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Running the railroad
Passenger operation
Realistic running
How to operate your model railroad online extras
By Angela Cotey | April 16, 2012
| Last updated on November 20, 2020
Check out all the online extras from this special issue of Model Railroader magazine
Just ordered this, and I can’t wait for it to arrive!
Disappointing book. I was hoping to gain several different perspectives on operation, however, if you're not into the card system, there is nothing of significant information.
This is one of the Best Issue that MR has done!
I bought this issue from the counter of my local hobby shop because the subject caught my interest. In an objective evaluation of myself and with modesty aside, I am an Above Average Operator, and I still learned a number of very good tips, history, and information from this issue. I refer back to the issue frequently, and my copy is becoming dog-eared.
Money Well Spent.
Nice Work, Guys!
I received my copy of "How to operate your model railroad" in the mail yesterday, it is hard to lay it down! I have been "armchair" modeling for years and recently an oppertunity has opened up for me to begin my first layout. This is a must read for anyone starting a layout. Very informative!
Hello all,
In response to David Heinsohn's note, as you've guessed, uncoupling cars and using switch motors is a personal preference thing.
I find magnetic uncoupling inconvenient, so I use uncoupling picks on my layouts (N and HO) because you can drop cars pretty much anywhere you need to. Real railroader's uncouple the cars by hand, so I don't have a problem with the operators interacting with the modeled world, even if it is with a bamboo skewer.
As for turnout control, I tend to build layouts along the simplest lines possible. Switch motors are great for hard to reach places, as well as locations that multiple turnouts need to be changed to select a route, such as a yard ladder. However, they also involve a lot of time and expense to install, so it really is a tradeoff. My N scale layout is 100% hands-on for turnout control. My last HO layout had switch motors on all the mainline turnouts and the hidden staging yard, but the industrial spurs were all lined by hand. Both methods have worked well for me.
Hopefully that gives you a bit more of an in depth answer. Best wishes on your layout.
David Popp
Managing editor
Model Railroader magazine
A lot of this information will be very handy in setting up my pike! THANKS for helping me get a good TRAIN of thought going on it. 🙂
Dear David Heinsohn,
Electric switches and magnetic uncoupling are more realistic, but you should probaly wait a little while doing so so it's as ifthe conductor is throwing the switch or uncoupling the cars.
Your fellow N scaler,
Justin
David and Andy, I've enjoyed going through the magazine and the videos. And I'm sure I've learned much more about operations. I'm a new modeler and working in N gauge. A question for each of you and the staff for that matter as I suspect it will be a matter of opinion. As I watch the videos I notice that everyone is doing manual uncoupling and manual switching. What provides the more realistic operation, manual or electric switching of turnouts? And what provides the more realistic operation manual or magnetic uncoupling?
Thank You,
David Heinsohn