After a 16 month break mainly due to COVID, we finally had an operating session on the GC&SF last week.
I was a bit apprehensive about how the layout would perform after such a long break, but apart from some very minor issues it seems to have performed very well. We operators, on the other hand, were all a bit rusty with our skills, so I think it will take me a while to get the layout restaged and ready for the next session.
Here are some photos from the session.
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| Chris is setting out a string of stock cars at the Pauls Valley stock pens. |
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| John F, Peter K. and Peter S. |
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| Barry is running the northbound Texas Chief through Dougherty. |
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| John F. setting out empty tank cars, and collecting loaded cars at the Wynnewood refinery. |
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| Derek (yardmaster at Pauls Valley) is classifying cars. |
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| Chris, operating a south-bound gravel train, is collecting a string of loaded gondolas at Big Canyon. |
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| Barry (left) is switching Gordon White Lumber Co., while Derek and Bill work a south-bound through freight at Pauls Valley. Rod (on the right) is switching at Wynnewood. |
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| L-R: Barry, Rod and John F. watching as a local freight operated by Rod switches Wynnewood. (Photo by Derek.) |
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| At Pauls Valley, the locos from the stock train have tied up with the caboose while the stock cars are loaded (unloaded?). A southbound Fast Freight is crossing from the main to the arrival/departure track. (Photo by Chris.) |
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| Bill appears to be checking the switch alignment on the house track at Davis, after someone failed to line a switch for the main, sending his passenger train up the siding. The "quonset hut" is a cardboard mock-up, and that's Wynnewood on the LH side of the photo, on the other side of the backboard. (Photo by Chris.) |
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| Me, selecting a loco on a DT402D. (Photo by Chris.) |
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| GP7s setting out stock cars on the Pauls Valley stock yard spur. I still have to build the stock pens in the clearing on the left, as well as a concrete batching plant next to the sheds. (Photo by Chris.) |
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| L-R: Peter K, John F, Derek and Peter S. watching the action at Pauls Valley. (Photo by Chris.) |
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| Pauls Valley elevator. (Photo by Chris.) |
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Jacobson Concrete and the Pauls Valley elevator. (Photo by Chris.) |
My thanks go to the guys for coming over and making this a successful day, and especially to Chris and Derek for allowing me to share the photos that they took.
Regards,
Ron
