Mainland Modular Railway Society Module Standards

Sections

• Exhibit Operating Guide
• Layout Tear Down
• Operating Scheme

Exhibit Operating Guide

1. A minimum of one train operating on each mainline at all times. Exceptions to this rule occur only to clear a line involved in derailments, removing bad order cars, etc..

2. Bad order cars explanations and rules concerning same.
   Any car experiencing the following:
   a) 2 derailments
   b) 2 unplanned couplings
   must be immediately removed from the operating lines and not returned to operation until the malfunction is remedied.
3. Faulty engine performance requires that the engine be immediately removed from operation, the problem corrected and the locomotive tested prior to returning to service.
4. All engine maintenance or testing shall be done on a test track. The use of the operating module main tracks to test locomotives is prohibited.
5. All set up and tear down of trains to be done in the yard area, not in public view on the mainline.
6. Public view layout to be kept clean, neat, and free of foreign objects. (Tools, paper cups, pop cans, candy wrappers, model storage containers, scenery material, & etc..). If working on the scenery on a module, have the materials laid out on a separate table, not on the module.
7. Trains are to be run at a prototypical scale speeds. No running of trains at unrealistically slow speeds or excessively high speeds.
   Approximate speeds are:
   Freight
   30 scale MPH - 7 seconds on a four foot module
   40 scale MPH - 6 seconds on a four foot module
   Passenger
   50 scale MPH - 5 seconds on a four foot module
   60 scale MPH - 4 seconds on a four foot module
8. Trains are to be operated in prototypical consists with regard to the era and locomotive types used on that train. Equipment to be in good running order and prototypically feasible, I.E. No exploding box cars, operating giraffe cars, etc..No articles to be transported by running trains that would not be considered prototypical.
9. Trains to be under observation at all times by their operator. If operator is following the train around the layout (walk around operation) no additional train observers are needed. If the operator is stationary the train must be under observation by as many observers as required by the size of the modular layout. (minimum one observer)
10. Modules with separately operated branch lines to be operated only with permission of the modules owner.
11. All equipment to be marked by owner.

12. All equipment to be fitted with "Kadee" couplers. Unit trains may be coupled with non-Kadee couplers. All couplers to be at the proper height. ( use the Kadee height gauge ) All knuckles to be fitted with springs. ( bring spares )

    Non-Kadee clones will be permitted until their failure rate gets too high. Permitted types in order of preference (Listed in descending order of reliability/strength) are Accumate, McHenry with knuckle spring, Proto 2000, McHenry/Bachmann, InterMountain.

13. Approximately ½ hour before the show ends, all rolling stock is to be removed from the layout (including the yard) except 2 small trains for operation till the end of the show. To save time the inside yard may be taken down before the end of the show as long as all of the rolling stock is removed first.

14. The person acting as the "Yardmaster" is in charge of the complete modular layout during actual exhibit operations. A member must coordinate his motive power DCC address(es) and decoder types with the "YARDMASTER" before running equipment on the layout. This will reduce duplicate address confusion. In the absence of a Yardmaster' a list of currently active locomotives on the layout should be maintained in a prominent location.

15. The person acting as the "Floor Coordinator" is in charge of all set up and tear down operations.
16. During public exhibitions operations seniority is determined as follows:
    • All active members displaying in the show have first choice of operating times,
    • All other active members have second choice of times,
    • All other members have third choice.

    In a given group of members, operations order is to be determined by polite negotiation or random lots.

    It is permissible to give your operating time to someone else in the club.

    With permission of the Yardmaster, it is permissible to give your operating time to a guest.

    It is always permissible to share your operating time with another person whether a club member or a guest.

Layout Tear Down

1. The person acting as the "Floor Coordinator" is in charge of all set up and tear down operations.
2. All participating members to assist in the tear down of all modules under direction of the floor coordinator.
3. First all locomotives and cars are to be removed. This should be done gradually during the last half hour of the show so that they can be properly packed away.
4. All removable structures, details and vehicles should be removed next.
5. The DCC system is to be shut down and all throttles collected and returned to their owner(s).
6. All of the following should be done first at one (or all) of the duckunders to allow easier access to the centre of the layout.
7. One team starts removing the connecting rails between modules. If these are club pieces they should be collected, otherwise they should be put on the module to the right of the joint for the owner to store.
8. Then the skirts should be removed.
9. One or two teams will work their way around the layout and disconnect all intermodule cables, power bars, and DCC cables. Loose DCC cables will be coiled and collected.
10. When the floor coordinator directs and after all track connections are removed clamps may be removed. Clamps belong to the module to the right of the joint.
11. Push one module on each long edge of the layout out of the way or remove the duckunder modules so an access route is made into the interior of the layout.
12. Backdrops may be removed now.
13. Modules may be dropped and legs removed now.
14. After all modules are removed, members will clean up the layout area. We want to leave the layout area as clean if not cleaner than it was when we arrived.
15. Members should note their thoughts and comments about the show for the postmortem at the next meeting.

