OperatingSessions.com | Port of New York Railroad

Layout Description

Boilerplate operations info:
This layout is being created for prototype railway modeling of the Port of New York in 1959. It centers on the Hoboken Shore Railroad with connections to the Erie RR and a series of car float accessible pocket terminals of other railroads including the Lehigh Valley This means that much research, planning and ongoing attention to the real railroad is being put into the layout in order to recreate a very specific time, place and situation. To support this...

The railroad is operated slowly and deliberately. This is to allow more focus to be brought on the experience of operating, and in the future (when there is scenery), on the environment of the railroad. Sound, weight, movement and interaction are all important elements of the layout. This means that...

There is sound, momentum and braking on the locomotives. This slows down the operations and allows the engineer to more prototypically operate. It takes about half a session to get used to it if you have never used it before. It is not hard, it is just different. But if you like something a little more advanced...

There are [optional] ways to make operating more challenging. I am developing a set of guidelines called Brakeman! for operating more prototypically with railway personnel. This means that you need to pick up and let off your scale brakemen to throw switches, couple and uncouple cars, etc. It is like miniature wargaming except with trains and the object is not to kill anyone. We don't want anyone to die or suffer in any way so...

There is no fast clock, no pressure, and no hurry to perform your assignment. It is preferred that you are careful, relaxed and engaged in how you are moving your locomotive and cars. A great way to reduce stress is to keep things simple, so...

I use wireless Easy DCC throttles with battery powered locomotives, simple switch lists, no car cards, no signals, no dispatcher, no shorts, no dirty track, and no control panels. The idea is to make running the layout as simple as possible so that the maximum engagement with running the locomotive and performing railroad things is possible. With all of these usual interruptions removed, we can add more fun prototypical operating interactions. Things are very basic now, but in the future there will be some unique tasks and procedures to round out the experience.

Jobs:
Hoboken Shore Railroad (HBS) Yard (2)
Erie Interchange Yard (1)
Lehigh Valley 27th St Station on Manhattan Island(1-2)
Erie Harlem Station in the Bronx (1-2)
HBS Docks/Bethlehem Shipyard (1-2)
HBS Float Yard/Maxwell House Coffee (1-2)