Large Scale Central

Switching Puzzle: Train#2 at Jackson

Operations
#21

Daktah John said:

Bruce Chandler said:

Craig Townsend said:
Bruce, I’ll try but I have a few questions first. Does the textile tracks have specific spots, and is it first in, first out? If first in, first out, do you have to move the older cars over to the loading track?

Craig, Yes, the newer cars should be on the siding closest to the building.

Hmmm… You didn’t state that rule at the beginning. That makes for even more work!

Same meaning, different words. I said something like all incoming cars should be placed closest to the loading dock. Just think of how it would be in real life…

#22

Bruce Chandler said:

Ken, when’s a good time? Looks like it is heating up for next week. I have a LOT of maintenance to do. Plus I tripped over one of my switchstands, breaking the ties. Time for a Tenmille, or 8. RLD has already shipped my order!

Whenever you feel the layouts ready, and want some company. It’s cooled down a lot this week.

I’m at the point on my layout where I can spend an afternoon and switch cars around in Delores.

Not as diabolical as Jackson, but a bit different then it was.

(any day but Fri, I go into my Dad’s on Fri.)

#23

Randy Lehrian Jr. said:

Bruce, In your picture I see little yellow flags and in Ken’s they are red. What’s going on with them?

I vote for more puzzles.

Since some of the sidings are on a slight grade, the flags are used as brakes.

I’ll give yas all a hint. If ya clear out Mathesons first, it makes it easier to maneuver when doing Buchanons …(http://www.largescalecentral.com/externals/tinymce/plugins/emoticons/img/smiley-wink.gif)

#24

Bruce Chandler said:

Daktah John said:

Bruce Chandler said:

Craig Townsend said:
Bruce, I’ll try but I have a few questions first. Does the textile tracks have specific spots, and is it first in, first out? If first in, first out, do you have to move the older cars over to the loading track?

Craig, Yes, the newer cars should be on the siding closest to the building.

Hmmm… You didn’t state that rule at the beginning. That makes for even more work!

Same meaning, different words. I said something like all incoming cars should be placed closest to the loading dock. Just think of how it would be in real life…

I completely missed that below of the switch list. So that makes all my moves wrong, except that last one: Go for beans.

#25

Morning, out of town for a few days. Just caught this. Will give it a look. Thanks for posting, Bruce.

#26

Ric Golding said:

Morning, out of town for a few days. Just caught this. Will give it a look. Thanks for posting, Bruce.

On one of your trips east, you’ll have to spend an afternoon on the J&B, you’ll enjoy the hell out of it…(http://www.largescalecentral.com/externals/tinymce/plugins/emoticons/img/smiley-wink.gif)

#27

I tried something similar but simpler when some friends asked me one Christmas if I could bring some of my “steam trains” down for a bit of pre-lunch entertainment. What to do ? A live steam 0-6-0 on rollers is not much entertainment. Scratched head and remembered seeing a small sale “shunting puzzle” layout at a show a while back. Googled the term and found it and noted down the layout and rules.

I just happened to have some R3 LGB switches I was replacing lying around and some straight bits of track. Not to mention a few UK NG sized wagons available to roster along with my R/C controlled live steamer.

Rocked up on Christmas day well before lunch and did a quick setup in my friends’ garden and let the fun commence. Most of the potential players had little idea that garden railways existed nor how to operate them. Man of the household was a computer programmer and was in his element solving the puzzle. The biggest surprise was a 9 year old girl who had never handled any R/C kit, let alone a live steamer, and proved a natural “switcher”.

So much fun was had by all that I had to set up a repeat session after lunch. All I had to do was feed and water the loco. Max

#28

Randy Lehrian Jr. said:

I vote for more puzzles.

Randy,

I posted on here.

#29

For all of you that think this might be fun… I highly recommend some specific events that Jean & I regularly attend:

  • The American Invasion - July in Ottawa Canada. From my point of view this is the original social event. Lots of trains, a dispatcher, and lots of fun. I’ve met a LOT of the folks that post here at this event. Jean and I are regular attendees since 2005, though we did skip it in 2011 when my daughter got married. Great bunch of folks and lots of fun.
  • TrainOps - August in Massachusetts. It all started when the Benevolent Dictator “invited” us to help rebuild his layout. The calendar has changed since 2010, but he has also added a day at Stan & Deb’s RR. Two very different operations in one locale. Hard to beat.
  • Blue Stone Southern Ops. In my mind this is a continuation of Ric & Jan’s Kakaskia Valley Railway operations which we first attended in 2008. Andy and Jane have 4 sessions a year, but we typically attend the fall session. Huge railroad with very gracious hosts.

