Richmond, Romeo & Rochester (RR&R)

[GRHC]

Once your railroad is up and running how will you operate your trains. Will you use a card order/waybill system or some other technique?

It will have a small enough roster that I will do everything in my head. However, if/when I go to a system it will probably by Card Order.

You have a very nice looking layout. I wish you would create a thread and post more information/pictures of it.

Thank you
I operate my layout in a somewhat/close to pro typical fashion (I am a river counter lol) I have a rudimentary system for operating trains which is in my head.

Maybe someday I’ll get up the nerve to post about it like you did with your RR & R but until then I guess I’ll just give a little glimpses and glimmers of the VPT

[AARR]

DCC is hooked up and one short segment is operable. My friend is coming back in two weeks to work on it again. This is my first experience with engines that have sound and functioning lights. It's exciting!

However, I discovered two of my engines do not have their decoders and I am working on getting them equipped.

I have a 4th engine that is equipped but can't have it until Christmas .

[AARR]

Updated pictures. Currently at Plywood Central state.

Letica Plastics/Berry Plastics in Rochester

The left side (where the bulkhead flat car is) is Church's Lumber and ACME Building Materials in Auburn Hills and the right side (where the covered hopper is) is Peninsula Plastics in Auburn Hills and Pfizer in Rochester

Washington Elevator/Capitol Fertilizer

Ford Engine Romeo (Walthers Stamping Plant is on back order)

Theut Products Stone Terminal in Romeo

Star of the West in Richmond

FCA Warehouse in Mt. Clemens

LC Stone in Mt. Clemens

Carter Lumber in Macomb and engine/caboose track

Four track staging yard representing Detroit and Port Huron

[GRHC]

Updated pictures. Currently at Plywood Central state.

A lot of nice buildings it looks like your layout is really coming along. I look forward to future updates.

[AARR]

First operating session today. In around 2-2.5 hours accomplished 60-75% of a full session.

I'd give the overall performance an 7 or 8 out of 10.
- I still need to add feeder wires to reduce dead spots. I would estimate there are 15-20 dead spots. My Athearn engines stutter but pass through most of the dead spots but the Rapido dies on most of them.
- I still need to smooth out a few bumps in the tracks to eliminate derailments. Due to low speeds there were only about 10-15 derailments not caused by operator error. There were probably more caused by the operator's errors .

The trains will line up like this:
- Mt. Clemens Local (GTW) switches the three outside industries using the GP38-2 (and hopefully someday a GP9R)(about 5 cars)
- Richmond Turn (GTW) interchanges with the RRR at Richmond using the GP38-2 (6-11 cars)
- Richmond Turn (RR&R) operates from Romeo to Richmond to exchange cars and switch industries using a GP9 (6-11 cars)
- Auburn Hills Turn operates from Romeo to Auburn Hills switching industries using a SW1200RS (3-5 cars)
- A limestone extra (RRR) will run Romeo to Port Huron as need using the GP38AC

I will post updated photos soon.

[KVERBERK]

Nice that you had an operating session already! I'd like to try operating your layout. I had a couple guys come operate mine for the first time about a week ago and things went pretty well.
Looking forward to more updates.

[AARR]

Nice that you had an operating session already! I'd like to try operating your layout. I had a couple guys come operate mine for the first time about a week ago and things went pretty well. Looking forward to more updates.

Thank you for your feedback.

At this time, it is set up for one person to operate. In the future I will set it up for two-person operation. But the room will never be able to accommodate more than two people. The board is 6x10 and the room is 9x12 so the aisles are narrow.

[KVERBERK]

At this time, it is set up for one person to operate.

I understand that. When I had two guys running mine it was about all I could accommodate I think with me making 3, and I was just observing. Although in the future I would like to have one or two operating and one acting as a dispatcher.

[David Collins]

Looks great Don! If I were you, I'd do a card order system for your layout, given how many industries you have.

[AARR]

Looks great Don! If I were you, I'd do a card order system for your layout, given how many industries you have.

Thank you for the suggestion. For now I can track everything in my head but as it grows the Card Order System is definitely in consideration.

[AARR]

Updated photos.

The newest kit is the large gray building which represents Ford Romeo Engine Plant. The box cars are loaded inside the building (I kitbashed the opening), the tank car in the unloading shed and scrap aluminum bales are loaded in gondolas next to the tank car shed.

There are still a few track issues to work out although derailments are infrequent due to the slow speeds I operate at. I may leave the imperfections on the branch line and spurs as it adds to operational interest.

I have a one plastic pellet covered hopper car that cannot navigate the inner most branch line curve so it gets staged at the nearest available siding (usually the aggregate siding) and is transloaded there. I suspect real railroads have to figure stuff like that out too.

A full operating session takes well over three hours (possibly four). I haven't had time to do everything in one sitting. I usually go 20-30 minutes at a time and pick up where I left off previously.

There are 50 cars (its all I need) including two cabooses (seldom use them but they look nice). The cars are staged in order so I don't need cards or computer printouts.

I currently have two engines, will be acquiring three more and then I will be done.

I've penciled in the roads, but every time I intend to work on it and landscaping, I end up operating instead.

[DaveO]

There are still a few track issues to work out although derailments are infrequent due to the slow speeds I operate at.

Hey, that's my excuse! oh you're talking about train speed. sorry