ell, that was satisfying.

We got out a solid session last night. Everyone knew what to do to set up. Pre-brief was quick. The clock started and (I’m happy to say) we didn’t get a single LNER (not an English railroad company but a line error on the clock when the system shorts hard). Outside of one helix delay, everything ran fairly smooth. I don’t know about you lugs, but I had a pretty enjoyable time.

If you count the warrants on the floor, it looks like a market crash on Wall Street (Photo: John DV)

A couple of real notable events. I didn’t get ANY calls for help to the dispatcher over the radio. Crews really did “work it out on the ground” including a very dispatcher-optimistic and crew-executed four train saw-by meet (including two opposing freights) at Harris Summit. We used interlocking for the first time under warrants and it really seemed to work better – Kyle and I are still working out the processes but it seems to be making it easier (a club officer came back during the session to rave about it). We also got the auto racks to pass at Harris (and for you harmonic-convergence folks, that has happened exactly ONE other time in club history). We ran a solid parade of four trains over the hill (including a snazzy varnish-pass by three freights, under interlocking signals, at Lehigh). And here’s the big one – not only did we run two new freights, but we didn’t run a SINGLE extra all night. And even JW ran a train.

414 steamrolls past local 921 at Weirton, just off the ore docks (Photo: John DV)

Of course, there are always improvements. The layout’s service area has grown and Calypso is coming into its own (Calypso really does need a yardmaster now). However, the ops committee needs to streamline some of the paperwork – we had a lot of waybills ending up in the wrong hands (or on the trackside ballast) last night. The freight department is not looking forward to the restage.

I gotta say that Eric T showing up like the Seventh Cavalry to run 153 was a godsend. Unless you have two crewed rack trains, one crew has to swap them short of Bound Brook and Kyle and I were dubious at doing this trick under the newly-minted interlock. Leonard showing up to work East Martin also saved Father Christmas since I was determined to bury them in traffic. Mike had two meets where he had to take charge and he did.

“Working it out on the high ground” – Summit saw-bys (Photo: Kyle S)

We were light in the mill – John W ran the only burn and, look guys, we can’t take any more coal at this point. We’re suspending the minerals until we get a couple of more furnace runs done. We’re choked in Bethlehem.

Big Rack Attack late in the afternoon at Martin. Trust me – they were packed. (Photo: Alex B)

I gotta get someone into the DS seat. It’s been months since I last turned a wheel on the layout I spent most of my life building.

Thank goodness we remembered to reset the booster. With TT&TO from last week and this session, we’d have slotmaxed that puppy.

So overall, I’ve got no complaints. Outside of a main/siding mixup or two, nobody overran their authority and everyone played nice. The radiowork was smooth. Woodstock Strecker kept the line moving and the crews really didn’t piss me off (other than JW, of course, laughing at me when I checked about nine boxes on one warrant). ONT continues to have (most likely) the largest ops sessions in the state (the bigger home layouts might take ten people and other clubs are just fumbling with it). We’ve got our sights set on improving cards, continuing maintenance, scenery improvements and membership growth (where are we going to put ’em?).

Yeah, as I said, I’m satisfied.

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If you missed this classic rack-meet, you’ll have to wait another five years. Sorry. (Photo: Zach B)

One of four westbound trains going by on the summit. My life would have been easier if I’d put the eastbound freight in the siding. Live and learn (Photo: Zach B)

What that multi-meet looked like from the guy who got “met”. Almost ran out of room on checkbox 8. (Photo: Alex B)

414 ascends the grade to the ever-popular Harris Glen, 202 hot on him, only to find headlights filling the early morning darkness (Photo: John DV)

Just a great shot of the Westinghouse Bridge (Photo: Leonard J)