The "Playing Trains" Story

Jerry running the passenger train
through the Lancaster Train Station.

 It was an ordinary day.  Watching the trains pull in and out of the station.  Every now and then I put my camera to my eye and snap a few shots.  The Lancaster Train Station is alive with lights as the GG1 pulls along the platform to pick up passengers.  The lights are supplied by a few miles of miniature wiring, because, you see, I am looking at an HO scale Lancaster Train Station in the basement of my childhood friend Jerry.  The 1/2 inch round wire that travels over my head and down the rear wall carries 100 minute wires that are attached to a panel under the train layout.  This maze of wires was designed by Jerry's friend Mike who was at one time an electrical engineer for Corning Glass.  Now Mike puts his skills and knowledge to use on miniature train displays in the State College, PA area.  As I lay under the train yard I am amazed at the wiring schematic with the 3 Red,  7 Green and Yellow markings as well as the nomenclature about the board like NH (New Holland), CK (Cork), ML (Main Line) and a variety of others which make up the six electrical blocks on the train layout.  The abbreviations are for the different areas of the train yard while the colors are for the controllers that Jerry and his friends use when they get together to "play trains."  Jerry and his train buddies Mike, Bud and John all live in the State College vicinity and get together to "play trains" every Wednesday come rain, shine or even snow.  Every so often they take a break from being "Tower Operator", conductor or engineer and visit a real train station or hobby shop.  The buddies are part of a growing trend leaning toward model railroading.  As more and more people move into retirement with more and more time on their hands, model railroading is a big attraction to them.  It's not an inexpensive hobby with engines costing hundreds of dollars and layout products and gadgets adding to the cost, but hey, it's their hobby!  They worked all their life to reach this stage in their life when they can play and spend money on that playing.  Now, getting back to the electrical scheme of Jerry's HO layout.  All the wiring helps control the 6 electrical blocks (NH, CK, ML, etc.) and determine which throttle or controller the conductor can operate in a particular block.  The "Tower Operator" or head honcho of the day has control over all colored controllers.  The controller I should mention is a small electrical unit that you hold in your hand and adjust as you wish to make your trains move.  At any one time only 3 of the 6 blocks can have power and those not having power aren't operable.  The control panel is operated by the "Tower Operator" who determines what the three colored conductors or controller operators can do.  The "Tower Operator" is responsible to make sure that the trains don't run into each other just as in real life.  Even in HO scale that can be a catastrophe with the cost of engines and so forth.  To communicate with the "Tower Operator" each conductor has a walkie-talkie so they can ask permission to move their engine and cars around the layout and into other electrical blocks.  Now, you have to realize that the guys are usually within visual sight of each other and can just yell to the "Tower Operator", but that's now how it is on a real railroad, so the walkie-talkies are another touch of realism to "playing trains" plus it adds an additional cost onto the hobby.  In real life it could take all day to perform the tasks that the guys do on Jerry's layout and to "play trains" might get boring or start to be like a job rather than having fun, so a Fast Clock is used.  Yep, one more expense!  The clock can take real-life time and condense it to anywhere from 1/4 to 1/12 time, therefore at 8:1 ratio, eight hours is condensed into one hour.  An entire 8 hour shift for a real conductor can be cut to one hour on the HO layout.  Day can turn into night rather quickly and since the HO layout is in Jerry's basement and the lighting can be controlled, it is more realistic.  My opinion on "playing trains" thing?  I'm fascinated!!  Love to watch the miniature trains with whistles blowing and smoke rising or watching the overhead catenary lines which carry the electricity to electrical engines that come in contact with the panograph on the top of the engine.  The miniature people that bring Lancaster Train Station to life are amazing.  If I wasn't into photography as a hobby, which can get expensive also, I'd probably join the brotherhood of HO model railroaders.  It's a close-knit group of people who love the hobby.  It's a close second for me!  It was another extraordinary day in the life of an ordinary guy.  PS - check out the photos of Jerry's train layout that follow.

Electrical board under Jerry's train layout.

Yellow controller for the Yellow Crew Chief.

The control panel which is operated by the "Tower Operator."

Walkie-Talkies for communication.

The Fast Clock.

Lancaster Train Station.  

Freight train leaving the station.

Engines waiting their turn on the layout.  The wiring above the trains is the catenary that is used to power electrical trains in real life.  The panograph units on the top of the two engines on the right can be raised so they touch the wiring and will electrify the engines. 

One of Jerry's new additions to his layout.

The circus is another new addition that is in the process of being constructed.  Jerry's wife, Just Sue, has sewn the tents that are on the right of the photo.  Jerry's old house in our neighborhood is in the rear behind the circus.  

Fisheye view shows the Landisville branch of Jerry's layout.