Nooksack: Planning For Operations with TOMA

 

The main difference with the TOMA approach is that one section is built to completion and operated before adding additional modules (actually sections). While planning ahead for the later, larger model railroad with the potential for operations sessions with multiple operators, I also need to intentionally plan for the initial one-town model railroad. While I intend Nooksack to ultimately be one of several modeled towns on the 4th Subdivision, initially it will be the main focus by itself, with some staging on each end. Hopefully without going too far into the weeds in this post, I will discuss four interrelated approaches to operations planning for the TOMA based, first phase town of Nooksack that I have been considering. These include advice for planning for engagement and fun on a small layout from Byron Henderson, making choices from the many train forwarding and car forwarding approaches, and combining research and scenery planning with operations planning by making industry choices.

Byron Henderson discusses "enjoyable operations on smaller layouts" in a blog post from 2019. I recommend reading his full post, but I will list what I consider some main takeaways. A central idea is to include "diversity in roles" by including the opportunity to both classify and spot/pull cars in a small railroad. Another idea includes planning for "variety" by including the notion of more cars than needed and changing waybills after the 4th cycle. Incorporating prototypical challenge rather than difficult switching puzzles by considering needs at different times of year, including sure spots, and applying railroad rules are all considerations. In reviewing Henderson's ideas I concluded that my TOMA staging on at least one side should incorporate the possibility of classification even if it expands the initial scope somewhat. 

Operations planning, even with a one-town or fun-for-one approach, breaks into two interrelated parts: micro or car forwarding and macro or train forwarding including train types, control, and communication. For car forwarding I plan to start with car cards and waybills. I wrote about this in a blog post describing how I used car cards and waybills on my earlier attic version of the 4th Subdivision; while that post described using different locations than the new railroad, the system is the same. In another post from that same series in 2019, I wrote about using switch lists. I intend to continue to use switch lists as a key part of my car forwarding approach. While the conductor will continue to use switch lists, whether the car cards and waybills continue to be part of the conductor's job or whether I will somehow have an agent job as the new 4th Subdivision expands and develops is unclear. In either event, car cards, waybills, and switch lists will be the focus of car forwarding on the 4th Subdivision in Nooksack and as the railroad grows over time. Train forwarding with the one-town initial TOMA approach is less clear in my mind. On my earlier attic version, all of the modeled railroad was within yard limits. In my newer version, that will not be the case. While not really prototype based, my 4th Subdivision will follow some prototypical guidelines as to the time period (1954) and GN practices on branchlines. I plan to start very simply with a sequence system and running one train at a time. As the railroad grows, I am guessing that I will ultimately implement some sort of dispatching potentially utilizing a timetable and train order system.   A process of further evaluation and research will be needed as the train forwarding system evolves with the railroad. 

I have started another process of evaluation and research as I have started planning the industries for Nooksack. I intend whatever I select to be appropriate for the setting (1954 Pacific Northwest) and for both the initial stand alone Nooksack and the evolving larger railroad. I have nascent construction notes and prototype research underway for the industries: an agricultural cannery, a logging supply company, a fuel oil dealer, and a team track. Returning to my initial goal of not going too far into the weeds with this post, I will leave the development of these industries as prototype, operations, and scenic linchpins to later posts along with updates to the slow progress on the layout space and new workbench location.