I had a new visitor today. Ken made the trip to our humid area and we had a really great operations session on the J&B. As usual, I was too busy enjoying it to take more pictures. Matheson Textiles is located in the town of Jackson, and it provides some interesting switching challenges.

Salmons Produce had several reefers ready for pickup. On the left is the siding for the yet to be built Mills Fuels. Today, it was FULL and we had to move one of the tank cars to another track to make room for a set out.

Here, Ken is switching train #2 in Jackson.

There were a lot of movements, but we finally got the train assembled and ready to go to Lexington.

We took a break for lunch and then ran train #1 out of Lexington. It started off pretty simple, but by the time we got to Occoquan, it just got plain interesting. My passing track there also doubles as an LCL track, so three cars were occupying the siding. We had a number of moves to make as well as set out a bunch of cars to the interchange. Finally, the 5 car train made it to Green Springs yard. All in all, I think we spent about 3 hours operating the two trains. Not bad for a layout with only about 160 feet of mainline track. I continue to be amazed at how much fun this is. It’s a LOT different from operating on Fred’s IPP&W or Ric’s Kaskaskia Railway. On those layouts, there might be 10 or MORE trains running at once, and you can really be challenged dealing with other trains. Here, one train runs at a time, though I have experimented with running both trains at the same time. I don’t need to worry about blocking the main line on the J&B. If I am running two trains at the same time, I just set up a scheduled meet, as there is no dispatcher. Life is good.

Nice, wish I was there. See my posting in General Discussion

http://www.largescalecentral.com/LSCForums/viewtopic.php?pid=102802#p102802

I really really wish I had been there.

Good stuff Bruce. Thanks for sharing. I guess you have been in the same boat us me, too much rain this summer and not many good days to run.

Come on down!

Nice ops Bruce but where’s the rain option? I know for a fact that you are “water qualified”. It’s about time to initiate Ken isn’t it? Your RR’s looking great too.

How are you generating train consists? I’m still thinking of ways to randomize them so I won’t have complete control over car movements.

Seemed like a good session, bruce… Railroad looks in fine shape…

Looks like a lot of fun. And I noticed you have a beer bottle standing in for the tank at Mills Fuels I need to get in one or two more sidings and then I might be able to have something to do with an operating train. Can’t use those multiple diesel lash-ups though, they take up too much valuable space in the wye tails :o

Thank you, Bruce, for a wonderful time. And Jean for a fine lunch…

Richard, the rain option came in the form of very high humidity, so we were drenched by the end of the day. But who noticed as we were having too much fun. He uses TrainOps to generate his switch lists and it did a fine job.

I was amazed at the amount of traffic we moved on the J&B. And things got real interesting (or puzzling) at both Jackson and Occaquan. Most of our time in those two places was spent trying to figure out how to get “that” car out of that siding and getting “this” car into it. I usually like to operate by myself, but on Bruce’s layout 2 heads were definitely better than 1. The J&B proves to me you don’t need a “big” layout to have a great operating session. And also let me add, kudos to Bob McC for offering a operating system (TrainOps) that works very well on a small set-up like Bruce’s. Now, if I can just get it to work on mine. (hint, hint, Bob? Bob? Anyone???)

As a side note Jon, they are NOT beer bottles, but some fine Dominion Root Beer bottles. (Bruce, that may make for an another interesting industry, Old Dominion Brewing Co.)

Like Bruce mentioned before, we were having too much fun to take pictures. And I didn’t even remember to take my camera out of the car…

Definitely worth another trip down to the J&B, it was even worth getting stuck in the rush hour Beltway traffic on the way home…

Life is definitely good!!

PS If I didn’t mention it before, thanx for the rail joiners, Bruce. Now I can finish my sidings in Hesperus.

Bruce,
Thanks for the story & pics, looks & sounds like a good time.
I agree with you in the sense one doesn’t need a massive layout to have a nice operating session running just 1 or 2 trains. My 300’ main point to loop to loop railroad was designed for single man operation or up to 5 people. Takes about 1’30" for southbound local to go from town A to town D and back and another hour or so for the northbound local to go from town G to town D and back. Train lengths vary from 6 to 10 cars. This way I can operate what I have time for. Found out from past experience in HO where my railroad needed 5 to 9 people to operate that there are times when guys just aren’t going to be available to run the railroad as designed to operate. With this setup I can run anytime I want ( as long as I remembered to have the batteries charged)
Keep the pictures & updates coming.

