Large Scale Central

Bluestone Southern Ops September, 2018

Yes, its time to get this thread started. Put it on your calendar.

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September 15 and 16, 2018 (but I bet there’ll be some there on the 14th).

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Get your trains packed and batteries charged. Parking available, but its best to get there early for the premier spots.

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You need to contact Jane or Andy, to see if you are welcome. But they’ve given an invitation to “Rooster”, so standards are set fairly low.

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RSVP’s appreciated, but “walkins” are sometimes treated fairly. Just don’t be struttin your stuff.

Ric Golding said:

You need to contact Jane or Andy, to see if you are welcome. But they’ve given an invitation to “Rooster”, so standards are set fairly low.

So you are saying your friends are trash with low standards ?

I cannot believe you threw Mom and Dad under your race car hauler like that!

Next weekend, some of you need to start driving, tomorrow.

I’d leave now, except My BIL and SIL are scheduled to arrive here on Friday and I have to ready Arvy as their guesthouse. Maybe someday. The KVRy disappeared before I was able to make it out that way, I hope the BS and I live long enough to cross paths.

Son, that race car was heavy too… I think he loaded it with lead… (http://www.largescalecentral.com/externals/tinymce/plugins/emoticons/img/smiley-innocent.gif)

Jon, Hope yall can make it sometime also… Would be great to have yall here…

Invitations are to anyone who likes Operations, and/or just want to visit…

A RSVP would be appreciated, but not required… (http://www.largescalecentral.com/externals/tinymce/plugins/emoticons/img/smiley-cool.gif)

I’ll head thataway next month. Looking forward to it, too!..(https://www.largescalecentral.com/externals/tinymce/plugins/emoticons/img/smiley-wink.gif)(https://www.largescalecentral.com/externals/tinymce/plugins/emoticons/img/smiley-cool.gif)

Temps are to be mid to upper 80’s, both Sat & Sun… No rain even close…

Should be a good weekend… (http://www.largescalecentral.com/externals/tinymce/plugins/emoticons/img/smiley-cool.gif)

Rick and Jan must be out of state, I haven’t seen any thing from him. Joyce and I plan to make the trip all the way from Lebanon. We will just sleep in your driveway ! Your home is one of her favorite places. I’m sure there will be something for an old guy like me to do .

Dale Loyet said:

Rick and Jan must be out of state, I haven’t seen any thing from him. Joyce and I plan to make the trip all the way from Lebanon. We will just sleep in your driveway ! Your home is one of her favorite places. I’m sure there will be something for an old guy like me to do .

Dale, Ric & Jan already have the prime camper slot in the driveway… (http://www.largescalecentral.com/externals/tinymce/plugins/emoticons/img/smiley-cool.gif)

First day is in the bag. Lots of heat kept us inside most of the time. But by hiding in the shade of canopies and trees a few trains did get set up or run. Humidity in the afternoon improved with a breeze, but time was running out. Great comraderie amongst the Friday night trains guys that now seem to be meeting at totally different times, but still enjoying trains.

It all starts again in a couple of hours.

Did it get re-started ?

Has it finished ? I hope there will be a few pictures, showing happy people, available soon.

Have any of the left-overs from the “Hurry-Cane” come near you ?

I hope all went well, and everyone is happy, and well.

Fred Mills

Yes Fred, it did happen and, yes, pictures were taken. Now, if they get published, that will be up to the photographer.

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The day started early to try to beat some of the heat. Dale Loyett, my spouse Jan and myself ran the “Freeman Spur Local” in the morning and, I feel, we learned a couple of extra secrets to improve our efficiency of carrying out this complicated puzzle. The sky was crystal clear and the Sun’s intensity was certainly felt. In the afternoon, the sky began to show whispey hurricane clouds and it did give a little comfort and breeze to the high temps. Dale and I ventured out to run the “Coal Turn” to the Power Plant. This is an intense run with 24 coal cars and 2 GP-38’s. It takes a slow steady pull to negotiate from the bowels of the basement, out through the window to Blufield, down past Sparta, Hadley Forest, the Woodlawn Diamond and the crossing of the Evansville Western, past the cutoff to the Freeman Spur Subdivision, through the big yard at Memphis, into the balloon track at the “Power Plant”, perform the unloading at a controlled 10 mph and then return the reciprocal route back to the mines and the marshalling yard of Bluefield. Not an easy task. Traffic was light, but it is still an interesting run. This was the second run of the day for the Coal train, as I imagine the demand for electricity kept the Power Plant running at capacity.

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Clean up began around 4pm and we had everything secured by 6pm. Time to start thinking about the October 2018 OPs and if history shows true, it will be the big event of the year.

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http://largescalecentral.com/event/54

Ric Golding said: Yes Fred, it did happen and, yes, pictures were taken. Now, if they get published, that will be up to the photographer.

Guess I have the only picture proving it “Really Happened” …pics tell the truth the rest is BS or GS

" Rooster " said:

Guess I have the only picture proving it “Really Happened” …pics tell the truth the rest is BS or GS

Guess so

Found some time to post pictures from the Sept Ops session.

Below is Freeman Spur.

Mark running a Tourist Special.

Below pictures are of a meet at Woodlawn from double track to single track.

Below are some shots of the unit coal train during it’s run.

Coal train as it departs Bluefield.

Coal train departing Woodlawn.

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Coal train running the Memphis Subdivision to Memphis.

Coal train passing by Sparta on the Sparta Subdivision.

Coal train returning on the Memphis Sub.

Some more Misc pictures.

Folks working the town of Overlook.

Train MCL-1 arriving at Nashville.

MCL-1 as it departs the double track at Nashville.

The Overlook local on the Hilltop Sub on the upper track, and MCL-1 preparing to arrive at Addieville on the middle track.

MCL-1 as it is returning from Addieville.

Thanks. Good pix!

Great pics! I knew they were out there. Thanks for posting. If you notice, you can see “hurricane clouds” in some of the pictures. This was a break on Sunday from the intense heat of Saturday. Overall, another great weekend. It doesn’t take lots of trains running for it to be a good time. Heck, sometimes the Evansville Western prototype doesn’t run trains on the tracks for days, so once again we are imitating the prototype and holding true to the modeling. (http://largescalecentral.com/externals/tinymce/plugins/emoticons/img/smiley-cool.gif)