Operations Primer - Road Crew 101

While every operating session is different, in terms of what railroad you're simulating, how trains are allowed to move, etc., nearly every operating session will have people working as road crews for trains moving across the layout. A road crew might be assigned to:

• Passenger train with limited stops and limited switching of cars
• Through freight that is just passing through the railroad on its way somewhere else
• A local taking cars from a yard to a town or industry
• Combined passenger/freight train that has to make every station stop along the route
• and many others.

Depending on the layout, a road crew may be just one person, two people (an engineer and a conductor), or even more. I got to operate on a 1/8 scale railroad and our crew had three people in it because those cars tend to be a LOT heavier. 

Finding a Session

One of the first things you need to do in order be part of a road crew is to find an operating session to attend. In this part of the hobby, you'll find that there are some layouts that never invite guest operators to participate. Other layouts have a regular crew and if you happen to know someone, you might be able to wrangle an invitation. However, there are a lot of layouts out there that are regularly operating and frequently looking for more people to participate. As I get my layout operating, I'm planning to offer an Operations 101 session periodically to help teach people how to do railroad operations, since it's easier to learn by doing than by reading, frankly. 

Most NMRA regional and national events will have at least a few operating sessions as part of the event, and these sessions are usually open to any attendee of the event. For more experienced operators, there are regional invitational events held yearly or every few years. These also require that you know someone in order to get an invitation, partially because they want to make sure they get experienced operators. 

As a new operator, your best bet is to ask your "neighbor" model railroaders to find open sessions you can attend. Check with your NMRA division or with the Operations Special Interest Group about sessions in your area.

Before the Session

Depending on the complexity of the railroad and the operating scheme, you may be able to just show up and run, or you may have some homework to do in advance. One of the features on OperatingSessions.com is to allow layout owners to upload maps, timetables, rulebooks and other documents that will be used during the session. If the owner sends these out, be courteous and read them. You may also want to print them and bring them with you. 

You should also find out if there are any unusual requirements for the session, such as:

• Do you need to bring your own radio? If so, what type? Family radio system (FRS) radios are the most common these days. 
• Do you need to bring a throttle? Some railroads will also support phone-based throttles. You should download the app to your phone in advance. 
• For outdoor operating sessions, what clothing or extra equipment should you bring? For large outdoor layouts, I've had to bring work gloves and a water jug, since you could be out on the railroad for an hour or more on a single run. 

If you have allergies to pets, you should ask if the owner has pets that will cause you an issue. Asking the owner to put the pet away is inappropriate... the pet lives there, you're a guest. For instance, I fully expect that my dog, Riley, will be around the house and the layout greeting the operators. You may just need to sit that session out if your allergies are that bad. 

You should also find out if there are rules about where to park and which door to use to get into the building/house. 

In all cases, if you aren't given this information, you should feel free to ask the layout owner about any special requirements. 

Attending the Session

Be sure to thank the owner for the invitation to the session, and if the owner has a spouse/roommate/etc., be sure to thank them, as well. A little politeness goes a long way. If the owner designates a particular entry, restroom, etc. to use, be sure to only use that one. You're in their house, after all. 

When it comes to the layout itself, make no assumptions about what you're allowed to do. For instance, if a car comes off the track, some owners may ask that you not rerail it yourself for fear of damaging tiny details on the car. This is rare, but it's worth asking. Picking up equipment and moving it is generally frowned upon unless you're given special permission to do so. In a system with DCC, any issues with decoders should be handled by the owner. Don't consist extra engines or change programming without permission. In fact, many layout owners will not allow operators to bring in "full" throttles (think Digitrax DT400, DT500, NCE PowerCab) that allow for programming and will instead ask operators to only use utility throttles. This prevents accidental changes to programming.

It's never acceptable to bring your own locomotives and cars to someone else's railroad during an operating session without asking in advance. It's certainly never acceptable to do the first time you're going to a railroad. Operating sessions are set up with a particular flow of equipment, engine numbers, etc. and throwing an unknown engine into the mix just causes confusion. 

When it comes to the rest of the layout, be aware of your surroundings. One of the layouts I'm going to be operating on soon has asked that operators not wear baggy clothing or long sleeves since that clothing can catch on the scenery and the turnout stands. 

Most owners will want to know about trouble spots or equipment that has issues. They may ask you to fill out a quick form explaining what problem you had, so that they can fix the issue after the session. Just like software development, some issues don't appear unless you've got multiple people running the layout simultaneously. Providing feedback to the owner will make for better sessions in the future.

Prior to starting the session, most owners will have an operator briefing. The owner will explain a little bit about the railroad and any important rules you need to follow. Pay attention to this briefing, as it will help alleviate potential issues later.

You may get a choice of jobs, you may be assigned a job, or it may be a random selection. When it comes to signing up for jobs, you need to be aware of your own limitations, especially if you're new. Being put with a more experienced operator should not be looked at as an insult; instead, take the opportunity to learn how the layout works, how the trains flow, etc.

