Before each operating session begins on my layout, I present a short briefing, as do many layout owners before sessions. I want to make sure the layout locale and background is appreciated, and that people know how my waybill system works, along with important items like the location of the bathroom and the fire extinguisher, and the emergency exit (just one, same as the entrance).
So what do I cover, about the layout itself? I begin with explaining where the layout is imagined to be located in California, as discussed previously (see that post at: https://modelingthesp.blogspot.com/2019/08/conveying-ones-layout-locale.html ). I show an 8.5 x 11-inch version of the map below, mention that the railroad is Southern Pacific’s Coast Division, and state that the era is 1953.
We always operate on the date in 1953 that matches the day of operation, so for example if we were operating on November 15 of the current year, the day on the layout would be November 15, 1953.
This affects primarily crops being harvested and shipped out of my packing houses (as I’ve described: https://modelingthesp.blogspot.com/2015/09/seasonality-of-crops-and-traffic.html ). Especially at times of diverse crop shipment, I may show a table of crop harvest times. Below is the crop table for vegetables in the area I model (there’s also a fruit table.). Peak harvesting is shown by black bars, “shoulder” seasons in gray.
I usually also add a little about my layout goals, if any of the operators are new or haven’t been here for awhile. My goal is to recreate freight railroading as it was practiced on the Southern Pacific in 1953 in rural areas of the central California coast, using not only period-specific and locale-specific rolling stock, but also operational procedures typical of SP at that time.
I often mention the prototype California vehicle license plate in use in 1953. I have an actual vintage one on the wall above the door, as you see below. In the 1950s, California issued full plates every five years or so, and during the intermediate years, issued corner numbers to be added to the plate to cover the old year. As shown below, in 1953 it was white. I have modeled this plate appearance for all my HO vehicles, as previously posted (see it at: https://modelingthesp.blogspot.com/2012/11/vehicle-license-plates-in-ho-scale.html ).
I then run through my waybill system of car movement, using full-page (8.5 x 11 inch) blow-ups of each type of bill. I won’t say more about this segment of the briefing here, since I’ve already posted a full description (see: https://modelingthesp.blogspot.com/2025/10/waybills-part-124-introducing-my-system.html ).
Turning to the time of day for our 1953 operating session, I explain that we use a wall clock set to layout time, not the time on your watch or cell phone. It is a 1:1 clock, so not a fast clock, but it does differ from “real world” time. I wrote about my clock choice in a post a few years ago (it’s here: https://modelingthesp.blogspot.com/2022/08/replacing-fast-clock.html ).
It’s also important to introduce the layout timetable. I described my timetable components in some detail in a column for Model Railroad Hobbyist, back in October 2014 (you can still access it to read online, or download, for free, at www.mrhmag.com ).
My timetable provides mainline train times, in conjunction with a line-up (about which, see this: https://modelingthesp.blogspot.com/2019/01/line-ups-for-operating.html ), and contains schematic maps of each layout town to facilitate identifying industries and spot numbers. Here’s an example.
In that same post cited in the paragraph above, I included a copy of the train order form we use, to authorize trains on the Santa Rosalia Branch. I show the operators what the Southern Pacific prototype train order and clearance forms look like.
I point out that pencils are available on the sorting shelves (see: https://modelingthesp.blogspot.com/2025/10/small-project-layout-sorting-shelves.html ), along with small flashlights to assist in reading car numbers, if needed. Plenty of blank switch lists are available for those who like to use them, along with clipboards to use if desired.
Lastly, I mention the kinds of track switch throws on the layout, from Bitter Creek and Caboose Industries, to Star and Peco, two switches back from the aisle that use manual push-pull operation, and a few powered turnouts, and I demonstrate their operation for those who haven’t seen them before.
I also point out that if a car comes off the track, feel free to put it back on. If it keeps happening with that car, tell me. Likewise if a coupler is troublesome, or a track switch misbehaves, I will fix it if I can during the session. But tell me: it’s the only way I know what needs to be fixed. And with that, the session is off and running.
Tony Thompson
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