Operating Session Feb 18

After a visit by Bruce and Andrew, work was started to prepare for the operating session. While cleaning the track in Blue Ridge, it was found that the switcher would not operate on the switches. After a little cleaning of the track and the tabs on the peco switch, one switch was working the other was not. In the end the second switch had to be lifted, ballast cleaned off and the insulated joiners had to be removed. The switch will have to be completely install at another time, the operating session is in a few hours.



This is a shot of the Yard before the Crew starts the day.




Glen was the brave person who took the Mill Job. Double slip switches can make operations very interesting. By the end of the day, Glen had mastered their usage.

Ross with his clip board, is busy working the Dogwood Local. This is the second half of Mill Run.

The Crews giving advice to Glen now how to switch the Mill.

Pierre and David working Dogwood. Don is in the background working Junction.

Don busy in Junction switching Mama's Pasta.


Mr Murphy visited again during the Operating session, when he desided to blow open the front door and let the wind and rain in. Luckly the mat collected most of the water. Another project to add to my list.

Another Operating Session is now in the books, and my "do to" list has a few new items on it to be addressed before the next session.

later

Doug

Operating session tonight

The paper work is printed and put on the hook for each of the Jobs.

Looks like I will be doing the Yard again tonight .... which is good, since I had not finallized the paper work for it yet. Will need to run it a couple more times. The Interchange Yard is full and will be used tonight. One or two cars short for the complete Session Three requirements.

Will have to test the locos later today, hope they all pass this time.

Will have a report later in the week.

later

Doug

Staging for the Ops Session

Worked last night on staging for the operating session on Monday night. Session One is on the departure tracks, Session Two is on the interchange tracks. Had to lengthen one of the tracks in the interchange tracks to hold one of the trains. Cars for Session Three are on the arrivial tracks.

Presently I am two tank cars short at the Mill, but both are on the work table 75% done. They should be ready for the Operating session.

Checking the list for cars required for Session Three verse what is on the arrivial tracks, I still have a few holes, specially in tank cars and air slides. Have the kits, just have to build them.

Session Four, is not going to happen for awhile. Have only five of the thirty cars that are required, built.

later

Doug

Operating Session Feb 18

The next operating session for the WRS will be Feb 18th. Hoping to have the interchange yard in operation by then.

Doug

WRS Crew Assignments

The new arrangement has required the Management of the WRS to adjust Crew assignments.

The current Jobs are as follows:

Mill Run (Yard to Mill Yard, with drop off at Dogwood)

Mill Switcher (White River Paper Company)

Dogwood Switcher

Junction / Blue Ridge Local (departs from Roseton, plus local switching)

Roseton Local (Yard to Roseton, plus local switching)

Bartown Local ( Yard to Bartown, plus local switching in Bartown & Riverside)

Yard Switcher

More Paper Work

Spend the day working on Paper Work. I did not have a complete list of the rolling stock on the layout. I updated the list today, this will help with checking Reporting Marks when adding cars. The count was over 150 cars now on the layout. Still have another dozen or so cars to add to the layout, namely tank cars and air slides for the Mill. The Shops will be busy.

Also added a couple more switching districts plans to the layout. With the changes to the layout, not everyone knew were the industries are located, specially since a few have moved. Hope to add Town names to the layout fascia soon. Some people can not find the town limit signs on the railroad.

later

Doug

S4s back in service

The WRS Shops have finished the repairs on the pair of S4. The Blue Unit received a new NCE decoder and the Red unit had tape installed between the motor and the frame.

later

Doug

Operating Session Feb 4

On February 4th the first operating session on the revised White River Southern was held. Below is the photo of the Mill Run preparing to depart the Yard for its first run to the new Mill Complex. WRS had to lease power from Conrail for this train due to its tonnage (15 cars).




David was the first person to switch the new Mill Complex. The Mill Job, will require the operater to move seventeen cars in the complex. The cars are delivered to the Mill Complex by the Mill Run.




Glen after making the first Mill Run, returned to Dogwood to switch the cars he delivered. Don was busy recordering the events for an upcoming video.

The Roseton Local has arrived at Roseton. The crews from the Roseton Local (Ross) and the Junction / Blue Ridge Switcher (Doug) are busy discussing how to break up the train, so both could start their jobs.

Ross busy switching Roseton / Whiskey Falls.

Doug is in Blue Ridge working on switching.

The session ending when the Junction / Blue Ridge Switcher crew ran out of hours.

The Bartown Switcher was not ran this session, since two of WRS Operators (Pierre and Bruce) were not able to attend. With the changes in the layout, more operators are required to operate the layout. (five verse six).

We will try this again in a few weeks.

later

Doug

Power Shortage on WRS

Yes, it can happen....

When I when downstairs to do one final check before the operating session, two of my S-4 quit working. I did not have time to spend finding what was causing the problem. So I had to dig out two old Athearn switchers that I had chipped for the Kids Layout.

Ok now I have power for the operating session. But when the RS11 was backed into the Yard to pick up the ten car train for Roseton, it just set there and spinned its wheels. So it had to be replaced with the GP9. Since the plan was for the WRS to be an Alco equipped Railroad, the use of the RS11 will have to be looked at.

So I will now have to spend time on getting the WRS Alco fleet back on the road.

later

Doug

Interchange Yard

Finally the crack in the wall has been repaired. In the background (grey wall), you can see a grey line starting in the middle of the window frame, which is the repaired crack. Hopefully this will dry up the lake under the Yard.




Below is the view from the other side of the Black Hole. The first six feet of the three track Interchange Yard have been installed.

If I can round up enough cars, it will be in use at the next operating session. Need also look at how the Interchange Yard is going to be used. The plan was a car would go fromt the Interchange Yard to the Departure Tracks in the WRS Yard. Then to the Industry. After being picked up at the Industry, the car would return to the Arrivial Yard. The next day, the car would move from the Arrivial Yard to the Interchange Yard. It will take four or five operating sessions for a car to make a complete cycle.

later

Doug

Track - were does it go.

The track gang has replaced the crossing in the Mill, (see below). Now the Shipping Warehouse and Spots 2 & 3, can be serviced. Spot 1 had to be moved due to length of track after the crossing was not as long as planned. Did not want to put the switch for the Receiving Warehouse on the joint between the two modules, which shorten the distance between the crossover and the track to hosting Spots 4 & 5.


When I started the addition to the layout, I had three or four lengths of new track and when I made a trip to Moncton, I picked up another twenty five lengths. So with this new track and the track I would recover from the old yard, I should have enough to do the work. To finish the Mill, I had to solder together a few shorter pieces of track to get the job done.

Now to finish the Interchange Tracks, I had to make another trip to the Hobby Shop yesterday for another ten lengths. Hopefully this will be the end of track laying for a while.

later

Doug

MFMR 2008 Convention

I have added the link to the web page for the MFMR 2008 Convention to My Links on the sidebar.

I have been "railroaded" into doing a clinic on adding Operations to a Layout.

So I have three months to learn how to do it. :-)

later

Doug