The Doodlebug has an extra coach in tow to handle the morning commuter run along the branch line. Looks like the angler in the fore- ground is reeling in his lunch while his buddy up the creek is hoping to snag his in the rapids under the bridge. Actual western Pennsylvania slate was used with plaster castings and small rocks to create the stream bed. Two-part epoxy and clear caulk waterfalls completed the scene.
branch commuter, and several extras per shift. I serve as Chief Troubleshooter and Dispatcher. Traffic flow has been adjusted over the years to avoid large bot- tlenecks, and although we have a schedule, I adjust the flow based on the proficiency of the crews. I use a simplified track warrant system/crew card, and car or- der cards direct most switching. Sometimes we get completely through the schedule; sometimes we don’t, but it’s always fun. And that’s the main goal. Restaging after an operating
session takes a couple of hours but gives me a chance to run some trains. Unfortunately, I couldn’t find an empties in/loads out flow for the coal hoppers, so the unit coal trains get swapped between sessions. I’ve designed the flow of
trains between the two schedules we run such that the staged freight and passenger trains are moved from west or east staging or re- versed in direction and restaged. Lastly, I double check the Car Or- der cards to make sure they are in the correct bins, get a rough count of car types and quantities the branch and through freights will need to “feed” the industries during the next session, shift a few cars around in the yard and through freights to meet that de- mand, and I’m ready for the next operating session.
Conclusion For too many years, I could
only dream of the layout I hoped to build and operate with friends. Now that it’s a reality, the West Valley Union was worth the wait.
I certainly couldn’t have done it alone, and I’d like to thank the members of the Tuesday night ops gang for all their help. In ad- dition to Scott Williamson, who added his artistic and opera- tions assistance to the creation of the WVURR, I want to thank Bill Hanna for inviting me to join the group after a National Model Rail- road Association meeting shortly after I arrived in Ohio. Model railroading is a great
hobby with many different facets. If you have never tried operations, installed a decoder, made trees from a hydrangea bush, or poured a creek with two-part epoxy, I en- courage you to jump in and give it a try. I hadn’t done many of those things five years ago, and the WVURR wouldn’t be the railroad it is today if I hadn’t tried!
NOVEMBER 2015 53
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