Operating day - Sorting out the Carnage

dunnyrail

dunnyrail

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Had a strange sort of Operating Day on Thursday. 4 guys were supposed to come but in the end due to Sickness, Work and a Hospital Collection only 1 turned up from Middlesborough way with his Dog. So the 3 Train Timetable that I have was straight away in problems. In cases like this I normally put a Railcar out on one of the Turns as I can usually manage a second Turn if it is a Railcar. But I have not run either for a while so that plan failed. In the end we just ran the two turns. If only the Dog could have helped.

So after Coffee and Cake and a quick briefing for my 1 Operator we got to running Trains. Normal plan is to run to around 1300 have some Lunch and get to the end of the Timetable to let the guys go home after it has finished with generally a quick run with a Live Steam Loco.

Well a new Operator has a lot to take in with Wagon Cards, strange Continetal Stations, DCC, Shunting, Passing Trains on Single Line and all while trying to manage a Cliboard, Handset and Uncoupling device. Needless to say the Timetable never got completed so all the Stock was quicly run into the Shed around Halfway through the Timetable. Loco's brought indoors and we departed for the Station for man and his Dogs trip home oop North.

Have to say that the following is in no way a detrimant to my Operator, just the way things turned out. So yesterday Morning Weather being fine I elected to get things back to normal state as I have another Operating Day soon. This is how things ended up in the Wooden Shed.

The Road closest has the Diesel hemmed in by 2 Milk/Mail Wagons. Centre Road has a Passenget Train (Red Working) that was heading to Harzegerode just behind me. Far Road with the Railcar has the Loaded Grevel Train (Green Working) that was just about to depart Silberhutte in the Garden for Stiege which is just below this baseboard. It was deemed best to run the Railcar out (I remembered the DCC Number) to assist in sorting things out. It has 2 Whizzy Crank Bogies so can pull a good load.
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The Railcar was usd to pull the 3 Coaches out into the Garden so that the Diesel could use the Centre Road and thus make preparations to move the Goods Stock out into the Garden. Part of this allowed the Milk/Mail cars to be dumped in the Centre Road for the Railcar to attach. Seen below.
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Having somehow got all 3 Milk/Mail vans gathered together the Railcar headed off to Gernrode. Leaving the Diesel to collect the remaining Wagons behind the Coach in the Pic Below. A second run to Silberhutte would be required to clear out the Coach and Gravel Train.image.jpeg
Finally Alexisbad returns to its No Train status, but some indications of a less than normal situation are still seen. The Bogie Open in the foreground was en route to Stiege below so will have to wait for the Next Timetable Session. As are the Open and Van in the distance to the right. But the Wagon Cards will take care of this. The two vans in the Goods Shed Road had no orders so are where they should be.
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Silberhutte with all the Stock distributed in the Yard. The Gravel Train is in the Centre Road waiting to run round to Stiege (it overnights in the Low Level Yard). Normally the Timetable starts up with the Fuel Train in Silberhutte so some work still to do.
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The Railcar and 3 Mail/Milk vans returning to Gernrode having just left Magdesprung.
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The Scene at Gernrode, two lonely Milk/Mail vans sit in the 3rd Road with a selection of Wagons by the wall. Red coach in the distance is the Coach from the Green Working which had somehow managed to make its way home with a Locomotive the day before.
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Once the Railcar artived much shunting was carried out ro get everything back in shape.
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This little scenario took around 1 and a half hours of enjoyable fun Train Running. All done to prototype practice and in an unhurried way.

After this I managed to work out a 2 person Timetable so spent the next two hours doing a 1 man run through. In the course of that I managed to get the Fuel and Gravel Trains back into their Overnight situations. So all is now well with the Dunhyreichesbahn.
JonD
 
That sounds like it was quite fun, even if unintended at the start of the Operating day.

Real railways have to cope with these problems all the time, missing crews, and stock in the wrong place.

Like it!!! :):)
 
So another Operating day was enjoyed last Saturday. Eventually 6 visitors. Some had to leave a little early so the Timetable was completed by myself and a local man, thanks Roger. However there were a few Wagon Moves that did not make their intended destination or even move at all! So yesterday I ran the full 3 Driver Timetable myself. Took around 6 hours, how I do it is to run a Train till it has a passing meet to do. Then I leave that then work the next Train to its Passing Point and then so on. Simplifiers and Trains get left at the relavent Station. Works quite well actually. Even so I still missed a Wagon or two, so after a full Wagon Audit I will complete the job before the next visit by using my 1 Train Timetable. Loads of fun.

