Helpful Hints for Operating Model Railroads: Part 4: Yard and Industrial Switching

[@csmart287]

Easily the best operations video series on KZbin.

[@73h73373r357]

I wish this series would have gone on forever. This is GREAT for beginners.

[@CNLVN]

Thanks. A couple of yeers back I took the railroad down in anticipation of a move. As it turns out we didn't so now I am not sure what I want to do in the future

[@jhonny1392]

Hi Chris and Mike. Thank you very much for these four videos so informative and educational. Since long time ago that I didn't see such a good videos on UTube. I enjoyed every one of them; especially this one (4th). I think I speak on behalf of all modelers if I tell you that we would appreciate very much to continue with this serie. An excellent topic for an upcoming video would be to explain how to build a switch list and how this one operates a train. Cheers, John from Chile.

[@paelgin]

I forgot to mention: I found these videos through MRH email. Thanks for taking the time to share the great layout, as well as the thoughts, ideas and recommendations.

[@MineMountModels]

I am really glad I just spent the last hour watching your 4 part operations videos. Thank you for sharing and taking your time to make these. Keep up the beautiful model railroading.

[@alantrains]

Thanks again Mike and Chris. My layout is built, but what I was meaning was to include some of your operating tips into the way I operate my layout. Richmond yard looks awesome.

[@nealmarrison]

I appreciate you two putting this video up. It really helped me realize what is involved with switching not only the yard but also industries. I've never been to an operating session and hadn't a real grasp on this portion of our hobby. Thank you guys.

[@Harold8532]

This was the most educational series on operations that I have seen. Thanks for your excellent work presenting this.

[@08rabbitstew]

I sent it to a mate who is thinking of a working yard to add to his double loop track. He needs to operate rather than run trains.This explains lots in a simple format.

[@alantrains]

Thanks for an entertaining and enlightening hour or so of video Mike and Chris. A great production on operation. Now to figure out how to incorporate the principles into my 11' X 9' layout.

[@RichyArtist]

Thank you so much Chris and Mike, for a first-time operator, who is yet to build his layout, this has been incredibly helpful. I am looking forward to building my own layout, and using the principles you've shown us in this 4-part tutorial. Have a great Sunday!

[@CNLVN]

Glad it was helpful

[@paelgin]

Making me smile... 21:52 "He's a railfan. He was watching all along."

[@TheCamaro5]

Great video guys. Wish I could just come watch for a while. Love seeing that you have real loads in some of your cars.

[@mercedesumbrella]

Thanks so much for putting these together guys!

[@pauldauzart4633]

Excellent video!! Very informative. Layout looks great. Nice job!!

[@Taskforce1x1]

I like this layout and even more the informative 4 part video. It clears up alot of questions I have and even more some things I didnt know about track usage management. Keep the videos coming. Thanks

[@Railroadin818]

Very informational, thank you for posting the video.

[@tskone8326]

These Op sessions are the BEST.... The commentary absolutely Works...

[@CNLVN]

Glad it was useful for you.

[@BaronvonBavert]

very good the Yard and the video was very helpful.!!!!! Thanks

[@BastiaanBlinksma]

Nice switchting and marshalling,.. kind regards from NL

[@konradjagosutz8709]

Master layout, master job!

[@jcThib]

THANK YOU so much for this awesome video. Great layout!

[@jimtrack3786]

Mike and Chris, I just found the Lyon Valley Northern on You Tube and watched your tips on switching in the yard which was very helpful and enjoyable Are you guys in Canada? I am with the Paper Valley Model Railroad in the Appleton area of Wisconsin. I am looking forward to telling my fellow club members about your fine videos. Thanks so much for the friendly generous use of your time in producing these videos. Jim @ Paper Valley Model Railroad

[@CNLVN]

These are limited edition Ovarland Models (numbered). Rare to find and very expensive. I bought mine new when the limited run was done a few year's back. This is a model I always get comments on and offers. However it's a keeper. It is one of my favourites and I am so pleased and lucky to have one. You need to add your name to the brass wanted sites to get one.

