Week 401

 Sun, Apr 3, 2022 thru Sat, Apr 9, 2022

Sun, Apr 3, 2022

Working on the RR. 

Switching at Powder River Basin

Mission Accomplished!
Two sessions:
1st session was 15 mins.
2nd session was 29 mins.

What the PRB West Yard looks like
after EY switching is finished

This is the diagram I made to show the two yards
fully assembled.

And this is what the PRB East Yard looks like
after switching from the mainline in real life.

Mon, Apr 4, 2022

Train Day!

w/Jordan Osborn (Rob Fair not feeling well tonight)

6:15-8:15pm 2 hrs.

Finished the Train Order Board

Ran Intermodal Train 2B & Excursion Train 4A

Jordan gives his patented greeting to start the evening session...

Jordan will run the Excursion Train 4A tonight

Excursion Train 4A getting ready for departure

Duration: 00:00:25 sec.

Time to runaround the train to move to the front

Photo op at Geneva Station

Road Power B3 SD40-2 #2056, #3571a & #3571b 

arrives at Global 2

Duration: 00:00:17 sec.

Intermodal Train 2B waits for Excursion Showman

Duration: 00:00:31 sec.

Intermodal Train 2B exits Global 1 and
takes Crossover to WB Track 1

Intermodal Train 2B rumbles on elevated track as 

Excursion Train 4A glides through Proviso Yard

Duration: 00:00:33 sec.

After 2 laps we park the Intermodal Train 2B 
on the Proviso Yard UP Tracks 4 & 5

Short video of Intermodal Train 2B

arriving Proviso Yard UP Track 4

Duration: 00:00:07 sec.

Train Order Board finally complete.
Time to erase and start a whole new session.

Tue, Apr 5, 2022

Finished paperwork from operating session last night.

Also, updated new Train Order Board

These are the two sheets representing the two
trains we ran last night. Excursion Train 4A on the left.
Intermodal Train 2B on the right. These are the new
sheets ready for the next run.

I made up a "mock" Train Order Board to work
with as I fill the board. I will transfer this data
to the Train Order Board in the basement.

Here's the finished Train Order Board in the
basement. I use this to keep track of the comings
and goings of the trains and power assignments.

Fresh Train Order Board ready for another session.

Completing the "mock" Train Order Board worksheet
ready to determine the Destinations of the trains listed.

This is what we'll be working with at Proviso Yard.
As you can see the yards are pretty full. No where
to run the trains to. One of the first trains to leave will
be the Intermodal so I can run East Bound and enter 
those tracks vacated by the Intermodal Train 2B.

Another view of Proviso Yard.
Both Yard Tracks 6 (outer tracks)
need to stay clear for runarounds or power movements.
Note: Track 1 is closest to mainline and then count
out from there to Track 6 (outer track)

First step in writing up the session on the
Train Order Board is to determine where all the
Trains are currently located.
This is shown in the "Originates" column.

Next step...

...figure out where each of those trains will go 

depending on what's currently available at Proviso Yard.

I will write down that location under "Destination".

Wed, Apr 6, 2022

More paperwork tonight.

This sheet lets me know which Power
to use for the upcoming Trains

This is the Train Order Board Mock Up sheet.
I use this to work through the train movements.

The Train Order Board is now up-to-date.
As soon as we start to run the trains I will assign
the Engineer, the Conductor, and then
I'll write down the day and date of the run
in the far left column.

I'm curious to see how long this Train Order Board will take to run all these trains.

Thu, Apr 7, 2022

More paperwork on the Train Order Board

I updated the spreadsheet and prepared
and worksheet to use on the next 
Train Order Board Session

Fri, Apr 8, 2022

After subbing I came home and had some time to work on the RR

Putting the Commuter trains back in place.
Getting the trains ready for my special guests tonight.

Engine Shop pretty busy.
Locomotives coming and going...

I commuter train left at California Avenue
Maintenance Facility

Trains all set for tonight.
Someone will engineer the Excursion (waiting
at Geneva Station - you can see the caboose
on the other track ahead of the commuter train).
Someone else will engineer the Commuter Train.

Tonight, I had a Birthday Eve Party. 

The Zielke family stopped by for dinner with my Mom and Dad.

Two special guests came to play trains with "Boppa".

Ida & Charlie Zielke!

Ida excited - Ida has the Commuter Train

Charlie has the Excursion Train

Duration: 00:00:24 sec.

Two trains running side by side

Duration: 00:00:24 sec.

Ida adjusts the throttle to run her train next to Charlie's

More trains running...

Duration: 00:00:17 sec.

Charlie has another spot to watch his
train go by.

Bird's eye view of Charlie in operation mode.

Duration: 00:00:18 sec.

Another cool spot to watch the trains

Duration: 00:00:31 sec.

Ida being silly as Charlie concentrates on his train.

One one mishap tonight and I captured it 

on this video...

Duration: 00:00:12 sec.

Charlie ended his time in the basement playing with
the toy set in the Powder River Basin room.

Sat, Apr 9, 2022

No train activity today.