New experiences

Monday 5/1/09 WOW!

I was invited to operate on the layout of Master Locomotive builder Dean Schluter, this is the first time that i have "operated" on a layout and I'm hooked.

My good mate from SARMA (South Australian Railway Modellers Association), David Vander Linden and I were offered the opportunity to come around and operate Dean's layout, which runs under the Car Card system (no fast clock thankfully) arriving at 7pm (or near enough; OK i was late at 7:15) going straight out the back to the train room we were given the technical instructions on how to operate the layout; Dean uses Lenz DCC (another 1st for me).
After this brief introduction to Lenz and his layout, Dean had created an Idiots guide for operating his layout. My first job was to pick up RX 224 and attach to the waiting Barlee Express; a rake of SAR dog boxes with attached fish brake. Once attached I proceeded under clear signal to Brinkworth to meet the Adelaide passenger, proceeding to the Port afterwards.
It sounded so simple; which it hindsight it was :) but during the event of working out the layout, finding my bearings etc, this took about an hour of unadulterated fun!
during the next three hours (Dean said that we didn't overstay our welcome) David and I ran three more trains each, that involved collecting, sorting, and dropping off freight consignments to the half dozen stations spread about the layout. This at times involved cursing the other operators from other nights who had left trains at stations completely filling the yards, which made the task of dropping and collecting wagons difficult to accomplish in what we called a reasonable time, or without working past the yard limit signs in others. This is what i expect it must have been like at various times in the 1:1 scale world ;)

At the conclusion to this running session, I must say that I want more :D
I also know what type of layout that I will be build when I get the opportunity; Operating layouts are fun!