Train Blog
October 24, 2025
ast night was Night of the living Utes* And I gotta say, our young members really shined. I was back in the office, running Western Subdivision to Luke’s Eastern Subdivision. And how refreshing it was. After my last session on the P&WV (with the operator’s inability to run dependable warrant-operations (no reflection on the host. This was really his crew’s inattentiveness)), it was great to run with a club that’s been doing warrants for years and know how to do it. Everyone was quick with the read-backs, almost everyone called in at yards and clearing off the division, and nobody […]
October 19, 2025
kay, so a couple of things about Tom Wilson’s ops session on the Pittsburgh & West Virginia. First one’s on me. I’ve operated a couple of times in 2020 (and before) as a dispatcher here under TT&TO. I was proud of our efforts – Bruce Notman hit it out of the park as my Station Operator. But here’s the weird part. I’ve run six more times (including last Friday) and only now, after possible 100+ warrants, that I noticed there is a glaring error on them. So, for those who understand warrants, let me show you the key element’s on […]
October 5, 2025
retty good show for a Saturday. Leonard impresses me with his truck handling – he can get the trailer up to the club dock while ignoring us arm-wavers (to the inch) and can spot the loaded trailer right into the Deland Bay. So we had a good crew for setup and Show Boss Matthew kept us on the narrow beam (we lined up everything nice and even – hardly any adjustment needed). We were up in an hour and a quarter, ready to go. No issues there. So I know what is going to happen in the November meeting – […]
September 29, 2025
ne thing I’ve finally learned: There are places you shouldn’t jam coal into. I suppose a qualifier is in order here. Last LM&O session, I passed two hopper trains (loads and empties) on the smallest siding we have (way up in Harris Glen, the mountaintop where eagles soar and swamis meditate). I think we’ve done it before – if both coal movements head out at session-start, it’s natural they will meet there. But coal hoppers are tippy, the grade is steep, and the reach long. If anything goes wrong there, if a saw-by is needed, it goes sideways fast. But […]
September 25, 2025
ig John strode towards his idling units, his boots crunching on the mix of cinders and coal, the tinny towers of Champion Mine thrusting into the narrow sliver of post-midnight stars. He clambered aboard his lead NS unit, checking brake pressure to the long cut of loaded hoppers strung behind his four road engines. As he pumped off the brakes, he could hear the cars behind him groan as they eased down the minor slope, bunching against his lashup. He ignored this as he worked his radio, getting a warrant from the dispatcher. Upslope, he could see the lights of […]
September 22, 2025
o even though we ran as guests on the Orlando Society of Model Railroad’s layout earlier that day, and even though we have Club ops next Wednesday, sure, let’s run a Saturday Night Special! We lucked out – Matthew was there to take West Side DS (and Zack backed him on East), Bob Xmas ran the full yard on his own, and Steve V-ball came out of nowhere to “coach” Calypso. We even tossed HO Tom into the furnace job (he ran stack 1) and pushed newbie Horacio onto SB2 (a great passenger run since (A) it’s early and (B) […]
September 21, 2025
o we got a second session out of the local HO club, who are currently trying to build up their own operations. Tom (their rep and Superintendent) asked us to come over and give it another go. I was very gratified that the boys were excited to get a second session at this very huge HO effort. (Seriously, those modern generation engines feel like bricks to my delicate N-Scale hands. I might have gotten a hernia lifting the power into place). So, not to beat a dead Superintendent but the first session was… well… a first session. Tom was doing […]
September 21, 2025
o after a nice drive to Tampa with Jeff C, and a cup of Burger King’s signature lukewarm coffee (ugh! Literally a stone-cold overnight pot-sitting blend) we arrived at Greg and Gail’s abode, had a great cup of piping-hot coffee and got down to the business of running trains up and down the wooded hills and tight hollers on the West Virginia Northern. So I spent all of my morning up at Harris, the high-point yard at the top of the Elkview grade. First I came in from Clifton Forge and swapped cars out. Then I picked up the Harris […]
September 12, 2025
o it was going to be a busy day – up at 7am. A run over to TRF Hobbies in Melbourne to pick up a gift card for the club Christmas Party. Lunch somewhere (McDonalds, it turned out, but nice anyway). And that evening, I’d have to open the club for the HO committee because nobody’s bothered to get a key (that will change). Turns out while I was there, I mopped, swapped out a dead overhead light and cleaned the toilet bowl (ugh. Some of you need to fit sights on your peters for better aiming). So with all […]
September 8, 2025
atience, or forbearance, is the ability to endure difficult or undesired long-term circumstances. Patience involves perseverance or tolerance in the face of delay, provocation, or stress without responding negatively, such as reacting with disrespect or anger. Patience is also used to refer to the character trait of being disciplined and steadfast. I had a bad session on the Tuscarora the other night. It was rainy and a couple of the guys didn’t show up. To be honest, the guy running the scheduled train lost interest in slow and steady train handling, watching for signals and (even when he saw they […]