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Up the Creek - Peninsula construction, first op session Magazine feedback
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MRH Media 2,999 posts MRH MRH Media 2,999 posts
MRH

2013-p22.jpg  Click to read this article in landscape orientation …Click to read this article in portrait orientation …

Read this issue!


Please post any comments or questions you have here.
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splitrock323 Prolific poster 1,364 posts
splitrock323

Great article about operations

This was a great photo essay of what happens on a large layout. Thanks for adding the comments of what should and should not happen. It is amazing what our operators come up with for solutions to their issues as they traverse the line. My operators are always doing things I never envisioned. Some solutions are made by track reconfiguring, others by new rules added. What's a railroad without rules! The note about a higher priority train holding the main vs. the siding is not always true. In a line like your with no signals or CTC, hand lined turnouts would be the norm. Meets should be where the train that gets to the meeting point first holds the main, that way the front end crew can line the siding for the second arriving tran and actually save time. Especially if there are spring switches involved. Another one dispatchers often did was put the smaller, shorter, more heavily powered passenger trains in the siding. Easier to get in and out of and regain speed. Waiting for a 6,000 foot, under powered freight to crawl into the siding at ten MPH is not good. The conductor of the 3-8 car passenger train could be in the clear, watch the freight go by at track speed, and then open the switch and be on their way in quick time, with the acceleration power of a passenger engine. Please keep showing future sessions, maybe even follow a hauler from point to point, or how the locals do their tasks. Thomas G.

Thomas W. Gasior MMR

Modeling northern Minnesota iron ore line in HO.

YouTube: Splitrock323      Facebook: The Splitrock Mining Company layout

Read my Blog

 
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wp8thsub MRH Author 3,348 posts
wp8thsub

Looks Like Fun

I'm looking forward to seeing the BC&SJ in person.

Rob Spangler MRH Blog
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Joe Brugger Prolific poster 1,014 posts
Joe Brugger

In person

Might as well bring your brushes and paint, Rob. His backdrop isn't 100% finished.
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Benny MRH Author 7,125 posts
Benny

...

Charlie, you have a really, really nice layout - and I'm willing to bet the rebuild has been nothing short of exuberant FUN!!

 

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Benny's Index or Somewhere Chasing Rabbits
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Jamnest Regular poster 419 posts
Jamnest

BC&SJ OPS

Your OPS videos v3, v4 and Hot ALCOS (even though I am all EMD) were great and got me down to the basement to the point I am now having my own OPS sessions.

I think that another BC&SJ OPS video is way over due!!!!

Nice work, Charlie, thanks for sharing.

Jim

Modeling the Kansas City Southern (fall 1981 - spring 1982) HO scale

 
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joef MRH Founder 17,405 posts
joef

My only defense

My only defense for heading up the hill under-powered is I don't run trains on Charlie's line enough to be familar with all his paperwork details - so I missed the fact the loco wasn't rated to pull that much train up the hill by itself. The train card said 27 cars I believe and I had 20 cars, I think. So I went for it - only to stall on the hill.

That's what you get for sending the train out with a rookie at the throttle!

Joe Fugate​
Publisher, Model Railroad Hobbyist magazine

[siskiyouBtn]

Read my blog
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Thomas Wilson pandwvrr MRH Author 188 posts
Thomas Wilson pandwvrr

Keep it coming Charlie

Charlie Great job on the new addition. You have made good progress in 2 years. I started my new layout in 2001. I had half of it built and my first op session was in 2006. It took me 5 years to build quarter as big your. My layout is 20'x20' in 4 levels. Great job and keep them rolling.

Tom

Tom Wilson

Pittsburgh and West Virginia RR & Union RR

Web Site: pwvrr.webs.com

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John Colley Regular poster 354 posts
John Colley

Kudos!

Hooray! Very happy to see the BCSJ back in business, and I too, am looking forward to the next video! Joe is way overworking himself and needs to delegate. Anything over 100% is too much of a good thing. I vote for more playtime for both Joe and Charlie! John Colley, Port Townsend, WA
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jeffshultz MRH Staff 7,975 posts
jeffshultz

Wish I'd been there...

... next time I'll remind my  9 y/o cousin not to fall out of a tree onto his head the day of the next op session. (It appears he'll be fine, he's home and attending school part time at the moment). 

orange70.jpg
Jeff Shultz - MRH Technical Assistant
DCC Features Matrix/My blog index
Modeling a fictional GWI shortline combining three separate areas into one freelance-ish railroad.
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bear creek MRH Editor emeritus 2,327 posts
bear creek

in Joe's defense...

It takes two to screw up motive power on the hill Joe. Brandon the yardmaster also forgot to get the tonnage limit of your AC-5 cab forward...

And I should have mentioned the loco cards during the pre-session briefing...

Cheers,

Charlie

Superintendent of nearly everything  ayco_hdr.jpg 
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slow.track Regular poster 275 posts
slow.track

Charlie are the car limits

Charlie are the car limits figured by a formula of powered axles or is it just a trial and error method?

-Travis

-Travis

Prairie Scale Model Railroaders
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John Colley Regular poster 354 posts
John Colley

alternate solution?

Re: the problem #23-24 If there is a siding on top of the hill it would be possible to break the train and double the hill, eliminating the cost and delay of calling out a helper. Besides, in the days before radio there was no way to call a helper, so you made do! John Colley, Port Townsend, WA
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Marty McGuirk Regular poster 464 posts
Marty McGuirk

As publisher,

thought Joe was, by default, the perfect operator? Sorry to hear this isn't the case. 

Seriously Charlie, great read - glad to hear the BC&SJ is one again producing revenue miles. 

Marty

 

Marty McGuirk, Gainesville, VA

http://www.centralvermontrailway.blogspot.com

 
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joef MRH Founder 17,405 posts
joef

Bad rumor

Quote:

thought Joe was, by default, the perfect operator?

Whoever started that rumor has obviously got the wrong Joe. I still screw up on my own layout now and then and I know it like the back of my hand. Fortunately, the mean time between screw-ups (MTBSU) has gotten longer on the Siskiyou Line, otherwise I'd really be worried ...

Joe Fugate​
Publisher, Model Railroad Hobbyist magazine

[siskiyouBtn]

Read my blog
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ratled Frequent poster 926 posts
ratled

Joe more throttle time is needed.

Now that Don Hanley is on board does that mean you'll have some time to get in the basement?   It's been  SSooooo Long seen we have had a Siskiyou Line fix.

Steve

http://klamathline.blogspot.com/

 
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