Prof Klyzlr Posted June 12, 2011 Share Posted June 12, 2011 Dear CSX fans... If your digging into your Lance Mindheim-esque Miami switching layout, and are wanting to operate at "as per prototype", then you may find this link useful... (particularly "Section 4") http://www.scribd.com/doc/52293068/72/Operating-a-Remote-Control-Locomotive-RCL-and-Remote-Control-Platform-RCP Happy Modelling, Aim to Improve, Prof Klyzlr Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dave1905 Posted June 13, 2011 Share Posted June 13, 2011 Rules 46, 96 and the 100 series rules, 103a-c, and the 104 series (among many more) are appropriate for model railroad operation on an industrial lead type operation.. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
F-UnitMad Posted June 13, 2011 Share Posted June 13, 2011 A mate once asked me why, considering my interest in trains, I never went for a job on the Railways... I guess that book is my answer..!!!! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Prof Klyzlr Posted June 13, 2011 Author Share Posted June 13, 2011 A mate once asked me why, considering my interest in trains, I never went for a job on the Railways... I guess that book is my answer..!!!! Dear F-Unit, Agreed that reading thru the _entire_ Rule Book for most prototype RRs is enough to send all but the most hardcore model RR anorack to sleep. I'd also reference that Railfans and Model RRers do not always make the best 12"/1' scale Railroaders... http://www.railroad.net/articles/columns/hottimes/index.php http://www.railroad.net/articles/columns/hottimes/hottimes_20060602.php http://www.railroad.net/articles/columns/hottimes/hottimes_20060715.php That said, by _strategically_ deploying _selected_ rules, (as ably cherry-picked out by Dave above), one can "proto-nook" the reason-for-being of even a simple "tuning fork" layout, thus raising the "plausible ops potential" far above that implied by the term (IMHO derogatory/dismissive) "shunty plank"... My sincere apologies if it's "too much, too far"... Happy Modelling, Aim to Improve, Prof Klyzlr Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
F-UnitMad Posted June 14, 2011 Share Posted June 14, 2011 Dear F-Unit, Agreed that reading thru the _entire_ Rule Book for most prototype RRs is enough to send all but the most hardcore model RR anorack to sleep. I'd also reference that Railfans and Model RRers do not always make the best 12"/1' scale Railroaders... That said, ...one can ... {raise} the "plausible ops potential" far above that implied by the term (IMHO derogatory/dismissive) "shunty plank"... My sincere apologies if it's "too much, too far"... Not a bit of it, Sir Prof! I realise my 'zzzz' reaction is just me... not finding it boring as such but just mind-blowing to comprehend - I feel the same about some of the techniques some modellers use to make timetables and suchlike!! I've read some of those links before, and indeed model railroading can be far removed from the way the real thing is done - one reason why I'm always impressed by the amount of Professional Rail workers who also model; in contrast, much as I enjoy my job, I have no desire to model trucks. I also expect that if all the rules'n'Regs I work under were suddenly dropped in one big heap in front of me I'd feel the same zzzz coming on..!!! Finally,note to self:- *Stop using the phrase "Shunty-Plank"*.... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dave1905 Posted June 14, 2011 Share Posted June 14, 2011 I like to collect rule books so I have rule books dating back to 1876 from railroads all across the US (and Canada), sometimes from the same railroads over the course of decades (and in one case, almost a century). People get wound up in the differences, I am amazed by how much is the same. A lot of the rules don't make any sense out of context. If you are actually standing there looking at the situation, it makes perfect sense. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JWB Posted June 14, 2011 Share Posted June 14, 2011 F-Unit, one of my favorite forum comments of all time was from one professional railroader who was responding to a couple of other professional railroaders hashing out the fine points of some rules. The guy said, "Gee, don't you guys get enough of that at work?" On one hand, I don't agree with the people who say it's a hobby, so you can do anything you like as badly as you like. (Some guys were saying that here just the other day!) On the other, I think you have to choose wisely what you want to reproduce. There are all kinds of facets to railroading and model railroading. If you're determined to model every diesel with the correct frammis on the dingus, and have all your rolling stock as it would be on August 17, 1958, and run according to every rule on top of that, you'll go out of your mind. Which is not to say there aren't people who are trying. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
