First, a little background: I'm working on my first layout. By working, I mean doing research, drawing up and rejecting 10 track plans a week, irritating fellow Gauge members, etc. My layout is going to be approx. 3x7 (door sized) in N scale. At this point, I'm researching what types of industries I want my railroad to serve. My layout is likely going to consist of 3 cities, 4 if you include the yard. There will probably be 2 industries in each area, for a total of 6 industries.
I have questions about the "flow" of rail traffic. I would really like operations to be part of my railroading fun, and I hope to create some sort of waybill system to make it more realistic. The way I see it, there are 3 options:
1) Progressive. Meaning that everything flows from A-Z. Using peanuts as an example...there might be a peanut farm, a shelling facility, processing plant, and other peanut related industries. Everything has to do with peanuts.
2) Random. No related industries. There might be a steel plant, food processing plant, lumber yard, meat packaging, etc.
3) Combo. Raw ore is delivered via barge which needs to be delivered to a steel plant. The steel plant might then ship its product to another industry or two. Or perhaps the byproducts of a few misc. industries are taken to a disposal facility. Other industries on the layout are random.
I'm seeking some input about what would work best from an operations point of view.
I have questions about the "flow" of rail traffic. I would really like operations to be part of my railroading fun, and I hope to create some sort of waybill system to make it more realistic. The way I see it, there are 3 options:
1) Progressive. Meaning that everything flows from A-Z. Using peanuts as an example...there might be a peanut farm, a shelling facility, processing plant, and other peanut related industries. Everything has to do with peanuts.
2) Random. No related industries. There might be a steel plant, food processing plant, lumber yard, meat packaging, etc.
3) Combo. Raw ore is delivered via barge which needs to be delivered to a steel plant. The steel plant might then ship its product to another industry or two. Or perhaps the byproducts of a few misc. industries are taken to a disposal facility. Other industries on the layout are random.
I'm seeking some input about what would work best from an operations point of view.