Not many pre-briefs start off with an art show. A lazy dispatcher loiters in the background, ready to brief the crews about the horror they signed up for (Photo: John DV)

‘ve always said that not many model train clubs (especially temperamental-equipment N-scale clubs) do what we do. We pack more trains into a session than anyone. Last night, on our Saturday Night Special, we really went all out on a Time Table & Train Order session, where men are men and the dead are pulped.

Our timetable has eight scheduled trains. Given the wide range of times and outcomes for locals, we have to run them all as extras. And under TT&TO, extras generate paperwork. The time we ran with just scheduled trains last year, I think I wrote John a meet order just to try it. He still holds that against me. But last night, we ended up with fourteen extras!  This means that every extra needs a “run extra” order just to get out onto the line, and every set of opposing extras needs a meet order. In the end, I created thirty train orders (probable almost double that in actual orders, given that you need to get a meet order to both trains and I needed clearance cards for everyone)). So yes, I was quite busy.

The Shelfton extra eases down the steep grade. This unit would suffer a horrifying 50% casualty rate in the coming hours (Photo: Alex B)

And of course we started off the night with two extras coming out of Martin yard (X921 and X927). I was so busy making X927 superior to X921 and feeling happy about it that I cleared the late-out-of-the-gate X414 right into them both! As soon as I overheard someone call headlights, I looked at the train sheet and there it was, right there in ink, right under my nose. Ugh. Is my face red.

But I wasn’t the only one. Some blowhard was running TT&TO his way (not the railroad way) and decided to come back and school me on how it works. Really? So no, I’ll point out that a simple “run extra” orders does NOT grant you superiority to the entire mainline (see WARRANTS, in other blogs). And no, A meet order simply tells you to meet another train at a location and then continue (again, see WARRANTS). I’m sure if you ask Patrick to play back my clinic, you’ll hear me explain JUST THAT. Of course, it could be that you were dicking with your new throttle and was not playing attention.

If there was one collective blunder that pretty much can be assigned to everyone, it was the fact that 95/97 didn’t run at all. I missed the fact, as did every train on the line. A first class westbound has rights over everyone. Technically (no, actually) everyone should have been waiting for him to go by – he sweeps the layout from end to end. But nobody caught it – I only realized this morning of this fact. A collective dope-slap to everyone (including the DS) on this one.

223 eases into Martin, looking for his pit crew (they are out running NOW-EXTRA 244!) (Photo: Leonard J) (Note – the station cup was airbrushed out!)

And speaking of annulled trains, I got a report that 247 was annulled. Fine. I started cutting orders so extras (and 244) wouldn’t wait on sidings for him. Then 247 called to come out! What? Called the initial reporter and found out, no, he meant 244 was annulled. So I cancelled the first set of orders, then wrote more orders for trains opposing 244, informing them that it was that train that was annulled. Only it wasn’t  – Yardmaster Zach wanted stick time (and the drops off that train) so he asked to run it. Imagine his joy when I told him that it was already annulled but we could run it as Extra 244. I can tell you, he was delighted. But I moved meet points to his favor so he could round the layout in quick order. I even chased his caboose down on foot and managed to get an meet order to him when he blew past Harris Glen.

So, after last night, you’ll probably understand why railroads went to warrants and signals. Yes, TT&TO is very labor (and delay) intensive.

This is how you do it – John DV pushed MTs west all day. Here he slides into Champion Mine to spot his cuts under the tipple (Photo: John DV)

But outside of the chaos and confusion (and the elephant in the room, which we were all aware of) the session really ran better. I’d put in a new set of order forms (covering holes in our first session last year). Good thing I did – a lot of the omissions were employed this time around.

Thanks to everyone who attempted this session and made it work. We all goofed together, but really, looking at the line (and all those extras) I think we did as good as we could. Also, a tip of the green visor to the crews who worked things out on the ground, especially the triple meets and train order laps (i.e. mistakes). It was really, really fun. Hopefully in two months we can give it another go.

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Zanesville was the scene of heavy action all day.I think this is where the mutiny against the dispatcher sparked (Photo: Leonard J))

Three trains (I think all were extras) meeting at Zanesville. Work it out on the ground! (Photo: Zeus H)

Yes, ONT strives to achieve the most realistic operations possible. (Photo: Zeus H)