3rail - Traffic

So much rollingstock, so little space

Alleviating congestion is a major design issue. Model railroaders have too much rollingstock for the space available. There is always too little space for good separation of both trains and customers (although a modular model railroaders trick time-delaying "hidden mid-layout layover" module inserted between two normal layout modules does help - think sophisticated version of the Lionel Station with Automatic Train Control). The kind of traffic also poses issues, especially if there are major speed differences between trains.

Railroads make money by moving goods [EXAMPLE] in a timely manner. Because of this, real railroads spend a lot of effort on traffic management. It does no good to roster unsuitable cars, or to leave a reefer of fresh-cut flowers wilting on a siding. Traction attracts business by offering similar services as conventional railroads, but on a much more frequent schedule (which also helps them compete against trucks). Traction Operations are also more informal, because of often being pinched in regards to physical infrastructure while simultaneously being relatively unrestricted in regards to labor and regulations.

The modeler must take into consideration track design, track capacity, the choice of Operations method, and even the design of railroad facilities, in order to make their model more efficient at moving traffic, and thereby more prototypical. Fast clocks are usually a bad solution to the traffic issue, due to the fact that realistic switching moves can't be performed at more than about twice as fast as the prototype. IF a fast clock is used though, try to keep the ratio of the clock at around 6-to-1 (but never faster than 12-to-1). Moving the hands of the clock after completion of a sequential train move is usually the superior time passage option. Keeping train speeds way down [EXPLANATION] is an excellent counter to the need for a rapid fast clock (and a common prototype practice to save fuel and reduce maintenance, even when track quality is good).

Regular Traffic

While the modeler can pick and choose to feature their favorite type of traffic on their layout, when you look at the railroad in its entirety, the majority of trains will be regular traffic such as unit trains of low value commodities, bridging interchange, and local industry servicing. Accommodating these trains on a layout may actually be more difficult than with priority traffic, as these trains will require considerations such as long passing sidings, time/space to accelerate/decelerate, special trackwork to reach their industry destinations, access to scales, and places to sort their cars.

Care should be taken when selecting fixed industries for the layout (study up on the business and how it is typically served), as the choice affects both railcar traffic and the physical layout space required for the building. Judicious use of "Sure Spots" [EXPLANATION] can add switching interest at otherwise boring industries. Single customer short term spur leasing [EXPLANATION] is a prototypical way for the modeler to change-up the car type delivered to a spur beside a building, and if there is sufficient space on the opposite side of the spur, it may even possible for the spurs leasee to unload [EXAMPLE] without having to rent the adjacent building. Of course you can deviate slightly from the typical building style used by the industry, or even deliver exotic cars (perhaps even fantasy cars) if you can devise a justifiable scenario.

Customize Your Customer Base (*.pdf)

Railworthy Industries (*.pdf)

Add More Industries Without Adding Track (*.pdf)

An excellent solution to the space and traffic problem is to design the entire layout around a single industry complex, whose product requires moving cars between closely located providers of the components necessary for the final product. These industrial railroads also provide the opportunity to feature exotic cars not otherwise seen in interchange. Closely related are single activity Tourist railroads, such as those operating Dinner Trains [EXAMPLE].

Go Large with Big Business (*.pdf) - {adaptable compact single-industry ideas}

GE's Schenectady Industrial Railroad (*.pdf) - {adaptable single-industry private railroad}

Compact Origin/Destination Examples

It's your railroad, so if you only want to lay a circle of track around a christmas tree, go for it. However, most model railroaders will want to model compact destinations (or origins if they are also small) for their rollingstock. These industries/businesses do not have to be realistic (for example, Santa's toy shop), but they should be justifiable for the car Type being delivered.

3-rail rollingstock is fun and the car markings easy to read, but also quite large. One effective method of shoehorning these king sized trains into our typically plebeian spaces is to model urban scenes, as these are relatively compact due to the prototype facing the same limited space issues as us. An excellent inspiration would be a rust belt urban city, such as Cleveland's industrialized shoreline. Toy trains are more conducive to a fantasy world where older businesses continue to thrive, and where small businesses prefer being serviced by trains. From a scenery standpoint then, the era will tend to have a somewhat late-nineteen sixties feel to it; yet the cars and locomotives servicing the businesses will often be pristine unaltered examples from earlier diesel eras.