Need to let Ken know the next time time I’m in town visiting the little brother! Interesting ain;t the word for switching in Jackson…thats just downright DIABOLICAL! ITs inspired me to put something similar in the long range plans for my railroad!

October might be a real good time to visit your brother, Bart. It could be a bit nicer for operations. I might have to schedule some more trains for that day. For those that haven’t been here, this is the basic layout of the track in Jackson.

(http://www.jbrr.com/Pics/Operations/Jackson.jpg)

Bart Salmons said:
Need to let Ken know the next time time I’m in town visiting the little brother! Interesting ain;t the word for switching in Jackson…thats just downright DIABOLICAL! ITs inspired me to put something similar in the long range plans for my railroad!

Yea, you got that right Bart. This is a “what the hell is this mess” look…

(http://www.lscdata.com/users/thejoat/Operations/2009.08.14/IMG_6666.JPG)

Bruce,
Could you take the time to put together a “normal” operation switching list and maneuvers at Jackson with photos? How many cars on each track? What amount of traffic does the traditional “Peddler” bring in? Can the main be occupied during the switching maneuvers?

Ric, There’s no such thing as “normal” around here. Trains are typically no longer than 5 cars leaving a town, though there might be a number of moves to be made. Here’s the switch list for Train #2 out of Green Springs: Assemble train at Green Springs Leave Green Springs with 0 cars Proceed to Occoquan, arrive with 0 cars Move: Boxcar 181 EBT / Smith Pond Mill to Brunt Interchange Move: Refrigerator 512 CW / Brunt Interchange to McCown Freight Non-industry Pick-up: Tank car A10 Shell Leave Occoquan with 1 cars Proceed to Jackson, arrive with 1 cars Industry: Miracle Chair Company Pick up : Boxcar 101 J&B RR Pick up : Boxcar 121 J&B RR Industry: Mills Fuels Drop off: Tank car A10 Shell Industry: Matheson Textiles Pick up : Boxcar 104 J&B RR Pick up : Boxcar 124 J&B RR Industry: Salmons Produce Pick up : Refrigerator 200 J&B RR Leave Jackson with 5 cars Proceed to Lexington, arrive with 5 cars Lexington Passing Siding Drop-off: Boxcar 101 J&B RR Lexington Passing Siding Drop-off: Boxcar 121 J&B RR Lexington Passing Siding Drop-off: Boxcar 104 J&B RR Lexington Passing Siding Drop-off: Boxcar 124 J&B RR Lexington Passing Siding Drop-off: Refrigerator 200 J&B RR And Train #1 out of Lexington. Assemble train at Lexington Non-industry Pick-up: Gondola 50 J&B RR Non-industry Pick-up: Flat Car 300 J&B RR Leave Lexington with 2 cars Proceed to Jackson, arrive with 2 cars Industry: Mills Fuels Pick up : Tank car 11050 UTLX Pick up : Hopper 898 EBT Pick up : Tank car 59 WP Industry: Matheson Textiles Drop off: Gondola 50 J&B RR Industry: Salmons Produce Pick up : Refrigerator 55 POC Leave Jackson with 5 cars Proceed to Occoquan, arrive with 5 cars Move: Boxcar 103 NRR / Smith Pond Mill to Brunt Interchange Move: Refrigerator 45 D&RGW / Brunt Interchange to McCown Freight Move: Boxcar 8279 C&S / Mystery, Inc to Brunt Interchange Industry: Smith Pond Mill Pick up : Boxcar 106 J&B RR Pick up : Boxcar 123 J&B RR Industry: McCown Freight Drop off: Flat Car 300 J&B RR Industry: Mystery, Inc Pick up : Boxcar 110 J&B RR Pick up : Boxcar 111 J&B RR Pick up : Boxcar 122 J&B RR Brunt Interchange Siding Drop-off: Tank car 11050 UTLX Brunt Interchange Siding Drop-off: Hopper 898 EBT Brunt Interchange Siding Drop-off: Tank car 59 WP Brunt Interchange Siding Drop-off: Refrigerator 55 POC Leave Occoquan with 5 cars Proceed to Green Springs, arrive with 5 cars Track#2 Siding Drop-off: Boxcar 106 J&B RR Track#3 Siding Drop-off: Boxcar 123 J&B RR Track#2 Siding Drop-off: Boxcar 110 J&B RR Track#1 Siding Drop-off: Boxcar 111 J&B RR Track#2 Siding Drop-off: Boxcar 122 J&B RR And the setup: Jackson ------- Miracle Chair Company --------------------- Boxcar J&B RR 101 (Scheduled for Pickup) Boxcar J&B RR 121 (Scheduled for Pickup) Boxcar J&B RR 113 Mills Fuels ----------- Tank car UTLX 11050 (Scheduled for Pickup) Hopper J&B RR 10 Hopper EBT 898 (Scheduled for Pickup) Hopper EBT 809 Tank car WP 59 (Scheduled for Pickup) Matheson Textiles ----------------- Boxcar J&B RR 104 (Scheduled for Pickup) Boxcar J&B RR 124 (Scheduled for Pickup) Boxcar J&B RR 120 Salmons Produce --------------- Refrigerator FSX 6557 Refrigerator J&B RR 200 (Scheduled for Pickup) Refrigerator POC 55 (Scheduled for Pickup) Occoquan -------- Brunt Interchange siding ------------------------ Tank car Shell A10 (Scheduled for Pickup) Tank car NCO A9 Refrigerator D&RGW 45 (Scheduled for Pickup) Refrigerator CW 512 (Scheduled for Pickup) Smith Pond Mill --------------- Boxcar IPP & W 19 Boxcar J&B RR 106 (Scheduled for Pickup) Boxcar NRR 103 (Scheduled for Pickup) Boxcar J&B RR 123 (Scheduled for Pickup) Boxcar EBT 181 (Scheduled for Pickup) Mystery, Inc ------------ Boxcar J&B RR 110 (Scheduled for Pickup) Boxcar J&B RR 111 (Scheduled for Pickup) Boxcar J&B RR 122 (Scheduled for Pickup) Boxcar J&B RR 112 Boxcar C&S 8279 (Scheduled for Pickup) Lexington ------------- Flat Car J&B RR 300 (Scheduled for Pickup) Gondola J&B RR 50 (Scheduled for Pickup) One problem I’ve had with TrainOps is that it puts TOO many cars on a siding. But, I now think that’s kind of cool. For instance, Mystery, Inc. in Occoquan can hold two cars on the siding. 5 cars were assigned there, so I put the extra three out on the passing siding.

