Large Scale Central

Why do we find "Operations" so fascinating?

Operations
#21

Sorry Steve;

More to the point on why: Working through a switch list in the freight yard and getting the cars blocked for departing trains gives a certain sense of satisfaction. Running a peddler freight and getting all the cars delivered/picked-up, while staying out of the way of the through trains is an accomplishment - plus the satisfaction of problem solving “on the fly.” Running the crack passenger train and “keeping it on the advertised” (on time to the printed schedule) can be a real rush for me. Operations is a chance to experience the romance of railroading minus the danger of injury or death when things go terribly wrong. It could be compared to the model railroader’s version of military video games - only we get to do it in three dimensions.

(I got up close and personal with the dangerous side of railroading while on duty keeping N&W running during the BRAC Strike of 1978. When you are tying up cars in the bowl of a hump yard while cars are drifting into the tracks on either side of you, you learn to pay close attention to stuff that could fall off cars and hit you - or scrap metal and other dangerous material hanging from gondola cars.)

Hope this helps,
David Meashey

#22
Dave Meashey said:
...Operations is a chance to experience the romance of railroading minus the danger of injury or death when things go terribly wrong...
This comes close to helping me understand.

I fly R/C and pilots are constiantly asking why I do not fly “The real thing”. I tell them I will start listening to them when they fly their P-51 Mustang in a full speed low-level grass cutting pass followed by a sharp climb into a split-S.

:slight_smile:

#23

Mr. MARK V; You could just say that it costs way to much to fly the real thing! I know as I have the license to operate the real thing but can no longer pass the medical and can not afford the costs! The maneuver you speck of is not a real good idea, however my father built the P-51 in WW II and told me that he had seen delivery pilots take off, stay level with the r/w then pull vertical and climb straight up untill out of sight! And that is what you call power!

Paul

#24

Why? Like it’s been said before, operation adds interest. Having a couple/few friends over to run the railroad isn’t much fun if it just runs around in a circle, the guys would get bored after a short while. However, give them a train to take from one end of the line to the other, working industries/towns in route increases the enjoyment and surprises them when they realize how much time they spent running the train. My HO layouts were always big on operation and now so is my outdoor railroad. As Dave Goodson once said, I don’t have an outdoor garden railroad but rather a railroad that happens to be outdoors.

#25

With large scale, it seems like operating sessions are more of a family affair. Whether it’s in Canada, Massachusetts, or Illinois, the kids and wives are invited and encouraged to operate. Jean and I always operate together and we always have a great time.

#26

Another fun part is that when I know that there are kids coming over, I can put together a couple simple switchlists. Hand them a controller, explain how it works, show them how to read the switchlist and let them go. They have a BLAST.

#27

How young?

#28

Usually around 9 or 10. There’s a new weekend driven by NE NMRA members, that started last year, “New England Large Scale”, where a handful of layouts were open for non-LSers to come by and see what all the hubbub is. Had a few families, and some guys come by that had only run HO or N.

But I regularly have 8-9-10 year old kids of friends come by. Just limit the throttle speed and no worries about Mario Andretti.

#29

It’s important to let the kids “play” with our trains if we want the hobby to grow. We have similar events at our club but it’s mostly just giving the kid a shot at the throttle.

Paul, my last R/C motor was a small turbine with 8 lbs of thrust…Not so sure real flying is cheaper! :smiley:

#30

I’ve gone through everybody’s answers, and this is what I’ve come up with… I haven’t tried to quote anyone, just got the high points.

Fun - Paul Norton - Everybody spoke of this, but Paul got there first.

Because watching a locomotive chase its’ caboose is boring. Paul, Bob McCown

Strategy Game - Andy Clarke

Rewarding - Satisfaction of completing the task - Andy

A puzzle to figure out - Bob

A social experience, a big, outdoor game, with friends, food and drink, and nobody gets tackled. - Bob, Bruce Chandler

Unless Rooster is around - Andy

Gives the railroad a purpose, makes it come alive. - Bruce Chandler

Because it’s there and I’ve always done it that way. - Kevin Strong (when you think about it, this is a very good reason)

A challenge, a game. Try to visualize your moves first, then see if the scenario works our as planned. - Ken Brunt

I have no choice, my layout is point to point. - Jon Radder (That’s as good a reason as any)

It’s a challenge to switch the local while keeping the main open for the varnish and the hot freights. - Ralph Berg, Dave Meashey

Very satisfying to solve problems “on the fly”, to keep the varnish running “on the advertised,” and experience the romance of railroading without the danger. - Dave

NOOBs are surprised when they realize how much fun they’ve had operating the train from one end of the layout to the other, switching the industries along the way. - Fred Ottusch

A family affair. Bruce and Jean spend many quiet evenings together operating their railroad. - Bruce

Keeps the kids busy at family gatherings. Getting the neighborhood kids involved in operating the RR gives them ownership in the RR rather than feeling any destructive urges. - Bob, Mark V

These are all good ideas, Keep them coming. Thanks.

