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BGT Episode 6: Designing for Operations (Track Plan Workshop, Part 1)

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My most dense episode yet, this was originally a one parter. However, at nearly an hour this time around, it is evident that this subject needed to be bifurcated. Whereas Part 2 will focus on space usage and human-centric design, this episode will focus on operations, train movements, and all other components integral to the movement of trains on real railroads. Even if you don't plan on operating your model railroad, it pays to build it to accommodate such, for so doing will make your railroad both more realistic and more versatile.

Since this is a particularly long episode, here's a cheat sheet of sections covered for you to refer back to if you're feeling lost:

  1. Runaround

  2. Industry Spur

  3. Mainline

  4. Interchanges

  5. Staging

  6. Storage Tracks

  7. Yards

And here's a link to Craig's 10 Commandments of Yard Design.

John Gardiner

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Have a Thought? 

Proto-Future is attempting to do something which has never been done in model railroading before. I am here to ruffle feathers, seed ideas, get rusty gears turning, and help the hobby escape the transition-era worshiping rut we’ve been in for 30+ years, thereby better appealing to younger generations and improving the world around us along the way. If you have any thoughts at all – good or bad – pause for a second, think them through, make sure they’re logical, then email me, and we’ll see where it goes.

While the podcast is transitioning to Proto-Future, I still happily accept beginner questions and will address them on-air every now and then. Feel free to email me via the contact form, and I’ll do my best to help you in your quest.

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