ell, several crews were out, some getting married, some at prom. The dispatcher was laced on painkillers. Just another night on the LM&O.

Good turnout – always happy for that. A couple of guests got paired with crews. Me, I was running the Zanyesville makeup run. Last month this job didn’t get done and now it was twice is big as normal. So out of the yard I rumbled on warrant #1, direct to Zaynesville and the pile of work awaiting me.

Wasn’t too bad, really. I just used my old tricks – sorting out cuts at the bottom of the hill, using the drill track. Then up the slope to the GM plant and Coca-cola bottling plant, shifting them in using short chunks. Watched Silver Bullet 2 wrap around 202 on the main and siding below, a move I always order up when I’m on the panel. All around me, people were working their jobs and a studious quiet fell over everyone (with the possible exception of the area around Shelfton).

Had to take a little break just as I was finishing up; Bruce was coming up through the spiral tunnel with one of the drag freights, 244, and stalled. The irony here was that normally he is usually Florence Helpergale, tugging movements up to Harris Glen. So I dialed up unit 3001, crowbarred paper out of the dispatcher and ran down to find him. Hooked up, had a little problem getting him uphill but made it regardless. Once he was on his way, back down the hill I went to reclaim the local and call for paper out of Zaynesville.

Got held up in Martin for a time – the yard was backing up and Silver Bullet 1 went by, hours late. Spent the time blocking my train using the industrial trackage. Found an extra car in the lashup, probably something I’d dragged away and shouldn’t have. Usually this would throw me into an upset but hell, I didn’t know where I’d taken it from – I’d have to work that on the home computer to figure it out. Just stuck it on the end of the consist – I’d put it back on Martin 2 in the yard and send it back to Zanysville in the morning.

Finally got in and switched my train out among traffic hustling in and out. Overall, we ran everything but a pair of passenger trains – not bad. Everyone seemed to have fun, but yeah, we’ve got to overhaul some of those old, old turnouts.

I’m writing this with a smile on my face, so I must have had a good time.

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