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  1. LDMartin1959

    Newbie: How to run a railroad...?

    That's what my congressman said, too.
  2. LDMartin1959

    Newbie: How to run a railroad...?

    I think Mr. Einstein might disagree! :D But I think we are saying the same thing in different ways, and perhaps I didn't say it as clearly as I was thinking it. If N-scale is 1/160 of full scale, then a scale mile would be 1/160 the distance of the real-world distance. Traveling sixty scale...
  3. LDMartin1959

    Newbie: How to run a railroad...?

    Okay, I'm sorta figuring that one out. I can be a bit dense at times.
  4. LDMartin1959

    Newbie: How to run a railroad...?

    If the term "prototype" in this context is referring to a real-world railroad, I suppose the term "real-world" would work without making the simulated railroad seem "toy-like"? But if the accepted term is "prototype", I suppose that is fine. I just wasn't sure from what was written of the...
  5. LDMartin1959

    Newbie: How to run a railroad...?

    A line from "The Right Stuff" comes to mind as I read this. But as this is a family-friendly forum, I will refrain. But if you're familiar with the movie, you'll know to which I refer, "bubba!" :D
  6. LDMartin1959

    Newbie: How to run a railroad...?

    I'll keep your idea in mind. At present that is not the direction I am thinking of going, but since I am just beginning the thought process and am probably light-years from the actual design and implementation stage, who knows what will happened between then and now.
  7. LDMartin1959

    Newbie: How to run a railroad...?

    I am at the exploratory stage and as yet have no money invested and no equipment (other than a few HO pieces I inherited from my dad). The questions you pose are all interesting questions which I will keep in mind as I do my preliminary research, then ponder more deeply as I get to the point of...
  8. LDMartin1959

    Newbie: How to run a railroad...?

    Thanks for the tip.
  9. LDMartin1959

    Newbie: How to run a railroad...?

    Wow. A lot to think about. I'm starting to get visions of there being something akin to the logic, control and "game play" mechanisms similar to what used in many "old" style board simulation games (i.e. Avalon Hill) that might be the way of simulating the random variable that often exist in the...
  10. LDMartin1959

    Newbie: How to run a railroad...?

    Thanks for the tips. I will check out those books and your site (open in yet another tab at the moment).
  11. LDMartin1959

    Newbie: How to run a railroad...?

    Oh. I guess that would be a palm plant and a "duh". Yea, I now have that open in a new tab (one of far too many tabs that are open at the moment). :eek:
  12. LDMartin1959

    Newbie: How to run a railroad...?

    Thank you for the book reference. I will check it out.
  13. LDMartin1959

    Newbie: How to run a railroad...?

    Yours is the second reference to the Ops sig group, so I will definitely check them out. LHS = "Local High School"? "Little Hotdog Stand"? (i'm sure at least one of those is wrong!) XTRKCAD. I see there is a Mac version. That's nice. So many specialty applications like this tend to ignore...
  14. LDMartin1959

    Newbie: How to run a railroad...?

    Okay, this helps. So there is a place where load data outside of the modelers control can be generated (sorta more like real life), although a "fishbowl" can still be useful.
  15. LDMartin1959

    Newbie: How to run a railroad...?

    And I understand that part of it, but I am wondering about the creation of load orders. Those are created by the shipping customer along with certain date requirements (must be picked up by a certain date, must be delivered by a certain date, or both). Do modelers just make up the details to...
  16. LDMartin1959

    Newbie: How to run a railroad...?

    I think I had already realized that the scale speeds would be deceptive, although as you point out, they may be even more deceptive than I imagine. Intuitively, I'd say that the physical scale and the speed scale correspond to each other? N-scale being 1/160th, scale speed would also be 1/160th...
  17. LDMartin1959

    Newbie: How to run a railroad...?

    The group format sounds more complex than I probably want to get into, at least for some time. For someone who is doing it solo, are there places (on line, perhaps) where these sorts of plans can be generated?
  18. LDMartin1959

    Newbie: How to run a railroad...?

    For the sake of realism do they get load information from some outside source or do they just put a bunch in a fishbowl and pull them out at random or what? I presume there is some method to it?
  19. LDMartin1959

    Newbie: How to run a railroad...?

    What about the "logistics" part of it? How "realistic" is reasonable or even (dare I say it) necessary to run things like a "real" railroad? I'm thinking in terms of creating loads, scheduling them for specific destinations and such. That was sort of the impression I got of the operation that...
  20. LDMartin1959

    Newbie: How to run a railroad...?

    The other night my wife and I stopped by a local RR club. They are apparently in a multi-generational construction project as they had no trains running and were working on their layout which is quite extensive and no where near completed. (I presume there are evenings that they do run trains...



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