[railway icon] Train Operations

This page introduces train operations as a more advanced technique in running your model railway realistically. The main goal of train operations is to safely and efficiently coordinate simultaneous train movements. This page complements the basic operations and freight forwarding pages.

What is a Train | The Operations Plan | Authority To Occupy Main
Signals | Modeling a Signal | Train/Dispatcher Audio | References

What is a Train

A train is defined as one or more coupled engines, displaying markers, with or without cars, and authorized to operate on a main track. They are identified by schedule number (such as #401), by engine number (such as Eng 7007) or by name (such as Foster local). Numbering is mostly consistent across North America. Eastbound or Northbound is even numbered. Trains are made up in yards. Trains drop and/or pickup cars at industrial spurs or yards according to an operations plan.

Trains are normally blocked or sorted by destination so that later yards can quickly move a block to another appropriate train.

Individual freight cars tend to cycle in a set manner such as: empty is ordered is spotted-car is loaded-car is waybilled-car is moved-to-destination-car is spotted-car is unloaded-car is released empty.

Unit freight trains move a set of cars as a single unit from origin to destination. They are often one type of car carrying one product such as coal trains or pulpwood trains.

Passenger trains are often managed primarily as unit trains but can have individual cars dropped or added at major stations.

The Operations Plan

The operations plan (sometimes called the transportation plan or railway service plan) is a listing of the types of trains to be run (through freights, interchange, locals, turns, and way freights), the number of each, their function and schedules. The operations plan also determines priority which is reflected in the employee's train schedule. Don't forget to include the passenger and/or commuter trains. You can check JR's operations plan for a simple example.

Authority To Occupy Main

As soon as more than one train operates on a railway, there must be a method of controlling which train has the authority to use a specific block of track (ie. rights of trains). At first only a timetable (TT) was used but the arrival of the telegraph allowed more flexible control through train orders (TO). There are now many alternate systems of varying complexity based on overlapping time frames and technologies. Train movement control can form a lifetime study in itself. For a general overview read either North American Signaling Basics or Wikipedia. Yahoo Dispatching Group has useful info and Rule Books.

Occupancy permissive systems require no visual signals to convey authority.

Signal controlled systems use various types of visual signals to convey authority.

Detector controlled systems adds automatic train control that overrides operator. Automatic train control (ATC) and automatic train stop (ATS) are two such systems.

Signals

Modeling a Signal

Modeling a signal requires either craftsman skills, $ and time using commercial parts or $$$ for a finished commercial product. No matter which way you choose, the first step is to research what type of signal your prototype road used. For example Canadian railways prior to 1990 used searchlight signals. Some areas after 1990 use color-light heads.

Here are some commercial models of signals. Your help is needed to find more!

Train/Dispatcher Audio

Train Operations References

This is a listing for train operations materials. For general operation references see Operations References. For freight specific references see Freight References. For other railway references see General References.

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