Model Railroading 101 Model Railroad Operations for Beginners MR101

#trains #MR101 #railroad #railroads
So, you have your model railroad layout planned. You have your space, you have your trains... What next?
One of the things you will need to do is to decide how it's going to operate. Will you want to invite friends over to operate the layout like a real railroad? What do you need to know? How do you manage an operating session? What is it? Why do people even do it?
This introduction to model railroad operations is intended to give you some great ideas about how to answer some of these questions. Join me as I go talk to Seth Neumann, one of the co-authors of the Operations Special Interest Group's official book on this subject.
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[@Cold_Cactus]

Operations are multyplayer sessions lol

[@RonsTrainsNThings]

This is a great explanation of basic ops, John. Thanks for interviewing Seth and sharing.

[@ulilx3]

Great explains. But how do I do the math between scales? I'm making a car diorama and need the math to figure the dimensions for a building in 1/87 to convert to 1/24.

[@herbertplaire6599]

Could you please point me in the right direction for reading material for the subject of beginner railroading, I would deeply appreciate any help, I'm looking for a hobby to retire with in a few years.

[@dodo1opps]

It only takes about 5 minutes to find out that some people don't want you there. This came from "personal experience"...

[@jwrailve3615]

I find it impossible to do legitimate card systems on my own I’m horrible at it I never know how to simulate it and it makes sense

[@n-scaleunionpacificevansto6569]

This is an outstanding video, John. When we finish building our layouts (or even as we're in the process of building our layouts), we begin to think about operating our trains in ways that simulate real train operations. This video is very helpful in doing just that. Thanks for sharing it. ...Roy

[@herbertplaire6599]

I would like to know how to get started with a passenger commuter line then start with freight.

[@HVACSoldier]

That looks like an extensive system.

[@zachpare206]

For diesel engines, how do railroads decide how many is needed or how they are spaced through the train?

[@deltanine6497]

Not a professional railroader here but I'll give it a try: The tonnage of the train, grades, and weather are some factors. I suspect there is also a figure of merit, of some sort, applied regarding maintenance. Distributed power helps equalize the strain the draft gear and couplers experience. On some passenger trains like Caltrain or Metra here in Chicago, the locomotives are placed on one end of the train and left there; an additional control stand etc is placed at the end of one of the coaches (cabcar) in a push-pull arrangement.

[@zachpare206]

@@deltanine6497 hey thanks! This will definitely help me be much more prototypical in my operations!

[@deltanine6497]

@@zachpare206 Very glad to hear Zach. Best wishes to you!

[@peterjhillier7659]

What an interesting Film John, please Thank Seth. Here in Britain sometimes, especially in older Days, Signalmen in Signal Boxes were called Bobbies, ie a slang Tern for Policemen which came from earlier Days of Railways in this Country before the Absolute Block System was introduced. On the Norfolk and Western I read that they used to have Time Freights what were those, did they run like Passenger Trains to a Booked Point to Point Time within an Absolute Block signalling System?

[@oldschool7743]

Awesome video as always! newbie, subs too.. just started the hobby last month, purchased a used Athearn SP blue box.

[@duncang55]

Having made the run a number of times, I'd love to do ops for the Southwest Cheif with Winslow AZ in the middle and a few locations either side being constantly screwed over by freight ops (which I would also run). How do I determine a track layout for something as simplistic(?) as that? Like I know Winslows has a bunch of tracks, but no idea if the yard is there or Williams or somewhere east...

