Following my last blog on this subject Trevor Marshall was kind enough to point out Mike Confalone’s work with super weighting cars. In a post on the Model Railroad Hobbyist forums Mike wrote: “Bottom line, if you want really reliable operation, and more importantly, prototypical operation, you should consider adding a LOT more weight to […]
Category: Operations
Capturing A Sense of “Mass”
Creative fulfillment aside, one the main reasons I model railroads is that I’m mesmerized by the full size version. In particular, the sense of overwhelming mass and the stunning horsepower numbers it takes to move just a few cars. (A GP38-2 tips the scales at 125 tons.) As I watch YouTube videos such as THIS […]
Tom Klimoski’s Georgia Northeastern RR
Featured in the upcoming issue of Model Railroad Planning is community member Tom Klimoski’s Georgia Northeastern Railroad. A sneak peak of this excellent layout is shown in his recently produced YouTube video. Shown below is his track plan. There are some great lessons to be learned from Tom’s efforts. A few that stand out to me […]
Instant On Layouts
Topic: Model Railroad Design Topic: Model Railroad Operations East rail was an ‘instant on’ layout. In the evening, after my family duties were met, I could grab an ice cold beer, hit the switch, and run. This, sub-conscious ease of use, encouraged an atmosphere where I was operating almost daily. Is your layout […]
Coupling Cars, “Give me a stretch”
Topic: Model Railroad Operations So, how are your coupling skills? Are you doing everything by the book? Are you sure? In the January issue of The Dispatcher’s Office*, professional rail Dan Sylvester writes, “When making a joint (coupling) the speed should not exceed 4 mph. Stop and stretch the coupling to make sure the […]