I apologize for not posting here very often. Work is going well and I’ve been busy helping other folks with their web sites so I’ve had little time for my own. I’m not going to promise anything, but I am going to try to post items here more frequently in the future.
The Half Nuts gang has been growing this fall. We’ve picked up a few new members and a couple potential members as well. The BS&T operating session held on Dec. 21 saw one of the largest operating crews ever assembled. The new guys, and even some of the old crew, are still getting used to operations on the BS&T. I can understand the new guys having trouble, but the more experienced crew members shouldn’t have difficulty. It’s not like I change the jobs every op session – just every 3 or 4 – HA!
I do change things up every once in a while to try to make operating more interesting and challenging. There is more traffic on the layout now than this time last year. I have plans for the new year that will see even more traffic, but only when crew size warrants it.
Back to the op session. We had 8 crew members on hand with regulars Derwin, Greg, Ken, and Tom – new regulars Ewen and Chris – prospective member (just checking things out) Barry, and visiting honorary member Steve D. Since this was Barry’s first time out he was Derwin’s Brakeman.
Greg gets the 2nd run of the East Bound Wayfreight ready to leave Tidewater. The CN Interchange (Derwin and Barry) from Wholinthall has already arrived in the yard and cars have been set out from the Yard for it’s return run.
Ken is busy switching in Chappellton as usual. Things aren’t quite as hectic there as they were before splitting the Wayfreights into two runs. Ken has a little more breathing time now.
Steve is just checking things out waiting for his next job. He ran the coal train in the first half of the session – a nice easy job.
Tom is busy switching local industries in Kenville and Derwin’s Drop. There is so little action in each town that they hardly justify their own crews so the jobs are combined when available crew warrants it. Usually Wayfreight crews do the local switching in these towns.
Derwin and Barry are running the Transfer from Bayside to Tidewater down The Ridge. This train moves cars from Bayside that are destined for Tidewater and The CN Interchange in Wholinthall. On it’s return run it moves freight destined for Bayside and the newly instituted train to US destinations.
Derwin has the Transfer down The Ridge and is making the run into Chappellton. Ken will be glad that it’s the Transfer since it just runs through town and doesn’t bring any work for him. The Transfer will have to wait in Chappellton for Greg to get the Wayfreight out of the Yard. Once the Transfer gets into Tidewater the real work begins there sorting out the cars for the return run of the Transfer and the CN Interchange in Wholinthall.
Meanwhile, things are pretty calm on the other side of the room. It looks like Chris is running the 2nd half of the West Bound Wayfreight into Stevenville. He’ll soon be working with the local switcher, Ewen, in Stevenville to make his deliveries and pickups. Next stop Derwin’s Drop, where he should meet the East Bound Wayfreight.
Tom is busy in Kenville moving some freight around. He’ll soon have to make the run over The Ridge to Derwin’s Drop to switch cars to and from the West Bound Wayfreight. As I mentioned before, there isn’t a lot of action in these two towns so he should be able to get the work done in short order. The one thing that does slow things down here is the lack of passing sidings, and the fact that the stations are located on the only available passing sidings. Each Wayfreight much drop it’s Combine at the station for passengers to disembark while freight cars are removed and added to the train. When all the work is done the Combine is placed at the station for passengers to board.
Steve has been pressed into service helping Derwin and Barry sort cars for the return runs of the Transfer to Bayside and the CN Interchange to Wholinthall. There are a lot of cars to be sorted and management is getting really tired of re-routing cars that were placed on the wrong trains. Ha!
The Transfer is ready to leave Tidewater. It’s longer than normal for some reason (likely due to the new US Interchange train out of Bayside). It will probably need a helper to get over The Ridge.
So now they are finalizing the cars for the ruturn run to Wholinthall. Steve will run that one, while Derwin and Barry will take the Transfer.
Derwin’s looking a little worried for some reason. Holy Hannah! He’s talked Greg, running the East Bound Wayfreight, into being a helper for his Wholinthall train!!!! They are putting the passengers in the Combine at great risk! I wouldn’t want to be them when Management sees this picture!
Tom should have stepped in and told them not to do it. It is his job to take use the Kenville switcher as a helper for trains too long to climb The Ridge. I guess having less seniority he didn’t want to chance it.
The good news is both trains made it to Derwin’s Drop without incident. The passengers, although a little upset with the extra noise and worry, were unharmed. Everyone was just glad to have it done with.
The evening was quite enjoyable and was a great learning experience for me to see how the layout can operate with a large crew. I’m looking forward to more operating sessions like this in the future.
Later!
Scott