Ever since I was a little kid, and my Dad was constructing model railroad layouts, it always had a ““loop”” in it, to allow trains to run constantly… Along this loop, would be sidings for industries, engine facilities, etc, etc… Whatever was allowed to be put in with building size and area around the layout… The whole idea, was to wath a train run… Dad didn’t really think too much in terms or actually, operating the trains back then… Most of these layouts were HO scale…
As I got older, this way of thinking always stuck with me... Layouts consisted of a ""loop"", to run trains on, and sidings to have cars sit on.... Engine terminals to have engines sit in... my Ho layouts had this ""theme"" of thinking, as well as my N-scale layouts later on...
My first Large Scale layout was basically a dogleg shaped into an upside down U, with one track running in front of a fence, and the other track running behind the fence... There were no sidings... I just put out the train, and let it run.... For some reason, i did put a passing track in, but I really had no reason for doing so, as it was all powered by one tranformed, and no blocks built in... I couldn't do too much, as we would only be there for 2 years, and this was military family housing, on base...
My second layout, was built when we first moved back to illinois, and bought a house... Bascially, this was my own design of a ""canned"" plan in a track plan book... It had about 250 feet of mainline, but again, it was only one loop.... Sure, it crossed over each itself, and ran along side itself, and had a tunnel of sorts... It also had a siding for a grain elevator, and a freight yard and engine terminal.... But, it was mostly used to run a train around in a circle... the yard and engine terminal on this layout was mostly for display purposes.... Swtiches were hard to get to, without stepping on other track... But, again, this was built on the mentalilty of running trains, not for operations.. Also, mine was all track power, not battery powered... Don't even think I knew about battery power back then....
Actual operations on a model railroad layout, was shown to me, from attending one of Ric's ""Operating Sessions""... It was something different... running between stations, calling into a dispatcher, getting permission to move into the next "block" <going to the next station>....
I've been involed in the operations on Ric's railroad going on 5 years now.... It's really enjoyable, <when it's not raining, snowing, or droppin accorns, or 40 below & 40 MPH winds>.. I have watched the ""operations"" grow and become more proficient, more involved, more interesting to operate, and most of all, more fun.....
Currently, since wife & I retired, we built and moved into a new house... took up all the old track from the other layouts, and will re-use it, mostly inside and put new track outside... My planning process is to make this new design runable <with a loop> and opertions worthy... I have a track plan <mostly in my head>, but have a basic for the outside portion laid out on paper....
Basically, what I'm constructing is two loops, one inside, and one outside.. Each will be a single line track, with passing sidings.... Most bridges will be single track. the two loops will be connected by lifting a window and inserting a ""bridge section"" to connect them..
If all goes well, the outside will have a branch line that will deadend and will have an interchange with the mainline…
The way I plan on building this layout, it will still have two ""Ovals of Track"", because, I still like to see trains run.... Some days, I'll sit and watch them run, the same way, as I'll always look up, and watch an airplane fly, when I hear it pass... Whether it be a model, or real, there will always be a wonderment of watching it move, amazed that it can...
Didn't meant to get so long fingered there, sorry for the length... It just all got me to thinking.... <smile>