The first Western Oregon
OPerationS (WOOPS) event was held this past weekend, with my SP Cascade Line
participating with a session on Friday.
WOOPS joins the list of regional operating events spread throughout the
country and our friends in Canada. Our organizing
committee deliberately kept this first event to modest size and with simple
logistics. WOOPS featured four layouts,
operating three each day on Friday and Saturday. My layout and Charlie Comstock’s Bear Creek
and South Jackson were paired for one session each. We both face substantial re-staging
issues. The other two layouts—the Willamette
Model Railroad Club and Chuck Clark’s Modoc Line—use active staging so they
could turn their layouts around overnight.
I had sixteen guest operators—Boomers—plus
eight of my regular local crew. This was
a good mix, as there were plenty of local mentors to assist with questions and
to fill in a couple of key operating roles.
While most Boomers were experienced operators, we had a couple of
less-experienced folk that were paired with either one of my local crew or
another experienced guest operator.
Regular readers of my blog
might have noted a slight delay in my regular posting “schedule.” That was to allow my guest operators a fair
bit of time to drop in and see the previous post which described the various
operating positions and jobs on the railroad.
Now for photos of my part of WOOPS.
As with most operating
sessions, it begins with the in-briefing.
Here, Rick K. is explaining the use of Direct Traffic Control (DTC).
Boomer Seth N. took on
Dispatching with assistance from regular crew member John B.
Eugene Yard duties were
performed by Joe G. (distant left), Yardmaster Mark S. (center) and Steve H.
(right). We did not call a separate
Eugene City Switcher, but this crew got the work done anyway.
The First Springfield job was
worked by Cyrus N. (left) and Al D. (right).
We ran a typical line-up of
trains. Conductor Bill S. and Engineer
Allen W. guide a WCEUE (lumber empties from West Colton to Eugene) over the big
trestle at Salt Creek and into Wicopee.
RR-West trains took helpers
at Oakridge. Bruce M., George F. and Helper
Engineer John K. confer as they wait in the siding at Cruzatte.
A helper is being cut out at
Cascade Summit by local crewmember Dave C, and Boomers John G. and Kurt L.
While the crew of the RR-West
train at Cascade Summit (on platform to the right) proceed on into Crescent
Lake under the control of Don T, another RR-West train is getting its helper at
Oakridge (below, left). Dave H. looks on
as Helper Engineer John K. cuts in the helper.
A fine time was had by all as
the crew gathered for final comments at the end of the session.
Saturday, I was part of the
local support crew for Charlie Comstock.
We then trekked off to the Clackamas Community Center, above the
Willamette Model Railroad Club space, for a fine catered banquet. We hope to conduct the next WOOPS in
late-Spring 2019.