Fall River & Eastern

Last Sunday Dave had the Operating Group over to the Fall River & Eastern for tour of the layout and operating session. This session was to test the newly installed DCC System and to do a little switching and running of trains. Formal operating sessions are still a few months away. Dave has to name the Towns and Industries first.
Below are a few pictures that Dave supplied for this report.
Yes there was a "Corn Field Meet". Luckily both trains were following the slow orders. See picture at the bottom. One of the issues to be addressed is which track is the East Bound and which is the West Bound.


Coal Drag(left) Coal Drag and Passenger Train Meet (right)


Jeff running the Passenger Train (left) Pierre overlooking the Yard and Engine Terminal (right)

Coal Drag (left) The Corn Field Meeting (right)

This is a very interest railroad to operate on.

later

Doug

Ops Session Nov 23

WRS had another Ops Session on Monday night. I forgot to check if it was a full moon, but many strange things happened. It all started when cars began derailing on one section of the railroad. Then the train will break in half. Requiring the train had to stop and go back to pick them up. The Control System decided to take a break. Yard crew not lining up switches for incoming trains. And there are two pictures at the bottom.

Pierre waiting for someone to come and pick up the cars he had set on the sidings.

Wayne wondering. Dave in the background working Bartown.

Barry busy switching the Mill

This takes special talents to "park" the van halfway up pole.

The Engineer of the Switcher forgot .....

But we had fun, and that is the most important thing.

Doug

Nov 14 Tour

After the Show finished on Saturday, the Crew departed for supper at a local resturant which has a train theme. The Crew include David T, David M, and myself from the Show, and Scott and Derwin who made the trip over from PEI to go to the Show and to do the Tour.

After Supper, we all head up the hill to visit Wayne's Nottingham Sub. (Wayne's blog is listed on the side bar). Pierre also joined the Crew at Wayne's. After a tour of the layout, it was time to operate a few trains.
Then Wayne discussed with us his future plans for his Railroad.


Derwin standing in the middle of the Nottingham Sub, wondering where to start.

Now the Crew, with its new additions, departed Wayne's and headed for David M's Fall River and Eastern. Once arriving at FR&E, David have everyone a tour of the Railroad and discussed his plans for it. Then it was time to operate a few trains. Sorry no pictures, too busy.

Now it was time to head to the WRS for an operating session. The two Davids had to bow out do to other committments. Apon arriving, it was time for a quick tour for Derwin and Scott, who had not seen the layout since the last changes. Then it was down to operations. Scott headed for the paper mill, Derwin ran 302L which services Bartown and Riverside, Pierre headed for Dogwood to operate the local switcher and Wayne ran the mainline trains. After Derwin finished the 302L, he departed with the revised 203S/204N train now servicing Roseton and Greenfield. Pierre after finishing in Dogwood, headed for Roseton to operate the local switching jobs there. Around 11pm the Crews began logging off and heading home.

It was a very busy night for all of us and we had to return to the Show the next day.



Derwin passing thru Dogwood with 203S

Scott at the Papermill

Wayne busy with one of the many Mainline trains

Pierre at Roseton

That was the night.

Doug

The WRS on the Road Again

The WRS was on the Road again on the weekend. With five of the old modules and one new one, headed for the Show in Dartmouth. The new module was a run around siding to improve operations. The layout was roughly 35 feet from end to end, with four other operator adding modules.

Below are a few pictures from the Show


Looking down the mainline from the Woodchip loading.


On the left is the new module with David and Wayne on the left and David T on the right working with a young engineer.

David T filling out the UMG Operator Card for a young Engineer


Young Engineer waiting for the mainline to clear so he can continue with the RDC.

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This is the center of the layout, with David T overseeing the young engineer

It was a great weekend.

