This class explains all aspects of operations on a model railroad and how operations are set up and what options you have doing so. They can be run in many ways, both alone at home in your own layout, together with friends, or in large halls on an advanced modular layout with lots of operators.
It’s often said that operations on a Model Railroad is one of the world’s most magnificent board games. Operation has all the elements: a playing board (your layout) with multiple paths to success (trains), tokens (your rolling stock), a card deck to choose from (your waybills), and probability. Operations is doing role play – engineer, brakeman, hostler, dispatcher, etc., to bring life to any size of layout in a somewhat prototypical manner.
Based on the information provided in this class you’ll be able to select the type of operation which suits both you and your model railroad best. Customizing your setup and getting it all up and running.
Class Sessions
Introduction to Operations
12:58
This session introduces the concept of operations on a model railroad. We look at how layouts are planned and built in Europe vs USA and how that affects the route users take towards a meaningful operation of their model railroads.
Available Types of Operations
20:54
Operations can be run in many ways on a model railroad. This session gives you an overview of the most common types. It also aims to give you some clue on what type and level of operation might be a good match for you and your layout.
Setting up Operations
30:45
In this session we're planning and setting up operations based on prototypic freight forwarding. The presentation covers both very basic types of operations as well as a full-blown system with car cards and waybills.
Creating Documentation
23:02
The more advanced types of model railroad operations require documentation, such as job descriptions and/or car cards and waybills. The documents can either be made using pen and paper, or using simple Excel spread sheet templates, or specialized software which generates the documentation based on the information you input. This session gives you some guidance about what method suits you and your layout best, as well as how each of them are used.
Running Operations
20:29
In this last session we´re following me around the layout running operations using car cards and waybills with the options and selections I made for my model railroad. It aims to show you in practice how the operation can be played out and how the documentation come into play in different situations during the session.
Your Instructor
Martin Tärnrot
Martin Tärnrot is a lifelong model railroader born with a model railroad on his bedroom carpet. Model railroading has always been an important part of his life and he has, over the years, built numerous layouts on different themes, both U.S. and European style. Since 2016, Martin has been working full-time within the model railroad industry, as a content producer of how-to videos, both for publishers and manufacturers.
Bonus Material
Class Guide - Planning and Running Operations
Bonus Materials available for download after purchase.
FAQs
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