TWENTIETH FULL OPERATING SESSION

Now that we have run a regional operating event (WOOPS) for guest operators (Boomers) from around the West, it was time to return to regular operating sessions.  The session held at the beginning of June marked the twentieth operating session on the full railroad.  Twenty session s in the past two years is a good mark for me, given numerous off-months for holidays and other event conflicts. 

Indeed, even this session seemed it might suffer a near-holiday cancellation.  Following a week after the U.S. Memorial Day weekend, I had a lower-than-usual crew count that dropped even further this past week and significant others reminded my operators of their summer family obligations.  Still, we had a hardy band of fifteen of us for this session.  Most had experience on my layout, so we could run with single-person crews for most jobs. One new-to-the railroad operator was paired with an experienced operator.

The session went very well, in spite of my front-loading the train line-up with too many trains in the first hour or so.  Fortunately, the railroad “cooperated” by not demanding my trouble-fixing skills in the early going.  As a consequence, I was able to serve as a helper engineer on one of the early trains.  We needed all three helper locomotive sets I had stationed on the railroad to work in that first hour. 

Herewith photos of the activities:

John B. dispatched the first half of the session.  He made my congested line-up work and look easy.

Rick A. (near red shirt) served as Eugene Yardmaster and kept this key area flowing.  In this photo, Ken R. (rear) is bringing the Second Springfield Turn back into Eugene.  Steve C. (rear red shirt) serves as the West Switcher, while Rick A. manages the yard and Heather C. serves as the East Switcher.  The yard is well organized and traffic is flowing!

Dave H. served as the Santa Clara Tower Operator, managing traffic in the Eugene Arrival/Departure Yard (RR-East staging).  Here, he is moving power from the engine facility toward a train set to go out RR-West later in the session.

Jim M. (red shirt, rear) moves through Oakridge on the main track with Amtrak Number 11, the southbound Coast Starlight.  Mike B. (blue shirt, front) works the Oakridge Turn on yard track three.

Rodger C. (left) and Doug A. work a RR-West train uphill at McCredie Springs.  They put their train into the siding for a meet with a RR-Eastbound.

Mike L. (left) and Greg P. (right) bring their RR-East (uphill) train into Cascade Summit.  Greg will soon cut out his helper locomotives while Mike continues on into Crescent Lake.

John B. guides a train down through the Wicopee siding, expecting a meet with an opposing train.

Helper engineers Greg P. and John B. bring their combined two helper sets down hill over the Salt Creek Trestle.  Both of these sets have sound and full lights, so they have a few more buttons to “play” with.

This was a fun, relaxing session, with just enough operators to bring the vision alive.