Devise a shunting game
MIKE HARRIS follows in the footsteps of Alan Wright and finds out why thinking of your layout as a game could have you playing trains for hours.
Mike Harris finds out why thinking of your layout as a game could add a new dimension to ‘playing trains’.
Want to increase the operating potential of your shunting layout without extending the baseboard or laying more track? Then perhaps it’s time you devised your own shunting game. The godfather of the inglenook layout, Alan Wright, assigned each of his wagons a different coloured tiddlywink. He would place the tiddlywinks in a pot and draw five at random. The order in which he drew each tiddlywink would determine the order, and indeed wagons, that would make up the train he needed to shunt (see page 22 to find out how to play an inglenook shunting game). The problem is, tiddlywinks are hard to come by, unless sourced from the internet. But I’ve found an altogether tastier solution - sweets. You can use whatever takes your fancy, but a combination of jelly beans and Smarties provide enough colours to cover a typical eight-wagon inglenook layout. And guess what? You get to eat them afterwards!
ON THE CARDS
However, many modellers have taken to using dedicated cards in place of tiddlywinks, which can range from a simple wagon number written on a piece of paper to a photograph of the wagon in question, or even a detailed trading card (see panel: ‘Wagon Card’). But why go to the trouble of devising a shunting game in the first place? Well, using chance to determine what train you need to shunt introduces a competitive element to your layout’s operation. If you introduce a timer - or simply count each manoeuvre - you’ll find yourself attempting to better your score with each game. Suddenly, your shunting has an objective, and that makes operating your layout highly addictive. You can even bring a friend or two into the mix, as you try to better each other’s scores, or simply work together to solve the most challenging of shunting puzzles.
CARD SHARP
Shunting games needn’t be limited in scope, and are certainly not limited to inglenook-inspired layouts. I’m confident you could apply a shunting game to virtually any layout, so long as it has a couple of sidings. In fact, there’s even room to expand upon Alan Wright’s tiddlywink game, by introducing both locomotive cards and situational cards (see panel: ‘Situation Card’ on page 76). I have designed my own inglenook cards, using popular trading card games as inspiration. As such, I’ve added additional prototypical facts that guest operators or audiences at exhibitions may find of interest. 64mm by 90mm is a suitable card size, and I would suggest using rigid, quality card stock. You could even laminate your inglenook cards to protect them from the inevitable bends and creases.