Yes, there are some others. If you go to my home page, you’ll see some other events we have attended over the years, but these are ones I can easily drive to. (However, if you’re on the West Coast check out Dave Goodson’s CCR or Richard Smith’s POC.)

One thing that stands out for me is that these are not just “boys only” events. I typically operate as conductor with Jean as my engineer and we run multiple trains each day and she is NOT the only woman running a train.

#30

Ok Bruce, I’ve printed out my map and game pieces. I’m going to give it the real college try tomorrow during the dead points at work. One question how much room is there at the end of the run around? Just enough for the loco, or the loco and how many cars?

#31

Randy, the runaround is the mainline & siding, it goes to the next town…

#32

Bruce Chandler said:

For all of you that think this might be fun… I highly recommend some specific events that Jean & I regularly attend:

  • The American Invasion - July in Ottawa Canada. From my point of view this is the original social event. Lots of trains, a dispatcher, and lots of fun. I’ve met a LOT of the folks that post here at this event. Jean and I are regular attendees since 2005, though we did skip it in 2011 when my daughter got married. Great bunch of folks and lots of fun.
  • TrainOps - August in Massachusetts. It all started when the Benevolent Dictator “invited” us to help rebuild his layout. The calendar has changed since 2010, but he has also added a day at Stan & Deb’s RR. Two very different operations in one locale. Hard to beat.
  • Blue Stone Southern Ops. In my mind this is a continuation of Ric & Jan’s Kakaskia Valley Railway operations which we first attended in 2008. Andy and Jane have 4 sessions a year, but we typically attend the fall session. Huge railroad with very gracious hosts.

Yes, there are some others. If you go to my home page, you’ll see some other events we have attended over the years, but these are ones I can easily drive to. (However, if you’re on the West Coast check out Dave Goodson’s CCR or Richard Smith’s POC.)

One thing that stands out for me is that these are not just “boys only” events. I typically operate as conductor with Jean as my engineer and we run multiple trains each day and she is NOT the only woman running a train.

Jan and I would both greatly agree with Bruce’s statement. A lot of our social life and travels center around these events, along with the East Coast Large Scale Train Show at York, Pa. in the Spring. York is actually the start of Spring for us.

#33

Bruce Chandler said:

Hurray! I did it. Here is a picture of my Solution. Check back in a few for the verbal description. I’ll edit this and type it in.

  1. Cut the train where it sits between 300 & 40

  2. Spot 40 on RAR track

  3. Pull String from BC and spot 809 on the main in the RAR

  4. Pull back and then forward to couple string to 40, then pull entire sting back and place on BC lead.

  5. Drop 106 & 181 on main with rest of train & caboose.

  6. Pull 101 & 124 from BT and place on RAR track

  7. Back down RAR (on main) coupling to 809

  8. Pull forward and back into RAR track coupling 809 to 124

  9. Take loco back to BT and pull 8279 & 217

  10. RAR and couple 217 & 8279 to 809

  11. Take loco only back to main where train is and get 106 & 181

  12. Drop 106 & 181 at BT

  13. Take Loco only and couple to 8279 then push 101 out on to main

  14. Pull string back in to RAR and cut between 217 & 8279

  15. Pull ahead and then back with 8279 and collect 101

  16. Spot 101 & 8279 at BT

  17. Pull ahead and couple to 364 at MT and pull 364 & 898 to RAR track

  18. Couple 898 to 124 and cut between 364 and 898

  19. Go back to MT and couple 364 to 103

  20. Pull string to RAR and couple 123 to 898

  21. Break between 123 & 103

  22. place 364 & 103 on far MT lead

  23. Go back to remnants of initial train on main and collect 300 & 113

  24. Go to RAR and couple 113 to 217 making a full RAR track of 7 cars

  25. Run the loco around and push string till 300 & 113 are out on main

  26. Pick up 300 & 113 and place on the near MT lead.

All that’s left to do is collect the caboose and put it at the correct end of the train and the loco at the other. Not sure if my solution picture has things pointed right since I don’t know which way east is. But you could put it either way. This way the loco is still running forward.

That was fun. Not sure If I’m ready to tackle “The Hole”, but it gives me some inspiration to get my pike running and get to some of these meets one of these years. Thanks Bruce !

PS: Pretty sure it would have been 10 X more fun in person.