GEODESIC FOAM
SCENERY No plaster. Light, Tough, beautiful, fast, easy.
RUBBERROCKMOLDS World’s largest selection.
WEATHER SYSTEM Self adhesive weathering powders.
BRAGDON
www.bragdonent.com
ENTERPRISES SEE OUR COMPLETE CATALOG & MORE AT:
phone: (530) 333-1365 fax (530) 333-1051
2960 Garden Tower Georgetown, CA 95634
www.cloverhouse.comwww.cloverhouse.com
ger is not necessarily better, and that we can do things to make a small layout feel much bigger than it is. As an exam- ple, the author describes why it can take a modern train crew 15 minutes to spot one freight car on a trailing point siding at an industry. He then quickly acknowledges that most modelers would not want to replicate such an op- eration in that much painstaking de- tail, but the philosophy is what’s impor- tant here. This is dangerous work, involving heavy objects that don’t want to move when they’re stopped and then don’t want to stop once they’re in mo- tion. Additionally, this work is often conducted in an environment where crews must navigate the large danger- ous objects near people (pedestrians and drivers) who are oblivious to the risks involved. Think about this while watching someone switch an industry on a real railroad. Then think about this while watching someone switch an industry on a layout. You’ll quickly re- alize that even “seasoned operators” of- ten forget (or never understood) how real railroads work.
www.crusaderrail.com “HO” SCALE
Kato BNSF SD40-2 Late F/P #6744 w/sound & DCC . . . .$198.75 Kato UP AC4400CW F/P #5780 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .$139.75 Kato TTX Maxi-IV Double Stack Container 3 Car Set . . . . .$63.50 GPM SP 2-10-2 Class F-1 F/P #3654 "In Stock" . . . .$1,675.00 GPM SP 2-10-2 Class F-5 F/P #3757 "In Stock" . . . .$1,657.00 BSM D&RGW K-27 F/P FRG Wthrd. w/Sound & DCC #453$429.00 BSM RGS K-27 #455 "Post Wreck" F/P w/Sound & DCC .$429.00 BSM D&RGW K-27 F/P #463 Royal Gourge Sound & DCC $384.00 BSM D&RGW 5500 Double Deck Stock Car Wthrd. . . . . . .$48.50 BSM D&RGW Long Caboose F/P #0574 . . . . . . . . . . . . . .$68.50 W&R GN 2-8-0 Class F-7 F/P Blk. #1138 . . . . . . . . . . . . .$975.00 OM UP C45ACCTE F/P #7617 w/trans. DB Section . . . .$855.00 Ath SP GP9 F/P "Black Widow" #5629 . . . . . . . . . . . . . .$147.50 Ath WP FPA & FPB both Powered F/P DCC Ready . . . . .$235.00 Ath SP C-50-7 Bay window Cabooses . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .$75.00
WWW.SUMPTERVALLEY.COMemail:
trainman@callatg.com “N” SCALE
Visit us at:
kato SP GS-4 "Freedom Train" F/P . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .$164.75 Kato AT&SF 8 Car "Super Chief" Passenger Car Set . . . . .$147.50 Kato AT&SF F7A F/P #301 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .$74.95
“O” SCALE
Key D&RGW 2-6-6-4 Class L-97 F/P . . . . . . . . . . . . . .$2,875.00 Atl UP 11k Gal. Tank Car F/P Gray 2-Rail . . . . . . . . . . . .$75.00 Atl "Hooker" 11k Gal. Tank Car F/P 2-Rail . . . . . . . . . . . .$75.00 PSC SP 2-8-8-4 Class AC-9 Coal Vserion N/P . . . . . . .$2,795.00
"BRASS COLLECTIONS WANTED" 541-382-3413
• • • MANY MORE • • • Orders
1-800-750-4449 FAX 541-389-7237
ALLEN KELLER Videos
GREAT MODEL RAILROADS VOLS. 1-67
56 SE Bridgeford Blvd., Ste. 120, Bend, OR 97702 HOURS: Monday - Saturday 9 am - 6 pm
32
Order On-Line Complete Listing at:
www.allenkeller.com MAY 2012
Is that bad news? Not at all. Having read this book I have recognized that even a simple layout can support a rich, entertaining, rewarding operating ex- perience–one requiring, say, six or eight track switches, a handful of in- dustries and a dozen freight cars. There are keys to making this work of course, and the author provides many– from insights into industry and rolling stock selection, to things one can add to the layout (such as derails and switch locks) that better replicate the jobs of real railroaders while adding play val- ue to operating sessions. I won’t give away the secrets: Go and See by buying a copy of this book. It won’t disappoint. Model railroad operations is a visual activity and this book includes many photos and diagrams to illustrate switching situations. In addition to ex- amples from the author’s own excellent layouts, a nice bonus is a new design for a modern era switching layout used to illustrate how various concepts pre-
sented in earlier chapters come togeth- er in an operating session. The Gate- way Industrial Park layout fits a 12′× 13′ room in HO scale, but would also work in other spaces by breaking the design into discrete switching districts and reconnecting them with simple, single-track runs. It is an excellent ex- ample of a simple layout that would be highly entertaining to operate. There are no switching puzzles, but plenty of opportunities to replicate real railroad- ing in miniature thanks to a clever mix of customers.