[@CNLVN]

Glad the series was useful. There are lots of ways to do things. These approaches seem to work best for us. Thanks for your positive comment

[@raymondrion6712]

Thanks for the tips,great layout.

[@TJRohyans]

Excellent series of tutorial videos! I'm coming into HO Railroading at 42 after spending 20+ years in R/C airplanes and not having trains since I was a pre-teen. I've been learning a lot on model-railroad-hobbyist.com, but this is by far the most informative thing I've seen or read on how a train is operated prototypically. Thank you very much for the effort spent in putting this together!

[@CNLVN]

Glad the videos helped you TJ. Good to see folks getting back into this great hobby. Indeed Model Railroad Hobbyist is a fine resource.

[@djWarp6]

I liked the video. Thanks for posting...Very interesting!!

[@08rabbitstew]

Very informative and well made. Thank you.

[@HightowerLSSD]

Your video has helped me to understand operations and staging, as it were, on my own layouts. Thanks a bunch!

[@CNLVN]

Hi Thomas. Glad it was helpful

[@KenPryor]

Really enjoyed this series. Thanks for doing them!

[@CNLVN]

Your very welcome Ken

[@coxsj]

Thanks, nice vid. Not sure I buy all the recommended practices or yard design but good to see how others do things. Interesting to hear the talk about "lifts" and "drops". I'm used to "pickups" and "setouts" from the US but as a new Canadian I guess I need to get used to the local lingo. Thanks again. Nice layout too.

[@waltersobchek2465]

Watched these many times in preparation of building my yard so it may function well during operation. I got the water towers part down cold, but still learning how a yard should work. Great series of videos- thanks for sharing them!!

[@CNLVN]

Great Walter. Cheers to you and glad you enjoy our operations

[@dacuzzz]

great video...good info..thanks for sharing vinny

[@rubenvillanueva5107]

Excellent presentation, 1 through 4, easy to follow and informative. Gracias!

[@CNLVN]

+Ruben Villanueva Thanks Ruben. I am sure glad you got lots of good ideas from it.m

[@jimtrack3786]

Guys, I just subscribed. Thanks again!

[@STiGuy]

One of the things i like to do @ my personal home layout is what I call the Suprise Box. At some point in the session one person will pick a Suprise Card (we rotate people), and it will have a problem for them to have to overcome. For Example, if the person was operating a Mainline Wayfreight, he/she might get a card saying that their 2nd Loco is now unoperatable, & will need to be switched out for a replacement loco in the nearest yard. I just feel it adds some fun & realism to the operation.

[@CNLVN]

Thank you for your reply. Nice to know we are doing a good job of trying to capture real railroading.

[@1942mazda]

I agree. When you are approaching a place of the track where a choice is made to go left/right, you are approaching a facing switch. If you are approaching a place where two tracks become one, then you are approaching a trailing switch, that is, you're merging from one of two tracks to a single track.

[@CNLVN]

Thanks Christian. It took quite awhile to accumulate enough to get that effect.

[@frostgfx]

Awesome bunch of videos and a purpose (operations) built layout. I would recommend a video about dealing with issues like long hood forward ops and the settings on the throttle. I think you could build upon the Freight Yard book from Walthers and perhaps make a PDF booklet of some sort showing your operations principles. Happy New Year!

[@cnwtrain]

Good job guys. Explaining your moves was very helpful.

[@CNLVN]

cnwtrain Nice to see that it was useful for you. Thanks for coming by

[@peterg13]

Great stuff guys. Well done, thank you.

[@Harold8532]

Thanks for presenting this. It gives me some very good ideas for a small switching layout that I'm designing.