#31

I love deadlines. I like the whooshing sound they make as they fly by. - Douglas Adams

#32
Andy Clarke said:
well, nobody gets tackled, unless Rooster is around... :)
Now that's not nice! Besides Roosters don't do operations as it requires to much thinking ;)
#33

Being interested in what the real railroads do will almost invariably lead to operations on the model railroad.

#34
Hans-Joerg Mueller said:
Being interested in what the real railroads do will almost invariably lead to operations on the model railroad.
It sure doesn't seem that way. I think that only a few really get into operations - it's never been covered very well in the press. I think to the average modeler it sounds too much like a strange cult and no fun at all.
#35
Bruce Chandler said:
Hans-Joerg Mueller said:
Being interested in what the real railroads do will almost invariably lead to operations on the model railroad.
It sure doesn't seem that way. I think that only a few really get into operations - it's never been covered very well in the press. I think to the average modeler it sounds too much like a strange cult and no fun at all.
Some or most of the articles that I had read about it made it seem overly complicated too, and for the longest time I was intimidated by that. At the same time, I didn't know anybody that actually did operations. I was involved in LS for quite a few years, before I found out that there are people around here that do that. Once I started getting involved with those people, and the different aspects of operating, then I started looking at the hobby in a whole new light. Even then, it took awhile before I got over the intimidation factor.

Even now, there are very few, if any, articles about operations in Garden Railways Magazine. And all the “Getting Started” pieces stress the “Keep it Simple” method. And I can understand that. The few articles I did read in GR early on, got a lot a negative feed back, which may explain why they don’t run more articles about it.

#36

I’ve belonged to a number of operating groups for the last 36 years. The thread those groups had in common: most of the members were/are intensely interested in how and why “things” happen on the prototype. Time spent on railfanning (which one can do everyday, depending on location) was/is usually equal to time spent on the MRR and operating.

Yes, there are those who find operating too much like “work”; a curious fact that I’ve noticed: the number of people who work for railroads and also belong to operating groups. :wink: :slight_smile:

#37

Yeah, I’ve sent in an article about operations, but they really weren’t interested. I probably used the wrong approach. :wink:

It’s hard to convey how much fun it is in an article. Just like it’s hard in a forum post to describe how you switched one particular industry and why it was so fun.

#38

All;

If you have not already read it, I would heartily recommend the Jack Armstrong book The Railroad: What It Is And What It Does. Some parts of the text will not work for steam era enthusiasts, but it is still a very useful book.

Best,
David Meashey

#39

It was said that many real railroaders are involved in operations on model railroads. On my old HO layout 7 regular members worked on a Class One railroad. That HO layout was designed for employing 6-10 guys to run it. My outdoor railroad is a “shortline” type operation requiring only myself or 3 people to run it and there are 3 of us who have worked for a Class One railroad. They all agreed that both model railroads were operated in a very prototipcal manner & that’s why they enjoyed the operating sessions.
One thing that might hold one back from designing their outdoor railroad for operation is the factor of turnouts (switches). They are quite costly plus most magazine articles encourage one to design a simple layout with a minimum of switches because they can result in more derailments. Just my 2 cents worth.

#40
Fred Ottusch said:
It was said that many real railroaders are involved in operations on model railroads. On my old HO layout 7 regular members worked on a Class One railroad. That HO layout was designed for employing 6-10 guys to run it. My outdoor railroad is a "shortline" type operation requiring only myself or 3 people to run it and there are 3 of us who have worked for a Class One railroad. They all agreed that both model railroads were operated in a very prototipcal manner & that's why they enjoyed the operating sessions. One thing that might hold one back from designing their outdoor railroad for operation is the factor of turnouts (switches). They are quite costly plus most magazine articles encourage one to design a simple layout with a minimum of switches because they can result in more derailments. Just my 2 cents worth.
Aha! In other words "they are out there". :D :D