Operating on your layout

[ginzokid]

I recently joined a new group of guys who actually have layouts. We are trying to start to have round-robin visits to every layout for the purpose of actually operating them. We are all new to this concept and some of us had not planned for actual railroad type operation, like me, so there is a challenge here to figure out some sort of schedule to run. This afternoon will be our first session at one of the guy's layouts. This one was planned for operation from the beginning. Sure will be better than the other group that just sits around and watches videos and has no layouts to visit. How can thay even call themselves a model RR group. Kim is about to kill me. I told her I would have to tear out the present layout and design a new one for operation. After the lumps on my head went down a little I could think more clearly. So, for now, I'll have the guys over and we can all brainstorm on what I can do to make this more for operations. I have little room left actually but may be able to fit in a small industrial switching area. I still think the new layout would be easier.....OUCH! Yes, Dear. No, Dear. (She was watching!) So have any of you actually thought about operating your layout on a schedule, car card system, fast clock or other type of system? This could be either frightening or fun. We shall see...... B-)

[ginzokid]

Dave came yeasterday and we had a great time. He is moving here so we will have an other member of our group. Today we go to George's to operate. I'm having too much fun!!!!!! :-D

[barrysfp45]

Dave who? was it much of a mess to clean up? ]:) Bad Boy!!!!!! Dave Stripke from Colorado. He said we have more snow that Colorado and may not want to move here after all. ]:) The coward, and after coming in the first place Hee Hee ]:) -- Edited by ginzokid at 02/23/2011 4:33 AM PST -- Edited by barrysfp45 at 02/23/2011 4:05 PM PST

[dl85vette]

After my lengthy post of changes on my layout, it went thru as many changes as members in here.

Many of the orginal are gone. Things were pretty good when we had lots of activity and members. Not sure why some vanished, espec after they were redoing their layouts or room for layout. lost a few to age/health condition. couple to personality clash or other personal reasons.

Pete & I are the remaining originals.

time sure has gone by.

I remember checking in group while deployed in Italy back in 2004.

Did we have any clubs going Pete back in 2003? I remember being in middle east in '03 and buying off ebay.

[ginzokid]

Dave, I think we were all in the N scale group in '03. Ernie, Marc, Dot, Jack, Gene, you and me are the originals. I wonder if Neville's group is still existing.

]:)

-- Edited by ginzokid at 02/06/2012 5:22 AM PST

[dl85vette]

Pete, have you been working or running trains on George's layout lately?

Haven't been to George's for a few weeks now. Snowed in for the most part. He has been very busy too outside the train room. We plan on having an ops session next week though.

🙂

-- Edited by ginzokid at 02/07/2012 4:06 AM PST

[ginzokid]

We finally had an ops session last night with 7 guys. Three newbies whom we had to rein in at times.....speeders you know. Why is it that people just want to see how fast the trains will go? George is using Decoder Pro to slowly program each engine to a max speed which will be more prototypical and much slower than the old jack rabbit notch on the throttle. The Newfoundland railway basically had very poor trackage and speed limits of around 30 MPH on the good portions. So we are also trying to duplicate that aspect of the operations.

I brought over six more weathered cars for George and gave him the paper structure models that were on the tree layout. Now I have enough real structures myself that he can use them on the CNR until we build more structures for it.

Ops is interesting and challenging too, but I still like the building aspect of the hobby best.

B-)

[taz-of-boyds]

I have been so busy with stuff, about all I have been able to do is try to make progress (kind-of restarting a couple times...) on the 1897 wooden hopper drawing.

All the best,

Charles

[ginzokid]

We have a new member in our group who just moved here from Denver, Colorado. He has operated on many of the better known layouts around the US. You know, those that make it into MR like Bruce Chubb, Toney Koester and Andy Sperandeo. It will be interesting to see what he thinks of our little layout this coming Wednesday night when we have our next ops session.

The pressure...........:^O

[dl85vette]

Guess it's one of those things of leave your ego at the door.

Hopefully he will appreciate the layout and enjoy it like the rest of you guys.