[@Primal67060]

The hell with Kadee. I stepped away from club standards and refitted all of my equipment with Sergent. No height issues, true scale, operate just like the real thing and are no where neer as fiddly in my opinion. Been workiing on the swap since late 07' and finished last year. It was expensive and time consuming but worth every penny.

[@hntrains2]

Nice of you to take the time and explain things to some of us out here!

[@CNLVN]

Glad you found the videos helpful. There are so many ways of doing things.

[@hntrains2]

There are lots, by all means!

[@dwayne75]

Great set of videos for newbies like me, thanks!

[@CNLVN]

+Dwayne Griffiths Your welcome Dwayne. Hope it helps you in your model train activities.

[@CNLVN]

Hi Jasper. I really like Alco's. I lived in Halifax Nova Scotia in the 90's and they were the switcher of choice. One of the joys of model railroading and being a freelancer you can run what you like. I used to have 7 of them but now I have a nostalgic one. Richmond Yard is named after the road where houses were flattened by the Halifax Explosion. I have a few more CN and BN Alco's around the railroad. They are always a favorite when the operators come to visit.

[@bmdouble]

cool to see some switching on the small scale.I wish I could grab the cars when I make cuts! A little too heavy,lol. Nevertheless good job!

[@mikeday62]

Great set of videos and nice layout!

[@CNLVN]

Mike Day Thanks Mike. I am amazed that this particular presentation has over 100k hits.

[@oaklandsdad]

nice vid, love your layout, man I wish I had that much layout space!

[@w.rustylane5650]

Love your layout. Static cameras put me off. I like the way you move the camera around to show different scenes on the layout. Nice job.

[@CNLVN]

+W. Rusty Lane Thanks Rusty. It is fun to pan almost like the modellers eyes as they operate a layout.

[@ARCHLENNY]

Thank you for posting this, this was great. I learned so much.

[@CNLVN]

+ARCHLENNY Your very welcome. This series has been help to lots of folks and we were so lucky to meet your expectations

[@CNLVN]

I have a NAR SD38-2. It was used on the Dunvegan Sub as main power on light rail on CNs Northern Alberta line. The GP40-2W can be used in this capacity as well. In recent years these locomotives have been used along with GP38-2 in large yards and short runs.

[@MainTrack]

Great video! Thank you for the tips. I subscribed and look forward to more videos!

[@CNLVN]

+Locomotive Mike Hi Mike. Welcome to the channel. Have fun

[@jonessy40]

Awesome video Very informative Thanks i learned alot

[@henamedthor]

Great video! Definitely helping me to understand doing more than just running in a circle. Thanks so much for making it. Looks like you have a great layout too.

[@CNLVN]

I am sure that doing some operations will indeed make your model railroading experience better.

[@CNLVN]

Great question Travis. I usually use the couplers provided and replace failed onest with a Kadee No.5s. I like them because they are durable reliable and inexpensive. All the other kadee couplers are excellent as well for special fittings or realism. Make sure the coupler heights are correct as well. Some may need a shim on the pocket to lower them or a washer on the truck to raise them. Use an NMRA gauge. Make sure you have replacement springs as they get knocked out sometimes.

[@CNLVN]

Thanks everyone for your feedback and great suggestions. I just finished doing a great interview with David Primeau. He discusses his pre operations considerations, his car card system and the schedules. His Vermont railroad serves as the backdrop for this discussion and points to consider.

[@4ennout2]

Fantastic set of video series. I (in the past) never really considered doing much in the way of operating cessions. I thought it would be to confusing and the fact I did not know anything about how to do it. You have explained the session very well. I am still in the building of my layout. I am going to try and incorporate some of your ideas in to it. Thanks for sharing, we'll be waiting to see more. Rick

[@CNLVN]

+MWRR R That is great Rick. Operations makes Model Railroading even more enjoyable for some. Better than just watching them go round and round.

