Just thankful...

Yes, I miss the Siskiyou line too, but I am just thankful that Joe is willing to give up so much to bring us MRH every month and give us a place to congregate, share and mentor.

Regards,

I'll second the motion by

I'll second the motion by Kevin and that of the op. Not only does he provide us with a magazine, excellent forums, but also a place to post a blog or several and all for free. In addition to all those things there is the fellowship aspect via the web that has allowed many of us to make acquaintances and to have long distance or in some cases actual friends from this site. There is also the nearly real time sharing of info.

Hats off to the crew and to you guys for bringing it up.

Siskiyou Line?

Downside?

Heck, I'd pay TWICE as much for MRH!

The Updates

Joe

The updates and just seeing the railroad. Next time I post something like that I will have to find the "tongue in cheek" icon instead of a smiley. 

Bill Michael

More operations ...

My main problem with operations articles, books,videos etc.....

...is that they most always are focused on operating huge basement size layouts with multiple operators.  I've said it before, give me something that I can readily apply to my small one man layout and I'd love it but so far everything I see out there doesn't apply and is way too complex for a little layout.

Michael

Michael, I am wanting to say

Michael, I am wanting to say this with out it sounding like a smart comment so please do not take it as a rude comment. In your one man type layout would there just be fewer "jobs" in the operation? In other words you might have your train come on duty and then pick up cars from the interchange, go about the switching, and then go back to the interchange and drop the outbounds? It would seem that all of the other things that are done in the bigger systems would either be done down stream from your interchange and you would model a small aspect of them. Waybills, switch lists, track warrants, etc. You might even use that paper work to block your out bounds for 2 different trains on the non modeled portion of your line. You might also have to hit the interchange more than once as there could be drops from more than one train to get cars to your railroad.

Updates

More of your layout Joe.

Migrating the Siskiyou Line forum content would be a great value but that can wait, imo.

I don't get it...I'm not an operations hound by any stretch but I thoroughly enjoyed Mike's OP session on Trainmasters.  I wouldn't have bought the DVD though, mainly because I won't likely ever re-watch the video.

I'll tell you what Michael.  Once I get my layout finished, and if I ever develop a solid operating plan, I'll do an article on one or two man operations and try to get it published.

Regards,

Small Layout Ops Article...Hummmm

Michael, you made me think I might try a small layout ops article. I'll need to work out am approach but it might be an interesting project.

I have been working on weathering some cars and haven't done much with ops lately. 

Looking forward to it...

Ken,

I am looking forward to reading how a small layout owner operates his layout.

Small Layout Ops : Search "Proto-nook"

Dear MRHers,

For existing info and posts on operating small "one man" layouts in a prototypical manner, use the MRH Search function at the top right of the screen you are looking at right now, with the search term "proto-nook" or "fork"...

It only takes between 3 and 6 lengths of flextrack, a single turnout,
a smooth running loco and a handful of cars
(bonus points for caboose "shoving platform"/RCP in modern era),

to operate prototypically...
(extrapolate out as layout size, track capacity, simultaneous train movements, staging capacity, and available warm-body operators permits...)

Happy Modelling,
Aim to Improve,
Prof Klyzlr

PS seem to recall that there have already been a few "small layout ops" articles in MRH...

@ Bob Langer

LOL. I don't know if you are aware of it, but I use your EMRI car card and waybill system. If I get my act together, I'll be very interested in your reaction to my use of EMRI.

Cool!

I am always interested in how users of Easy Model Railroad Inventory use it. The program was mentioned in Great Model Railroads 2015 by Chuck Davis. He uses the switch list. He prefers it over his operator's carrying around a dozen or more car cards.

Small Layout Operations Article May Be Just The Ticket

I think operations is a niche market because most modelers that I know find operations the most intimidating aspect of model railroading (just slightly more intimidating then wiring, lol).  I see a lot of modeler enjoy building, scenicing and then running their trains.  However, when you talk to them about operating, their brain explodes with rule, train orders, car cards, dispatching.  I include myself in this group.  I love to operate, but I still get lost in the rules, car cards, dispatching sauce.  I have read a lot of well written books on the subject and still have a hard time getting my arms around the subject matter.  It takes practical application vise book info really understand and most of the books are based on large layouts which can add more confusion. 

I think an article using a smaller layout may just be the ticket.

Art

I would read it!

I think it would help me to begin future operations to read about other small operating layouts and what the layout owner is doing for operations.

In the early days of MRH I was one of the "operations, who cares" crowd.

I have been educated by Joef and others and now I see it more like "operations, the next logical step".

Once my layout nears completion if all I do with it is run roundy round, I'll get tired of that real fast.

Regards,

SMALL LAYOUT

It seems that we have more and more modelers getting involved in smaller layout.

For example, the OPs Live 5

Maybe you could put out some "blended" videos, which transition back and forth between the scenic aspects of the layout and its operations. That way people could experience both things in one video, and perhaps you would reach out to more people-- especially folks who may not have experienced ops before and so seeing some would be a nice experience without overwhelming them (or boring them to tears) in the process. Little by little, perhaps people could become more acclimated to operations in that manner?

John