was in a pretty mellow mood when I got to the club Wednesday. It might have been because all morning I’d been moving boxes of books (just like cubes of wood, but with writing, not rings, inside their slices) until noon or so, in the hot Florida sun. I’d had a beer at dinner and settled in the back desk to set up the clocks and computer and run the railroad.

I was going to complain about that signal but, like everything else, there was no need to complain – I recognized the tail of train crossing in front of Pete’s as … Pete’s! (Photo: Pete F)

I don’t know if that explains my easy-going nature that night, and I have no explanation why the rest of you were all so… tetchy. We have that phrase, “Work it out on the ground”. Well, it seems that everyone worked things out by sulking, fussing, complaining,  Half the things you guys were angry about could have been figured out, but by then you’d crossed your arms and refused any correction or compromise. Really, we were light in attendance and that should make for fun running (remember all your complaints about too many people?) Even the pre-brief was abrasive. Look, if people don’t want to run trains, figure out why and make if fun. Or offer more seniority points for them (yes, a bribe. It’s how things get done). Holding the session up until we brow-beat crews onto trains just sets the mood for an angry evening. And that’s what we got.

Me, I was happy in the back. Without Silver Bullet 2 and the rack train tangling things on the waterlevel, I just bombed the trains across the western sub. Special thanks go to Kyle who ran a combo of 921 and 927 – it made it even easier and I watched him do all the right moves to make the run simple and efficent. We did have the MT ore tangle in the loop, but those things happen. Really, my only issue was late-sesson delays following this with the ensuing delays over the summit and, really, it’s railroading.

How it’s done. Kyle’s 921/927 move leaves the returning cut in Zanesville and proceeds to Carbon Hill for additional work (Photo: Kyle S)

Chris S also managed things, showing the guests around. I’d have appreciated notice that he was stepping away from his train (and warrant) but I suppose he was giving them full attention. So, yes, there were still crews dealing with things quietly.

There must have been a lot of shorting going on out on the deck. Every so often a short causes my clock to LNER (an English railroad?). That means I need to reset it and check to OP and RATE selections to be sure they are correct. Hey, it was a hassle, including that it happened about five times. But you don’t hear me crabbing about it. But watch your turnout, guys, and normalize behind you.

A solution that just came to me – if people want to run extra trains, let them replace the existing freights with their own equipment and run them with the head-end drop offs. Just let us know the week before and we can reserve the train for you. We can even use YOUR cars to route to industries if you’d like – the cards can be marked for that (several members have done this in the past). You’ll get your full lap in (and can even do another) and you’ll help the club out.

Another darker solution is to hold all Extras until the afternoon – you can’t roll them until 12:01pm, or until you’ve run something else. That would work, too.

Some of you guys should have come over and helped me shift my stuff outside from that sweatbox pod – maybe you’d enjoy your session more. You might not take our giant, complex sessions for granted.

Really, we’re blessed to have them, and fortunate that we can enjoy them.

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P.S. I won’t mention Shannon in this blog.

P.S.S Dammit

A pay-off moment – 414 and 415 ease by each other on the short Harris passing siding. (Photo: John DV)

Rev Jim rounds the curve on track two. We won’t talk about what happened just up the line, though he’s been certain I’d call him out (Photo: Jim Wrong-Track M)

Controversial X631 waits in Calypso for an early run while Controversial X2704 (or is it X3704?) waits on the Bethlehem track. (Photo: Christian M)