Operating Scheme

The following is preliminary and subject to change as experience dictates.

Operations on The Modular Layout - Short List

The following pages contain a detailed plan of operations. This is a short summary of what they say.

1. All cars and engines enter and exit the layout through the staging yard.
2. One or two members run two display trains on the outer mainline. As shifts change, change the directions of the trains. If possible, these trains should be run with radio throttles.
3. Two members run way freights around the layout in opposite directions switching trailing point sidings, or one member runs a way freight and switches some sidings (trailing and facing point).
4. Use some method to change the freight cars.
5. Run the occasional passenger train or doodle bug or special train to complicate things.
6. A switch crew can keep busy at Coles Yard.
7. Have fun!

Operations on The Modular Layout - Detailed Instructions

At a public show we need two kinds of trains; those running for the public (Display Trains) and those running for us (Operating Trains). To accommodate both types of trains I propose the following.

1) General
1.1) The Main Line (outside track) will be used for display trains and the Siding (inside track) will be used by our operating trains.
1.2) Entering and Exiting the Layout - If it is used, all equipment should enter and exit the layout from the staging yard. If the staging yard is not used then use (in descending order) Cole's Yard, Bill Dixon's interchange yard on his lefthand module or a duckunder. You should try and limit the equipment entry/exit point to one location.
1.3) The day should start (and end) with the layout empty of cars and locomotives.

2) Definitions
2.1) Tracks
2.1.1) Mainline - The outer track will be called the Mainline and is used for display trains and (with permission of the dispatcher) for meets and passes by operating trains.
2.1.2) Siding - The inner track will be called the Siding, and is used by operating trains and (with permission of the dispatcher) for meets and passes by display trains.
2.1.3) Yards - We have (or will have) three yards: the freight yard on Michael Coles' modules, the passenger yard on Lew Twambleys' modules and the staging yard.
2.1.4) Industrial Spurs - Any spur used for freight operations. This includes interchange yards.
2.1.5) Passenger Spurs - Any spur used for passenger or express equipment.

2.2) Directions
2.2.1) Eastbound will be towards the right.
2.2.2) Westbound will be towards the left.
Note: The direction assumes that you are standing to the south (outside) of the layout looking north (into the layout).

2.3) Train Types
2.3.1) Transfer Train - A Transfer train moves cars between staging and a yard visible to the public.
2.3.2) Caboose Hop - One or more engines with a caboose moving between two yards or to/or from a yard.
2.3.3) Way Freight - One or more engines, one or more freight cars and a caboose.
   a) Eastbound - runs east (to the right) and switches trailing point spurs along the way.
   b) Westbound - runs west (to the left) and switches trailing point spurs along the way.
   c) Turn - runs east or west to a destination and then back, and switches all spurs along the way.
2.3.4) Passenger Train - One or more engines with only passenger or express equipment.
2.3.5) Mixed Train - A way freight with one or more passenger cars. Usually a combine.
2.3.6) Display Train - A train run only for display purposes. Not expected to do any switching but may have meets with other trains.

2.4) Switch Crew - An engine switching at Coles yard or the passenger yard.

2.5) Train Priority
2.5.1) Passenger trains (except the doodlebug) have priority over all other trains.
2.5.2) Mainline trains (display trains) have priority over branch line trains.
2.5.3) Branch line trains will only venture onto the mainline with permission of the dispatcher. If there is no dispatcher, they must coordinate with the mainline train crew(s).
2.5.4) Doodlebugs and extras for display purposes (special equipment, MOW, etc.) have the lowest priority. They make way for everybody.

2.6) Crew - The person or persons running a train.

2.7) Dispatcher - One person inside the layout coordinating meets between trains. If there is no one person occupying this position, the individual train crews will have to work out the meets between themselves.

