Realistic Model Railroad Operation, Second Edition (Layout Design and Planning)

This is an outstanding book that will tell you all you will need to know on how railroads (past and present) operate and how you can replicate those operations in miniature. It explains train orders, central traffic control and signalling in straightforward language. A classic book of the genre.

Very good to have in my train library. Great allround starting book for anyone wishing to add operations to their model train activities.

I'm a big fan of Tony Koester and the content of this book didn't disappoint; however the print quality did. It turned out to be a print in demand facsimilie of the original book. The pictures weren't up to the usual Kalmbach high standard, which was a shame. I have kept the book as I bought it for the words, but I am disappointed that Amazon didn't tell me that it wasnt an original print. I may well have bought it anyway, but for the time being I'll buy from the publishers directly.

Great read for model trains. This will help you get ideas and make think of things to use

THis book has been around "forever", but it is still by far "the best". It does a good job of explaining how real railroads work, and does it at just the right "level" of language and detail. Very highly recommended.

Inhaltlich voll in Ordnung - aber Druckqualität ungenügend: blasse Bilder, billiges (dickes) Papier. Das bin ich von allen bisherigen Heften dieser Reihe anders gewohnt.

This book is not or the faint-hearted. It could easily put some to sleep. That being said ... If you want to model actual operations like they did on the real railroads then this is the book for you! Tony steps you through different ways of operation on the real railroads and how to apply those things to the model railroad. One good example is using hand signals between switch men, conductor and engineer in the yard. None of us have room to swing a lantern as they do on the real railroads, but Tony shows how to mimic those lantern movements with hand and finger gestures that won't have you swinging your arms around wildly knocking over scenery in the process. If you want to model operations on your model railroad this is the must-have book on the subject!

Lots of good info and helpful tips