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John, I can echo your comments, and throw up an enthusiastic signal in support of Group Ops!

So after much discussion, my club decided open our doors to the Desert Ops group as they came through Tucson in February.  And indeed, over four days, we saw roughly 25-30 model railroaders from mostly California and we ran the layout 4 times.  Here's some results from our sessions:

1) It was Really Nice to finally have all the operators we needed to completely fill out the schedule with all jobs filled.

2) We learned there were some places where we could improve.  We also learned there are some places that need improvement.  And there are some places where we're just screwed thanks to how the layout is designed; nothing we can do about that...or is there??!!

3) Dinner is a fabulous time to sit and converse with like minded people.  Turns out many model railroaders are also food enthusiasts, and they know all sorts of good places to eat that you've never even heard of - even those people within your own club, when there's that lunch break between the first session and second session!

4) There are more people out there pushing for smart phone throttle usage than any of us could ever imagine...piece of advice, if you have a club, get the PR-3, the computer, the router and JMRI and get the darn network up!  It's a novelty now, but in five years it will be expected! [yes, that was a comment we got a couple times..."where's your wireless network?"]

5) I finally got to see some of the other layouts in town - worth every minute!!!

6) When others come visit your layout, they see things you may be overlooking.  For instance, on the layout I visited, I noted that a brass engine in the staging yard had crept forward until it was pushing into the brass cab forward in the ladder track this track fed into.  Ironically enough, there was 1" high plexiglass along the straight parts of the layout, but in this section along the ladder there was no protection.  What more, the drop from here was perhaps four or five feet - yikes!  Sidewalk superintendents, they find more dents than you intend, but hopefully before they're super imposed on the floor!

7) Five minutes of operating and you almost wish we all lived in the same area!!

From the "other" GBG host

It was fun to see the author's take on the layouts where he operated, as I work and/or run on all three.  John mentioned he ran on three of the four host layouts (the Great Basin Getaway is a three day event) - mine was the other.  As is typical with ops weekends like this, not everybody can run at every layout.

John discussed the notorious post in the middle of Gary Petersen's open helix scene.  Several treatments were tried on it before we settled on the generic landscape shapes with blurred edges.  Designing and building that scene was a group effort with many a challenge due to access and sight line issues.  The bridge scene in photo 4 was another group project.  The hidden turnback curve here sits directly below the open helix scene.  Essentially this location is another one turn helix.

While John provided an attendee's perspective, I can assure you that the hosts learn plenty from our guests as well.  Part of the value of an ops meet is watching how guest operators approach their jobs, and looking for opportunities to improve based on what they do.

Importance of attending op sessions

I think it's vital for modelers, especially hobby newcomers, to attend op events like this. You will gain so much insight into what a layout is all about to a level you will never get any other way.

You will also start to learn what all those tracks are for on a layout's track plan. Most new hobbyists who have little or no operating experience don't have a clue what most of the tracks on a track plan are for, so they get stuck easily trying to do a dream layout track plan.

Plus there's things you don't yet know about yourself until you've run trains at some of these op sessions. Do you enjoy serious ops or not? Do you prefer running trains over the road or do you like yard switching? Maybe you like helper operations or running a local? Do you prefer steam era ops or do you like more modern era diesel ops?

All these questions and more, you can answer by attending some op events like this. The implications on your hobby satisfaction are huge.

For instance, let's say you find out you love helper operations and running trains over the road, but yard switching is not your cup of tea. Let's also suppose you find out you like more modern diesel operation to older steam era ops.

Armed with this information, then you can:

1. Forget having a large yard on your layout - staging should be sufficient
2. Avoid putting a roundhouse and turntable on your layout
3. Focus on a layout design that is a helper district with lots of over-the-road action

Yards and a turntable-roundhouse take lots of precious space - but since  you now understand your interests better because you HAVE ACTUAL OPS EXPERIENCE, then you won't waste time, space, and expense on things you later would regret or want to tear out because they weren't satisfying to you.

Even getting a plane ticket or two to attend events like this will be money well spent if the experience gained keeps you from wasting time on parts of the hobby that don't interest you.

Still More Reasons

In addition to what Joe indicated above, there are many more benefits to be had from attending ops events that you can directly apply to your own layout.  You can see first hand how other layouts have handled:

• Benchwork depth
• Aisleways
• Communications
• Dispatching schemes
• Hidden track access
• Control systems (DCC and other)
• Staging
• Crew instructions
• Car forwarding
• Train procedures

The above can be evaluated in keeping with how the layout operates, since you may have to reach into a scene to uncouple or throw a turnout, follow your train through various locales, operate within the layout owner's instructions and rules, and so on.  You can learn a lot about your own preferences in the process. 

Other typical layout tour types of things to observe will exist as well, such as:

• Room preparation
• Track brands
• Lighting
• Scenery techniques and materials
• Benchwork and roadbed construction

You'll be spending much more time around a given layout than during the average layout tour, so you'll be able to take a more detailed look.

Eye Opener

My very first large, formal operating session was on Lee's Utah, Colorado & Western almost 10 years ago with a group from Oregon. Lee was an excellent host and I learned so much during my weekend operating on his beautiful layout. I still refer to my copy of his rather robust Timetable and rulebook. I agree with John's article and the above comments. Everyone should jump at taking part in operating sessions if given the chance.

(It was also my first exposure to Mr. Spanglers excellent backdrop painting too, btw)

Interaction as a goal in group operating sessions

I got my first taste of group operations back in 1996, when by an odd combination of coincidences I snagged an invitation to operate on Jack Ozanich's Atlantic Great Eastern. While the learning curve on that particular layout has a reputation for being rather steep (I have heard it described as "boot camp, but not as warm and cuddly"), there was something about the dynamic of the group operating sessions there that set the hook and convinced me to learn the things that were expected there.

Based on that experience, I was able to introduce my friends to group operation. We decided that we enjoyed it enough to build the Operations Road Show layout. Our goals are not only to teach TT&TO operation as we practice it, but to give people a chance at operating in a group environment. Our core team really enjoys group operating sessions and the interaction that goes on during them. The interaction factor is a big part of why we use two-member (engineer and conductor) crews.

I've finally been able to start building a switching layout at home. At first I'd only planned on it being a one-man operation, but looking back at my experiences operating in group environments has me reworking my plans to make it possible to occupy three at a time, or possibly five if I have enough people over to have two-member crews. Send one guy out on a switching job, and it's one game. Send him out with another guy to act as engineer or conductor, so they have to work together, and it's a different game.

Operating sessions

While I've not had an opportunity to participate in the organized weekend op sessions, i have had opportunities to take part in shorter op sessions.   Such less intense operations can be found in conjunction with other model railroad meetings.   At the RPM East meet a couple of weeks ago i was assigned to Don Cassler's M&K for the Thursday evening pre-meet op session.  The layout runs and looks great.  It was my first operation with lots to learn about CTC and lineside signals.  Through the years at other per-meet evenings for both RPM meets and NMRA Mid Eastern Region conventions I've run on layouts with a wide variety of train control and car routing styles.  There is much to learn in these one evening sessions.  They have influenced the choices for my layout.

Often after the meeting there are open house tours.  Without handling a train it is possible to observe how the "regulars" interact and learn about the communications needed to show a layout running smoothly.  Many of the layout design aspects mentioned in the above comments can be closely considered when there is no need to pay attention to your train.  While these visits usually don't offer operating; I have been invited to "just run a train" that extended into several trains and several hours.

Dick Bradley