t was the best of times. But it really was the worst of times. A lot more.

So in the last month, I’d had to drive 2000 miles to sit with my mother, who forgets my name. And then there is my sister-in -law, bunked in exclusive Westminster for $6000 a month, yet she still warms my life with nocturnal trips to the emergency room and a constant stream of complaints. She comes with her Halloween House of Hording which we are trying to deal with, what with its trench-warfare hallway clutter, its rubbish-sealed rooms, its condemned wiring and its rat-plagued state.

Earlier in the week, I’d gotten a minor rebuke from the ONT board for an issue I’d raised.

And only this very day (7/29/2026, so says the title of this blog) I road ill-prepared and unready into a thirty mile bike ride and had to drop out three miles short, to gasp and drip on a park bench in the heat-warning outdoors, to gasp home, stopping, walking, riding, dizzy and sickened, my shoulders cramped. I lay in bed after drinking two cokes (sorry, John DV, but there was not an electrolyte in the house), just seeking death. And then I remembered: We had a scratch ops session tonight.

We do what we do, to serve or perish in the attempt, I suppose.

Got to the restaurant and found the Avengers already Assembling. We filled the eight-topper. Tom Ward was there and looking better without his Darth Vader airtank. It was good to see all the friends, including Pete, back from his fun trip (mine, as mentioned, sucked). But Pete always makes me laugh, and the conversation around the table was fun.That brought me back to why we do this, the friendships that form, that outweigh life’s buggeries and various political bunfighting. And, like how the Grinch’s heart grew to two times bigger, I found myself… excited… about the coming night’s ops.

202 and the coal meet on the interstate run. Notice the gloom in the picture. It’s not even 5am yet. (John DV)

We arrived at the club’s lot (a possible extension for Animal Kingdom with its savanna-growth (I’ll get it cut, okay?)). and started setting up. I managed to keep Jeff (who was looking at his decommissioned yard with teary eyes) there with a loaned throttle and borrowed engines, putting him on the road. Couple of the young guys came in and set themselves up, no-coddling, just pros. Pleased to see that. I set up in the back, headset and earpiece, Robodispatcher. Had to figure out how to set up the clock and got it set – 10:1. And for the record, I used my new compact model board (for the train markers). Worked just fine but a bit of a reach – if we put it on two boards, we could stack them, one above the other, easy enough, providing antiquate warrant-writing-room for two dispatchers. I ran the entire session on this board and it gave me all the room I needed.

The coal MTs (on a restaging move) head down to Beth Plant where green signals await. 247, just on the Model Board, passes overhead (John DV)

So, just after 7pm, went out and gave a quick brief. 10:1. One DS, so phones were for all. All yards to be bypassed unless startng/ terminating there. Matthew was on the interlocking. And, of course, since we had sharp crew of seasoned hoggers, we went to nighttime lighting mode.Theatrical groans but they took it in stride.

Originally I wasn’t going to run the coals at all, but John suggested restaging. Sure. Maybe we can’t lose! Anyway, the patrons at Robert’s coffee shop frown up from their books at 414 rumbles though on permissives through the interlocking (John DV)

I’ll say this – if you are really down in the dumps (five levels deep) there’s nothing like a fast-paced shuffleboard run of the LM&O.

Our very permissive interlocker kept the traffic rolling and handled a lot of the east-side load, very welcome support. Thanks, Matthew! (Kyle S)

Without locals, the waterlevel route was pretty easy. And pretty fast. The opening crisis was Flyer 2 staggering out of the Cincy tunnel to die on the rails (of course, I had 202 and 414 not fouling against it). A couple of quick orders (I liked the 202 one, checkbox 12 only, “OF2 Annulled” which got him on the roll). Meanwhile 223 and 231 were plowing through Beth Interlocking, Mathew working levels (mind you, LEVERS, not the simpler CTC version) and doing a flawless job. Even with the entire railroad and interlocking, I could easily keep the warrants coming out. There were a couple of delays but every engineer waited patently while I got Matt briefed on the next entry/exit.

At one point, I thought the railroad was getting away from me. Without yard-stops, things were running fast. I know that 203 and 223 ran clear of the division before 7am. I quickly organized the Weirton to Pittsburgh dual-track main into right-hand running only. I think my personal records were four trains by at Red Rock, and four more at Harris Glen. But other than a derailment or two, everyone ran sharp and hot.

That’s the thing – last night, the crews really showed their expertise. Years of running made for a flawless session. Everyone ran by the warrant, no mistakes, no confusion. Yeah, you guys really reestablished my belief in the positive good of humanity. I’ll probably not detonate that neutron bomb now.

Pete’s OF 1 passes Beth Tower, an obscene message on its flank. I think he decaled it himself. Google translate it. (John DV)

While I am not aware of any collisions or limit-violations, if there were any, it was kept on the low and fixed quietly. Works for me.

Kyle made a record last night, depleting my soup ticket stack – running four extras. Each one was a story in itself. And funniest moment was when Leverman Matthew came in and asked, “What the heck is a Jinty?”

For all his time away, Pete in OF 1 made it to Pittsburgh Station and went on break. I looked out to see him making laughs at the main table. When I called him and asked him what he was doing, he responded with something like, “I’m drinking wine and eating cheese, and catching some rays, you know.”

So yes, great session and great fun in the casual and competent way that good operation sessions are. Pleasure to push out 50+ Warrants to you guys. Still smiling today. Maybe it ain’t so bad after all.

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P.S. Got home and my wife met me at the door. Her sister’s AC unit was packing up, leaking into the ceiling. Never ends.

The “Jinty” wiggled into everywhere. WTF? (Kyle S)

OF 1 into Harris Glen, part of a four-way meet. Soon it will become the Party Train of Pittsburgh Station (Pete F)