajay! How do you keep the cars from rolling down hill?

I think I have a deck of "Old Maids" laying around somewhere mom and I used to play back about 1937, would that help?

Maybe someone will make a copy of theirs and be willing to give you a set. At worst case, you can get a printer to print them out on playing card plastic and pay an enormous amount for them! Ha. Nawh!

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Watash

 

That's the challenge! You have to set most of the train on a siding while you take only the cars that need to be dropped off. There's room between the turnout for the industry and the magnet for two cars. Disconnect and let em go! Depending on the weight they may not coast as far as needed so they may require a bit of a push. I should add, the main line is on a grade the industry is level.

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Scott Jay
member of:
Half Nuts Model Railroaders

 

That sounds like real life, Sajay! I'll bet the guys didn't sleep well after that night! HA! That's the sort of realistic operation that most people never think of. You did great!

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Watash

 

<BLOCKQUOTE>quote:</font><HR>Originally posted by sajay:
That mixed with random train assignments and maybe some "cards of fate", and that should do it. Do I have to make up my own cards, or can some be purchased?

<HR></BLOCKQUOTE>The only "Decks of Fate" you can purchase pre-made are for AD&D (You know, that roll-playing game.) For model railroading, you'll have to make your own with index cards. Shouldn't be to hard to do, just think of things that will "throw a wrench" ("spanner" to you Brits) into the crank case of operations. Use your "head" computer and you'll come up with some dozzies! Here's some more examples:

The Railway Police want you to take a Random Drug Test! Hope you pass!

Tracks are washed out! Back your train to the nearest siding.

The track gang hasn't replace the broken rail yet. Looks like you'll have to wait.

Power outage from a Tornadic Thunderstorm has knocked out the signals and put debris on the tracks. You're given a Slow Order until tracks are clear and signals are funcional again.

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Brent Tidaback, Member #234
BNSF Railfan-to-the Max and a N-Scaler to boot!
"Ship it on the Route of The Roadrunners!"
The Aransas Odessa & Western, a division of the BNSF

[This message has been edited by Maxwell Plant (edited 24 October 2000).]

 

Thanks for the suggestions.

Does anyone have any others?

Actually, instead of putting them on cards I may try incorporating them into a program I'm writing. The program records inventory (motive power and rolling stock), randomly creates trains (random assignment of locos and cars) and includes a user definable fast clock. I'd add the "deck of fate" to the fast clock module which would "choose a card" at a random interval.

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Scott Jay
member of:
Half Nuts Model Railroaders

 

Hot Box mid way, break train, drop hot car nearest siding ahead, return for train, continue.

Train wreck, back up to re-route around.

Pull into nearest acceptable siding for white flag special over-taking you, clear mainline.

Perform see-saw meet at next siding with (opposit direction bound) train (#)

Stalled on grade, back down, break train, pull ahead, set cars on siding, retrieve rest of cars, pull ahead, re-collect full train, proceed.

Split a turnout while backing industrial siding (at: ) stop, re-rail cars. Call in bad order turnout, drop car(s) at (where?) siding, temporarily.

Special pick up, cars on above (where?) siding, drop off at (Where?) original destination. (Goes with above)

Engineer (or firemen) has heart attact, run train to next town,while calling for ambulance, make emergency stop. Check scheduled meet-- etc. (Several possibilities here)

Cancelled orders, drop train, pull ahead and assist train ahead over grade, return pull own train over grade.

Change order! STOP, BACK UP,clear track imediately, head-on runnaway on same track! Good luck!

All of these are real!


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Watash

 

I don't know how "big" your layout is or how many people it takes to operate it-that all makes a difference. Mine can handle up to 8 guys but can be nicely operated with 5. What we do to is to draw out of the hat the "jobs" that exist- whether it is "road job", humper, industrial job, or locals. That way each month a guy has a chance to operate a train that he might not have had in 4 to 5 months-that helps keep everyone from getting stale from the same old job. However, some of the guys prefer to get the same train assignment month after month and enjoy it. My operating session takes 4 real hours to complete, sometimes we finish in 3 1/2 other times 4 hours come and we expire for time before all the trains are run. It's fun, Fred

 

Colonel, Thanks for the welcome. So far I like what I see. Unfortunately, I'm not much of a computer whiz therefore I have no website nor any way to show pictures of my Saline, Ann Arbor & Yuma Railroad (based on the real Ann Arbor Railroad @ 1964)

 

Welcome aboard Fred! Sit, have a cup, and tell us all about your empire, some of us are having to wait, hoping to build our layout, so it helps to hear and see photos of what others have done. We are all friends here.

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Watash