Operation and maintenance
First operating session
I went to my first operating session last evening despite areas of incliment weather. I contacted the host through the OPSIG website, and I was warmly welcomed by a gracious host.
He models the New Haven in S scale, and he models operations first and foremost. (He was an operator on the New Haven in the 1950's and 1960's, and operated on that railroad when they were still equipped with kerosene lanters). His thought is that scenery and fancy models, as nice as they are, are not directly relevent to the running of a railroad in a prototype manner.
Yet another TWC question...
Last saturday I held an op session on my layout. I introduced for the first time written TWC forms, successfully I would say. However, during a short debriefing some question raised.
How the Dispatcher knows if a train has to stop at a town to perform switching tasks?
If you have a yard, what gets done there?
So! You've decided to put a yard into your plan (or have already built one into your layout).
Now what? What do you do with it? What's it's purpose (other than to help keep track and turnout manufacturers in business)?
I see the following categories of yard use:
Track Warrant Control: info on Checkbox 4
On simplified TWC papers I use on my layout, checkbox 4 says: Work between _____ and ____ on ____ track.
Say I am the dispatcher and I have a train crew who needs to work a couple of spurs connected to the mainline through a siding. Something like this:
Rolling stock maintenance
Cleaning up a batch of bad-ordered rolling stock for a prominent model railroader and hobby webzine publisher was pretty interesting. No surprises, but a couple of lessons.
The cars arrived without paperwork so we inspected trucks, wheelsets and couplers, and checked for missing or damaged parts.
HO Atlas switch machine not operating. Works ok when not connected to new Atlas #6. Doesn't throw when attached.
Using Atlas 585 code 83 switch machines. Throwing two at same time. One works fine. Other seems to be binding up. New switch and new switch machine. Really frustrated with this switch machine.
Building your rolling stock
In European MR-press there are now and then articles on building rolling stock in styrene, cast metal or etched brass etc. Some times also references to objects in the pics made by the author in such techniques. In all of Europe there are smal companies making and selling kits and building tools and parts of different kinds. Lots of model railroaders enjoy building rolling stock.
In American MR-press I can not remember having seen such articles. Adding a few detailing parts perhaps, but that's it.
Nor have I seen such things around here.
1951 Mississippi River Flood and other excuses
I have finalized my "practice" layout as being set in 1951 and have been doing some research on events of that year. While it didnt impact my little layout, I discovered that the Mississippi river flooded much of Kansas that year putting infrastructure such as rail yards under water.
Signalling in yard limits
Hi,
I have been pondering signalling on my next layout. I am current implementing ABS which, I believe, is what the prototype used in the area I am looking to model (Lyndonville Sub. of CP in Vermont, 70s era..).
I was wondering how signalling worked within yard limits. Was the mainline protected in the same way as it would in any other siding, or is it just assumed you are in yard limits and will slow to 10mph and proceed as directed by the yard master?
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