Do you 'play' with your trains or do you 'operate' a model railroad?

[full maxx]

For my little engineer its definitely playing trains...he will take the engine off and push/pull just the cars around whether it be passenger or freight

[J3a-614]

A great book on the subject is "Playing with Trains," by Sam Posey, who includes some comments on the debates between the precise "operators" and the other more leisurely souls who might be described as "artists." 

My own approach, which is in the doodle stage, and much delayed by "honey-do" projects ("Honey, would you do. . .?"), is, like many others here, intended as a 50-50 proposition.  It's intended for realistic if relaxed operation, following the prototypes of the area between Charleston, W.Va. and Gauley Bridge, W.Va., including the interchanges between the C&O and the Virginian at Deepwater, the C&O and the NYC at Gauley Bridge, and the Virginian with the NYC and the trackage rights from West Deepwater (Alloy on a highway map) to Charleston; the latter city also had a couple of shortlines in the area, and the B&O's Elk River line came in there, too.  Need lots of hopper cars on this one for all three major roads, as you can guess, and the Virginian needed helper service out of Deepwater on its extreme western end that, as the Deepwater Railway, had originally been engineered as a local coal and logging line--it later hosted drags with triple 2-8-8-2s, limited to 30 cars per engine!  The road itself would be fairly large physically primarily to accomodate coal drags, but with relatively simple track arrangement; there aren't that many switching locations in this stretch, although there could be switching to anyone's delight at either the chemical plants in South Charleston or the silicon refining furnace at Alloy (which has its own plant railroad).

At the the same time, I would also like to see if I can't come up with some sort of automatic operation on days when I just want to feel like I'm in a cabin on an island in the Kanawha River, watching trains on both sides (C&O on a double-track main on the south bank, NYC and VGN on the single track line on the north bank), back in 1948.  It would be a variation of the retirement plan or dream an editor of Railway Age once shared with David P. Morgan (longtime editor of Trains), who would have liked a cabin on the banks of the New River near Narrows, Va., where he could watch trains in steam on the Norfolk & Western and the electric and steam trains of the Virginian, and when he wasn't watching trains he would be reading railroad books, and sharing books out of his library with other rail fans, who in turn would share their libraries as well. . .nice dream, I'd say. . .

[mattyg1306]

I always "operate" my model railroad, and take offense when someone says 'He's going to play with his trains'    Mine is totally freelanced, but is based on a modern tourist railroad (this is the best way to operate equipment from various lines and still have it "make sense").  I live in West Virginia, and thusly it has a little Cass, West Virginia Central (aka Tygart Flyer/Durbin Rocket), Potomac Eagle, Western Maryland Scenic, and West Virginia Northern, but is set on a ficticious former branch of the Western Maryland Railway.  Scenery is realistic for the most part, although I have set up a small amusement park, which as most who are familiar with WV know, we only have one, and this isn't it, lol. 

And just how many people model West Virginia?  It must be one of the most often depicted areas for model railroads...it seems like almost every issue of Model Railroader features at least one story about someone who models WV.  It really is a beautiful place, and easy to depict in a past era.

[pdlethbridge]

   With my new track adjustments made I have been able to run 2 engines safely at a time. I can set the switches to allow 1 train to travel the outside main line while I can do switching and make up trains on the inner loop. The way to mix things up is to allow the outer train access to the inner track to force the switcher 'in the hole'

[Johnson Bar Jeff]

And just how many people model West Virginia?  It must be one of the most often depicted areas for model railroads...it seems like almost every issue of Model Railroader features at least one story about someone who models WV.  It really is a beautiful place, and easy to depict in a past era.

If it isn't West Virginia, it's Colorado narrow gauge.    Trains, especially steam trains, and mountains just seem to belong together, I guess. 

[uncbob]

It's Roundy Roundy for me with just enough buildings to keep it from looking like a pool table

[mattyg1306]

And just how many people model West Virginia?  It must be one of the most often depicted areas for model railroads...it seems like almost every issue of Model Railroader features at least one story about someone who models WV.  It really is a beautiful place, and easy to depict in a past era.

