WOOPS 2025 Session 2

As noted in the previous post, the 2025 edition of WOOPS (Western Oregon OPerationS) was held at the beginning of June.   https://espeecascades.blogspot.com/2025/06/woops-2025-session-1.html  After a concentrated re-staging effort Friday evening and Saturday, I held my second WOOPS2025 operating session on Sunday, June 8.  This was the 85^th session on my full mainline.

 

Once again, I had seventeen guest operators plus six of my regular local crew to help and mentor the guests.  With seventeen guest operators, all regular crew positions were filled by guests.  Most of the guest operators for this session operated on my layout at least once.  Several were considered “plank-holders” (in the Navy sense) as they were part of the operating crew for my ops session for the PDX2015 NMRA National Convention.  That session was only the fourth session using my full mainline.  

 

Follow along in photos showing the engaged crew of “Boomer” (travelling) operators put my railroad and its operating scheme through its paces.

 

As usual, a session begins with an in-briefing and then crew job selection.

 

As he has done before, Seth N. dispatched.

 

Brian F. served as the Eugene Arrival-Departure Yardmaster.

 

The Eugene Classification Yard crew consisted of West Switcher Dick Z, Yardmaster Mark S, and East Switcher Tony T.  In the background, local helper Loren M. served as Santa Clara Tower Operator, working the three switch panels controlling the complex trackage between the Eugene Depot and Classification Yard and the Arrival-Departure Yard in the “back” room.

 

Steve M. (gray shirt, left) and Jim R. (blue shirt) worked as the crew for the Springfield-B Turn.  This job switches Springfield industries on the aisle side of the mainline.  Here they are switching the rock spur on the RR-West end of Springfield.

 

Ed S. (tan shirt, left) and Don T. (blue shirt, right) work the Oakridge Turn.  In the background, Jim B. and Sam R. prepare to depart from the Oakridge Siding with a RR-West freight with its helpers already cut into the train.

 

Bob F. and Helper Engineer Steve H. work their train upgrade through Wicopee.  They will soon cross Salt Creek Trestle in the foreground.

 

Mike R. guides Amtrak Number 14 downgrade through Cruzatte and over Noisy Creek Trestle.

 

The happy operating crew on June 8.  We were glad to have shade on the patio on what proved a scorching hot day!

 

It was great to host both old friends and new friends for another WOOPS operating session!