[@lukenutterz]

As soon as I saw Procor, I liked the video. =D

[@CNLVN]

Luke Nutterz Procor is a very popular road name up here. Carries all kinds of commodities

[@mapexmac]

Admitting I'm new to switching/yard ops, I'm curious as to why (towards the very end of your demo) the picked-up string/cars weren't used to simply grab the empties which were finally spotted at the lumber yard - shove the empties back to the lumber yard, drop the empties, and THEN go back to Edmonton ONCE with the blocked cars in tow... As it is, the switcher had to make that extra dead-head journey back to the lumber yard to spot the empties AFTER bringing the blocked string to Edmonton...

[@25mfd]

Really nice vid. I was a switchman for the Chicago and northwestern for 10 years. Spent time on a yard engine. The things shown in the vid are true and correct. The REAL key to being a good switchman I learned, is being able to see as many moves ahead as possible. When switching, think CHESS not checkers. If you can see 10, 15 moves ahead, you will BREEZE through your work. What helps is to plan moves before leaving the yard office. A lot of it depends on experience as well. Your gonna make mistakes. But once you see what needs to be completed and how best to complete it, the switching mistakes will vanish.

[@CNLVN]

Well this is a very much appreciated comment. From a real railroader this indeed makes all of us modellers feel we are operating close to the prototype. Glad you enjoyed the video

[@greg55666]

This stuff all seems mind-numbingly simple. It is.

[@CNLVN]

Yes indeed. But if you use these basics you will find that yuu can operate the most complex model railroad efficiently

[@ShaharShoshan]

today i have learnd a lot!

[@bobjohnson6371]

Great video, thanks for posting it.

[@CNLVN]

+Bob Johnson Hi Bob. Glad you enjoyed Mike and I running trains.

[@davecampbell8756]

Good job weathering the cars.

[@richardhaight8620]

Thanks guys for the great operational video on switching cars. Lots of good information and very well explained. B.T.W. the RS18 sounds great.

[@CNLVN]

+Richard Haight Hi Richard. Always happy to be of help. Ya love the RS18s

[@CNLVN]

+Richard Haight Further to last have a look at this site. home.cogeco.ca/~trains/rrsoft.htm

[@josephjurkovic9116]

Can't get enoungh of this layout and operations, Thanks Chris

[@CNLVN]

Joseph Jurkovic Your very welcome Joseph

[@tourtravels9006]

What a marvelous design.

[@CNLVN]

Glad you enjoyed the Show Shane. I am in the process of working on a new video which focuses on Train schedules, priorities and operator considerations for oncoming trains. It will be probably ready in August.

[@thelowmein9143]

Wow bravo, seeing these concepts in action really cleared them up in my mind. I wish I could run with you guys, I'm sure I'd learn a lot!!

[@CNLVN]

+The Lowmein Glad you enjoyed the action. If you are ever in Ottawa Canada just give us a call and I am sure something can be arranged.

[@CNLVN]

This is a Kadee pick. they are great. The BBQ skewer does the same thing though. I recommend that you replace your horn hooked couplers with Kadees. I am not aware of an uncoupling tool for horn hooked couplers. Most newer models come with Kadee couplers or something compatible. Time to upgrade.

[@DavidAmmerlaan]

excellent series!

[@CNLVN]

***** Thanks David. It was lots of fun producing. Got to run lots of trains.

[@bmdouble]

I agree with treos17, the way I was taught in training was that trailing and switching points are determined by the switch points as you approach them,not how the engine is oriented.Maybe it's just a model railroad thing?

[@CNLVN]

Yes. You can uncouple anywhere. Create a little slack and put the BBQ skewer in between. A little twist and it opens. The problem with magnets is they are unreliable if your couplers are not evenly matched or the pins are not right. And will sometimes uncouple when you do not want them to. Also you can only uncouple at that spot.

[@brakie44820]

Smooth switching. The only thing I would have done differently would be to make my paper company drops first then respot the tank car..

