05-23-2011, 08:55 AM
Some of you may know that I like to model "situations" that sometimes go "beyond the scope" of what is seen or heard of on the model railroad. I call this "Situational Model Railroading". I have come up with some real life situations that can be re-created on the model railroad. These can be used when on any size layout in any scale. These can be great if you have a "op session" or just by yourself.
Here's an easy 1 for you to try out. It's used by all railroads, mostly in and around yards. I'll give you the "yard version" here for easy reference, but either way, all you need are a few "basic" items:
RIP (or shop) track: any piece of track on your layout that a "defective" car(s) can be switched to/from for repairs.
"defective" cars: any car(s) your "car department" finds that needs "repairs" (pick a few at random from your yard or train)
Railroads must constantly inspect railcars, usually during a brake test or upon arrival at a yard. Car Dept. people look for obvious signs of repairs on ALL railcars (brake shoes, hand brakes, flat spots...etc). When defects are found, they need to be repaired BEFORE the car can depart. Simple repairs (brake shoes..etc) usually can be done where the car sits. But, often, the car may require more extensive repairs that will take hours to complete. When this happens,the car department will need to have the car placed where it can be safely repaired (shop or shop track), and out of the way of other movements (RIP track). This requires a "special move" by the local. This car needs to be switched out of the yard or train, and placed to either a shop or RIP track for repairs. This "creates" a switching move for your model railroad because it's part of the operations. You see, switching is not only about moving loads and empties to and from destinations. It's also about other "behind the scenes" moves the railroads need to do to function on a daily basis. Things that most people never see and are rarely ever modeled.
It's a "simple" switch for your crew that can be made more complex depending on the amount of cars to be switched or the order in which they need to be placed into the shop track. You can control the complexity, depending on your mood. (maybe you have a "hotshot" know-it-all operator in your group that needs a surprise ) I've seen "shop moves" on the NYS&W take 4 hours to complete. With that NYS&W move, that crew switched just about everything in their shop including pass. equip., loco's and even Budd coaches...all in the same session. So there too, is a lesson to show that the moves don't need to be with just freight cars. Pick a couple of cars (or locomotive), at random, from your yard, or better yet, from your next departing train, and instruct the crew that these cars need to go to some track for repairs. Surprise!
Now, when these cars have been "repaired", they need to be routed to their destinations ASAP. Get your yard crew back to the shop to get these cars out. You just created 2 simple moves for your yard crew that could take much of the op session to complete without even leaving the yard.
For those of you with your "layout under construction" (all of us ), you can still have "operations" even though you don't have any customer sidings yet. You don't need customer sidings for a local to service when they can be busy in the shop track for awhile.
These moves are done every day on real railroads, why not try it on yours.
Here's an easy 1 for you to try out. It's used by all railroads, mostly in and around yards. I'll give you the "yard version" here for easy reference, but either way, all you need are a few "basic" items:
RIP (or shop) track: any piece of track on your layout that a "defective" car(s) can be switched to/from for repairs.
"defective" cars: any car(s) your "car department" finds that needs "repairs" (pick a few at random from your yard or train)
Railroads must constantly inspect railcars, usually during a brake test or upon arrival at a yard. Car Dept. people look for obvious signs of repairs on ALL railcars (brake shoes, hand brakes, flat spots...etc). When defects are found, they need to be repaired BEFORE the car can depart. Simple repairs (brake shoes..etc) usually can be done where the car sits. But, often, the car may require more extensive repairs that will take hours to complete. When this happens,the car department will need to have the car placed where it can be safely repaired (shop or shop track), and out of the way of other movements (RIP track). This requires a "special move" by the local. This car needs to be switched out of the yard or train, and placed to either a shop or RIP track for repairs. This "creates" a switching move for your model railroad because it's part of the operations. You see, switching is not only about moving loads and empties to and from destinations. It's also about other "behind the scenes" moves the railroads need to do to function on a daily basis. Things that most people never see and are rarely ever modeled.
It's a "simple" switch for your crew that can be made more complex depending on the amount of cars to be switched or the order in which they need to be placed into the shop track. You can control the complexity, depending on your mood. (maybe you have a "hotshot" know-it-all operator in your group that needs a surprise ) I've seen "shop moves" on the NYS&W take 4 hours to complete. With that NYS&W move, that crew switched just about everything in their shop including pass. equip., loco's and even Budd coaches...all in the same session. So there too, is a lesson to show that the moves don't need to be with just freight cars. Pick a couple of cars (or locomotive), at random, from your yard, or better yet, from your next departing train, and instruct the crew that these cars need to go to some track for repairs. Surprise!
Now, when these cars have been "repaired", they need to be routed to their destinations ASAP. Get your yard crew back to the shop to get these cars out. You just created 2 simple moves for your yard crew that could take much of the op session to complete without even leaving the yard.
For those of you with your "layout under construction" (all of us ), you can still have "operations" even though you don't have any customer sidings yet. You don't need customer sidings for a local to service when they can be busy in the shop track for awhile.
These moves are done every day on real railroads, why not try it on yours.