I can't wait to get my first layout up and try running operations - until I watched your videos I had absolutely no idea that operations would be the most interesting thing for me!
People who follow this channel (Larry) know what's good for them in the hobby. Mr. P has incredible knowledge of model railroading as well as the DCC aspect side of Model railroading. I'd consider Larry as an "over achiever" when it comes to Model railroading. He also has a column in MODEL RAILROAD Magazine that I would Strongly suggest people read up on. Those who are trying to get into this hobby, I highly recommend that you Click on that "Subscribe" button and LIKE his videos.Although I have had to recently shut down my layout, I've learnt a great deal from watching Larry and trusting in what he suggests. A Tremendous amount of Information that makes the learning process a breeze and the hobby that much more enjoyable. There are a lot of UA-cam channels out there that offer good information but nothing compared to what Mr. P provides for the simple cost of your time. TWO Huge thumbs way up Larry and a great big thank you for your help!
I really hope you are doing well. I know this is an old video, but it gave me inspiration to do a time table in Microsoft Excel, using a formula to auto populate station times from departure, and from that I created a line graph for the diagram. I’m not sure if it’s possible, but I will try creating a fast clock also in Excel to perform conditional formatting on the time table…. Many thanks for your contributions.
Thanks Larry The string diagram information was very useful as I was wondering how I would be able to integrate and run a train time table. Take care Julian
Moin Larry, have many thanks for your explinations about Schedules onto a model railroad. Moin or Moin-Moin is a greeting word of the old lower german language used by lot of people at nothernn germany to say a friendly hello to everyone or as starter base for a small talk. Well, the timetable graph or graphical timetable is what any railroad dispatcher is using in germany to control schedules of trains. When planning trains the real RRs are using thr graphical String Timetable for their plans to create schudule timetables for the operators alongside the railraod line. Only at the graph you can see where trains would be in conflict to other trains, so you can planning your crossing times more accurately. I use a string diagram or string graph timetable also for my own fictional raodname shortline. It is very helpful tool. Nice greetings from northern Germany, Ingo R.
I appreciated the detailed information, though on my layout, a fictional branch line with only one operator, it is more than I can use. In your previous video you mentioned having something like a sequential schedule, which is what I just did based on your suggestions. In other words, I have a schedule of every train that runs during a fictional day, so I do every thing in an orderly manner, rather than just whatever I think of. And on any rare occasion I do have a guest operator, I can show the guest where the activity on the railroad has been and where it needs to go next. Thanks again. Ted
For sequential ops you can also create instruction cards for each sequence and then visitors can see what to do as the session progresses. You could flip a coin every few minutes to decide whether it is time for the next sequence to begin, which works best if more than one person is involved.
Thanks for the video, just have a couple of questions: 1. Do you use a form of "scale time" when determining your times on reaching the stations listed? If so, how are you determining it? 2. When planning meets via the string diagram, do you pick the closest station/siding to the meet point or do you choose to hold whichever train their next station and let the other one meet it there? Thanks for the explanation of string diagrams. I've seen these before and had no idea how to read them until this! I very much appreciate it!
Good question. Yes, you would either measure the run times using a fast clock or convert actual times to fast time using a scale ratio. The most common used are 3:1 or 4:1. So a 30 second run time would scale up to 90 seconds at 3:1 and you need to pad that to allow for a station stop if a passenger train or even more time if the train needs to drop off or pick up cars. So the 90 seconds would become 2 minutes or more if the train is dropping off or picking up head end cars etc. The best description of this process was written by Tony Koester in the book I showed on my iPad “How To Operate Your Model Railroad” beginning on page 51. As I said in the video you afterwards would expect to make mote adjustments to more closely replicate a prototype schedule. When planning meets you would as you suggest, hold one train at a passing siding until the other one arrives. This is where priority comes into play as you would hold a lower priority train over a higher priority one and remember that north or east bound trains usually have priority over south or west bound ones of the same priority. This also affects your schedule times as you need to add in any associated delays for setting up the meets.
