Model RailroadingOperations 101:

Part 4 – Advanced Topics Seminar

Tom CrosthwaitPresident, Mogollon & Southwestern RR

&

Fred Bock, MMR,Chief Dispatcher, M&Sw

Advanced Topics• Other Model Railroad Responsibilities - Operations:

– Superintendent– Traffic Manager– Road Foreman of Engines– Locomotive Hostler– Rolling Stock Manager– Station Agent– Tower Operator

• Code of Operating Rules – experience, not arbitrariness• Car Forwarding & Delivery Systems

– Card Order – manual - Douglas S. Smith– Tack-on-Car – manual - Ed Ravenscroft– Tab-on-Car – manual - John Allen and others– Switch list -- manual– Station Agent – Computerized Systems

• Developing a Layout Operations Plan for your layout– Locale for the railroad and its impact– Traffic Patterns– Train types– Car types, roads, and quantities.– Employee Timetables – guide to the system– Timetable of Trains – passenger and freight

• Setting up a Car Forwarding System for your layout

Train Crew Roles - Simplified

[Rule 920, Rule 800, 801, Rule 712]

Model Railroading

• The Superintendent schedules the trains.

• The Yardmaster assembles each train.

• The Dispatcher runs the railroad.

• The Conductor runs his train.

• The Engineer runs his locomotive.

Other Model Railroad Responsibilities - Operations:

• The Modeled World– Superintendent– Traffic Manager– Road Foreman of

Engines– Rolling Stock Manager– Freight Agent– Yardmaster– Yard Crews / Personnel– Dispatcher– Train Crews

• The Real (Layout) World– Scheduling of sessions– Types of sessions– Types of trains– Timetables– Loco types/quantity/maint.– Car acquisition & maintenance– Industries / structures

• (Not applicable)

THE ENDof

Model RailroadingOperations 101:

Part 4 – Advanced Topics

Appendix: Additional Topics

• Review of Hand Signals

• Dispatching and Signaling - types

• Classes of Trains– Priorities among trains of same and different classes– Scheduled Trains vs. Extra Trains– Numbering of Scheduled Trains: North vs South– Turns – out and back– Dispatcher override – changing priorities

• AREMA Speed Classes and turnouts

Hand Signals for Switching

• With modern DCC sound systems, the noise in an operating session is high.

• Some operators have hearing problems.

• Implication: it’s better to use hand signals between conductor-brakeman and engineer than to try to talk above the noise of locomotives and other operators.

• Rule 7: hand signals must be given sufficiently in advance to permit compliance. . .

Common Hand Signals• Back-up (reverse)

• Slowly (inching)• Controlled stop• Stop

• You are coupled up

• Go forward

• OK

• Highball (leave town)

- beckon toward self with circular motion. - fingers come together- hands come together- hold closed hand up.

- make closed fist, shake once.

- move open palm, fingers closed, up and down away from you.

- thumbs-up /or/ circle

- pull imaginary steam whistle twice (“Toot – Toot”)

[RULE 8]

MODEL RAILROAD

^

Types of Dispatching & Signaling

• Station agents – train orders. [Rule 200]

• Timetable & (written) train orders. [Rule 82, Rule 200]

• Train sequencing & train orders.

• Radio-telephone (verbal) train orders.

• Track warrants.• CTC – manual• CTC - electronic

• Two basic types of signals:– Block signals [Rule 261]

– Interlocking signals

• Train-order signaling• Staff system (SP – Donner Pass)

• Manual interlocking• Electronic interlocking• Automatic Block Signaling

(ABS) – (block detection)• Centralized Traffic Control

(CTC) – (dispatcher)

Dispatching Signaling

Dispatching & Signaling• Myth: “You can’t operate a large model railroad

without a dispatcher and an electronic CTC panel.”• Fact: Dispatching is helpful on a large model

railroad, but not always necessary if all trains are locals. A “train graph” (paper) or “manual CTC” is all that is necessary for train control. (Used on M&Sw).

• Myth: “You can’t operate a large model railroad without signaling.” (False)

• Fact: Many prototype railroads for years did and still do operate “dark” just fine. So does the M&Sw.

• Myth: “You must have 3-position light or semaphore signals for effective operations.” (False).

• Fact: Model railroads with signaling systems work fine with just red and green. And cost less.

WHY??

WHY??

Classes of Trains – M&Sw• First Class:

• Through, limited, usually named & numbered passenger trains• Through or limited freight service

• Second Class:• Local passenger trains • Mail and express service trains• General freight service

• Third Class:• Way freight / “Turns” / local freight trains

• Fourth Class:• Log trains• Ore trains

• Fifth Class:• Work extras

Priorities among Trains• First Class trains have priority over all other

classes of trains• Second Class trains have priority over all other

classes except First Class.• And so on, for all other classes. (Rule 72).

• Passenger trains normally take priority over freight trains of the same class.

• Northbound trains take priority over southbound trains of the same class. (Rule S-73).

• Extra trains are inferior to regular (scheduled) trains (Rule 73) unless overridden by dispatcher.

Scheduled Trains vs. Extras

• A scheduled train (regular train) is:– Listed on the official timetable.– Runs according to the schedule in the timetable.– Has priorities based on timetable schedule.

• An extra train is:– Not normally listed on the timetable.– Runs as needed per RR traffic manager.– Has priorities assigned by dispatcher.

• The dispatcher may change priorities among scheduled and extra trains to maintain traffic flow.

Train Numbering – M&Sw• Northbound named passenger or freight trains are

assigned odd train numbers: e.g. Train 21, Train 357

• Southbound trains – are assigned the next higher even numbers -- e.g. Train 22, Train 358 -- than their northbound counterparts.

• M&Sw “Turns” originating from Globe are assigned an odd train number; returning, they adopt the next higher even number: e.g. Train 121 departs Globe north for Happy Jack, Train 122 is the same train returning from Happy Jack south to Globe.

• Extra trains are assigned the road name, number, and direction of the lead locomotive: e.g. M&Sw Extra #251 North (X251-north), SP Extra 5270 South (X5270-south).

Changing Priorities

• The dispatcher may change priorities among trains as he deems necessary to keep traffic moving.

• E.g. Allowing a local freight (4th Class) to pass a stopped local passenger train (2nd Class) to proceed to the siding at the next station and hold.

• E.g. “Extra 2341 takes priority over all other trains to expedite movement of personnel and equipment to Mary Lake to fight forest fire.”

• Priorities are usually changed by written train orders (Form 19), track warrants, or verbal train orders sent to all trains affected.

Train Order Station – Strawberry, AZ

Train Order Signal(Lower Quadrant)

TrackWarrant

• “Pre-written” train order form.

• Check-off boxes for most common situations.

• Fill in the blanks for most common details.

TrackWarrant

• Written by dispatcher.• Sent by dispatcher

over radio to train crew (conductor).

• Copied by train crew.• Read back to

dispatcher for verification.

• Cleared when actions specified are completed.

23 16 July XX 2006

Train 121 Payson

PAYSON STRAWBERRY

STRAWBERRY HAPPY JACK

X

X

X 10 Strawberry Happy Jack

9:34 A FMB

TC

X

AREMA SPEED CLASSES

Real-world trains seldom get to go “fast”.

AREMA TURNOUT SPEED CHART

Frog # Speed Length of Points AREMA Category

Restricted

Slow

Medium

Limited

Speeds & Layout Design

No. 24 No. 12 Main track, Maximum Speed Turnout

About a 2:1 ratiofor Frog Number

THE ENDof

Model RailroadingOperations 101:

Appendix – Additional topics