Human[c]ity Junction | Weekly Update for March 21st, 2023 - Human[c]ity updates delivered to your inbox.

Human[c]ity Junction | Weekly Update for March 21st, 2023

Mar 21, 2023 9:46 pm

Hello ,

I got to operate on the Delaware & Susquehanna last Sunday. It was a really great time again. I was on a road train crew (of 1) and accorinding to the layout Superintendent, my second train is the hardest road train on the layout.

The train, LA5, works an area called Lehighton. There is a Coal Mill, A Lumber Yard and a Bakery. You are the only train that works this area, so imagine switching coal hoppers up a steep hill with a consist of road locomotives.

One lesson I learned is that you cannot push 10 loaded coal cars back up the mountain. The unintended result is that you will drop several cars onto the ground. Luckily in this case, "on the ground" just means a derailment where the wheels are off the rails, not the car actually being on the ground. The coal loads are actual loose coal looking stone which I am glad I did not have to clean up.

The job also requires using the mainline to make some moves, so I had to coordinate with the Dispatcher and work effciently to allow traffic to keep flowing.

This week, on Thursday night at 7:30pm, I am participating in a roundtable discussion on "New Media" in Model Railroading for NERx, my NMRA region. I feel honered to be able to represent YouTube on this panel and hope you can make the live show.

Next weekend I am visiting the West Island Model RR Club for the first time for an operations session there. I am looking forward to the challenge.