Oregon Joint Line N Scale

[superchief]

nkalanga, thanks for info and supporting my decision. I model the Santa Fe in 1953 and we do not like to run our passengers behind schedule. When that passenger train showed up, every track in the yard plus the main was full. And the CEO was standing there too! I cleared one track(track#2) and ran the passenger thru the yard and back to the main and crossed over just before the station. then took the rest of the session to clean up my mess!!!!!! lots of fun!!!!!!  Gordon

[coldriver]

nkalanga, thanks for info and supporting my decision. I model the Santa Fe in 1953 and we do not like to run our passengers behind schedule. When that passenger train showed up, every track in the yard plus the main was full. And the CEO was standing there too! I cleared one track(track#2) and ran the passenger thru the yard and back to the main and crossed over just before the station. then took the rest of the session to clean up my mess!!!!!! lots of fun!!!!!!  Gordon

During my time as a yardmaster and trainmaster in the Seattle area we certainly ran passenger trains through the yard from time to time due to derailments, mechanical issues, MOW activity, or plain old operational screw-ups - perhaps 2 or 3 times per year which equates to maybe 1 out of every 500 times.  With Gordon at 1 out of 2 so far we'll certainly be watching him closely the next time he yardmasters to make sure he stays within typical prototype decision making ratios.  To be fair the dispatcher should have let him know what was coming so he could plan accordingly - some slack will be granted.  And I will relate that Mr Bliss left the yard in amazing shape - essentially he did the work of two yard jobs by himself - not bad for his first time! 

[coldriver]

For the farm scene: is that an abandoned grade crossing leading to the house? If so, excellent!

+1 to you - I was wondering if anyone would catch that.  The intention was to reinforce the idea that this house would never be occupied again - the crossing was yanked, fences were built without any gates.  No one's ever coming back....

[SSW7771]

Dean, thanks for hosting another great op session the other week! Wish I didn't have to leave early. Here are a few shots from working helper service.

[coldriver]

Dean, thanks for hosting another great op session the other week! Wish I didn't have to leave early. Here are a few shots from working helper service.

Nice shots Marshall - it's always interesting to see the different photo angles people use  - seems like I tend to get stuck in the same old ruts.  This was a new record for op session participation with 13 + me.  We had a Dispatcher, NP Monument Yard engine, two Monument industrial switchers, GN Dayville Yard engine, NP Scanlon Yard engine, Oregon & Northeastern engine, Condon, Kinzua, & Southern engine, an assigned helper engine (Marshall), and four road crews!  Despite a rocky start things went pretty well overall!  The trainmaster (me) was kept very busy!
IMG_5099 by Dean Ferris, on Flickr

[Rossford Yard]

So, how did certain first timers enjoy the layout?

[coldriver]

So, how did certain first timers enjoy the layout?

things went well - a repeat invitation was requested...

[coldriver]

I threw a wrench at the dispatcher by filling Fossil siding, a key meeting point, end to end with stored 40' boxcars. 

 IMG_5098 by Dean Ferris, on Flickr

After suffering through some significant congestion a crew and lite power were dispatched to clear off the siding by dragging the whole works into staging.  Here's a video (with dubbed sound) of the Extra South climbing the 2.2% grade.

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[Ed Kapuscinski]

That's evil. I like it.

[basementcalling]

That's evil. I like it.

Amazing that such prominently appropriate power was available for the job. Shoulda mad em use 4 or 5 RS units or Geeps instead.

That scene looks dynamite.

[SSW7771]

That's evil. I like it.

Yeah it was. It was only the second time for the Chris to dispatch the railroad. Dean does a good job shaking things up op session to op session keeping us operators on our toes and things interesting. 

[nkalanaga]

Looks like the ones I (barely) remember from the late 60s.  By the time I had a camera, and could get close enough to take pictures regularly, the merger had occurred, so there would have been a few GN and CB&Q cars, but the trains still looked much the same, and the eastern Washington scenery isn't much different. 

Of course, they didn't need helpers around Pasco, so it would probably have had just the two lead units.  On the other hand, an SD45 and Geep wouldn't have been an unusual combination.  Or an SD and an F, A or B, for that matter.

[coldriver]

Looks like the ones I (barely) remember from the late 60s.  By the time I had a camera, and could get close enough to take pictures regularly, the merger had occurred, so there would have been a few GN and CB&Q cars, but the trains still looked much the same, and the eastern Washington scenery isn't much different. 

Of course, they didn't need helpers around Pasco, so it would probably have had just the two lead units.  On the other hand, an SD45 and Geep wouldn't have been an unusual combination.  Or an SD and an F, A or B, for that matter.

Similar experiences for me on the west side of the Cascades growing up in Hoquiam straddling the BN merger date sans camera.  From a power perspective, it wouldn't make prototypical sense for me to have helpers on a train of empties, but whether I call it an empty repo move or a load of export wheat it won't change the N scale physics of needing extra power to make my hill...

[Cajonpassfan]

Great video! Love those old 36' stock cars mixed in...
Otto K.

[dougnelson]

Fantastic scenery and structures!