Over the past few years, I’ve wit- nessed the growth in interest in mod- ern railroading and in industrial switching layouts. Regardless of whether they fit on a bookshelf or fill a basement, such subjects provide a more relaxed, timetable-free alternative to empires attempting to replicate the op- erations over an entire division. What’s more, it’s never been a better time to model the present day, with so many new products from so many manufac- turers catering to fans of contemporary railroading. And as I’ve already point- ed out, the research is as easy as “Go and See,” by finding the nearest indus- trial rail line and observing/pho- tographing/videoing it from public property. Therefore, I highly recom- mend this book to those embarking on a new layout-building venture. It may just convince you to play in the modern era this time around.
But regardless of one’s chosen era or theme, the lessons in this book can only improve one’s operating sessions. There’s much between the pages for op- erations newbies and old hands alike. How To Operate A Modern Era Switch- ing Layout stands fine on its own mer- its, but is even better as part of the au- thor’s trilogy on the subject, so why not pick up a copy of How To Design A Small Switching Layout and How To Build A Switching Layout while you’re at it? I reviewed these earlier books for RMC as well, and it’s been great to see this series develop. I highly recommend all three.–TREVOR MARSHALL
Page 1 |
Page 2 |
Page 3 |
Page 4 |
Page 5 |
Page 6 |
Page 7 |
Page 8 |
Page 9 |
Page 10 |
Page 11 |
Page 12 |
Page 13 |
Page 14 |
Page 15 |
Page 16 |
Page 17 |
Page 18 |
Page 19 |
Page 20 |
Page 21 |
Page 22 |
Page 23 |
Page 24 |
Page 25 |
Page 26 |
Page 27 |
Page 28 |
Page 29 |
Page 30 |
Page 31 |
Page 32 |
Page 33 |
Page 34 |
Page 35 |
Page 36 |
Page 37 |
Page 38 |
Page 39 |
Page 40 |
Page 41 |
Page 42 |
Page 43 |
Page 44 |
Page 45 |
Page 46 |
Page 47 |
Page 48 |
Page 49 |
Page 50 |
Page 51 |
Page 52 |
Page 53 |
Page 54 |
Page 55 |
Page 56 |
Page 57 |
Page 58 |
Page 59 |
Page 60 |
Page 61 |
Page 62 |
Page 63 |
Page 64 |
Page 65 |
Page 66 |
Page 67 |
Page 68 |
Page 69 |
Page 70 |
Page 71 |
Page 72 |
Page 73 |
Page 74 |
Page 75 |
Page 76 |
Page 77 |
Page 78 |
Page 79 |
Page 80 |
Page 81 |
Page 82 |
Page 83 |
Page 84 |
Page 85 |
Page 86 |
Page 87 |
Page 88 |
Page 89 |
Page 90 |
Page 91 |
Page 92 |
Page 93 |
Page 94 |
Page 95 |
Page 96 |
Page 97 |
Page 98 |
Page 99 |
Page 100