At about 23:18 in the video, you mention that your website address is in the description that accompanies this video. However, I cannot find the website address in the description.
That’s strange, I know I put those in there but now they ate gone so I must have forgotten to hit Save afterwards. I’ll add them today, thanks for letting me know-Larry
No, I do them by hand. However there was an article in RMC a while ago on creating them using Excel but it was pretty limited and requires basically a different version for each layout as I remember.
Speaking as a retired railroader I can tell you that much if not all of the manual must be known. You can’t be looking up the meaning of the signals as you’re moving down the track. And it’s not just red yellow green. The position of the aspects are fundamental. Lots and lots of rules pertaining to the safe movement of trains. Annual classes and exams are given in order to ensure the employees are knowledgeable. Rule books grow larger and larger and it is mandatory that they be in your possession at all times. Because some circumstances may occur infrequently one might have to look up exactly which rule applies.
@@TheDCCGuy Yes there was for me a 2-3 all day testing to get promoted to Conductor from brakeman This exam was after 2 and 1/2 years of working as a brakeman. The exam is divided into many parts and all must be past with a grade of 85%. At least that’s how it was for me. As far as engineers they attend training classes for at least a year I believe and then go on to actual train handling under supervision. Both crafts are then required to pass exams on the physical characteristics of the lines where they will be working. This is called getting qualified and in-order to work the line you qualify on them. The more you qualify the more your opportunity to work. Hope this helps. Your video sure help open the world of railroading to the modelers. Thank you.
This was a great tutorial on timetable operations and the schedule being available for download was fantastic, thank you.
I can't wait to get my first layout up and try running operations - until I watched your videos I had absolutely no idea that operations would be the most interesting thing for me!
Loved the info. I found a 1971 Western Pacific Operating rule book on e Bay as I watched this.
another great video Larry.
People who follow this channel (Larry) know what's good for them in the hobby. Mr. P has incredible knowledge of model railroading as well as the DCC aspect side of Model railroading. I'd consider Larry as an "over achiever" when it comes to Model railroading. He also has a column in MODEL RAILROAD Magazine that I would Strongly suggest people read up on. Those who are trying to get into this hobby, I highly recommend that you Click on that "Subscribe" button and LIKE his videos.Although I have had to recently shut down my layout, I've learnt a great deal from watching Larry and trusting in what he suggests. A Tremendous amount of Information that makes the learning process a breeze and the hobby that much more enjoyable. There are a lot of UA-cam channels out there that offer good information but nothing compared to what Mr. P provides for the simple cost of your time. TWO Huge thumbs way up Larry and a great big thank you for your help!
I really hope you are doing well. I know this is an old video, but it gave me inspiration to do a time table in Microsoft Excel, using a formula to auto populate station times from departure, and from that I created a line graph for the diagram. I’m not sure if it’s possible, but I will try creating a fast clock also in Excel to perform conditional formatting on the time table…. Many thanks for your contributions.
Thanks Larry
The string diagram information was very useful as I was wondering how I would be able to integrate and run a train time table.
Take care Julian
Great video Larry
Moin Larry,
have many thanks for your explinations about Schedules onto a model railroad.
Moin or Moin-Moin is a greeting word of the old lower german language used by lot of people at nothernn germany to say a friendly hello to everyone or as starter base for a small talk.
Well, the timetable graph or graphical timetable is what any railroad dispatcher is using in germany to control schedules of trains.
When planning trains the real RRs are using thr graphical String Timetable for their plans to create schudule timetables for the operators alongside the railraod line.
Only at the graph you can see where trains would be in conflict to other trains, so you can planning your crossing times more accurately.
I use a string diagram or string graph timetable also for my own fictional raodname shortline.
It is very helpful tool.
Nice greetings from northern Germany,
Ingo R.
