Framer Brown's Lane Revisited

This an overhead shot of Farmer Brown's Lane grade crossing hopefully showing the Lane better. The track is in a small cut, with the lane going uphill on both sides. Note only four wheel drives and farm tractors can use the lane at present. Farmer Brown is hoping to have the lane leveled out soon.

Roseton switches

After many complaints from the engine crews of the loss of traction on the switches at the Whiskey Falls end of the pasting siding at Roseton, the maintenance crews removed the switches and replaced the insulated rail joiners with the metal version. This is hoped to improve the power to the traction motors on the units. The crews are hoping to repair the other end of the sidings in the next few days.

later

Doug

Farmer Brown's Lane

The crews have just finished the grade crossing at Farmer Brown's Lane.

Blue Ridge gets some colour

The picture below is the passing siding in Blue Ridge with the spur line for J & B Produce on the right side.



The picture below is what it looks like today after a little foam and "green" stuff have been added.

Operating Session Report Nov 26

Monday Night was another operating session on the White River Southern. It was an interesting evening. Murphy's Law happened when Don plug in his throttle and it caused a short for some reason in the communication bus. Likely two of the pins were touching each other. After a little work, he was able to get the plug out of the jack. After this it was just the normal amount of shorts and a few derailments. Everything runs ok on Sunday, but for some reason they do not on Monday.



Dave and Ross busy at Blue Ridge.

Gray and Pierre at Whiskey Falls

Doug and Don busy at Blue Ridge.

Glen at Dogwood, with Ross and Dave in the background at Roseton. Don on the right is busy at Blue Ridge.

With the different crews, the operating instructions were read in some strange ways. One crew had to return to pick up the other half of their train, when they forgot to pick up the cars from the other switching job. A local switching crew picked up its cars from the local industries, before their cars to be delivered arrived at the local siding. Which caused a few interesting moments, then the first crew return to the siding with its cars in tow and the other crew had placed the cars for pick up by the first crew on the siding. This cause a few moments discussions on the rules of the railroad and how the run around would happen. They worked it out, I think because all the cars were delivered.

We were missing our normal Yard Master, Bruce, who could not make it. So I had to be Yard Master. I will clean up the Yard in the next couple of weeks before the next operating session.

Part of the operating session was video taped. I think the blackmailing will start soon.

Every one had fun and that is the most important thing.

later

Doug

update Nov 26

With the operating session tonight, the weekend was spend cleaning up the layout and the basement for tonight.

The proper paperwork is on the rack and the cars are where they should be. (see notes from the last operating session http://whiteriversouthern.blogspot.com/2007/11/nov-6-update.html).

While I was cleaning up, I finally decided to deal with the missing scenery at Whiskey Falls. Whiskey Falls started as one of my UMG corner modules. For some unknown reason, when the glue was applied to the plaster for the scenery, it did not bond and I was left with a thin shell of scenery. With all the moving to and from shows, this thin shell cracked and piece lifted or fell off. So out came the glue and scenery material. So now the areas of white have gone again.

later

Doug

Mill Switcher

On Saturday I picked up this 70 tonner at the Dartmouth Show. The plan is have this unit work the Mill Job. Until then it will be working the Yard.

The Unit runs well and can be noisey at times, I am hoping the NCE decoder for the Bachman decoder replacement will work on this units, since I do not want to remove the weight above the decoder.

later

Doug

Departure Yard

The work on the lengthing of the Departure Yard is now complete . The two Local Trains are now on T1 and T2 (upper left) waiting for the arrivial of the Crews to start their busy day on the WRS. The Yard Crew is about to start sorting the Classification Yard (on the right) for tomorrow deliveries.

Paper Work

With the next visit from the Monday Night Gang, being next Monday, it was time to do the paper work for the operating session. It is strange to have it done a week ahead of time, normal it is gone just before the Gang walks in.

One of the requested from the last operating session, was to create a list for the brakeman to check the cars in his train. This session there will a Brakeman List in the package, which will include the car type and reporting marks, will also include which cars are to be deliveried to each area that the Local services. This will be the same list used by the Yard Master to make up the Locals.

To reduce the time required to setup an operating session, each Local will have two list for industies to be switched. Half of the car spotting locations will be on one list and the second half will be on the other. The Local for Dogwood / Junction / Blue Ridge, will have a Blue and Red Lists and the Local for Roseton / Whiskey Falls / Bartown will have a Green and Yellow Lists.

We will test this paperwork for the next few sessions to see how it works.

Later

Doug

30 feet

Scott ask for pictures of where I was going to add Thirty Feet to my layout.

The picture below is the end of Bartown, which is where the new benchwork will start. Just behind the post is where the present track is.

After making the turn, the layout will continue along the wall. You can see the changes to the Departure Yard on the right of the photo. This section is going to be 9" wide, with one industry on this wall. From the beam to the corner is 12 feet.

Another 9 feet will be added along the back wall. This section will be 6 to 9 inches wide.

The last 8 feet will be on the top of the shelf, the white object with all the junk on top of it. This will be 12 to 14 inches wide.

The stage yard will be entering the other room somewhere on the shelf area. Even with adding the shelf where will be between 30 to 36 inch walkway for operators. If I move "the place where projects go to die", I could add another 8 feet to Blue Ridge :-)

Things are changing

In developing the new paper work for the layout an issues came to a head. T2 in the Departure Yard was one car too short. Two options, shorten the train or lenghten the track. In the past I have just added to the benchwork and added more track. But this time, this not an option, cause of the clearance required for the full body owner. This morning the switches for the departure tracks were lifted and the first switch was moved down the mainline. When the work is completed, each of the departure tracks will be able to hold one car more.

During the next few months, another thirty feet of benchwork will be added past Bartown. This new area, which has not been named, will be using T3 in the Departure track.

When the new area comes online, there maybe crew changes. I would like to go from two one hour sessions to one two hour session. More on this as time goes on. But this may have to wait until the staging yard is build.

later

Doug

Nov 6 Update

The second operating session was last night. For a couple of the operaters it was the first time for them to see the updated layout. Once we got the right train orders. (Note: check to see that you have this week's orders and not the ones from the last session). The two Locals finally left the Yard for their appointed locations. Sorry no pictures again, I had to help on the layout last night as a crew person. After the crews finished their jobs the Locals returned, only to have to wait for the Yard Crew to finish their work. Something was said that maintaince department had not serviced the switches. (Note: clean all the tracks and switches and not just the mainline).

The Crews collected the paper work for their new jobs and headed out again.

They all said they had fun and will return again. Before next operating session, I need to address a few issues. Need to adjust some of the paper work. Need to add a printed list of cars in each of the Locals to be attached to the Trains Orders, so the engineer can check their train. Also need to balance the switching in each of the four areas. There also maybe a few changes to the Locals. More things to work on before the next time.

Doug

Update Nov 2

Yes it is time to get the WRS back to work. The Strike at Head Office is over. Trains will be moving again by Monday night.

Ok after sending time doing other things lately, it is time to again focus on doing operations again. The new run around has been installed in Blue Ridge,(also know as Blue Spruce on some updates), and a new industry has been added. Present plans are for this industry to be J&B Produce.

The train orders for this area will have to be adjusted, since they will not have to run over to Roseton to run around the cars to service the industries.

After my visit to Northern Maine, I may be changing a few of the industries in Whiskey Falls / Bartown area.

Will update again after the operating session on Monday Night.

Before then need to update the paperwork, and finish chipping a second S4.

later
Doug