I would like to start a thread of ways ideas can be adapted from the actual railroads to improve realism/operations on model railroads. I am sure there are many, but one came to mind yesterday that has application to model railroad operations, and can perhaps start the ball rolling seeking further suggestions.
Any model railroad operation that involves switching of any type can use this.
The number one cars of switching accidents on actual railroads is blind shoves. What is a blind shove?
It is an unprotected backup move into a track that either ends in a dead end, or has equipment already standing on it.
It happens when a switchman or conductor calls for the engineer to back the train into a track, without the ground man actually being able to observe the end of the string of cars being shoved, or not being able to observe the clear distance to the point where the movement is supposed to stop.
The fewer people working the ground, the greater the chances of this happening.
Unless your model has a very good momentum throttle, this is not such a problem for a model railroader. As we all know, cutting power to most model locomotives stops them instantly.
It is not so easy on an actual railroad. The engineer must allow some distance to stop, and instant stops are not always a good idea even if they could be performed (you might throw a crewmember off a car that stops too suddenly). At least no one is going to get hurt on a model train.
How do railroads prevent this from happening?
First, there is a rule against making blind shoves. This is common sense, but sometimes gets overlooked.
Second, there is a rule that shoving movements have to come to a stop by a set distance from the end of track or other equipment on that track. Generally, this is three car lengths or 150 feet.
Although on a model railroad, there is generally only one set of eyes per train, these are rules that can easily be followed. How many of us have shoved cars off the end of a track, or slammed into a cut of cars we have forgotten about on our model railroads? Be honest now.
If we adopt this rule on our model railroads, we can have smoother and more realistic operations at no extra expense at all. And maybe even prevent something from getting broken.
Anybody else have any real railroad rules they would like to suggest?
Les
Any model railroad operation that involves switching of any type can use this.
The number one cars of switching accidents on actual railroads is blind shoves. What is a blind shove?
It is an unprotected backup move into a track that either ends in a dead end, or has equipment already standing on it.
It happens when a switchman or conductor calls for the engineer to back the train into a track, without the ground man actually being able to observe the end of the string of cars being shoved, or not being able to observe the clear distance to the point where the movement is supposed to stop.
The fewer people working the ground, the greater the chances of this happening.
Unless your model has a very good momentum throttle, this is not such a problem for a model railroader. As we all know, cutting power to most model locomotives stops them instantly.
It is not so easy on an actual railroad. The engineer must allow some distance to stop, and instant stops are not always a good idea even if they could be performed (you might throw a crewmember off a car that stops too suddenly). At least no one is going to get hurt on a model train.
How do railroads prevent this from happening?
First, there is a rule against making blind shoves. This is common sense, but sometimes gets overlooked.
Second, there is a rule that shoving movements have to come to a stop by a set distance from the end of track or other equipment on that track. Generally, this is three car lengths or 150 feet.
Although on a model railroad, there is generally only one set of eyes per train, these are rules that can easily be followed. How many of us have shoved cars off the end of a track, or slammed into a cut of cars we have forgotten about on our model railroads? Be honest now.
If we adopt this rule on our model railroads, we can have smoother and more realistic operations at no extra expense at all. And maybe even prevent something from getting broken.
Anybody else have any real railroad rules they would like to suggest?
Les