SWITCHERAMA

To change the pace of the standard LVN operations plan, I introduced the Friday Night Group East Enders to my Switcherama.  This operating concept involves giving each aperator a locomotive and caboose.  They are then given a switching job consisting of a pick up and drop off from either an industry to yard or yard to industry or yard to yard or industry to industry.  This layout has over 15 industries and three yards so there is lots of potential action.  To control the flow, I dispatched by handing out one of 32 strips of paper, each describing one move to each operator.  This controlled the traffic density in any given area and ensured each operator was not doing the same type of job over the session.  So in a two hour period each operator had about 6 to 8 orders.  With thirty-two orders and six trains there were 192 possible combinations. Obviously not all got done.  After the session we retired for Christmas goodies, cheese curds and beer.  Ron, Mike, Mark, Jim, Dave and Joel had a great evening.  Thanks guys...It was fun. Give it a try on your model railroad.  It is a blast.