Newbie: How to run a railroad...?

[LDMartin1959]

I posted this in the Model RailRoad Forums which appear to be an entirely different and separate set of forums. If it is not, or cross posting from there to here is considered bad form, please accept my apology and delete this post. But I'm figuring that, although there will be some cross-over between the two, the majority of those who hang out here principally have a different interest and perspective than the majority of those who hang out at the Model RailRoad Forums. And at this point, I am looking for as much information as I can get from an many perspectives as I can.

The other night my wife and I stopped by a local RR club. They are apparently in a multi-generational construction project as they had no trains running and were working on their layout which is quite extensive and no where near completed. (I presume there are evenings that they do run trains but I didn't think to ask about that. Hopefully I can catch them on a night when they are). As we walked around looking at the layout, the details, observing the work as it was progressing (I never knew you could build your own switches using raw, unmounted track rail) I asked a few questions of the folks there.

One question displayed my ignorance. I asked what I thought was a simple question: When you are thinking about creating a layout how do you go about it?

Wow! In my ignorance I didn't realize what I was asking. The response I got was rather cursory and I suppose appropriately lacking in specifics in keeping with my ignorance. No problem. Obviously, that was not the time or place to educate. But it revealed to me at least a hint of the variety and complexity of railroading. So, I will bring the questions here where they are (hopefully) more appropriate to ask and there are not the same time (and other) constraints...but in thinking about it, I guess I really don't even know enough to ask an intelligent question so I will just plow ahead and beg everyone's indulgence (which I've found most hobbyist are more than willing to grant).

I guess the first question is this: How do you run a railroad? Okay, that's another one of those ignorant, "you really don't understand what you're asking" questions but I don't know where else to start at the moment. And let me "preface" this question by referencing what the modeller I asked stated. When I asked about creating a layout, his response focused on, "What are you going to do? Run in circles? Is it a toy? Are you planning to run it like a real railroad?"

Well, I don't know the exact answer to those ancillary questions, but I do know I don't want to just run in circles. I want to be more along the lines of a simulation...but how far? I don't even know enough about how to run a railroad or the hobby to know to what level of operational detail in a simulation I might even want to attempt or what circumstances might dictate what is appropriate.

Thank you in advance.

 

[Pat]

Do a little reading. Kalmbach has a number of books for people with the same questions you have. Stop by a hobby shop and take a look at what they have or gamble a few bucks and see if they help.

http://www.kalmbachstore.com/modelt...ng-books-track-plans-and-layout-planning.html

A lot of people start with something they want to recreate in model form. The town they live in, their favorite yard or a whole division in miniature. There is a lot of creative license to get it to fit into the spare bed room, basement or garage but imagination takes care of the rest. There are space, time and money constraints that get considered too.
A lot of clubs (and I belong to one) can seem a little distant to new people. Lots of gung-ho folks stop by for a few times and then disappear into something else. We remind ourselves to be more outgoing but often a person has to put in some work to become one of the gang. The members in the local club could be a resource but like reading it takes some effort.

 

[LDMartin1959]

Do a little reading. Kalmbach has a number of books for people with the same questions you have. Stop by a hobby shop and take a look at what they have or gamble a few bucks and see if they help.

http://www.kalmbachstore.com/modelt...ng-books-track-plans-and-layout-planning.html

A lot of people start with something they want to recreate in model form. The town they live in, their favorite yard or a whole division in miniature. There is a lot of creative license to get it to fit into the spare bed room, basement or garage but imagination takes care of the rest. There are space, time and money constraints that get considered too.
A lot of clubs (and I belong to one) can seem a little distant to new people. Lots of gung-ho folks stop by for a few times and then disappear into something else. We remind ourselves to be more outgoing but often a person has to put in some work to become one of the gang. The members in the local club could be a resource but like reading it takes some effort.

Thanks for the book reference. One of the problems with being a newbie is that even with things such as books, the lack of knowledge makes even choosing a good book a challenge 'cuz you don't know enough to tell the good ones from the not so good ones!

With regard to clubs, I hope I didn't come off as complaining about the reception we received. If it did, I apologize. It really wasn't unfriendly, it was just that they were in work mode. I understand that. As I said, they weren't running any equipment and perhaps if I can catch them on a night when they are they may be more conversational.

Your comments about recreating something in model form is right along the lines I've been thinking (although who knows what might actually happen). I fear I'm gonna end up spending more time than necessary in research to try to accomplish something of a recreation, only to discover I really screwed something up. I'm leaning toward N-scale because of the size factor so I'd like to find a local group that does N-scale so that, even if I don't get any equipment for awhile, I can already be familiar with the folks when I do get to that point.