The Northeast kingdom railroad
Layout Operations
Coming Soon
Train Operations will be important on my layout. I am trying to ensure that the design will accommodate hosting operating sessions. I envision a yard operator for St. Johnsbury and a few other operators to handle the various trains for each railroad, through freights and locals with switching duties along the line. An overall dispatcher may be used to help coordinate train movements, but the railroad will not be signaled or use a CTC panel. I don't plan to use a fast clock, but instead operate a sequential list of trains and use car cards and 4 cycle waybills to handle car movements. I have come to prefer this more relaxed type of operation on local layouts I have operated.
In addition to the car cards, train cards will be used to help convey the train's purpose and duties to the operator. For example, Lamoille Valley train MJ-2 will have the following instructions:
LVRC MJ-2
LVRC MJ-2 operates Morrisville to St. Johnsbury
1. Acquire power for train - one RS3 locomotive
2. Perform local switching at Vermont Industrial Wallboard
3. Assemble train with CP/MEC cars in Morrisville yard
4. Also add any Hardwick cars found in Morrisville yard
5. Proceed eastbound with train to Hardwick
6. Drop any Hardwick cars on passing siding
7. Pickup any eastbound cars (to St. J) on siding
8. Proceed eastbound with train to St. J
9. Obtain clearance to enter yard from St. J operator
10. Take train to arrival track, cut off power and move to designated locomotive track
Web page written and maintained by Mike McNamara
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