I appreciated the detailed information, though on my layout, a fictional branch line with only one operator, it is more than I can use. In your previous video you mentioned having something like a sequential schedule, which is what I just did based on your suggestions. In other words, I have a schedule of every train that runs during a fictional day, so I do every thing in an orderly manner, rather than just whatever I think of. And on any rare occasion I do have a guest operator, I can show the guest where the activity on the railroad has been and where it needs to go next. Thanks again. Ted
For sequential ops you can also create instruction cards for each sequence and then visitors can see what to do as the session progresses. You could flip a coin every few minutes to decide whether it is time for the next sequence to begin, which works best if more than one person is involved.
Thanks for the video, just have a couple of questions:
1. Do you use a form of "scale time" when determining your times on reaching the stations listed? If so, how are you determining it?
2. When planning meets via the string diagram, do you pick the closest station/siding to the meet point or do you choose to hold whichever train their next station and let the other one meet it there?
Thanks for the explanation of string diagrams. I've seen these before and had no idea how to read them until this! I very much appreciate it!
Good question. Yes, you would either measure the run times using a fast clock or convert actual times to fast time using a scale ratio. The most common used are 3:1 or 4:1. So a 30 second run time would scale up to 90 seconds at 3:1 and you need to pad that to allow for a station stop if a passenger train or even more time if the train needs to drop off or pick up cars. So the 90 seconds would become 2 minutes or more if the train is dropping off or picking up head end cars etc. The best description of this process was written by Tony Koester in the book I showed on my iPad “How To Operate Your Model Railroad” beginning on page 51. As I said in the video you afterwards would expect to make mote adjustments to more closely replicate a prototype schedule.
When planning meets you would as you suggest, hold one train at a passing siding until the other one arrives. This is where priority comes into play as you would hold a lower priority train over a higher priority one and remember that north or east bound trains usually have priority over south or west bound ones of the same priority. This also affects your schedule times as you need to add in any associated delays for setting up the meets.
Thanks Larry!
At about 23:18 in the video, you mention that your website address is in the description that accompanies this video. However, I cannot find the website address in the description.
That’s strange, I know I put those in there but now they ate gone so I must have forgotten to hit Save afterwards. I’ll add them today, thanks for letting me know-Larry
Thanks Larry 🚂
Did you create the String diagram using Excel?
If so do you have a template to create a new diagram that you are willing to share
Thank you
Dave
No, I do them by hand. However there was an article in RMC a while ago on creating them using Excel but it was pretty limited and requires basically a different version for each layout as I remember.
How much of the operations manual has to be memorized by a railroad employee? Lots of diagrams and fine print in your manual.
Speaking as a retired railroader I can tell you that much if not all of the manual must be known. You can’t be looking up the meaning of the signals as you’re moving down the track. And it’s not just red yellow green. The position of the aspects are fundamental. Lots and lots of rules pertaining to the safe movement of trains. Annual classes and exams are given in order to ensure the employees are knowledgeable. Rule books grow larger and larger and it is mandatory that they be in your possession at all times.
Because some circumstances may occur infrequently one might have to look up exactly which rule applies.
Thanks for that Joe. Are railroad employees tested on the rules for promotions, etc? For example to become an engineer or conductor.
@@TheDCCGuy
Yes there was for me a 2-3 all day testing to get promoted to Conductor from brakeman This exam was after 2 and 1/2 years of working as a brakeman. The exam is divided into many parts and all must be past with a grade of 85%. At least that’s how it was for me.
As far as engineers they attend training classes for at least a year I believe and then go on to actual train handling under supervision.
Both crafts are then required to pass exams on the physical characteristics of the lines where they will be working. This is called getting qualified and in-order to work the line you qualify on them. The more you qualify the more your opportunity to work.
Hope this helps. Your video sure help open the world of railroading to the modelers. Thank you.
Funny that you run all your trains during the night -- 12AM is midnight and 12PM is noon. Better to use the 24hr clock -- no confusion...
Railroads run 24 hours. I know modelers who actually have mechanisms to dim their lights during the op session to simulate those dark hours.