[@gillessueiro4771]

Thank you John, finally an interesting video on ops! Kudos for putting this very informative podcast together. I just would like to briefly describe how I operate on my layout . My ops are based on existing time tables, I have a bedroom layout ( but one isn't needed), I have six basic "components": (1): a loop of track (HO: 30FT4 IN, .5 scale mile) , (2): a train, (3): a lap counter for mileage (modified 6 dollar calculator activated by track sensor), (4): a scale speedometer ( can use a stop watch in a pinch), (5): a regular clock or watch,(6): extrapolate a schedule based on the real TT ( they contain times for departures/arrivals, mileage between station etc), The goal is to start you train on time and respect the speeds between stations and the stops/ speed restrictions etc and of couse arrive on time! So, for a few dollars one can get going without having an empire in his/her basement. In fact if one doesn't own a layout, I would argue that one could set this up on Friday night have fun all weekend and tear it down on Sunday night. IMO beats the hell out of just watching trains go in circles without a destination. From there the sky is the limit maybe hook up a computer (I'm currently looking into the CTI Train Brain system) to run signals, display station names/photos as you go through them, throw in speed restrictions, sound etc. Anyways, I'm having fun with this and thought I'd pass it along to people looking for a fairly easy way to get started in OPS. Food for thought. Happy railroading to all.

[@alpteknbaser7773]

👏🙏

[@daniellucas6573]

Not only because I work in a railyard, but with my model trains, I began to really appreciate that aspect of operations; the fact of "giving the locomotives something to do!" It also got me to go DCC and put decoders in much of my fleet!

[@beeble2003]

0:55 "So let's talk about operations for just a minute." The remaining 41 minutes of the video will consist of me singing my favourite show tunes. 🤣

[@bufo333]

Can you use jmri to fully automate the lights horns, signals, switches, time tables, and car movements? For a display railroad that would run 24/7?

[@SGTGhost]

am still loving all these Model Railroading 101 videos

[@tsgmultimedia]

I told you it would get better! :)

[@jasonboche]

I've been operating for many years. This is a fantastic video and I really enjoy Seth's presentation approach. I've subbed and I'll be watching more in the future. Thank you. ps. Not sure if I missed it but JMRI Operations was probably worth a mention.

[@IronHorseRailways]

Very thoroughly done! But I need to know, that intro guitar music! What's it from??

[@tsgmultimedia]

Hey IHH I'm going to answer this question in the podcast this Saturday at 9AM (Pacific).

[@UPTwinCities]

Great video, John. Thanks for sharing your knowledge, Seth!

[@msmrrc-midsouthmodelrailro7075]

John, love the video. Seth does a great job of giving a basic just of what operations is all about. Operations is just another aspect of the hobby that makes this one of the greatest hobbies in the world. I would suggest next Ops 101 you do, if there is another planned, one on a model railroad that uses JMRI Operations. This would allow us viewers to see both sides of the spectrum. We use JMRI at the MSMRRC and have done so for a little over a decade. We love the program and the open source community that is running it and the advancements that are being made.

[@lonnievickerman1990]

All of this is interesting !! For one operator such as myself, this turns fun into work.

[@sparky107107]

i do like the switch list idea. and seth gave me another good idea. a rail yard where trucks park beside the rail cars to load or unload. this youtube thing might just catch on ! lots of information out there. thanks John. always nice to hear of, and learn different things .

[@matthewanderson3864]

I love your intro man sounds like something from Van Halen It has Eddie Van Halen's tone

[@duncang55]

For those that didn't know, time zones were created for the railroad for time table dispatching.

[@muir8009]

I believe the Railways actually created consistent time zones in accordance with GMT. There's that superb example of the Brunels' clock on the guildhall with two minute hands, shows how much social impact the railways had

[@CreativeRails]

Great video once again! Great explanations of different ops methods.

[@keeganseva3975]

The level of detail provided is amazing! Not too much to lose me, completely new to the hobby and operations, but enough to still be useful and help plan future ideas. Thanks!

[@tsgmultimedia]

Great to hear! Seth is a great guy, and knowledgeable about every facet of model railroading!

[@JoeG-firehousewhiskey]

Very nice video, very detailed and informational. Operations is a very fun aspect of the hobby

[@tsgmultimedia]

Yep! More fun to me than just going in circles.

