Bart Salmons said:Yea....ditto.................;)
Man I wish I coulda been there.......mebbe in the fall........
May 4th, 2008 dawned beautiful with forecasted temps in the low 70’s and bright sunshine. Crews responded slowly after a hard day on Saturday, but freight and tourist needed to be moved. Operations began with a couple difficult situations of poor communications as 40% of the radios were not cooperating and the RailOps software suffered a minor glitch. The radios were eventually resolved after one of the engineers mentioned a “sub channel” setting and RailOps was put in high gear after a new physical inventory was taken of all locations. Many locations and sidings were at maximum capacity, because of all the activity on Saturday. This is “KV Cabins”, usually a quiet, secluded old lumber camp turned into a tourist attraction, that was abuzz because crane KV 012 was brought to town to load fresh cuttings of the knoll.
(http://www.lscdata.com/users/rgolding/080504%20001.jpg)
Freight was moving quickly as one train left “Beagle Junction” another was pulling in to town.
(http://www.lscdata.com/users/rgolding/080504%20002.jpg)
The “Mixed Daily” pulls up to “Beagle Junction” to report “OS” (On Sheet), receive orders and wait for clearance north.
(http://www.lscdata.com/users/rgolding/080504%20003.jpg)
An “Extra” moves north through “Southern Junction” and the trackage to “The Window” (the entrance to the “Southern Division”) as it carries chemicals, probably caffeine" north to “Excelsior Bottling Plant No. 2”.
(http://www.lscdata.com/users/rgolding/080504%20004.jpg)
Second report to follow.
Sunday’s report continues - This is the home of that Internationally famed “Ski”. Yes, one of the major ingredients of RumSki’s. “Excelsior Bottling Plant No. 2” doesn’t look like much sitting in the middle of “Consolidated’s Yard”, but it is the products that bring people wading through the sticky, sugared covered floors to get their coveted bottles refilled or see where the fountain syrup or canned soda pop is created. Leased power has been brought in from the “Bluestone Southern” to help the “Consolidated Yardmaster” get his switching duties completed.
(http://www.lscdata.com/users/rgolding/080504%20005.jpg)
Passengers are aboard waiting to return from their visit to the famous “Old State Lighthouse” on the north end of the KVRwy. For most of them the day will be remembered more for the return trip that never came, than for the experience of seeing the lighthouse. KV Management is holding early monday morning meetings to resolve the passenger complaints of the long delays.
(http://www.lscdata.com/users/rgolding/080504%20006.jpg)
Extra crews have been brought in to relieve the congestion at the passenger terminal at “Old State Light”. That is Dave Masters and Ryan performing switching duties. I think the wrong generation has the throttle. 
(http://www.lscdata.com/users/rgolding/080504%20007.jpg)
As management tries to resolve the problems to the north, another train moves through “Pin Oak” in the southern part of the railroad as Todd Siddel guides his assigned unit through the turnouts at “Acorn Oil” on the “Red Bud Loop”
(http://www.lscdata.com/users/rgolding/080504%20008.jpg)
Saturday’s totals 23 trains run 100 cars switched 2905 tons of freight and passengers moved Sunday’s totals 19 trains run 88 cars switched 2335 tons of freight and passnegers moved Totals for the weekend 42 trains 188 cars switched 5240 tons of freight and passengers hauled. Not bad for a small railroad in Southern Illinois that is mainly run just for fun. And so went another OPs Session on the KVRwy. A great deal of thanks go to a whole lot of people as they helped to bring our railroad to life. We are exhausted, but it is a great exhaustion. THANK YOU!!!
