Grand Tour : The Rehearsal

This all began back in November, when a request came from the Half-Nuts Operating Group from PEI. (see Scott's and Derwin's website links on the side bar) to have the Grand Tour and Operating Session. After a few emails discussing dates, Saturday January 15th was selected for the Grand Tour of Dave's Fall River and Eastern, (sorry no website yet), Wayne's Nottingham Sub of MEC, (website on side bar) and the WRS.

Five days before the event, came the email, that they could not make the trip on the 15th.

Since Dave had not had an operating session on FR&E since the Grand Tour by the Codiac Operating Group from Moncton Area in July and WRS was has been quiet since the end of November, a call when out to the local operating crew to have a rehearsal to work out any rust before the next Grand Tour.

Saturday morning started with the crew reporting to Fall River & Eastern. Barry W did the North/ South Peddlers, which services industries between the North Yard and River Yard. Pierre did the Meat Plant Switcher and Brewery Switcher. Dave and Barry R did the Local Peddler, which services the industries around the River Yard. Doug M ran the main Passenger Train. And I was busy dealing with the paper work and checking for "rust".

After the session on the FR&E, the crew headed to the local Arby's for lunch were Glen joined us.
After lunch, the crew minus Barry R and Doug M, headed off to the WRS, for another operating session. After checking the phone abound arrival, we found out were our missing crew member was, something about not getting an email on the revised schedule. Wayne joined us a few minutes later.

Barry W headed for his home in the South Yard. Dave headed to North Yard to pick up 202 which serves Dogwood, Glen headed to the Mill and Pierre headed to the South Yard to pick up Main Line Run. So I headed to Roseton to start that job, until I was replaced when Wayne arrived. So then, I headed to my normal job of the North Yard Switcher and MEC Transfer.



Dave over looking Wayne has he switched Roseton.


Pierre dropping his caboose so he can drop car off at the Mill. While Glen was checking his paper work to see what cars he is getting from Pierre.



Barry W busy switching in the South Yard.



Glen busy working the Mill.

Many of the crew decided to change jobs for this session, which means I have a few items to adjust in the paperwork.

The main thing we all had fun and are waiting for the next rehearsal. At that time, the crew is hoping the script has been adjusted.

later

Doug

Another Year in the Books

It hard to believe another year has past for the WRS. There has been a few changes to the WRS this year.

The year started with a change in operations of the WRS, with North and South bound trains. Since there was no South Yard, a "Fast Freight" move was required, where the train would have to make a quick trip from the Yard at the White River Paper Co to the North Yard and back. After a couple of operating sessions, this issue needed to be addressed. A back drop was installed behind Dogwood and an interchange track was installed in Greenfield to connect to MEC. Now the "Fast Freight" was gone.

With the installation of the backdrop, a few industries changed on the layout. The Metal Works left Greenfield to the MEC and was replaced by the Ice Block. Doug's Organ Works moved from Roseton to Dogwood on the former Big Red's property, The Reload Terminal and T&T's switched properties. Later in the year two more companies started to receive cars in the Dogwood Terminal, XYZ and VGA. This is after reading an article about adding industries without adding tracks. In Roseton, Northstar Industries moved into the old DOW property.

Starting in June, the big change happened, the earth moved again. The new MEC Interchange was removed, Greenfield was re-arranged again and the Mill was moved. A double sided backdrop was installed from end of Greenfield to past Dogwood. This allowed the expanded Mill to be installed on the other side of the backdrop. The other part of the project was the start of the South Yard, now just down the line from the Mill.

With this change, two industries changed locations. The Ice Block is now located at Bartown and Green Mountain Limestone is located in Greenfield.

At the end of July, the new arrangement received its first test with the visit of three members from the Codiac Operation Group.

At the end of September, the WRS Crew had their first operating session on the revised layout. At this time a crew was installed at the new South Yard to make up the trains heading North. This had to be revised after the session, not enough tracks yet in the South Yard.
The last operating session of the year, the new operation's plan for the South Yard was tested and the session improved.

Also during the year work on done on the scenery on the layout.

That is all for the review, as I now have to get ready for the first operating session of the new year.

Doug