More Enhancements To My Operating Sessions

 Greetings followers of the Atlantic Pacific Railroad and my blog.

Back on August 27, 2020, I posted on my blog how I was working on my operating sessions The Future Of Operating Sessions. Since this post, I've had only 2 people who I know well enough and trust to be in the train room with me for running trains, John (NJ John on my virtual op blog posts) and Norman (The Official APRR photographer). We all wear our masks the entire time. Safety first and foremost!

Here's how the actual operating session works. One of us is yardmaster and the other two are engineers.

Each of them has a set of index cards, or as we refer to them, train orders. They have it in a specific order so there are no conflicts or trains that have to wait somewhere. 

This is what one of the engineers would have as jobs

Here's the second set of train orders..

When an engineer starts the job, the yardmaster has a set of cards to help him build the train, or what to expect coming to the yard...

The yardmaster also knows what trains are terminating at Rock Ridge or going thru the yard to service the other industries outside the yard area...

A sample of one of the yardmasters copy of where the cars are located for the yardmaster. I've done this as John, Norman and I will take turns running the freight yard. This way, all of us get to harass the yardmaster when we get to Rock Ridge! 

The index cards are located next to the main Rock Ridge Main Freight Yard Panel. 

After conferring with both John and Norman, I've added another element to our operating session. If the engineer is bringing an engine to the yard to work a local, he must have a caboose. No more picking up a caboose in the yard. Prior to coming to the yard, he will need to head over to South Staging where I added 4 new storage tracks. These tracks hold excess cars that I move for my virtual operating sessions or live op sessions.

The keeper of the cabooses while I am having my operating sessions is EB 8163, which was a generous gift from Sir John of Georgia.This works out well since the lead track heading west is a good 6-7 feet long so EB 8163 can pull a caboose and hand it off to the engineer. This move last night was handled by me, since it's behind where the yardmaster works. 

Up in the yard, track 1, which usually held 4-5 cabeese, now hold one and two yard switchers. John suggested I leave one caboose on the track in case one breaks down. Makes sense so there will be one left on track 1.

Track 2, which held engines for an operating session, is clear to handle additional freight cars.

We did manage to grab one video of the Juice Train coming out of Rock Ridge heading to staging.

After the session ended, we sit and have a light dessert and something non-alcoholic to drink and recap how the session went and any issues or what I should add to make it more enjoyable. Last nights session had 8 train orders in motion with a total running time of 2 hours 30 minutes, with no interruptions of track or car issues that would hold up the session. One freight car was taken out of service due to losing a coupler spring. 

The plan is to have another session next Thursday night and Norman will be the yardmaster. I'm sure John and I will enjoy harassing Norman. Not to worry, Norman will have at it the following week when John is yardmaster!

Thanks for reading!