(http://www.jbrr.com/Pics/Operations/Occoquan.jpg)

5 cars were at Mills Fuels, which is capacity. So, when we dropped one off there, we moved an extra over some free track on Matheson Textiles. The main can be occupied. There’s no dispatcher here and my theory is that there’s one train in the morning and one in the afternoon, so no conflict. When I have run both trains at the same time, I scheduled a meet in Occoquan, which has my longest passing siding. But, until you get to the meet, you can occupy the main. I’ll have to think about putting something together with some pictures. I did an article for GR, but Marc wasn’t real keen on the idea.

Well Marc may not think the article would be valuable, but I think we would enjoy it in the LSC Article Section.

I’ve been to your layout and watched on the net as you have built most of your buildings, but it is hard to follow the switch list and remember where each building and siding is. I think it would be a great Ops training tool.

Some people will never consider “Operations” fun. For those of us that do, it is all about the switching. Its almost like a chess game.

Maybe just some vignettes? Perhaps a layout of the town, with cars spotted at the sidings. Your train. Then a discussion of how one might switch it?

What I found the most interesting part was most of the time, the car you needed was either in the middle of 2 other cars or at the end which meant moving cars out of the way to get to the one you needed. I tried to take a few minutes and get the “big picture” before even thinking about doing anything, and even that, sometimes didn’t help. After puzzling over a certain move you then realize you have a whole string of other cars on a siding that are in your way that you forgot to take into consideration. Which is the fun part cause then you have to get your mind working in another different direction. Maybe throw a wrench in the whole thing by mentioning a few “rules”…something like “Don’t use the caboose to push cars”…or another example was asking if we should take the caboose with us while switching or leave it behind to get later… It’s little things like that that bring it to whole different level…

Well, I did do this awhile back: http://www.largescalecentral.com/LSCForums/viewtopic.php?id=9227

Not nearly as nicely done as Kevin’s essay.

That is very nice, Bruce. And it pretty well fits the bill.