Operating Session 1/15/08

[matt glogowski]

i think we should have a operating session. so everyone knows how to operate the layout better. that's just me but, what do u guy think????

[Otto Vondrak]

It's easy... Set a date and time, list the jobs available (yardmaster, mainline op, dispatcher, clerk, etc), fill them, develop a schedule of how many trains you'll run, and then "just do it."

-otto-

[matt glogowski]

alright here's the dates: friday january 18 2008 time unknow. sometime in september and time unknow. if anyone cann't make it let me know so i can change the date so everyone can make it.

the jobs are as followed:

-yard master
- road dispatcher
-locals
-main line switching
-yard switching
-run through
-calling signals,CP points, and train ID's

[Mike Roque]

Matt, you may want to work with the club leadership to establish a date for an op session before you announce it.

[Big John Sommer]

PSST... Fridays and Saturday evenings are hockey games..

weeknights work well usually, but fire something out there.. we can figure something out.

[matt glogowski]

it might be the 1/10/08 not sure yet. time might be from 7pm - when ever subject to change.

[Mike Walsh]

you can check http://www.ritathletics.com and look under men's hockey for the Schedule.. and pick a weekend that preferrably doesn't collide with any other events (like Spfld, Cabin fever, Etc)

[Otto Vondrak]

Hey Matt- why don't you bring up your idea at the next club meeting instead of picking a date out of a hat? And like Roque suggested, you might want to work with the club leadership to make sure your idea doesn't conflict with their plans.

-otto-

[Big John Sommer]

we can figure something out at the meeting tommorrow nite Matt.

[matt glogowski]

operating session is on. tusday 1/15/08 come out and play.

jobs are as following:

-dispatcher
-yard master
-locals
-yard switching
-main line switching
- local switching
-run through
-calling signals,CP points, and train ID's
-light engine moves

[Otto Vondrak]

Okay Matt, you set a date. Now if you want to have a real operating session, you have to get people to volunteer to fill those positions. Then you have to decide what trains you're going to run. I have a "timetable" you can borrow if that helps. But your biggest challenge wont be running trains, it will be getting people to fill positions.

-otto-

[matt glogowski]

operating session is on. tusday 1/15/08 come out and play.

jobs are as following:

-dispatcher
-yard master
-locals
-yard switching
-main line switching
- local switching
-run through
-calling signals,CP points, and train ID's
-light engine moves

if anybody who is willing to take one of jobs please let me know. time will start at 7pm-until when ever.

trains to run are:

-BUSY-2 (buffalo to sysracuse)
-SYBU-1 (sysracuse to buffalo)
-BUSY-4 (buffalo to sysracuse)
-SYBU-3 (sysracuse to buffalo)
-BUSY-5 (buffalo to sysracuse)

locals are:

-ROCRED (rochester to red onion)
-REDROC (red onion to rochester)
-ROCGEN (rochester to genesee brewery)
-GENROC (genesee brewery to rochester)
-ROCAG ( rochester to agway)
-AGROC ( agway to rochester)

yes we will be running the coal drag,grain train,extra trains, and light engine moves. their will be a form D for central ave crossing. EC-1 form for geneva juction.

[Big John Sommer]

Hope to see everyone there next Tueday night for the Op session. It's going to be a great time.


Does anyone have a job they would like to do? Post your job preferences here so we can fill all the spots

- John
PS- Please keep the one-line smart-aleck remarks to a minimum please.

[Otto Vondrak]

Matt- good list of jobs, good list of trains. I'd say as long as we operate by radio instruction, that's good enough. No need to potentially scare off first-time operators with a bunch of forms like Form D authority and EC-1's. Let the dispatcher be their guide and talk them through where they need to go.

Of course, those trains you listed need to run in the right order- you can't run the locals out of Rochester until the mainline through trains (BUSY and SYBU) bring their Rochester's in the morning. And the train that serves the Agway typically is staged in Buffalo- the Agway is geographically closer to Buffalo than Rochester and it wouldn't make sense for a Rochester local crew to switch it. So ROCAG should really be a BUFAG Turn. Just my thoughts- and it will keep Rochester from getting too congested- you are already running a Red Onion (ROCRED) local and a Brewery Job (ROCGEN) out of there. BUFAG can operate and do its job without fouling the working limits of ROCGEN, and in theory, ROCGEN can operate without fouling the working limits of ROCRED. Make sense? These are my thoughts based on the few operations sessions we have had in the past (and based on my experience operating the layout during "marathon" open house running). IS my copy of the Dispatcher's Office still down in the club room? I authored an article in there about how we operate with the staging yards, if anyone cares to check that out.

Hey, there's more than one way to do things to be sure, I'm just throwin' out my experiences there.

Folks- Don't be shy! Sign up for a job! Seniority counts (ie, if you have more experience, you get your pick of jobs) and I'm sure Matt will try to move people around so we don't get bored. The important thing is if we don't have the right number of people, it's going to make it harder to operate. If this is your first session, you may be stuck as a clerk for part of the day, but by the next time, dont be surprised if you get a field promotion! And don't worry- if you need to ask questions, do so. We're all here to learn. And what we don't know, we'll make up. Let's get the word out on the Yahoo list, too!

John- I agree- we can make this forum a lot more useful if we can reduce the number of snide one-liners. I fear I am the biggest offender and I apologize for it.

-otto-

[Matt Martin]

If only it wasn't a weeknight....

-Matt