Friday Fun at the Layout - April 6

The regular Tuesday night sessions can be more than a little frustrating as multiple trains circulate the layout switching according to the car cards for each train. Not to say that the evenings aren't enjoyable as social events as much as operating sessions. A fair bit of learning takes place as members interact with each other and offer tips or suggestions with switching challenges [whether always appreciated or not].  But Friday afternoons offer a more leisurely opportunity to work out switching moves without another train or two interrupting thought trains [no pun intended]. Here Peter, a new member, is spending the afternoon switching in Lincoln yard and getting to know the industries there and which cars need to be pulled out of sidings and which cars to replace them with. These are excellent learning opportunities for those who are available on Fridays, usually from two to four members weekly for
1 - 4 pm.




Tom and Don are two members who took a break from "big train" watching activities to enjoy some runnin' at the layout Friday afternoon. You can see in this picture how spread out the railroading is with Tom working Oxford Sand and Gravel at one end of the aisle and Don doing some switching in the Heron's Landing yard at the other end.

Meanwhile, over on the branchline, Glen's CNR EMD9 #1720 brings a string of log cars downgrade through the switchbacks and tunnel from the logging camp up on top. They will eventually end up at the sawmill in Miller at the other end of the branchline.           

Ortona Yard is situated at the end of the branchline which serves as a transportation link for the ore mine located at the left of this picture and the logging camp referred to in the picture caption above. This Friday afternoon, it's unusually busy with #1720 switching the two strings of ore cars, having brought in the string of empties [use your imagination]on the left siding beside the ore mine and switching out the full string on the right hand siding to go to the steel mill near Jutland on the main layout later in the afternoon.  #1720 will take the logging cars in between the two strings of ore cars to the Miller sawmill and bring back a string of empties to go up to the logging camp as soon as the boxcar is located. After the ore cars are spotted at the steel mill, #1720 can trundle back to its engine shed in Lincoln and relax until the next operating session.