TRAIN OPERATIONS IN THE GARDEN DONALD NUTE http://laketownandshire.net 2009 SEGRS

What do you do in an operating session? Run trains with a purpose. Transport passengers and/or freight from point of origin to destination. Construct trains with cars headed in the same direction. Pick up and drop off cars at industries. Arrange for trains to meet and/or pass each other.

Three questions that need to be answered to operate trains. How do I design my layout for the kind of operations I want? How will the trains be controlled? How will cars be dispatched?

How do I design my layout for the kind of operations I want? Real railroads operate from point-to-point. For operations on garden railroads, shorter trains seem to work best. Some shortline railroads like the ET&WC only operated one train on their line at a time. Many railroads operate several trains at once, sometimes in different divisions.

Simple one train operation

Adding Industries and Stretching the Line

Passing Siding for Two or Three Trains

How will the trains be controlled? DC – traditional track power – block wiring for multiple trains. DCC – Digital Command Control track power – simple wiring for multiple trains. Battery power with radio control – no wiring, cheaper aluminum track can be used. Live steam – probably not feasible.

DC – traditional track power – block wiring for multiple trains. Track is powered with low voltage DC current. Direction and speed controlled by changing polarity and voltage of current. Remote control possible without modifying locomotives. Simple wiring for one locomotive. Track must be divided into blocks for multiple locomotives.

DC block wiring with engine parking.

DC block wiring with passing sidings

Digital Command Control – running your trains instead of your track. Track is powered with low voltage AC current instead of DC current. Digital signals are sent over the track to decoders in each locomotive. Multiple trains can go at different speeds in different directions. Must install a decoder in each locomotive. Only need one track block.

Battery power with radio control. Track is not powered. Batteries must be carried in locomotive or in battery car behind locomotive. Multiple trains can go at different speeds in different directions. Must install a radio receiver in each locomotive. Batteries must be recharged.

How will cars be dispatched? Switch Lists Way Bills Simplified Way bills Paperless Car-Routing System

Switch list Leave Hobbiton at 8:00 with LT&S 1234 boxcar MERR 5678 gondola Arrive Mirkwood Forest at 8:30 pickup LT&S flatcar 9012 at Lumber Camp pickup LT&S flatcar 3456 at Lumber Camp Arrive Mines of Moria at 8:47 drop MERR 5678 at Coal Mine Arrive Lake Town 3 at 9:13 drop LT&S 1234 at Industrial Supply drop LT&S 9012 at Lumber Mill drop LT&S 3456 at Lumber Mill

Way Bills Car #: 1234 Owner: LT&S Car type: boxcar Load: widgets Destination: Industrial Supply, Laketown Car #: 5678 Owner: MERR Car type: gondola Load: empty Destination: Coal Mine, Mines of Moria

Simplified Waybills LT&S 1234 boxcar Hobbiton, Widget Factory Laketown, Industrial Supply Laketown, Lumber Mill Hobbiton, Pallet and Crate MERR 5678 gondola Mines of Moria, Coal Mine Hobbition, Widget Factory Laketown, Lumber Mill

Paperless Car-Routing System Assign a different color to each town or major industrial siding. Assign a letter to each industry. Prepare train cards with instructions and town/industry codes. Prepare tags (steel washers work well for garden railroads) with appropriate color-letter combinations. Place an appropriate tag on each car.

Train cards – a simple example

Train cards – town/industry side Hobbiton A. Pallet and Crate B. Widget Factory Mirkwood Forest C. Lumber Camp Misty Mountains D. Coal Mine Lake Town E. Lumber Mill F. Industrial Supply

Train cards – instruction side Train 100, east-bound, starts in Hobbiton and ends in Laketown. Drop off all cars routed for Mirkwood Forest and the Mines of Moria as you reach the sidings. Deliver cars to Laketown industries. Leave your engine on the Industrial Supply siding and give this card to the dispatcher.

Train cards – instruction side Train 101, west-bound, starts in Laketown and ends in Hobbiton. Drop off all cars routed for Mirkwood Forest and the Mines of Moria as you reach the sidings. Deliver cars to Hobbiton industries. Leave your engine on the Widget Factory siding and give this card to the dispatcher.

Colored washers indicate car destination

A loop-to-loop design lets you turn engines.

A loop-to-loop design with a turntable can operate as two divisions.

Yard design for operations Switching problems can be fun, but they are a pain in the neck during an operating session. DON’T BUILD A SWITCHING PROBLEM INTO YOUR LAYOUT. Real railroads arranged track to make switching as easy as the circumstances would allow. Design your yards for easy switching.

Simple “yards”

Rivendell Yard on the Lake Town & Shire

No-Switching Operating Session

No-Switching Operating Session This is a good mode when you have a lot of operators with little experience. Assign one train to each operator. Each train stops at each passing siding or reverse loop until the dispatcher gives it clearance to go to the next passing siding or reverse loop. No cars are switched.

Multiple operating modes on the Lake Town and Shire No Switching mode Two Divisions mode End-to-End mode

Operations on the Laketown & Shire DCC track power; manual switching. Monthly operating sessions. Ages six and up. Two-man crews for switching modes. Paperless Routing System. Dispatcher moves routing tags as needed. Separate loop for training and very young operators.