If it isn't West Virginia, it's Colorado narrow gauge.    Trains, especially steam trains, and mountains just seem to belong together, I guess. 

Yes, that's true!  And don't get me wrong...I LIKE having WV covered in every issue of Model Railroader!    Its just funny...if all the railroads...including my own...were real...WV would be quite a busy place!  And, you're right, without mountains our layouts would look so plain and "FAKE"...mountains are what make it interesting and realistic.  I just wish I could find some decent pre-fab backdrops to use on my layout...the Instant Horizons from Walthers just don't represent WV mountains well enough at all   

[CNE Runner]

There's a difference? Wow...I didn't know that.

Let see: we are running little plastic/brass/diecast approximations of real trains past plastic people that never seem to move. OK. Our towns are filled with buildings constructed of plastic, hydrocal or thin wood...usually having little to no interiors. OK. Rolling stock goes from place to place - hauling nothing. OK. Huge beings look down on our landscape...making sure everything is going according to plan (and occasionally giving a recalcitrant car a little shove). OK. Our scenery is constructed of foam or plaster and is populated with vegetation composed of bits of dyed foam whilst our trees are 'grown' with plastic trunks and foam 'leaves'.

Yeah...that sounds like 'operation'. Personally I play with my toys.

Just my opinion,
Ray

[pdlethbridge]

you mean, none of this is real?

[Johnson Bar Jeff]

you mean, none of this is real?

Isn't reality just a collective hallucination?

[mattyg1306]

There's a difference? Wow...I didn't know that.

Let see: we are running little plastic/brass/diecast approximations of real trains past plastic people that never seem to move. OK. Our towns are filled with buildings constructed of plastic, hydrocal or thin wood...usually having little to no interiors. OK. Rolling stock goes from place to place - hauling nothing. OK. Huge beings look down on our landscape...making sure everything is going according to plan (and occasionally giving a recalcitrant car a little shove). OK. Our scenery is constructed of foam or plaster and is populated with vegetation composed of bits of dyed foam whilst our trees are 'grown' with plastic trunks and foam 'leaves'.

Yeah...that sounds like 'operation'. Personally I play with my toys.

Just my opinion,
Ray

Ummm, Ray,

I don't think anyone here will argue that they think its real...at least I hope not.  However, there are a lot of people who have large layouts who "operate" their trains on semi-realistic schedules complete with waybills...the whole 9 yards.  I don't personally go to this extreme but I still prefer the terminology "operate" to "play"...it sounds more "grown up" (and in reality we are "operating"...a power pack!  ).  I DO respect those who have model train layouts large enough to justify the town to town to town operation with the freight mixing yards, schedules, and stuff.  It would be neat to be able to "fool" myself into thinking my "toys" were the "real thing".   

[J3a-614]

Here's one fellow in California who managed to build something big, and apparently operates properly, too (I notice mostly correct whistle signals--neat!), although I wonder what a mess got made of the caboose when the helper coupled on to it without stopping.

This represents the C&O from Hinton, W.Va. to Allegheny, Va.  Portrayed towns include Hinton, Ronceverte, White Sulphur Springs, and Allegheny; all are recongizable if condensed, including key structures such as depots.  Power looks like brass, sound-equipped; wish this one was mine!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=k2B6xxDRJAM&feature=related

Mountain climbing on the Southern Pacific (Got to get away from West Virginia just a little bit).

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DYfNCogdGFs&feature=related

Passenger trains,with black engines and green cars--like it should be:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fmHHtj5Pr2A&feature=related

Train watching on the the C&O; some of the freight cars and at least one caboose are too modern, but the Alleghenies sound right.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=d8KEW8Y2IS4

This isn't in HO, and it's definately in the play category, but it's universal.  Location looks to be Japan, but no translation is necessary:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0Ddjs3exvvo

Enjoy, nothing but fun here.

[mattyg1306]

cool videos...thanx for sharing! 

[J3a-614]

Thanks, Matty. 

There are a number of similar videos with a variety of scales and trains on YouTube.  C&O's Chessie the Cat must have plenty of railfan relatives around the world!