Train operations - references and guides?

[Ted]

Hi folks, I hope you're all staying safe in these unsettling times.

Would you have any recommendations for documentaries, guides or examples of UK rail operations?

Specifically 80-90's, unless it's always been the same.

For example, I've seen there are plenty of US videos on the subject but the terminology and details seem different.

Also, if one was to create a schedule what would it be called and look like?

In short, I'm trying to plan prototypical operations and need guidance. 

[crewearpley40]

Which area of the uk ? Ask passenger ? Freight ? Realtime trains is a good starting place. And have you a specific location in mind? That will narrow searches

[Ted]

Which area of the uk ? Ask passenger ? Freight ? Realtime trains is a good starting place. And have you a specific location in mind? That will narrow searches

Freight mainly (including postal), and the Midlands is my location but I'm open to learn more about the wider operations. That way, I can choose which bits to fit in, model and operate myself.

I geek out at videos like this -
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AIgEWIMfxw8 - but not sure it's appropriate to the UK? I'm not entirely sure why I find that so fascinating; perhaps because having a reason for running trains is more important to me, than just running trains.

[crewearpley40]

Too us orientated for me  , there are usa modellers. Class 81  85, 86  90s  and 325 emu units would have been on the trent valley wcml. Willesden crewe warrington Dallas and Glasgow shield Muir. Birmingham would have seen 08, 20  25  31, 37, 40, 47, 56, 58 s on lawley street freightliner  steel. Oil , coal  minerals, aggregates around kingsbury, bushbury  wednesbury. If east Midlands: coal and aggregates and mount sorrel stone. Plenty of 47  56  58 action plus pairs of 20s  25  31 47 in the 80s. Working timetables would have shown parcels but youtube along those lines

[exmouthcraig]

Try finding a Working Time Table, Ted, theres quite a few books for steam workings at various locations throughout the uk BUT one would hope theres something similar for your time period as well.

It should give you an idea of how busy or quiet your line would prototypically be and work from that.

We created our timetable working from 4 different books, and then instead of running to the 24hr clock meaning you had between 3 and 20 mins between workings we work on a 6hr clock so everything was divided by 4 meaning we had between 45secs and 5mins between. On paper it works well 

[jpendle]

The Working Timetable for the region and period is the way to go.

At the risk of being moderated, there are a LOT of very opinionated knowledgeable people on RMWEB who might have what you need.

John P

[Newportnobby]

You might find some terms in the Glossary of Terms (Knowledge Bank) helpful but it may also be a little basic for your needs

[keithfre]

There's a book by Cyril Freezer, Model Railway Operation, which is fairly comprehensive. He does say, however, that modern (post-steam age) operation is very simplified, so it does focus a lot on steam age operation, as that's more complicated.

[njee20]

I think one of the things with US layouts is that they're often single track with passing loops, so the concept of 'operation' is more intrinsic to running the layout. They're not busy per so, so every movement has more purpose. Larger layouts often have trains being handed along chains of 'dispatchers'.

We can imagine a location, it's probably double or 4-track, you probably know which way London is (or the other major destination) so you can run trains pretty easily, and a variety thereof, so the specifics become less significant.

Working timetable definitely a good starting point for prototypical services in your chosen locale though!

[Jonner]

Working Timetables is the route I chose to take for inspiration for my layout now under construction of Eaglescliffe, you are then able to
search the internet for images of the trains you would like to model by entering their reporting number and just as importantly the year
as these numbers seem to be transferable over time.

I dont plan to work to a timetable though but want to run all the right trains but not necessarily in the right order.

[Steven B]

Working time tables for the 1980s are easy to find on eBay. They list all freight and passenger trains along each route. Typical train loads are given which gives a hint towards motive power. Most importantly it gives the headcode, e.g. 1S06. With this you can spend many happy hours searching YouTube and Flickr. If you're lucky you'll find a picture set or website dedicated to the routes you're interested in.

Steven B

[Ted]

Thanks everyone, really helpful as ever.

I'm off to research working time tables now, well... after mowing the lawn. 👍

[Neil of Teesside]

Have you tried the Limit of Shunt website (https://limitofshunt.org.uk/)? There copies of Sectional Appendices (mainly for the northern area of the BR's Eastern Region and its predecessors, but the London Midland region is also covered). Sectional Appendices, for those who haven't seen one, contain details of local rules (such as the local headcodes/lamps used on Tyneside or Teesside) and details of the lines in the area covered and any restrictions (such as blockages caused by certain rolling stock on adjacent lines).

There's also some good stuff here: http://www.barrowmoremrg.co.uk/Prototype.html including LMSR train loadings for 1945.