What's Important when designing a Model Railroad for Operations

[@TheTrainFreak]

Jimmy, great information as always. When I do layout designs for others, I always tell my clients to "research" what they are trying to replicate before coming up with a design because researching how an industry actually works can change the original design. It has happened for me many times already on my own personal layout and a few clients. Research, Research, and Research should be the very first thing a modeler should do if wanting to do operations. - Jason

[@melkitson]

Always sensible. Your enthusiasm shines through Jimmy. My new roof is on and the resulting cleanup is almost finished. Just a little cement left on the tracks! Should be back to building and running soon.

[@williamj3843]

Thanks for your continuing series on model railroading. I am finding SCARM useful for testing operations prior to actually committing to a track plan. I'll be modelling a short line with older motive power on a 2.6x6 foot table with an entry/exit fiddle yard extending from either end. There will be several primary loops with the outside, largest turn radius, representing the Class 1 I connect to. The inner track will be operated with older/shorter equipment at much lower speed to switch industries. Still fiddling since the railroad will become my retirement hobby in a year or so. I have been watching your videos with my track designer up on the other screen for reference.

[@HumancityJunction]

Congrats on 30k Subs. Operations is completely new to me as my focus has always been a railfanning layout. I am sure I will encounter some expensive lessons, but I have many MANY design versions of my layout on the computer before I purchased anything. It is a great modern tool that there are CAD for layout design.

[@user-qr7ee2cp4y]

All that's important is that you have fun by yourself or with friends and loved ones. Always thought railroading could be a fun hobby for a parent and child or grandparents and and grandchildren. Command control makes it so easy to run multiple trains on a layout...

[@cuebj]

That should mean defining your fun and working back from there. Eg, focus on grandchildren - what age range and what limitations (eg autism, learning disability, physical disability, height). Or focus on a group of fellow old men playing with trains while enjoying a beer or two. Or a bunch of rivet counting master modellers? One person or one group's fun could just frustrate another person or group. But I'm the type who dives in without much forethought so I'm preaching to myself here!

[@HVACSoldier]

That’s what I did with my layout. I use Kato. I added a modified Manning Oaks, but I flipped the orientation.

[@NitroStarGT]

Isn't the Manning Oaks a good example of a main line, run-a-round track with 2 yards on the inside track?

[@HVACSoldier]

@@NitroStarGT Yes.

[@4everdc302]

Great presentation Jimmy👍You taking a cheap shot of my Roman Coliseum of trains running in circles 🤣lol Have Fun🚂🇨🇦🇺🇲🙋

[@richardcolemanjr3749]

The simple and scenic concept is the way to go if you are on a budget. Building an industrial row makes switching at industries interesting.

[@joeraderblackrockcentralrr]

Great tips for those getting started

[@leeverink32]

What you could do also is use marklin C-track this can only be used in one way because the track bed cant be changed. This is usefull if u dont want the hasstle of figuring this out for yourself.

[@arcticshark1808]

A turntable is not always needed on a layout a small switching layout with a small engine could pull a train backwards or forwards and it wouldn't look bad

[@Caldermologist]

I prefer to start with the purpose of the railroad. Not from my perspective, but from those little folks who need it to move their goods and passengers. Everything you brought up here follows from that.

[@robertlewis7237]

THANK YOU FOR YOUR Basic video on operation

[@bobsinclair9886]

YOU A VERY GOOD TEACHER

[@brianpagemodeltrains]

Great advice, Jimmy - Thanks for the great tips as always.

[@georgedwilkinson]

Excellent tutorial! Thank you!

[@NorthernBandit1]

Great advise...Thank you!

[@marciebalme588]

excellent video

[@Dclagg1]

Hey man, could you do a video on couplers? For example, I’m not to the hobby. My train set that I bought to get my feet wet in the hobby have knuckle couplers. Well I bought some rolling stock on eBay and my couplers don’t line up or it was a a different style. I just figured it would be an easy swap well it doesn’t appear that way. I know it my fault because I didn’t do my homework first but I think a video on couplers would be great.

[@bigskypeach406]

Something I'm doing on my next railroad (in the planning stages) is Kato unitrack on the main line, and peco flex/turnouts for my yards and industries. The benefit of this is my main will be reliable, quick to get trains running, and I get complete artistic freedom with my turnout geometry and yard layout.