For more pictures go to http://theumg.ca/2009/11/dartmouth-2009/


Later

Doug

Oct 26 Operating Session

The WRS was operating again after a short shutdown. Barry started working the White River Paper Company's Paper Mill and Pierre began by checking the paperwork for first of his many mainline trains. After Barry picked up the outbound cars for 101 N, Pierre dropped off the Mill cars from the 101 N and picked up the outbound cars. After departing the Mill, Pierre headed for Dogwood, where David was busy working the Dogwood Switcher. After exchanging cars at Dogwood, Pierre departed for the Yard and David started delivering the new arrivals and picking up the cars for the next train. Glen working the Bartown/Riverside Local had to allow Pierre and 101 N to clear on his way to the Yard. After arriving in the Yard, Pierre parked the 101 N and then departed the Yard with 202S for Roseton after clearing Glen in Bartown. After 202S cleared, Glen when to Riverside to finish his work and then into the Yard.

202S dropped cars at Roseton on the siding and departed to Dogwood. At Dogwood, Pierre set out cars for David to deliver. Then Pierre departed for Greenfield to switch Metal Works. Barry was still busy at the Mill delivering and picking up cars. After exchanging cars at Greenfield, Pierre ran around is train and 202S became 203N. Heading back to Dogwood, Pierre picked up the cars that David had put out for him. After departing Dogwood and heading for Rosetown, the call came in that the Crew for the Roseton Switcher had not arrived yet. So Pierre had to parking 203N at Roseton and take a car back to Yard. Glen how now had finished his job on the Bartown/Riverside Local, headed to Roseton to work the local switcher.

With Pierre now back in the Yard, he headed back for Dogwood with 102S. After exchanging cars in Dogwood, then it was off to the Mill and exchanging cars with Barry.

That this point, 102S is to leave the Mill for points South, but since this connection is not completed yet, 102 S became a "fast" freight back to the Yard and then 103N is another "fast" freight back to the Mill from the Yard.

Now with 103N on Track 1 at the Mill things return back to normal. David has finished at Dogwood and now is helping Glen with the Roseton Switcher. 203N switching has now been completed and I take 203N the rest of the trip from Roseton to the Yard. Yes, I was busy again in the Yard arranging inbound and outbound trains.

With the cars exchanged at the Mill, now Pierre is ready to depart with 103N. The only other stop on route is in Roseton to exchange cars and then on to the Yard. At the Yard the Power from the 103N is transferred to the 104S and Pierre returns to Roseton with their last delivery for the day. After departing Roseton, it is on to the Mill for its last exchange. Once this complete, 104S becomes another "fast" freight to the Yard.

And other day on the WRS is complete.



David at Dogwood checking his paperwork and Pierre heading for Dogwood with the Mainline Freight



Barry at Paper Mill and Glen at Riverside

Glen now at Roseton and David still at Dogwood

Now with another session complete, I have made a list of items to address before the next session. A few are car maintenance, some are a few issues with paper work, different eyes, see different things. Because of the issues again with 203N, there are going to be changes to this train. And other Crews have requested that a lower speed limit be installed on the "fast" freights.

It was another great night of operating.

later

Doug

Oct 13 Update

The WRS Track and Electrical Crews were again busy working on the Fall River & Eastern. Their work is 95% complete. The Railroad has been converted from Block Control to DCC, but there were a few minor issues to be addressed, which could be just the Railroad has been down for a while.

The Loco Shop has started assisting the Fall River & Eastern Loco Shop in the upgrading of loco's control systems.

The Loco Shop finally finished the repairs on the RS3, which now is on lease to Fall River & Eastern, along with a few other locos.

The Engineering Dept has been busy making adjustments to the revised layout this week. Will update when a few more issues have been addressed.

later

Doug

Oct 5 Update

With the last operating session a few items that needed to be addressed.

The Car Shop has been busy replacing couplers with Kadees and adjusting them to all the same height. They have also re-numbered a few pieces of rolling stock.

The Track Crew has been busy leveling a few areas of track work to reduce uncoupling.

The Freight Agent has been busy updating and checking a few items in the paperwork, which the Crews pointed out during the operating session.

The Electrical Department has been busy over at Fall River & Eastern. The Fall River & Eastern has been converting the Railroad from Block Control to DCC. About half the Railroad is converted over at present. The Loco Shop will soon be helping with the upgrades to their locos.

And that is this week's Update.

Doug