[@muir8009]

Excellent video with wonderful explanations and examples, I just hope it's not giving the impression that operations need switching, switch lists, industries, and freight only. Not least having a detailed, realistic layout. 1912: gauge 2, double oval in a room, with branches, 2 and 3 platform terminii etc, clockwork. I bring this up as the layout was tight radius tinplate, all track with minimal scenery. Very complex operations, all absolutely correct interlocked signaling, and the owner could get a weekday paddington to Bristol timetable and run it correctly (which was the main object of the layout). Just FYI

[@realwildman]

Great Video. I've been using JMRI operations for car movements on my layout, so far I'm the only "crew" working the layout. As a note when shooting a long interview like this I find it way better to shoot with two cameras (or move the one camera back and forth between takes) so that way you can cut back and forth giving the viewer different angles rather than just zoom in zoom out.

[@tsgmultimedia]

Hi Fred and thanks for watching. About your video comment: it was shot with two cameras. Space was a bit limited so it might not have been as apparent to the layperson, but I would never shoot this kind of video without two cameras. :D

[@realwildman]

@@tsgmultimedia I apologize , the two shot angles where so close together that it was very hard to tell. I did watch some again and I could see your angles, after I said something (of course). I do understand about shooting in limited space. Keep these videos coming. I really liked this one and I'm look forward to future videos, especially ones on operations.

[@deltanine6497]

Outstanding! This is the best video I've seen explaining the basics of model railroad operation. Jen

[@tsgmultimedia]

Thanks Jen. Seth literally wrote the book (or co-authored to be more precise). :)

[@BlackWolfessUSCM]

Opertions on my layout was never a priority so it became the foundation ffor how my mini operations work. I hve 3 main trains. one will start from one end of the layout and as it turns around at the opposite end, the next train comes out. when they pass nd the first train gets home, the third train goes out passing the second train. SO basically ech train operates alterntively. "Out one dy, back the next" This way it opens up for additional traffic on my layout if club members come by. uit me fine since I like just running them personally. Also ignore my grammar, my keyboards busted and I needed a new decoder over it heh. Oh I thought I'd add, the reason my mini operation works that way is my freelance is a cargo handoff between Wisconsin Central and Candian National with the Blackwolf Mountain having oint trackags rights after Duluth to Thunder Bay (This give them track priority over most trains unles a CN Manifest come through in which case they take the back seat.) It is fun, however having someone run y an amtrak train andcausing a diruption to diptching haha, but I don't worry bout tht unles running a sesion.

[@book1957]

Great start. Seth is very good at explaining some of the ways of operating. Like he said can get to much paper work. Real railroads run paper work. There is so much more can get into later.

[@teresa8793]

Are you BG?

[@tsgmultimedia]

No I'm JA. What are you? TS?

[@SFCRambo60]

I like your post, it is very interesting and educational, but is there anyway to cut your segments into 15 minute so it doesn't get boring. Even better would be 10 minutes. Thank you.

[@ricardojuricic9027]

Hi but I found it great! Great stuff all along. Though ... at the same time, your suggestion is quite right too; as long and behold that one video takes you onto the next one sort of Alpha to Beta to Charlie to Delta and so on till Zulu if it is that long hahaha!!!

[@ryzenforce]

Showing how operations are in a real layout with the voice over would have been much more informative than just watching someone talking for 30 min...

[@tsgmultimedia]

Keep watching the series. There's plenty of that in episodes that came out after the introductory one. This episode has more information than you can shake a stick at. I get what you're saying, but I'm not sure what more you could have wanted in terms of useful info.

[@ryzenforce]

@@tsgmultimedia Don't get me wrong here, the information was truly awesome! But since this is a 101 kind video, showing real example of what was said for beginners would have been better imo.

[@tsgmultimedia]

You would enjoy the podcast segments I do when I'm out operating. I explain stuff with the trains on screen. Have you seen those?