really wanted to run trains on this eighteenth of December session. At our Just Run Trains session, I’d run the MT ores over the hill. Having heard so many sad epics of problems, I wanted to see if they were as troublesome of trucks as I’d been told.

Also, since Leonard and Zeus were splitting the dispatching, I finally could be out on the road.

And since I was recovering from a flu, I would wear a mask. There are too many crews who would be looking for the “Dispatcher in the Roundhouse” and administer a beat down if given the chance. I didn’t want to be in fetal position on the floor of staging as shadowy figures kicked me with me screaming out, “It was Phil! He’s the guy who ran Harris last time! Not me! Ow! Oof!”

Yeah, I’m that sort of hero.

Jim tops the summit above a dizzying drop, having a great run from what I heard (Photo: Rev Jim)

Anyway, the ore was still in the mill unloaders so I jumped on that first thing, lugging them out. As I rolled along on the mill berm, I saw the other MT cut, empty coal hoppers on 415, running along the Lehigh shore. Reverend Jim was on the high iron with a smile on his face and that set my mood for my own run up the hill. Got to the Calypso interchange track, backed my waiting trio of four-axle espees down and pumped up the air while using the yard goats to tack on a clown car* on the tail end. Walked in and got a warrant from east-side Leonard, hit the roll and proceeded out of the yard, bound for glory with the blacklisted ore train.

And dropped five cars in the ground in the throat. What???

“Oops,” noted Shemp from nearby, putting the turnout lever back and picking, this time correctly, the Nazareth branch throw.

We quickly rerailed my wrongly-accused trucks. I’ll forgive Mike for this since we shared a really nice moment, him backing the Nazareth turn out onto the main and drilling up the steel mill lead while I eased up the throttle down the forward track, moving in parallel. Sweet. And then I was on the roll, cutting in at the Lehigh siding to let Young Logan past with EX1. Picked up a warrant up to Harris Glen immediately, even though I advised east-side that I’d die a slow death on the hill and would need helpers. That didn’t deter him. Because he’s new, right?

Nah, he did fine.

Head-end helpers haul the MT ore train up through Harris. Pure heavy metal pleasure (Photo: John DV)

So yes, in short, I had a great run. Boosted up to the hill with no problems, dropped the X3001 set in the pocket and glided down the western grade. Heart-stop moment as those heavy ore MTs bunched up and my speed picked up but slowed them down carefully, slipping into Red Rock and meeting Phil’s eastbound coal 414 behind heavy metal, just a beautiful pass. Swapped my dispatcher for a fresh one and glided down to Pittsburgh, waiting a bit until I could get around the long-delayed racks with, um, “last year’s models”.

Look, it all comes down to train handling – Zach and I have mentioned this a lot. You are not running a four car starter set around the Christmas tree – you are running twenty-plus car trains on various grade profiles, through turnouts while elbowing through crowds. You need to focus on everything but your engines, the tracks ahead, the cars of your train, even spotting if your caboose is on. Slamming the train about, backing for anything but a last resort, all of that is an invitation to frustration. The bad order crew have done wonders (when’s the last time a wheel has fallen off a train?) as have the MOW bunch (who have completely reworked much of the turnouts, throws and panels).

And look at all the members who have signed up for increasingly difficult jobs – we’re running this railroad with thirty-or-so members, which is the biggest ops session anywhere in Florida. And most of our guys fully understand how warrants work as well as the flows and cycles of our line. I encountered a couple of people trying new jobs and have to give them credit. The English called the global politics of India “The Great Game” and that applies here. Most people come, the sign up, the run trains and have a good time. Sure, there are issues (there will always be issues).

Our success is in our numbers. Warning: watch for pickpockets (Photo: John DV)

And yes, in answer to the doubters, the ore MTs run just fine.

The yard, orderly and well-run. Well, maybe quiet confusion. (Photo: John DV)

I have to call out that our training crews did great – Leonard and Zeus in the back office, John and JW as the supers (with others filling in) and Jeff and Bob in the yard (with nary a Zach to be seen). As for our president, he was off like the Flying Dutchman – one warrant all night. Shannon, even the kids know to carry current paper.

Possibly shutting down the layout to get everyone’s attention was not the best move (but even I supported it). That killed all the addressing and clock settings. Next time we execute hostages or something similarly civilized to get people’s attention.

Anyway, I think my wild and care free life comes to an end next month. I’ll probably run west-side next month, and see if I can lure Leonard or Phil in to try east-side again (maybe with a pest control trap baited with oreos).

Oh, and last bit of good news – the steel mill ran at full capacity this time and everything was run and done (with Frank and myself bringing all the loaded cuts in from Calypso). So we’re ready to light the furnaces again next month.

And be ready – if we can manage a Saturday Night Special for January (or even February) I might try to provoke another TT&TO night of horror. What can go wrong?

* = the caboose. And a nod to Jim for one of his controversial trivia questions at the club Christmas party.

>>>AND A NOD TO MY OWN WRITING STYLE – CHECK OUT MY NOVELS HERE<<<

Silver Bullet 2, flying warbonnet colors, rumbles over the dilapidated trestle towards Harris Glen and a meet with a turn and a MT ore hoppers (Photo: John DV)

Our real-world engineer, tossing his warrants out the window before running unauthorized. Can impeachment be far behind? (Photo: John DV)