‘m not sure if everyone is basking in the glow in the aftermath of ops, proud of how they managed to navigate the Byzantine rules of Time Table and Train Order, or still fuming in frustration and resentment. I will admit that it can be difficult, very much so, to do. However, on the plus side, you aren’t just spinning a knob and zipping a train under mother-may-I. And for a club to pull it off, well, that’s nothing short of amazing.

We’ve done it various TT&TO formats before:full sets of clearance cards and orders, stapled together. Then the packets (like we used last night) that represent said clearance cards and orders but with crews playing the roll of their own station operators, writing down their orders. And now, we’ve advanced it with an actual station operator (thanks to Jim for taking on that, and later Matthew for assisting). That made it a bit more realistic for the crews. But it’s a lot of work and we moved a lot of trains – eight scheduled and eleven extras (for a total of nineteen). And yes, the session had its moments.

Locals running as Extras return through the interlocking with their cuts of outbound marker cars, the BT leverman hard at work (Photo: Alex B)

Before I go into the actual session, I’ll mention that honored guest Chip P and I spoke afterwards about me doing a two-part NMRA Journal Box article on the Packet method. It works well and allows us to actually operate the layout in an abbreviated fashion, capturing the spirit of TT&TO without all the tedious writing, assembling and passing of orders. However, the next time we do this, I’m going to post out both these articles for everyone to read. Really, explaining the rules of TT&TO (where every element needs to click together like a high-speed Tetris game) in ten minutes doesn’t seem to work. After I was finished, I looked over at Jude and he looked like he’d just swallowed a live frog, his face carrying a sick realization of total confusion. Chris S and I then reviewed his specific route and key points and he handled it perfectly.

Jude snaps this shot of his delayed train finally arriving at Bethlehem. Then he probably called his mom to come get him out of this crazy-stupid session (Photo: Jude S)

In talking about the session, yes, more about Jude. He ran 202 down with no problems to Martin, rolling past the extras that bowed out of his way along the waterlevel subdivision. Got into Martin and the Station Operator called him in. He had a meet with superior-by-direction 223 in Pittsburgh. No problem. So about two hours later, I get a call from Martin Station that 202 is ready to go. I clear him out, no orders, and shortly afterwards get a call that underpowered 223 is dogged in the loop, that the helpers are consisted elsewhere and, once freed, not running well at all, that they are working at getting him up the hill. As for 202, he’s sitting at his meet, correctly realizing that he cannot advance. Sure, I’d like to have written him a train order giving him rights with a new meet point but, sadly, there is no train office there. And so Jude got that real railroad experience (i.e. waiting). I’ll say this – even though he got delayed by a couple of hours, he noted that he could make it to his meet with 247 in Bethlehem. I was preparing to write him an order to safeguard him but he had it under control, moving quickly and getting himself back on his schedule (that two hour hold in Bethlehem helped there). So yeah, he went from a young kid to an experienced hogger in one run. Proud of him. I’m hoping he doesn’t start drinking bathtub gin and smoking in front of his mom.

Counterpoint: Two later trains (244 and 247 – you know who you are) facing nearly the identical scenario at the same location, bungled it up. The inferior train ran on the superior’s time, who lounged around a meet place when he had rights. Maybe you two “pros” need to ask Jude how to do it.

Otherwise, Operator Jim and I were pretty busy with the original gush of extras over the line (as mentioned, every time two extras oppose each other, a bell rings and an angel has to write two packets). At one moment, an ore extra out of Cincy got a meet at CN to wait for two westbound extras holding at Zanesville. Of course, after Jim and I laboriously got that paper to all concerned. one of the Zanesville trains turned around to run the other way, and the other raptured. I just called the suffering Strecker and told him his meet order was now void. Is this anyway to run a railroad?

One of the slicker moves – X4400 (intermodals) meets X7032 (perishables) at Martin Junction, fulfilling the meet order while taking advantage of dual tracks (Photo: John DV, Stern Engineer: Jeff C)

The signal cups seemed to work but the station operators were really busy. Let me know what you thought of them. We didn’t get to use them much as intended (i.e. clipping the orders to them). I’m thinking next time of moving the Bethlehem operator from the station to the tower (an actual prototypical fashion). Unhappily there is no phone there so I’ll need to perhaps use a direct Doc Andy radio to communicate with the leverman. I’ve not told Kyle of his “promotion” yet – we’ll talk it over.

I do know there were some frustrations (and burning equipment) out there – cut off from direct view, all I have are my station operator reports to go by. If there’s something you want to tell me, things you didn’t like or improvements we can make, contact me via email (or casually mention it at the club). I’d like feedback.

Oh, and the trick for cardless local switching worked out well. I think, in future, I’ll have the first freights bring out the marker cars on their runs and have these transfer to the locals. This will break up that flood of midnight extras we suffered and make things a little more manageable for the dispatcher and station operator(s).

Yeah, so a rough session, but one that I think we can be proud of. It really showed what a club that prides itself on operations can do if it really sets its mind to to. You guys did great. Thanks for giving it an honest effort! Even Shannon ran by the rules, and that’s saying a lot!

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Zanesville – where Extras go to die (Photo: John DV)

Alex smiles at his handsome reflection as his late-evening coal extra rounds Pittsburgh for a couple of meets with scheduled westbound trains (Photo: Alex B)

Produce and Minerals meet at Red Rock, under train orders issued at different locations by the harried staff. (Photo: John DV)

A steam engine pulling ore cars. What possibly could go wrong? (Photo: Chris S)

…and later that very same day. (Photo: Chris S)