[@marioxerxescastelancastro8019]

Great idea: Combine the worst of both worlds!

[@dianapengitore8002]

Great information, thank you.

[@averageguy7136]

Great video. Thanks.

[@michaelpfister1283]

Awesome comments, Jimmy. I suspect you've already saved me from more than one expensive pit-fall. :-) Honestly, my main quibble with a lot of layouts are the double cross-overs. I don't see them hardly anywhere in prototypical operation, though I am sure they are there somewhere. That being said, it doesn't bother me much and I totally get the space issue they solve, but I elected not to put them on my own design, electing to instead force operations to use switches widely spaced around the layout. It makes me think about what I am going to do and how to build the trains a lot more, which is part of the fun of operations. :-) Power is always fun as well, I like the older high-nose diesels so I've compromised a bit and actually bought a locomotive that was way outside what I like for road names and ... repainted it! Now I have a grungy old GP-7 serving its last days as a yard switcher. Based partially on your tips to shop for used and do some painting. Thanks again!

[@atshinkansen7439]

The double crossovers may have something to do with Kato’s Japanese origins. I model Japan in N scale, so Unitrack is perfectly at home for my application. Those double crossovers are all over the place on the prototype system, especially at stations.

[@michaelpfister1283]

@@atshinkansen7439 that would make sense then. They are very convenient for model systems for space saving, so a lot of folks use them and that’s great.

[@loganceller7541]

Is it better to put switches on a curve

[@eastcoastrailroad8209]

Great tips

[@loganceller7541]

I have diesel and have the hog warts train ordered I’m on a 4x8 don’t know what track to use what do you suggest

[@bobsinclair9886]

THANK YOU

[@doublediamondrailroad5949]

Is that a Fox Valley GP60? I have one not yet broken in.

[@DIYDigitalRailroad]

yes it is!

[@brandonbuell3519]

Wonderful, wonderful video! So much of this information feels like it is kept secret and not readily shared. I think most of that time, that's not actually the case, but thank you for making this video and explaining more about operations!

[@marioxerxescastelancastro8019]

What was said in this video is common wisdom among rail modelers. It is no secret. You are just, let us say, hard of understanding.

[@nevessl576]

@@marioxerxescastelancastro8019 Maybe where you are it is, but not where I've been. So no, it's not just that I'm hard of understanding.

[@thomascanady1967]

Hey Jimmy! Drinking my Walmart coffee and wonder what is your opinion on hot glue guns? Mini or standard size sticks? I found a source for micro brushes on eBay(400 pc.) and 7ml pipettes(500 pc.). I was wondering if a hot glue gun is worth the time for model railroading.

[@anfieldroadlayoutintheloft5204]

good vid

[@PhilippinesDarrellCheeks]

Awesome video

[@wdstauter8429]

I have small switch yard at my grain elevator and a factory across from elevator. How do you hook and unhook cars? My fumble fingers derail everything, so I have some empty card staged but don’t really run operations

[@DinsdalePiranha67]

Rix sells an uncoupling tool. Myself, I just use a toothpick. I've also seen folks using bamboo skewers and chopsticks.

[@ironhorsehistorian9871]

@@DinsdalePiranha67 those are good tools to use

[@TouchoftheBrushModelWeathering]

Awesome !

[@raymondleggs5508]

Plastic roadbed Track Brands (both current and Defunct) ADE Modelleisenbahn Gleis (Defunct) Conrad Modelleisenbahn Gleis (Defunct, rebranded ADE track) AC Gilbert (Defunct) (Relaunched by atlas as tru track) Marx HO roadbed track (Defunct) Hollow Rail profile with pins similar to the Piko, distler, TN Nomura/Cragstan and Fleishmann Cardboard ties sectional track) Atlas Tru track Marklin C Track (3 rail) Marklin M-track (3-rail) Trix C- Track (2 rail version of marklin) Piko Roadbed A Track (Gleis) Kato Unitrack Fleischmann Profi Trac (HO version is defunct) Tomix Finetrack (N scale) Roco Geoline/Rocoline Playart/Charmerz roadbed track. (defunct) Life like power-loc/Walthers Power loc. Bachmann Ez tack Model power roadbed track (brief relaunch of charmerz)

[@loganceller7541]

What does SD40-2 mean

[@RoamingAdhocrat]

6:05 to make deals with God, and get him to swap our places?