TOMA Phase One: Planning for Operations

While I have more involved plans underway for the operations on the larger 4th Subdivision, the first phase of TOMA with the town of Nooksack, an NP interchange, and staging at each end will necessarily have less involved operations.

The initial operations will include just one or possibly two operators with relatively short sessions until I add additional TOMA sections. Early this month, Lance Mindheim explored operations on a small model railroad design that helped me transition from considering the operations for the larger, future 4th Subdivision to focusing on planning the operations of the Nooksack TOMA section.
 

To start with, I will be fine tuning what is essentially a bullet list:

• Paperwork will be limited to switch lists with set outs and pick ups listed.
• No car cards, but I will be aware of industry needs when making switch lists
• All trackwork will be in yard limits, with yard limit rules in effect.
• Possibility of one scheduled first class train listed on train bulletin.
• Just one or two trains per session (at least to start.)
• Use a limited number of cars per session.
• Use labels for spots and industries until all buildings are finished.
• Not every industry or spot needs to be used in a session.

East Staging: Fix the Mistake or Live With It?

Mainline and two spur tracks

Following my own advice to double check everything by running trains in my last post, I realized a serious oversight in building the new east staging section while doing so. Designed as a mainline with two spur tracks, I left out the need for a runaround! One option is to live with it, considering that this first phase plan for Nooksack is limited to operating as a switching layout. If I can get my head wrapped around thinking of this as a stand alone, single town railroad instead of sticking to the operations plan for the fully developed 4th Subdivision, the two spurs without a runaround could serve adequately. 

On the other hand, in the big scheme of the operations for the 4th Subdivision, most of the freight switching here will be done by turns. Without a runaround at this end, that will be hard to duplicate. Also, looking at a set of "track charts" for a portion of the Cascade Division that I found online, the Great Northern rarely had just spur tracks without a return to the mainline creating a siding. A  siding that can function as a passing track with a single associated spur would be more typical and hence prototypical. 

East end with mainline and two spurs

While I had thought that the track laying and electrical work was essentially complete, I feel the need to at least explore my options for transitioning the closer spur into a siding. If I also include a tail track long enough for a locomotive as the continuation of the mainline, the siding will function as a runaround. Exploring my options includes looking at what I have on hand, revisiting the construction of the end of this section, and coming up with possible plans for an extension. Including the possibility of coving the backdrop at the end of the section adds an additional "feature" of adding an extension. 

Working through the plans for this possible extension, discussion of my thinking for operations for this first phase as well as my operations plans for the full 4th Subdivision, or basement/train room updates are all possibilities for new posts. I seem to have slipped to just two posts a month from my goal of three for this year. 

Right now though, I need to help my wife troubleshoot how to feed birds without feeding the bear.