In the meantime Tony took a few picures on the day so I thought that here would be the best place to keep them for posterity. All taken at Magdesprung by Tony.

Tony's Battery loco waits for a turn in the line. Note the Green Mail/Milk van in the siding. Not a Prototype Practice to have dedicated Mail/Milk's on the Sekeltalbahn, but they do add some spice to the Timetable.
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Tony's Loco has now taken on board the Green Set after picking up that Mail/Milk Van. The train will now work to Gernrode.image.jpeg
99 6001 arrives at Magdesprung with the Green working, quite likely before Tony's Red Beast takes the Train over.image.jpeg
The Yellow Working with my Detailed Train Line Mallett waits at Magdesprung. Presumably 99 6001 was dumped in the siding (whilst Tony's Red Beast took over) and is waiting for the return of the Green Train to take up its working again (perhaps). In the meantime the Yellow Train will need to wait for this to happen, as untill the Green Train clears the section it cannot be allowed to continue its journey to Gernrode.image.jpeg
JonD
 
Twas a nice bright frosty day today so I decided to give Jack my Roundhouse Steamer a trip out. In truth there was some reason for this, as part of the preparations for the Christmas Day Milk Train a heap of wagons had been moved from Gernrode to Alexisbad for storage. It seamed prudent to use this nice day to get them back where they belonged. But not all went to plan.

In the first two pictures Jack is on the outwards run Engine and Van from Gernrode, at this moment he is slipping furiously due to the amount of Frostbon the Rails. Makes for great Steam effects.
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Taking a break in the sun at Magdesprung, no doubt the Driver will be having a warm Gluewine with his fag.image.jpeg
In Alexisbad prior to pushing back the Wagons to be return down onto the Van at the rear that has carried out the Guard. Note the Red 40Mg Light, looks nicely like a Firebox Glow.image.jpeg
Now departing from Alexisbad , I rather like how the sunlight gives the Steam a bright tint.image.jpeg
Passing Drachtzug, not used this vantage point much for pics. Must make better use if it in the future.image.jpeg
Just pulling into Magdesprung Station. Driver still has that Fag in the go.
image.jpeg Full Train about to depart from Magdesprung.
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Running past the Pond, proceedings being viewed by Barney. His first ever views of a Garden Railway in action. He is certainly showing curious interest. At this point Jack is slipping again, frost still on the line but slow speed is allowing Jack to inch along the line.image.jpeg
Still slipping this final pic with Jack inching along, firebox glow can just be made out again.image.jpeg
At this point I was going to include the Video I took of Jack inching its way along the line. But for some reason a while back Apple in their infinate wisdom decided to stop Video's from being downloaded from my SD Card. Most annoying.
JonD
 
Ah, crisp and crunchy weather, haven't seen that since I left Canberra.
Lovely photos though.
 
Thanks guys, glad you like. Here are some of the outtakes. It certainly was a perfect crisp day for pics, pity about the slipping though. Plus the Air Lines were frozen so only Points and Signals that had been in full sun were working. One of the inherent and only problems with Air Points is that you do get some dampness in the Air Lines and guess what happens in a White Frost like this? Thus Operations were limited to Gernrode - Magdesprung - Alexisbad.

1st 3 pics approaching Magdesprung.
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Alexisbad with jack having run round and approaching the Train in Road 2.image.jpeg
Departing Alexisbad, different effect of the Steam now that Sun not glinting theough all of it.image.jpeg
Passing the Windmill and Water Mill at Magdesprung. Not really the correct type of buildings for this location in real life, but I like them so rule 1 applies here.
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Passing the Water Tower at Magdesprung. Again some non prototype grouping and building locations. That rule 1 again!
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Waiting to leave Magspdesprung the next two pics. Must do more of these low trackside pics.image.jpeg image.jpeg
Passing over the Viaduct Steam drifting lazily on a Wind Free day.image.jpeg
I have two more pics, but they are pretty trashy being taken into the sun. My compact Digi Camera does not deal with this too well unless you are a bit clever using onpbjects to cut out the glare.
JonD
 
Fantastic pics !!!!!!
 
