Where the hell is Zeus? (Zach B)

o the Tuscarora Branch Lines was designed as a one-man show that eventually expanded to five positions (scheduled engineer, coal extra engineer, leverman, station operator and dispatcher) and even seven (two brakemen). It’s flexible. Was thinking of a run recently and Zeus (young man-about-town college guy) popped the thought of having a session this weekend. We set up for the title-mentioned-date, high noon. I also had one maybe and one suspected crew, so I prepped for four (even five) because sometimes people just show up.

Turns out the maybes were maybe-nots and I got a call from Zeus at 12:05 – being young, he was still in bed, just waking up. I sensed that he was thinking of dutifully telling me he’d rush down (from Deland, an hour away). But I could hear between the words. Told him not to worry about it. Then I called back to the kitchen – “Tusk for one”.

The Show Must Go On! MT-1 holds at the TUSK distant signal at 30 minutes past midnight. If you are curious, Tenmile Creek was done in “American Flag Blue”.

Even solo, it was a good day. A pure vanilla run, six out, six back. I ran both the tower and the timetabled jobs, running about the layout, switching when needed. Nineteen distinct jobs, four switching details and some open running. I blew for Morgan Street, rang the bell while working the industrial area, and generally had a great time. The thing is, the operation is just the way I like it. Some mainline setouts and pickups, some interesting switching (only a couple of cars, not a ten-car cut), separated by open running on a signaled railroad. We’ve run ONE HUNDRED SESSIONS on this little layout (I just counted and didn’t realize this session was the century mark!) The operation has been fine-tuned over the years (six timetables, three dispatching methods) so it’s balanced for maximum satisfaction.

So, yeah, I had a good time.

Finished just before 2pm (by myself, I can run this is an hour and fifteen, but I was running slow and some club members had come out so there was some chatting (and me running out to open or close my car windows between passing thunderstorms). But yeah, good day.

Zach B came in just as I was wrapping up. Since he’s the only other other human on Earth who’s dispatched this thing, run the tower so many times, and been a part of this history) it was telling that he walked in, glanced at the current situation, and said, “Oh, running the PeeDee?” That’s EM-2, on the timetable. Impressed – he picked up the state of the railroad by car density and train direction.

The drill sorts the Martin cut. Those LM&O yard guys shuffled it well – not a single car was in any unified order.

I’ll add that this is the first time that MY photos have been used for a blog. Now, I’m using a Amazon Fire which has a good-enough camera for most work but can’t focus in like those killer phones other members use. Still, it is literally better than nothing (my solo runs usually have no photos at all). And photos are really a part of this effort. After all, each one adds a thousand words.

Anyway, after my run, a couple of us met my wife at Culvers and talked club stuff. And the end to the perfect day? Making Zach laugh so hard in the parking lot that he sprayed coke all over the asphalt. Good times. Good run.

And now, on to another hundred sessions!

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All uncredited photos are Robert Raymond.

Miners walk to Westly Mine, a wife holding a baby, waving to her husband, hoping he’ll survive another day (Yeah, see, that’s as tight as I can make it).

The sun breaks over the hills as Local-1 rumbles down on to work the industrial yards. Yeah, I took this in 1962 on an Eastman Polaroid. It’s the newest thing. Had to wave the print around so it would dry.