Getting out more often to rail fan industrial switching operations has had a direct impact on how much I enjoy operating my layout. The above shot was taken a few months ago in Annapolis Junction, MD.
I was a little surprised with the response I received from my recent Operations 101 YouTube videos. What it comes down to….I think….is that most of us don’t really know how to “play” with our trains. We put all of this effort into building our models….,we engage with the hobby community, and still it comes to “What in the sam hell do I do with all of this?!!”
What doesn’t help is the negative image people conjure up when they hear the term “operations” or worse yet…”FORMAL operations”. Boredom. Stress. Being forced to follow rules and procedures we don’t want to follow. Total confusion and disorientation when visiting another modelers layout. Confusing paperwork. The hobby has brought it upon itself and I’m as guilty as anybody (my apologies to anybody that attended my early operating sessions). Let’s step back for a second and do a re-boot.
I do, in fact, have friends with larger layouts that routinely and successfully host monthly sessions with multiple operators. They are in the distinct minority. My readership base skews towards smaller, modern era, industrial and branchline themes. The multi-operator, long mainline run, session you normally associate with “operating sessions” doesn’t apply to you. You will be operating solo. That fact alone changes everything. It gives you total freedom to set a session up anyway you please. Common sense dictates that you should do so in a way that maximizes your satisfaction does it not? Nobody cares how you do things. They really don’t. That being the case, let’s take a look at some ways to approach operating that might make things more satisfying. Obviously, these thoughts are totally subjective.
For me, the chess game aspect of operations has zero appeal. Moving a six inch long piece of plastic (aka a freight car) in front of another piece of plastic (aka a structure) does nothing for me. What does interest me is capturing the prototype experience. Visualizing the power,mass, vibe and rhythm of prototype railroading is what I enjoy. To do that I need a library of mental images that I can ratchet back and forth from when I’m running. The only way to build that library is through watching videos and rail fanning. (A subtle caution on the videos….as a practical matter, video producers need to edit out much of the process. If you dig around you can find some where this cropping is not done or at least is limited).
So, the first step is building that mental library. The second is to gain a basic understanding of what happens when the prototype performs switching operations. Professional railroaders, on the whole, are great folks that are extremely generous and patient when it comes to explaining things. That’s your first source. The other is going back to the videos and studying them. Finally, if you can, do some rail fanning.
Once you know the steps involved, what a real railroad actually does, you’re then in a position to apply those procedures in a way that you find most satisfying. The steps that a modeler incorporates, or chooses to skip, will vary from person to person. How fast you run? Up to you. How long to pause between moves? Up to you. Props or no props? You get the idea.
Personally, I try to run at least once a week and generally go for thirty to forty-five minutes. My approach is: Run….Pause…..Sip…..Visualize….Relax….Repeat. I’ll do a move, pause while I visualize an operation going on in the field (Three step, walking, opening a gate, etc.), take a sip of coffee or adult beverage, then move on to the next step. This is a hobby. We’re evolving into a “cat chasing a laser pointer…check your phone every few minutes” species. Industrial switching operations provides an opportunity to escape from that hamster wheel…but only if you let it.
Sidebar. Professional railroader Tom Holly has been very generous with his time when it comes to educating me on how the pros do it. We all appreciate it Tom! As part of my “training” he sent me THIS video of a NS switch crew in action. If your scroll to the 2:30 mark you’ll see what’s involved in the basic act of throwing a switch. First you have to unlock it. Then you do a quick visual check of the points. Note the pace they are working at. The locos are moving slightly above walking speed. He also sent me THIS CSX training video explaining the importance of and procedures related to hand brakes. I represent dealing with this step with a short pause.
On the same subject, Matty Gunn produced THIS excellent video of a very basic loads-for-empties swap that gives you a good sense for speed, pacing and the steps involved.
