o I had an oddly empty weekend and thought maybe I’d run the Tuscarora Branch Line through its paces. For this, I decided to do a number of things.

1. I’d run as many extra features as I could (i.e. deadhead cars and midnight dropoffs).

2. I’d run cars from my TBL collection that I usually don’t run.

3. I’d run the leverman position fully, including a station log and packets, to be issued as if we had a dispatcher.

But then, of course, my plans changed.

Jack swings aboard as MT-1 shows up, 30 minutes after the witching hour, at the Tusk distant signal. (Robert R)

4. Smiling Jack asked if he could run the TBL.

Anyway, sure, I have traffic rights on hisYosemite Valley and kinda owe him a western Pennsylvania run. So I agreed to it. But since I don’t have a printer (only Staples) I was stuck with the switchlist I’d already set up. Well, Jack liked switching. Let’s see how he liked TBL dialed up to maximum.

I got everything set up and people started showing at the clubhouse. Jack (of course) but also Jim the pilot, Pete the prankster and Matthew (who had some fine modeling to work on). Everything was lined up so I gave Jack a crash coarse in basic Tuscarorian and off we went.

I know poor Jack was a bit overworked. We had to do many more runarounds than a usual session and the deadheaders were a bit of a problem (they make the train longer and usually get in the way). Of the midnight train drops, the coal hopper sat at the Team Track (which means you need to double-tap it out of the way anytime you

Two deadheads (foreground) and two midnight drops (background). Jack’s plate is full! (Robert R).

The tower. I just wiped down the levers and set out the paperwork. Good to go! (Robert R)

work the freight house), and the tank car went way over to Bexley tipple (I’m assuming those little mines that Bexley serves put in a collective order for fuel for their mine pumps). That and he had to get the deadheads out of the Outer Industrial and slip the eastbound drops in. And that’s where point ‘2’ bit us. I was using a yellow ACY car (I don’t even know what it stands for) as a boxcar to Lowery Brickyard. Even though it was weighted and re-wheeled, it still caused untold agony to us, specifically in the crossover leading to the Outer Industrial. It was agonizingly bad. And this is a weakness of mine – I root for underdogs. And just as it is unlikely that a team of nerdy missfits will beat the rival camp from the other side of the lake as this car will roll through a crossover turnout, either pushed or pulled.

I think a worker at the toy factory fell into the plastic vat and cursed the car itself. Perhaps that was his final gasp as he succumbed – “Acccy!” Whatever.

A westbound freight rolls across Tenmile trestle while a switchman loiters on the Browns Creek span. (Pete F)

Funny bit – while we were running, someone asked why we were ignoring the train order signals. Good point – since I was handing out orders to originating trains, I picked up that function too. And I noticed that, after the first blowing of a crossing signal at Morgan Street, Jack gave it up. And that’s fine. He had a lot of his switching plate.

But we worked the layout to completion, about a two hour session with is pretty good. So it turned out to be a good day at the club, with Jim and Pete running trains, Matthew master-model-making, and Jack and I running. Still smiling!

>>>BOOKS STILL HERE. HELP ME GET RID OF THESE LITERARY WORKS!<<<

This poor sap as to hand-pump fuel into 55 gallon drums in the back of his truck. I’ll keep my railroad job! (Pete F)

To the left, a young wife holds a baby and waves goodbye as the miners head to their shaft. Hope he lives another day. (Pete F)

Jack rolls EM-2, the PeeDee, out of Tusk, heading up the LM&O branch for Martin Yard. (Robert R)