And Therein Lies The Problem
It also is the type of operation you want. Though he is much more respected and has more experience than I am, I have to disagree somewhat with the author in the idea that you don't need a long mainline to have a successful operation. Though YES you CAN, for me, I will tell you it isn't possible. Why? Because at least I can perceive short distances being traveled. Even with a "fast clock", I can't fool my mind into thinking it has traveled 100 or 200 miles in 400' in any scale
Well, given that 100 miles in HO scale is 6070 feet (well over 1 actual mile), it's not surprising that 100 miles of travel is difficult to visualize on a layout with, at best, a couple hundred feet of main. That's why mainline operations can be so frustrating. Operations focused on relatively small areas (industries, stations, small towns) are a lot easier to implement. They're also a lot more practical for most people, who don't have many multiples of 100 sq. ft. in which to buld a layout.
Last night I served as dispatcher on a 12x27 layout. It's rather difficult to issue track warrants to two opposing trains on a layout of this size such that they meet somewhere out on the mainline at a designated siding if for no other reason that it's impossible to write two track warrants at the same time. I managed to do it once, and only because 1 of the trains was a passenger train that is required by the rules to make 3 (actual) minute stops at each station. The usual way of handling an opposing train is to tell the recipient of the warrant "Checkbox 7. Checkbox 2 not in effect until after the arrival < insert engine number here> ". TT&TO ops were tried on this particular layout and deemed not feasible due to the shortness of the twice around mainline.
The local freights, all operated as turns, generally take about 1 1/2 hours from the time they originate out of the yard until they return, with the overwhelming amount of the time being spent doing work at their initial destination. The most interesting operational positions on this particular railroad are dispatcher, yardmaster and local freight crew. With the exception of a local freight crew, 2 of those 3 operating positions involve being in one location at all times. With a local freight crew, the overwhelming amount of work time involves being in one location. Running a through train is just downright boring. You're either moving on the road, or you're at the last designated point on your now fulfilled track warrant trying to obtain another track warrant to move.
I have had the good fortune to have been part of a guest crew on Jim Providenza's Santa Cruz Northern. Jim uses TT&TO. Running a through train is a bit more interesting under TT&TO, but not overwhelmingly so. You're not as dependent on the dispatcher. If you're a scheduled train and the clock says you can go from your particular location, you go unless the schedule has been overridden by a train order that you have in your hot little hand. OTOH, the through freight on which I played engineer had some switching to do at a couple of stations. I'd still say the switching was more interesting than the movement across the mainline.
It's admittedly my preference, but I'd say layouts that maximize work in a restricted area are more interesting than those which emphasize getting trains over the road. They're also more practical for most people.
Mike