Job boards at Andrew Keeney's Nashville Road layout. Operators sign up
by putting their magnetic nametag next to a train or job, and the
trains on the left are lined-through when completed. 

Personally, while I like working yards, on a new layout, I always like to sign up for a train that is going to tour a large part of the railroad. This isn't always possible, depending on the layout, but it's something I try to do. There have been sessions where I didn't do this and I missed out getting to see a train run through the entire layout. It's a good way to see all the locations along the route and you may find a town/district/job that is of interest as your next job.

Running Your Train

Now you've got a job assigned, you're working either by yourself or with a partner, and you're ready to roll, right? 

Well, maybe not. Your job should at least tell you where you need to go on the layout to pick up your train. You may be getting a train from:

• Visible or hidden staging tracks where the train is completely assembled
• A yard where the cars may be assembled with or without an engine
• An engine facility or parking track where you are picking up a lone engine (with or without a caboose) as the start of a local job. 

Assuming your train isn't coming from staging, you may or may not be able to start right away. On certain layouts, a hostler is the person who moves the engine from the engine facility/roundhouse out to the track where your cars are. The yardmaster may not have assembled your train yet, in which case you'll need to wait. You can let the yardmaster know you're ready for your train and in theory, the dispatcher or session manager should not have assigned that train to you yet. The yardmaster may send you back to find a different train to take out. 

You'll probably get a deck of car cards or a list of cars in your train. Be sure to verify that the list matches what you have in your train. If you're missing cars or have extras, bring it to the yardmaster's or dispatcher/traffic manager's notice. 

At a certain point, you'll have your engine and know how to control it, either with a DCC address or with a traditional DC throttle. Even before I've left the yard or parking location, I will ensure that I have control over the locomotive, typically by turning the headlights on/off, making a whistle/bell sound, or something similar. This lets me ensure that I can move the train without actually moving it yet. 

The cardinal rule to remember is that no trains move on the mainline without dispatcher permission. The permission may come in the form of verbal or written orders, or you may get a signal indication. If you are getting verbal or written orders, make sure that you know how far you can go before you start moving. Once or twice, I have overrun a block because I did not see the block marker. As a result, I always look a bit ahead to make sure I know where my next stop is. When you're running on a signaled layout, you're looking for the next signal for your track. Just like when you're driving and approaching a signal, you should assume you need to stop and slow down accordingly. 

When it comes to locomotive sounds, defer to your host's rules on this. If you're going to use the sounds, you should use them properly. Do you need to blow your whistle/horn at a road crossing? Do you need to use a bell at certain times? Ask your host before you blow out people's ears. 

As you're working your job, be sure that the cars are going exactly where they are supposed to go. If the layout specifies a "spot number" for the car in front of an industry, that's where it needs to go. If you need to move cars to get to that spot, make sure that the cars you moved end up in exactly the same spot they were when you started. It is never acceptable to pick a car up and move it because it's easier to do it that way. 

Assuming you get all the tasks done for your job, your train will need to terminate somewhere. It may go into a staging track, go back to a yard, or go back to the engine facility/roundhouse. Follow the instructions you're given. The final step is usually to let the dispatcher or traffic manager know that the train has terminated and that you're taking a break or you're ready for another train. Make sure you turn in any paperwork, binder clips, or other materials you were given. Uncoupling tools tend to find their way into aprons and out of the railroad owner's home way too often. 

Wrapping Up

Hopefully these suggestions about etiquette have not scared you from wanting to operate trains. 99% of railroad owners are flexible about nearly everything related to the session, but the "rules" I've listed are because I've run into these issues at a session here or there. Most railroad owners are in it for the fun, but occasionally you get the owner who wants to exert authority over plastic toys and ruins the enjoyment for everyone. 

If you have other experiences or rules that I didn't list, please send them to me at eric@northcomp.com so I can add them to my list. 

July 2019 Construction Journal

Helix Construction

7/4/2019 - Over the July 4th holiday, I did quite a bit of work on the helix. For starters, I got the rest of the lumber cut for the helix and the connector modules. I also turned my curve template into a track guide that I could use for drawing curves into the plywood. This makes it easier to get the roadbed installed in a clean manner. 

I also discovered that the previous elevations on the first layer of the helix were incorrect. The first curve started higher than I had originally anticipated (1.5" up) and while the first two quarter curves were OK, the third one was not rising nearly enough. I removed the riser blocks, remeasured, and now I've got the right grade in place. I got the cork secured to the first helix deck this morning using ALEX DAP Clear Caulk, as usual. 

After getting the heights adjusted, I put down a short piece of track and checked the clearance with a double stack car, which is the tallest car I have. Even at the exit from the helix, there's still plenty of space. There's also enough space on either side of the track, even when you account for the spacer blocks. 

While I was cutting the other lumber, I also burned through my scrap pile to make about 120 4" high spacer blocks out of the 1x4 material. 

7/6/2019 - After the roadbed adhesive was dry, I laid the Atlas Code 83 concrete tie track on it. I put down a thick bead of caulk and then spread it with a putty knife. With very little work, the track lined up with the center line of the cork and I used my Fast Tracks Sweepsticks to help maintain the curve alignment, especially where the pieces of track were joined together. The end result was a smooth double track section of track.

