REVERSE RUNNING: Curing track planning paralysis – learning your lines Stepping outside the box with a contrary view it into Google and you’ll find many places you can purchase a copy. Once you get this book, read it through carefully from cover to cover. Then go back and read it again. Another good way to gain track-purpose insight is to run trains on other layouts, especially layouts that host realistic operating sessions. If you’re serious about getting this experience, join the Operations Special Interest Group (opsig.org).
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– by Joe Fugate
very so often on the web forums, you’ll see a post that goes something like this:
the track to transport freight and people from point A to point B.
Yep, another case of track planning paralysis.
They’re in business to provide efficient transportation and make a profit. Track is expensive to lay and maintain, so they won’t put in any more track than what they need to do the job. Every track has a purpose – do you know what those purposes are?
I think the reason for track planning paralysis is simple – you haven’t got a clue what all those little lines on a track plan do.
If you want a track plan that promotes interesting and realistic operation, then you need to understand what those lines on a track plan are all about.
The prototype doesn’t lay track somewhere because it looks cool or would be fun to operate. The prototype uses
John Armstrong’s classic book, Track Planning for Realistic Operation, has a lot of the insight you need. Type
“I have this space for a layout but I’m stuck. I can’t come up with a good track plan; can you guys help?”
Page 119 • Feb 2012 MRH Reverse Running Editorial
Most people who get track planning paralysis have no model railroad operations experience. Once you know what the lines on the track plan do, you’re much better prepared to know what a good track plan needs. Actual running time on other model railroads that host realistic operation sessions has other benefits such as finding out ahead of time what you do and don’t like. For instance, you may find you love yard switching, but road running bores you. If you know this, then your layout design will tend to emphasize yards and minimize mainline running. What interests you becomes the focus, and everything else is there in a supporting role. It’s much better to discover this before you build the benchwork and lay the track rather than afterward!
Operating on other model railroads also brings out your interests regarding era and prototype. Do you prefer steam or diesel? Branchline operation or double-track railroading in the heyday of named passenger trains? Or perhaps you prefer modern runthrough double-stacks? Once you have a better sense of what you want (and maybe even more importantly, what you don’t want), you have what you need to get past track planning paralysis. If you can’t get operating experience on other model railroads, another approach you can use in the modern computer age is virtual railroading with Microsoft Train Simulator, Trainz, or with the Train Player package that allows you to run trains on track plans (including model plans). The point is, to find out what those lines on a track plan let you do, you need to run trains on those lines so you know. When you can look at a track plan and see the purpose for each train that will run in your mind’s eye, then you will find track planning paralysis has been cured. Next patient!
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