Planning for Operations

Since I started building the layout I have been expecting to use either the MBS (Manual Block System) or OCS (Occupancy Control System) method to control train movements.  My initial era (mid 1990’s) put it squarely into the OCS era.  I knew that CN used Time Table and Train Orders (TT&TO) until the early 1980’s but this was a bit of esoteric information for me when construction commenced.  Since then I have backdated to the 1980’s for my era, but I continued to expect to use OCS.    

An email conversation with a friend caused me to stumble into something I hadn’t been thinking about: also changing my train dispatching system.  Part of the email conversation caused me to refer to the CN Lines website (http://cnrha.ca) to check something.  While there I happened across the CN employee timetables:  (http://www.cnrha.ca/node/976/) that have been scanned by the good folks at CN Lines.  I thought it would be interesting to see what was there for northern Manitoba. 

Troublesome timetables

To my surprise all the timetables listed on the website were for TT&TO, and were dated June 1st, 1982.  This is the early to middle of my 1980’s timeframe, but it looks like I could use TT&TO and be prototypical!  CN quit using TT&TO in about 1983 in the area according to knowledgable sources, so I knew this was possible but to see it in print was an eye opener. 

There is a very strong operations oriented group here in the Greater Vancouver area, with a significant number of TT&TO oriented layouts.  This has caused there to be a large pool of “qualified” operators who know the system very well.  I am one of those “qualified” TT&TO operators and I enjoy the system.  There are also a number of layouts using OCS so most of the TT&TO operators know how to use OCS as well. 

My current planned era is 1981-1983 (ish) to allow me to run 8 hatch ice reefers, F units and unit ore trains along with the heavier passenger train traffic that was operated during that time frame.  In theory I could also run both TT&TO and OCS operating sessions, depending on people’s skill levels and preferences.  I might be able to have the best of both worlds. 

I am a bit concerned about trying to shoehorn TT&TO into a layout not originally designed for it, but I do have space for an operator’s desk at one end of the layout room where someone could be the station operator for Cranberry Portage and Atik.  The semaphore mast was in place at Cranberry Portage until at least 2003, so having semaphores up during OCS sessions would not be a big deal prototypically. 

I'm been curious if anyone has experience running both TT&TO and OCS operating sessions on the same layout. Some online conversations were helpful on the Model Railway Hobbyist website (https://model-railroad-hobbyist.com/blog/33822), and I recently picked up the OpSIG book on operations and it is also giving me more food for thought related to how I operate the layout. This could be quite the can of worms I have opened.

I think the potential crews would not have too much trouble switching between the two as the core group already runs on layouts using both dispatching types.  And I do agree keeping it simple off the start is a better way to go.  

My concerns with TT&TO is mostly related to some reading in the OpSIG book I picked up (http://www.opsig.org/OPSigBook2.pdf) suggesting that designing for TT&TO from the start is a very good idea. Since I didn't do that I don't know if it will work.  

I do have space for an operators desk at Cranberry Portage that will be out of the main flow of traffic.  That desk could be a combined operator for Cranberry Portage and Atik and possibly The Pas, although as some people have noted there was only an operator at Cranberry Portage and The Pas.  

I'll diverge from the prototype to have better TT&TO as otherwise there would only be an operator at one station along with The Pas.  It would seem like a third spot would be good for traffic flow/reporting/transmitting orders.  Flin Flon and Snow Lake (future branch) would be the train crew acting as station agent at these end of branch locations.

At this point everything is pretty conceptual.  Much more thought required.  It is likely that the start of operations will be "Mother may I" train control until we sort out basic stuff like "does everything work?" and "what does this do?" and such.  I should probably get rolling on the helix and second level so there is somewhere for trains to go...

On several of the layouts I operate on using TT&TO, generally the scheduled trains run one direction and extras in the other.  It cuts back the volume of train orders significantly since the extras are responsible for keeping out of the way of the scheduled freight and passenger trains.  It really gets busy when you start running extras against extras.  When I have dispatched on these layouts the paperwork volume goes way up when that happens.

My layout room is roughly 14'x20' with the (planned) helix between levels in the adjacent room.  I have since decided to add another branchline into the adjacent room (Snow Lake branch) to add more traffic.  