Thanks again guys, here are the two dodgy pics. First one is of Drachtzug Station. This is a location angle that I should only ever take pics of early evening when the Sun has mived more to the Right.
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Arriving at Sternhause Station, this one only works if I get below the fence hight to loose the direct Sun. This time I was faffing about with the RC to stoo slipping to think about the Pic.
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Perhaps we could have a Great Photo Foul Ups Competition each Year, I would be entering these in the 2017 Competition.

Looking at the one above reminds me that I need to attend to some planting below the Rocks. Ideally something that overhangs to help disguise the Bricks somewhat. There is just a small space for Earth behind the Bricks so I will get on with the planting as soon as the weather gets a bit milder.

This is a very sunny spot after Lunch Time so anyone got any suggestions for something that will fit the bill?
JonD
 
You could get a nice Lobelia to flow over the wall and it does very well in a small crack with soil.
 
minimans said:
You could get a nice Lobelia to flow over the wall and it does very well in a small crack with soil.
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Nice idea, but I think that may be an annual. Probably should have said that I cannot be fagged with Annuals. But I might just give it a try as it may self seed.

Another option just come to mind, we had this on the Ruschbahn that Andy did not like cos it flowered was a small White Flowering thing with White Leaves. He usd to be offended by the Flowers and used to cut them off, we both wondered why it eventually started to thin out till he admitted to his Flower Cutting antics. Then I had to explain the Birds and Bees thing to him as to how some plants self seed after Flowering, he was always mystified by Flowers and their complex ways bless him. This did very well in full Sun as apparently do most White Leaved Plants. Now I may even have the name if it on the old Planting list I did for the Ruschbahn. Middke left on this pic.

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For those Ruschbahn devotees this is the Branch Passenger to Carolstadt, running as a Loco Hauled due to the failure of the DMU. Van for Guards and Mail use. Typical Swiss Branch Train of Steam days with Heidi. It never pales for me to look at pictures of this lost line and the pride that the three of us took in its making. Of course Andy's vision of what he wanted was the master stoke.

The Overhead Wires were a pretty rare feature, something that I took great pride in implementing plus the difficulties in working out how it would work in oractice. With Andy always keeping a very close watching brief to ensure that his vision of a light almost invisible but ever present set of Wires prevaied.
JonD
 
PaulRhB said:
I'm
Looking forward to my mini HSB emulating this operation :)
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Me too Paul Live Steam as well in Hom, that will be a sight to see. Contact Brian Caton, he has done Live Steam down to N Gauge so should be able to help you!

Please keep the Forum up to date with your Show invites.
JonD
 
So yesterday being a nice day Jack was steamed up to resolve some rolling stock in the wrong place issues.

A couple of shots taken at Drahtzug, a location not normally used for photing as the Sun tends to be just to the right of this Station as can be noticed in the slightly burnt out first pic. Even on a dull day this location is a problem for pics.

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This angle works much better but with the foliage growth you do not get to see the Station Building. It was also missed out on the last pic for reasons that will become apparent later.
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The 2 Train sets at Magdesprung, another Coach sits behind the last Red Van seen in this shot.
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Running up to and through the Plant Tunnel. I have always liked this plant whatsoever it might be and the Bamboo Nigra to the Left has helped to create a good Tunnel effect. Just like many of our Country Roads in the UK where unchecked Tree growth has created Tunnel effects.
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As the Train approaches Gernrode Barney carries out one of his favourite inspection duties to the Main Manhole, lots of interesting smells I gather!
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Finally 2 shots of Jack resting in the new Gernrode Shed Building with the Workshop hosting 3 Open Wagons.
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The next Operating Session will be quite a challenging one as a lot of Wagons have gravitated to Gernrode and the Shelves are now overflowing with stock as are the Sidings. Looks like I may have to put a Byrag on for traffic to Gernrode untill some of the Wagons have moved out with some traffic.
 
Excellent blog Jon, I bet some days it's like your still on the big railway! I can see the attraction of time table working and putting the job right in proper railway fashion when it's gone pear shaped ( as per prototype :giggle:) is part of the fun!
 
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