I visited one layout in toronto where the guy didn't run long trains, maybe 6 or so cars. but the operation was cool. Had functioning signals and computer could run everything. It would operate several trains and change signals, hold trains,etc.  The guy was more into the signal operation aspect of the layout and with computer running everything, he could sit back and enjoy his layout from a railfanning point of view.  And it wasn't a large layout either, (nscale also)

I am taking advantage of the real estate in my basement and run my 20 car consists and big diesels becuase one day I could relocate (home or country) and not have a room solely for RR so might be limited to a shelf layout. I would then focus on industrial switching layout or a branchline idea.

[ginzokid]

We run short trains too, 8 to 10 cars. The through freights sometimes have up to 20 cars, but that is rare. We run local peddlers to do the switching at each town. No signals yet or computer ops.

I saw a computer controlled layout once and said to myself, "What's the point?". Watching real trains is one thing, but if I build it I want to run it myself, not just watch.

Still stuck in the '50s.......

B-)

I'm with you but do like to just sit back and watch the trains roll by

]:)

-- Edited by barrysfp45 at 05/22/2012 5:09 AM PDT

I do like the auto signalling side of things. That would make operating fun, running a freight on mainline and having to hold in a block for another train.

I used slide switches to move brass rod to throw thurnouts. I have half a mind to pull them up to solder wires to the switches. I could then have lights for a simple signal system. red/green  at the turnouts and  yellow/green at the block  before.  I know there are fancy systems out there but they also cost $$$.

-- Edited by dl85vette at 05/22/2012 2:04 PM PDT

[ginzokid]

Our ops group has finally decided to officially organize. We will be having elections of officers next week. Meanwhile, George and I are looking for a place to rent long term for the new club layout. Trouble is the guys are cheap and don't want the dues to be too high, say $25 per month. With only 10 beginning members, $250 isn't going to go very far for rent AND building supplies. As a matter of fact, the only place we have found so far is a storage locker 10'x20' for $225/month. That's a small place and could be used for a beginning if we go modular, but again with design by committee, most of the guys don't want to go that way. I found a great place, 22'x20' and totally open, with a bathroom and small kitchen included on one wall, for $700/month, all utilities included, It is actually a "boardroom" within a storage complex and is heated and secure. The guys would have to come up with $70 each until we get more members. Hell, I even offered to pay $200 myself if the rest of them would come up to $50 dues. It's still up in the air.

As with all clubs, personalities have to be dealt with and compromise is the main result. Frankly, I'm beginning to have my doubts about a club at all. The main reason I have never belonged to a club before is rearing it's ugly head here now. Everyone wants the biggest and best layout, even if they can't decide on the type or style, for the cheapest price and nothing ever is pleasing to everyone. These guys can't even decide on a club name yet!

My final thought is that the club layout will never fly. But I keep trying......

B-)

Main problem I have found with most clubs is too many chiefs and not enough indians, train, car and social.

]:)

-- Edited by barrysfp45 at 06/20/2012 6:45 AM PDT

[ginzokid]

It's official. We are the "Newfoundland Railway Modelers". George is Pres., Charlie is VP and I am Secretary/Treasurer. I will have to get to the bank today to open a checking account. Still no luck with finding a new home for the club layout, but we keep looking.

B-)

I don't know what the clues are but since this entry has been up the new discussion keeps showing, maybe you enchanted it or something

]:)

-- Edited by barrysfp45 at 07/02/2012 10:57 PM PDT

[barrysfp45]

still keeps coming up as a new discussion or is it just to my confuser.

]:)

[ginzokid]

I tagged it so everyone has to keep reading it over and over and over and over..........]:)

Meanwhile I have to sign in at least twice every time I try to log in. This whole system needs help!

B-)

[ginzokid]

Our group is looking for a bigger place to build a permanent layout. We may get lucky and be able to build in the Newfoundland Railway Museum downtown St. John's. They have a defunct O scale Lionel layout that was donated by a model railroader before he died. Now the layout has died and it really isn't an attraction any more. We are trying to get that space for our club layout which will be open to the public on special occasions but closed most of the time. We have proposed to build a glass topped half wall so the public can view the layout in its entirety while it is being built and operated. Hopefully we will find out this week if the museum board gives us the go ahead. Then we will have to dispose of the old layout first. The best part of this deal will be free rent or should I say no rent or electric bill, water bill or snow removal. That will all be city responsibility as it is now. Wish us luck.