Hi I want to improve my layout somewhat to incorporate more activitiy rather than running around, it is based on N scale T-TRAK and I want to keep that way at the moment. I have a couple of sidings and spurs on some modules and a yard / interchange modules with some more spurs on the the innermost track. Looking at layout designs I see references to switching layouts and operation layouts. What are the differences between designed for switching and for operations. Please what is the differences between switching and operations in layout design?:tb-biggrin:
Depends on how you want to look at the semantics of the words, but basically here is the difference. Operations - Trying to operate like the prototype will. Consider road trains, local trains, passenger trains, passing sidings, how locals will switch industries while holding the main, etc. "Big picture" railroading. Switching - Multiple locations to do switch work but not necessarily a "big picture" plan. Might have a switching plan (car 123 to industry X, car 456 to industry Y, etc), but doesn't consider other traffic - for example the basic timesaver is a switching layout. Generally a switching layout will also not have a continous run (a short shelf layout for example). Note that you can indeed make an operations-based switching layout, so they are not exclusive of each other.
Switching layouts focus on moving cars to service industries in a limited space, with no pretense of continuous running (loopy-loo). "Operations" refers to trying to imitate realistic prototype practices, from basic car spotting to adhering to a strict timetable. Switching layouts can be anything from a mess of track on a board, to a carefully-designed layout with specific operational goals (such as these from Byron Henderson or Stein). Since you already have the sidings & industries in place, just coming up with a schedule / plan of which industries need which cars at what time will make it "operational". Car cards and waybills, such as those from MicroMark and others, can help give an operational structure to your train running. Have fun!
There's really no difference in the basic function -- purposefully moving cars. That's what's meant by an "operations-oriented" layout. These can be any size. The key is that they are designed to permit realistic movement of cars. Sometimes people refer to switching layouts when they mean a small layout with no continuous-run connection, but even that's not exclusively true. Often "operations" refers to more than just the movement of individual cars, which is often called "switching". To me, Operations includes the real or imagined movement of cars to "somewhere else" in trains to suggest the connection to the nationwide rail system. This clinic handout on my site describe operations with more words. Perhaps it will be useful. This page on my website describes adding operations to a "classic" HO 4X8 (which doesn't actually fit very well on a 4X8, but that's a rant for another time). Starting Ops on a 4X8 This page describes how a couple of 1X4 foot TTrak modules can be used for purposeful operations. By using the yard as a place for cars to be switched to and switched from, it gives the movements of the cars purpose. This and the following examples could each be classified as both a switching layout and an operations-oriented layout in one. This compact N scale switching layout offers challenging industry switching and interchange with another railroad in 18"X72" in N scale. This 1X6+ N scale switching layout also offers realistic interchange with multiple railroads and is based on a real-life shortline. This is so compressed as to almost be a schematic of a real railroad, yet the couple of folks who have built versions tell me that the car movements can be very engaging. If you have a place for cars to rest as if they have been delivered by other trains (such as using the NTrak mains as a yard or interchange lead when your modules are standalone) and other places for the cars to be delivered and picked up (industries), you already have all the infrastructure that you need to begin operations. Or you can imagine "your" train has just arrived on the scene with cars to be switched. Best of luck and have fun.
Thanks everyone for your input. I had seen the 1 by 4 T-TRAK before, but not the other two. Over the next few weeks I will consider using features of the above modules to plan some new modules. I have 6 blank triple modues that I can use. However, only 3 (or maybe 4 if I take the inside corner out) can be used at once at home.
It is possible to have both. I think of my layout as a great big switching layout that just happens to have a very nice continues mainline (Read roundy-round) Actually it has several switching regions that offer scores of businesses and industries which allow me to move a lot of traffic back and forth between them. Throw in a car ferry dock an interchange track a couple of small yards and engine service facilities along with a couple of places to hide built-up trains and I can completely confuse and confound myself for hours upon hours. I once tried to draw a Venn diagram of all the possible operational options and. . .Well; let’s just say the medication is working better now and leave it at that. All of this means it’s a bit cluttered for most peoples taste but I like structures and I’m not that good with the big open spaces scenery so it works for me.
SLA - Switching Layouts Anonmymous My switching layout is an HO "settle-for". I have devoted my train space in my place to N and Z, and my HO trains are either run on a friend's layout or switched on my 18" x 10' portable switching layout. I always considered switching layouts to be a temporary solution and starting basis for people who do not have the space for the time being. I have a friend who had a well used N scale switching layout for years, and was quite happy, but he got promoted at work, bought a big home, and integrated that switching layout into one beautiful room sized layout. It was a well thought out trackplan so I imagine a lot of wheels were turning when he was shunting cars on that little piece of geography. Before Unitrak, I used to have a small switching layout that would fit in the trunk of our car. My first ex wife and I used to travel to Orlando to her educational conventions, and I would spend hours going to the train store and bringing my new acquisition back to the room and wreaking havoc. I never accept an apologetic presentation of a switching layout, like "this is all I have for now" for a switching layout like those above are particular challenging to ensure purpose and room enough to run back and forth. Ken "FloridaBoy" Willaman