7/9/2019 - I wired up the inner and outer loops using 20 gauge feeders connected to 14 gauge bus wires. One of the limitations of the RR-Cirkits detection coils is that you can only fit three wires through the middle, so instead of running the feeders through, I'm running the bus wire through the coil to a terminal strip. There will be one terminal strip for the outer loop, one for the inner loop, and one for the common wire. The Watchman board will be mounted on the inside of the helix and then connected into the LocoNet/Simple Serial Bus wiring.

After getting the first layer of track wired up, I added the next layer of lumber and support columns. Once I made the final corner, I don't have to cut custom supports for each layer -- I just grab more from my pile of 4" blocks. I'm using wood glue on the bottom of the 4" blocks and screwing into the top using drywall screws. I'm also using clamps to help provide a good seal. 

7/10/2019 - Continuing work on what I did the night before, I laid the rest of the roadbed and since the caulk set up quick enough, I went ahead and laid the track too. For the outer loop, I cut all the pieces first and then tried to put them into the caulk. However, I ended up having to adjust the rail. For the inner loop, I put down one piece at a time and it was a smoother process. After getting the track down, I glued down the spacer blocks all the way up the incline. 

7/11/2019 - I continued working my way up, adding the next plywood sections on top of the spacer blocks. 

7/14/2019 - Unfortunately, the next layer of plywood got in the way of adding roadbed and track. The end of the previous deck's track ended in a somewhat difficult place to reach. However, I was able to get the roadbed and track connected up. At the end of this deck's track, I added the track to the end and secured it as far as I could. This will make it easier to connect up the next layer of track. 

7/15/2019 - I finished wiring the track and glued down the spacer blocks. These take a while to dry, so that was it for the night. At this point, the front of the helix is 12" high, it's heading to 21" high to connect to the wall to the left. 

7/17/2019 - I added the plywood and roadbed to create the next layer of the helix tonight. I had waited to add the last spacer block, so I went ahead and glued that down and screwed the plywood into it. The clamp will help make a good glue joint. With the plywood down, it will be easier to run the bus wires for the previous deck and get the feeders connected up to them. The front of the helix is now 17" high from the support table to the top of the plywood. 

7/24/2019 - I glued down the track to the roadbed on layer #3. I also glued down the next set of spacer blocks to support layer #4's plywood subroadbed. 

7/25/2019 - I was unhappy with the look of the duct-taped bus wires running all over the inside, so I got some plastic wire clips. I added those clips on the support blocks and then snugged the bus wires at the end of the run with additional suitcase connectors. This keeps the wires loose enough to prevent pulling but keeps them from getting in the way. I also hooked up the feeders that weren't connected to the bus wires yet and ran trains up both tracks without any issues. I also figured out that I need to replace the three four-circuit terminal blocks with a ten-circuit block and one four-circuit block, since I need five bus wires to reach the top of the helix. 

7/31/2019 - I topped out the helix tonight when I added the last layer of plywood. I'll still need to add the horizontal connectors to the wall after I get the roadbed and track laid down, though. 

South Wall

7/4/2019 - The south wall of the layout is where I'll eventually connect my peninsula, but for now, it's connecting track from the east wall to the helix. I got all the lumber cut and ready to be assembled. 

7/6/2019 - I got all six benchwork sections assembled and put up more shelving brackets. I had to remove a door that the contractor put in to take advantage of space under our fireplace. I decided in case I needed access, I'd rather have the door off its hinges than have to rip out benchwork in an emergency. 

There will be two more sections (one upper, one lower) of benchwork to finish the connection to the back room. In the back room where the helix is, there will be one 8' section on the bottom and one 4' section on the top. The bottom sections will have Homasote and plywood tops, while the upper sections will just be plywood on an open grid section. I'll fill it in with scenery sometime in the future.

7/25/2019 - I installed two more vertical standards on the south wall and fitted the modules into their spaces. I'll have to adjust the bottom module because either I mis-measured the wall or something has moved. 

DCC/Electronics/JMRI

7/5/2019 - I continued making progress getting blocks wired up to my RR-Cirkits Watchman boards. I realized too late that I should have soldered the leads to the coils while sitting at my worktable instead of trying to do it under the layout. I only have three more to do under the layout, after which I can correct my oversight. 

I also did some rework on my panel layout. In a previous post, I used the classic CTC machine graphics as a backdrop, but decided that I wanted a more modern looking panel. In addition, I wanted more of the layout to fit on a single panel screen. I'm also using a smaller indicator in the track to indicate occupancy. 

All the turnouts shown here are now wired up. I'm using the dashed line to indicate track that is not being detected. In block 100 on the upper track, I'll add my staging yard turnouts. The other end of 103 will be the west end of the yard with the crossovers once I get those turnouts wired up. The other alternative to the small indicators in the track are the larger ones, shown here:

I removed the CTC background on this panel and set the background color to the neutral gray color.