Some model railways are operated somewhat chaotically and are characterized by frequent derailments and locomotives that stop arbitrarily.  If you wish to move away from this kind of layout and construct a model railway that operates realistically and reflects more closely the way that railways actually work, then this is the book for you.  Whilst constantly emphasizing realistic operation, the book covers layout planning and construction, controllers, point motors, power supply, cables and connectors, ways of operating traffic flows, signalling, track droppers, control panels and wiring, control and interlocking, lighting, sequence and block bells, the use of closed circuit television, and much more.

Allen Jackson has been fascinated by real and model railways since childhood and has an extensive garden railway called Brymbo East Junction that is run like a real railway.  This is Allen's fourth book for Crowood - his other three being the highly acclaimed A Contemporary Perspective on GWR Signalling - Semaphore Swansong (2015) and A Contemporary Perspective on LMS Railway Signalling - Semaphore Swansong Volumes 1 and 2 (2015).