HBR schematic drawing.  This version does not include the Snow Lake branch which would lie between Atik and Cranberry Portage.  I know that isn't where it is in real world, but sometimes reality has to bow to the layout room.  And I also know that the real junction to Churchill is not north of Cranberry Portage, but once again there isn't room for two junctions in the layout room.  Plus having most of the layout traffic head to staging just north of the Tolko mill would make for a fairly dull layout operationally. 

Potential Train Movements

Early draft of the potential layout traffic

Much of the traffic on my layout will be through traffic (grain heading north, empty grain south, passenger trains in both directions) with limited work en route.  The passenger trains will be picking up and drop off head end traffic in The Pas and possibly an extra coach and/or sleeper. 

The trains originating in The Pas will be for the Flin Flon smelter, Churchill mixed, Lynn Lake mixed, Thompson freight.  Freights for Snow Lake will originate out of the Flin Flon smelter as the traffic was dominantly ore traffic in and empties out.  I'm aiming for a relaxed "out in the boonies" feel as my modelled areas are about as far from civilization as you are likely to get on a railway.  Train running 8 hours late?  Not a big deal.  Let's go fishing.

On the other layouts I work on it has been found that having at least one or two of the trains ready to go at the beginning of the session really helps the yard flow better so that would be the plan for the HBR yard in The Pas.  

My current maximum theoretical op session would have 11 northbound movements (2x1st Class, 1x3rd Class, 5x4th Class and 3x Extras) and 13 southbound movements (2x1st Class, 2x3rd Class, 6x4th Class and 3x Extras).  This is a lot of traffic, but we can pare things down or bump up the traffic as things progress and I sort out what works and what doesn’t.

I am contemplating running everything in one direction (southbound) as extras except for the 1st class trains to simplify dispatching, this works well on other layouts I run on.  The mixed trains are a bit troublesome as they are passenger trains but didn't really keep much of a schedule on the prototype.

Only 4 trains (2 each way) would cover the whole visible layout from The Pas to Flin Flon, with the majority (13 trains total) running from The Pas to north Staging.  5 trains would only run from south staging to The Pas.  This would essentially be a short run, one person could likely be doing this role.  Balancing trains into and out of staging will be one of the things left to do.  

Right now it looks like they would be relatively balanced, although north staging could be a bit crowded.  I'm trying to space out the trains so there is steady activity throughout the day.  I'll likely run a 7am to 10pm schedule as that should fit comfortably into a 3 hour ops session with a fast clock.

The Pas yard switcher coming back from the Tolko Mill; April 2000 M Simpson photo

I think 2 switchers will be needed at The Pas, with one of them running as the Tolko turn as that is a short movement to the paper and sawmill.  Flin Flon will likely need two switchers at the smelter as well to deal with inbound and outbound trains as well as ore movements.  

Overall I think 6 to 8 people would be a reasonable sized crew for the layout, subject to actually running an ops session.  And since it is a backwoods operation, if some trains are delayed or don't run, hey, let's go fishing!

I'm still working out what would be happening in The Pas.  4 trains (2 each way) are passenger trains that would likely just run through, although 2 of them could drop or pick up a head end reefer or two.  Two other movements are an RDC run in and out so no switching.  An additional 2 trains would be through grain trains with nothing other than refueling and recrewing.  So that is 8 trains with minimal work in The Pas.  

The Snow Lake Mixed originates in Flin Flon and will run to Snow Lake and return, not passing through The Pas.  Snow Lake is a new branch that will come off the helix connecting the two levels.  

The Lynn Lake Mixed and Churchill Mixed run on alternate days so that takes them down to 2 movements instead of 4 on any particular day.  Most of the time the prototype Lynn Lake Mixed is very short out of The Pas so I would keep it like that.  I do wonder if I should remove train 844 (Churchill wayfreight) and send that traffic on the Churchill Mixed instead.  

The Tolko turn would be done by a yard engine as the mills are a very short run out of town.  

I think if I stage the first couple of trains out of The Pas as ready to go prior to the ops session it would lessen the load on the yardmaster, allowing them to keep up better.  Perhaps running the 1st class passenger trains straight through with no switching would simplify things as well.  Plenty of food for thought here.