F-UnitMad Posted June 14, 2011 Share Posted June 14, 2011 ... If you're determined to model every diesel ... and have all your rolling stock as it would be on August 17, 1958, and run according to every rule on top of that, you'll go out of your mind. ... If I go for a specific date, it's usually June 31st, whichever year.... B) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Gold PaulRhB Posted June 15, 2011 RMweb Gold Share Posted June 15, 2011 You certainly don't need to read the full book just to cover switching moves. The only things you need to know are the rules on speed, crossings and where you can and can't leave cars to make it look realistic. Things like waiting to give the 1/87 shunter time to walk down and change a throw rather than instant reversing are also popular now with operators in the US. The UK rule book is 3 books which make it a foot thick when piled up but they are currently hacking it down significantly because they realise too much has been put in and you just don't use it for everyday operation. A good rulebook is mostly common sense anyway it's just put there to remind you the safest way to do things One thing I've seen with computer simulators of signal panels and locos is that they seem far more complicated to operate than the real thing because it's all reliant on hitting certain keys rather than logically laid out controls that you are used to, (I've never driven a real unit but had a go on a Desiro simulator and picked up basic driving quite quickly, stopping in the right place from linespeed though? err ). Being able to stand back and see the whole picture is far easier and a model railway gives you this and causes some of the 'real life inaccuracies' as you rush things as they are so easy. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Glorious NSE Posted June 15, 2011 Share Posted June 15, 2011 Being able to stand back and see the whole picture is far easier and a model railway gives you this and causes some of the 'real life inaccuracies' as you rush things as they are so easy. Absolutely true, the classic there is being able to stop within half the distance you can see - not only can we stop our trains near instantly (well, unless you've programmed lots of inertia!) but you can see for scale miles down the line as well...trying to keep rules like that in mind can help to make you run the trains more realistically. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jon Grant 4472 Posted June 15, 2011 Share Posted June 15, 2011 Thanks for posting the rules, Prof. Just like my modelling, I shall be adopting selective compression to the rulebook as well. I had thought about printing it out for dissemination in the 'single-seat library' but then I noticed there were 194 pages, so I'll wait for someone else to cherry-pick the best bits and print that page instead...or read Lance's book. Think I'll pop on to Amazon, cant believe I haven't bought Lance's book yet Jon Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dave1905 Posted June 16, 2011 Share Posted June 16, 2011 Even after you would have the rules you would need to adapt them for model use. For example the rule may require crews to keep cars 250 ft from a public road crossing. So if you have a public crossing on you switching area, 250 ft on both sides is 500 ft which about 5 ft 9 in. So those with a 6 ft switching layout wouldn't be able to park a single car on a siding if they had a public crossing near the middle of the layout. The key is to keep the rules that enhance the operation and to "de-emphasize" the ones that don't. By the way the CSX rule book appears to also include the mechanical or engineering or safety book in addition to the operating rules. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Glorious NSE Posted June 16, 2011 Share Posted June 16, 2011 Even after you would have the rules you would need to adapt them for model use. For example the rule may require crews to keep cars 250 ft from a public road crossing. So if you have a public crossing on you switching area, 250 ft on both sides is 500 ft which about 5 ft 9 in. So those with a 6 ft switching layout wouldn't be able to park a single car on a siding if they had a public crossing near the middle of the layout To be fair though from memory it also says something like 'where possible' - which is your 'get out of jail free' card. There must be plenty of places on the real thing where there are industry tracks closer than 250' from a road crossing, and in the 'Mindheim-esque' urban branches even places where there isn't 500' between two crossings. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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