The weather reports said 30% chance of rain Saturday, but the front passed Friday while I was driving down I57, so Saturday was cool and cloudy. The sun was setting on my right and the storm was on my left, making for a beautiful rainbow:
(http://www.outsidetrains.com/mls/kvry200805/100_2284Small.jpg)
(http://www.outsidetrains.com/mls/kvry200805/100_2285Small.jpg)
It was chilly Saturday, so yes, I kept my sandals on. I remedied that Sunday. I left the camera in the car Saturday, so fire the photographer 
(http://www.outsidetrains.com/mls/kvry200805/100_2286Small.jpg)
(http://www.outsidetrains.com/mls/kvry200805/100_2287Small.jpg)
(http://www.outsidetrains.com/mls/kvry200805/100_2288Small.jpg)
(http://www.outsidetrains.com/mls/kvry200805/100_2289Small.jpg)
(http://www.outsidetrains.com/mls/kvry200805/100_2290Small.jpg)
(http://www.outsidetrains.com/mls/kvry200805/100_2291Small.jpg)
(http://www.outsidetrains.com/mls/kvry200805/100_2292Small.jpg)
(http://www.outsidetrains.com/mls/kvry200805/100_2293Small.jpg)
(http://www.outsidetrains.com/mls/kvry200805/100_2294Small.jpg)
(http://www.outsidetrains.com/mls/kvry200805/100_2295Small.jpg)
(http://www.outsidetrains.com/mls/kvry200805/100_2296Small.jpg)
(http://www.outsidetrains.com/mls/kvry200805/100_2297Small.jpg)
(http://www.outsidetrains.com/mls/kvry200805/100_2298Small.jpg)
(http://www.outsidetrains.com/mls/kvry200805/100_2299Small.jpg)
(http://www.outsidetrains.com/mls/kvry200805/100_2300Small.jpg)
(http://www.outsidetrains.com/mls/kvry200805/100_2301Small.jpg)
(http://www.outsidetrains.com/mls/kvry200805/100_2302Small.jpg)
(http://www.outsidetrains.com/mls/kvry200805/100_2303Small.jpg)
Andy Clark figured out why he has trouble slowing down.
(http://www.outsidetrains.com/mls/kvry200805/0503081800Small.jpg)
Tom,
Great pictures! Thank you for coming and posting pictures of how you see our event. I saw your little guy on the porch first thing this morning. 
Your last picture is confusing. Is the joke that Andy C’s (that’s Clarke with an e) is trying to control his 75 mhz engine with a 27 mhz transmitter? You know some of us are electronically challenged. ;-o
Ric Golding said:Ric, read the press bars from top to bottom..... There is no ""Slow"" bar on the controller, they substituted an "Emergency Stop"" button for the "Slow" button.... The controller has 2 "Emergency Stop"" buttons........ If you look close, you can see the difference in the shape of the "fast" button bar and the ""Emergency Stop"" button bar right below it.... The "fast" and "slow" button bars are supposed to have one flat edge.....
Your last picture is confusing. Is the joke that Andy C's (that's Clarke with an e) is trying to control his 75 mhz engine with a 27 mhz transmitter? You know some of us are electronically challenged. ;-o
That was my controller that I was using on your ““Log siding”” engine, so i could work the dis-connects in and out of the siding…
I remember you showing me that. I didn’t look that close to Tom’s picture. I was cornfused again.
Ric Golding said:I get that way in the mornings, they really should label socks, left and right........
I was cornfused again.
Left and right socks That’s rich.
I had to edit my picture post. I first had the sun setting on my left and the storm on my right.
Great pix, guys!
WOW guys, I sure wish I could have stayed longer but the little guy got tired as usual. And could not resist Ric’s HO layout in the basement! geeeeeeeeeez, sorry Ric. I should have left him home but he has just too much fun! Klay ran a couple trains mostly all to himself and I was pretty proud of the 10 year old.
I WILL HAVE A BATTERY POWERED ENGINE BY THE FALL SESSION! Maybe in time to run some routes at Andy’s in September This is my short term goal in life, not bad eh?
Thanks for the hospitality Ric, we had a blast!
John,
You are always welcome. Noah will get the hang of it and Klay certainly does, already. I appreciate you and all the others helping me bring my railroad to life.