[@ronoc931]

hello there guys, thank you verymuch for making this four part video, it really cleared some stuff up and it got me to understand even better on how railroads work and operate. i was wondering,are the cabooses ever used in a constist? or are they used as shoving platforms?

[@CNLVN]

Good luck Allen. Your space is ideal for a Richmond yard type design.

[@nyg21bd]

Great video, thanks for the information and terminology. I will be contructing my own basement two tier layout soon and you gave me some great ideas.

[@CNLVN]

+Willie Beamon Good luck Willie glad the videos were motivating and informative.

[@CNLVN]

Thanks Brian. Glad it was of value

[@CNLVN]

Thanks Alan. Glad the video was helpful.

[@jimworcester981]

Excellent discussion of switching! Very enjoyable! I prefer electric switch motors and uncoupling magnets so as to minimize human touching, but you operate the manual system very well! 😁

[@CNLVN]

The auto system can work well but it does restrict where you couple and uncouple. This is very key on busy layouts with multiple operators. Also means lots of maintenance on cars

[@CNLVN]

The peco turnouts have springs. Everything is hand thrown. There are four walthers kits for tank loading unloading. I spaced them based on the largest tank cars that would be in the facility

[@VE3NMW]

Good explanation of things!

[@CNLVN]

Terry Cox Thanks Terry. There are many ways to do things and I am happy this was helpful.

[@CNLVN]

Thanks very much for the comments Alice Lane. I think it is helpful to be a railfan and model railroader when shooting this stuff. I watch so many railfan videos, using the hand held Sony and being natural to move the camera like they do in 7 ideas productions and highball seems to achieve the look of being the model railroad operator moving with your train.

[@CNLVN]

Thanks very much for all your kind words. Mike and I wanted to share some ideas and we did these four videos in a single day. By no means did we make sure we had all our I's dotted and T's crossed so horn blast maybe out of wack and bell ringing not quite right but we had to operate and talk and I guess we had problems with the bubblegum chewing in some places. Thanks for the suggestions for future videos.

[@troysimpson9550]

TYVM Chris and Mike that was very informative =)

[@CNLVN]

Hi Troy, Glad that helps you in your model railroad operations. Cheers

[@JBofBrisbane]

Can also be relative to the running direction of trains on one side of duplicated track.

[@CNLVN]

The Red band was a safety band that was introduced to increase visability at crossings. This was stopped after a short while when reflective tape was introduced.

[@TheRedzGuy]

Hello there, nice layout you got there.

[@CNLVN]

It is good to network. I am sure he will appreciate the referral.

[@jasonthomas8602]

Highly Detailed very cool Info I hope to use some of this on my new Layout I hope to have video up of it soon so you can see it will let you know when its done.

[@CNLVN]

Looking forward to seeing your video Jason. Glad the info helped

[@rubenvillanueva5107]

Excellent, and very realistic!

[@CNLVN]

Thanks Ruben. There are many ways to skin a cat however that being said Mike and I find having some principles of operations really helps.

[@CNLVN]

The nice thing about timesaver trackplans. Doing things differently each time keeps the railroading in this area very interesting. I have seen this area done so many ways. Thanks for the comment.

[@CNLVN]

Glad it was helpful Harold.

[@CNLVN]

I think we are all saying the same thing. What we all say is true. As you approach would be you in the train so I think we can all be satisfied in terms of what needs to be done to get those cars where they need to be. Thanks again for your comments. They are most welcome..

[@FEROMODELISTAS]

I really liked your video I have a patio of maneuvers at home, but my question is this this is to do the least possible moves? thanks

[@JC2Productions]

Excellent tutorial, and I have followed it to a T on my layout. Only problem now is that my OP sessions now end with me blind drunk with a fake Canadian accent trying to recreate the unstoppable movie.

[@CNLVN]

That sounds like a great idea. A friend of mine has a hotbox detector where folks draw random cards for action.