3) Train Operating Rules
3.1) Transfer Train - Only used if the staging yard is used in the display.
The crew starts the transfer train in staging and enters the layout (in any direction). They run their train once or twice around the layout and terminate at the destination yard. The crew drops off their cars and picks up any cars destined for staging (there won't be any for the first cycle or two) and then takes them to staging (a lap or two is optional).

Whether the train makes a lap or two around the layout or goes directly to its destination should depend on how busy the layout is. If the layout is busy (many trains running), the crew may have a hard time getting to their destination so laps can be ignored. If the layout is quiet, then they should make a lap or two.

Repeat this cycle until enough cars have been fed into the layout and the industrial sidings. Then switch to a on demand process; run the train when there are 8 (or any number) cars ready to return to staging or when more cars are needed for switching.

3.2) Caboose Hop
Crews start (or end) the train in staging and travel to (or from) the destination yard.

3.3) Way Freight
If the staging yard is used, crews start their way freights as a caboose hops in staging. They run the train to Coles yard to pick up cars to be delivered to the industrial sidings. They do one or more switching runs. When the crew is finished their shift, they return their train to staging as a caboose hop.
If the staging yard is not used but Cole's yard is, start and end the trains in Cole's yard.
Run the trains in their respective directions and drop off or pick up cars in trailing point sidings only. When they are finished switching (run out of sidings or new cars to drop off), the train returns to Coles yard with any cars picked up.

If there are enough crews run both an eastbound and a westbound way freight. If there is a shortage of crews, run turns.

At the start of the day all the industrial sidings will be empty, so way freights will only drop off cars. Run way freights until all sidings are half full (or full in the case of single car sidings). Then run trains using the list system described in section 4.
At the end of an operating session, way freights will only pick up cars to return to Coles yard. To reduce congestion in the staging yard, don't return all of the cars at once.

3.4) Passenger Trains
Passenger trains may run eastbound or westbound.
Crews pick up their train at the main station (Lews' modules) and travel around the layout stopping at all the stations. If the stations are too close together then the passenger trains should stop at alternate stations. Switching may occur at stations to pick up or drop off passenger or express cars.

Doodlebugs are low priority passenger trains. They stop at all stations and major industries.

3.5) Mixed Train
Mixed trains perform all the functions of way freights as well as stopping at all passenger stations. A mixed train will have a combine or coach at the end of the train.

3.6) Display Trains
The mainline should have two trains running in the same direction. If there are enough members present to control each train separately, they can be any reasonable length. If there are not enough members present to control each train separately, then both trains can be controlled by one person with a DT100/300/400 throttle (radio versions preferred). In this case both trains should be short so as to minimize derailment problems.

At the start of a daily cycle the first person brings the first train out of staging, does a circuit or two of the layout and then the second person brings the second train out. If there is only one person running both trains then obviously they do the work of both crews.

When changing trains, the first crew should terminate the first train in the staging yard. The new crew brings the new first train out of staging running in the opposite direction to the second train. The crew of the first train and the crew of the second train arrange a meet somewhere on the layout. After the meet, the second crew terminates the second train in staging. Then the new crew brings the new second train out of staging. This operating method will cause the display trains change to direction each shift.

If the operating scheme does not call for separate passenger trains, then one of the display trains should be a passenger train. If passenger trains are being run then both display trains can be freight trains.

3.3) Switch Crew
When a transfer train arrives at Coles yard, the switch crew sorts the cars into eastbound and westbound cars.

4) Waybills System
To provide a simple scheme of way freight operation that does not require the use of waybills, we will use a modified list system.

The following is a sample from the BCSME setup in August 2001.

Extra 4069 West - 8 Cars
Station - Crossovers - Sidings - Spurs		S/O	P/U
Duckunder	Left and Right X
Lake Corner
Sawmill	Left X , Spur - E-4 - Any	_2F_	_XM_
Bradley North	Right X, Spur - W-2 - Stock Pens - S, XM	_1S_	___
	Spur - E-1 - Oil Dealer - T, XM	___	_1T_
Tunnel Corner
Kanters	Right X, Siding-7	___	___
	Spur - E-5 - any	___	_XM_
	Spur - W-4 - Foods - XM, R	_2R_	___
City Corner	Spur - W-3 Passenger, Express	___	___
Clayburn	Right and Left X, Siding-15, Yard - E-15 - Any	___	___
	Spur - E-4 - Team Track - Any	_1G_	All
	Spur - W-4 - Metal Works - XM, F, G	_2G_	_F_
Farm
Shed Corner
Candyville	Spur - E-1 - Any 40' max	___	___

Explanation: