MODEL RAILROAD | TRAINS | OMRA | LAYOUT
Frisco Central Division
Our layout models the Frisco Fort Smith subdivision from Monett, MO to Ft Smith, AR in the mid 1970's. This line was apart of Frisco's Central Division. Included towns consist of Monett & Seligman, MO through Rogers, Springdale, Fayetteville, West Fork, Winslow, Van Buren, and Ft Smith, AR. Also modeled is the Arkansas and Ozarks railroad from Seligman, MO to Harrison, AR.
Controlling the Trains
Modern technologies have been influencing the hobby of model railroading in significant ways over the past 20 years or more. Our club uses Digital Command Control (DCC) to run multiple trains at once on the same portion of the layout without conflict. Walk-around radio throttles allow the train crew to walk along the layout with their train. This same technology allows locomotives to have sound capabilities to duplicate the modeled prototype locomotive - in miniature.
Model Railroad Operations
We seek to approximate the purpose of a real railroad in our modeling, which is to move a commodity from a supplier to a consumer. A computer program generates a manifest which directs a train crew to pick up and deliver cars at industries on the railroad as the train moves from town to town. Traffic flow is guided by a dispatcher who directs trains to the proper tracks to avoid collisions.