Seventy-five Operating Sessions!

 Seventy-five Operating Sessions! 

This past weekend, I reached a milestone of the seventy-fifth operating session on my full mainline.  I attempt to operate monthly, but my regular slot in the operating layouts rotation out of the Portland metro area encounters a few holiday cancellations and an increasing set of conflicts with other rail events.  Sigh.  The first operating session on the full mainline was in June, 2015.  From that rocky start, I worked through the PDX2015 National Convention of the National Model Railroad Association and then settled down to more routine operations.  Along the way we began organizing and conducting our biannual regional operating event:  Western Oregon OPerationS (WOOPS).  

 

Celebration cake for Operating Session 75.

 

While many of my recent operating sessions have had the crew size capped, the seventy-fifth session had a basic “full” crew of fifteen, leaving one switch job annulled.  Several of the regulars had conflicts last weekend that could not be avoided.  Still, we carried on and had a great time.  The following photos will give a sense of the session—a good representation of a regular session.

 

One of two regular Dispatchers for the railroad, John B. holds the “big chair” for this session.

 

Craig P. (right) and Mike L. worked the Eugene Arrival-Departure Yard.  Most of their work involves breaking down incoming trains and building new trains to four primary RR-West destination yards.

 

Emerik S. (front) and Jeroen G. work at the RR-West end of the Eugene Classification Yard.  Emerik was promoted to yardmaster for this session.

 

Working the other end of the Eugene Classification Yard was Rick A.  The action was so brisk that I jiggled the camera on this one.  <wink>

 

A busy time in Springfield!  Sean V. (left) works the Springfield-B local on the aisle side of the mainline.  His locomotives are just visible in the center behind the train on the mainline.  Mike B. (green shirt, middle) and Mike L. (red shirt, right) work a meet between their road freights using the mainline and the depot track.

 

Dave H. (gray shirt) works Westfir with the Oakridge Turn.  Dave is the other regular Dispatcher.  He and John B. are currently enjoying preferential crew job selection when they are not dispatching—a reward for their good work, but also a means of getting them experience with the jobs they must coordinate as Dispatchers.  Mark K. stands on the platform behind Dave as he and Mike L. (left) hold their train in the clear at Cruzatte.

 

Mike B. and Greg P. (right, seated) receive operating instructions and track authority from the Dispatcher at Oakridge.  Greg was one of the helper crews.  Above them in the distance are Mike L., Mark K. and Bill M. at Cascade Summit. Mike L. and Bill M. have performed a meet at Cascade Summit, while Mark K. removed his mid-train helper set from Mike L.’s train.

 

Brigg F. prepares to depart Crescent Lake, the upper staging yard on the railroad.

 

Here I am, a happy layout owner, glad to reach this operating milestone!