Factors that play into the operations:
This section will define the typical operation positions of the MT&A railroad.
A dispatcher, at a minimum will be required to operate the MT&A. The dispatcher will provide permission for trains to move on the railroad. This position may be combined with the switch operator or the Yard master.
The switch operator will control the turnouts/switches on the railroad. This position may be combined with the dispatcher, Yard master, or it may not exist on a particular operating session. Switches may be thrown and closed by the train crew if a switch operator position is not filled, but this must be approved by the dispatcher.
The yard master will be responsible for removing trains and setting trains on the layout via the cassettes and the fiddle yard or interchange tracks. The Yard master position may also be combined with the Dispatcher position or the Switch Operator position.
NOTE: It is not recommended that one person attempt to be the Dispatcher, Switch operator, and Yard master.
Operates the train at the instructions of the conductor. This position may be combined with the conductor.
Owns the train once taken over from the yardmaster. The conductor is responsible for communications with the dispatcher and switch operator. The conductor is also responsible for directing the engineer as to when and where to move the train and place cars. This position may be combined with the engineer.
Turnouts can be able to be controlled locally or by a switch operator at a centralized location. The switch operator will use standard Kato switch controls to control the turnouts. Simulated radio communication will occur between the train crew and the switch operator for the control of switches if a switch operator exists. If no switch operator exists, then simulated radio communication with the dispatcher will be required.
There are two interchange railroads. The first interchange will be with the Nashville, Chattanooga, and St. Louis (NC&StL) at Fayetteville. The second interchange will be with the Southern Railway at Madison. These will be accomplished via the two staging tracks and facilitated by the use cassettes to remove and set trains onto the layout.
Since T-Trak has been chosen for the modules and I am attempting to follow the T-Trak specifications as much as is possible, I will note that the track is basically laid out as a double loop. The outer loop uses 315mm curves on the corners and the inner loop uses 282mm curves on the corners. The maximum layout dimensions will be 30 inches wide and just over 11 feet long, with a 24 inch by 4 foot long branch off one end for the staging areas of Madison and Fayetteville.
The track will be placed in a way that when standing next to the track going counterclockwise will be going north and going clockwise will be going south. This keeps directionality the same and is less confusing to operators.
Given the maximum size of the layout, there is less than one scale mile of track to represent approximately 27 miles of real track from Fayetteville to Capshaw or approximately 35 miles to get to Madison. This will require running multiple times around the outer loop between stations on the inner loop to extend the run time of the trains.
Industrial sidings will be toward the middle of the loop off the inner loop of track. The only exception to this will be the branch for Madison and Fayetteville will be off the outer loop, replacing one corner section with a wye section to allow access to the staging area of Madison and Fayetteville. Some of the industrial sidings will be configured for easier access when northbound while others will be configured for easier access when southbound. This will allow for multiple trains to service the sidings, but it will also allow for more difficult operations on occasion when a train needs to service a siding with facing points requiring a run-around.