As Ric is fond of saying, Life is Good! you are right there Ken
Couldn’t find a better way of expressing the weekend. I must have been right behind you Ken but my route kept me in a washout till around 10AM in Indiana. Stopped for dinner with my son to finish the weekend. Yep, life is good.
We woke up to thunder and rain on Monday. Absolutely couldn’t believe how it all held off until after the weekend. All the Ops Weekends on the BS are good, but there is no comparison to the Fall Ops in October. Temps are perfect. We even got to use the fire pit this weekend. If there is someone that enjoys this part of the hobby and doesn’t feel that a weekend like this isn’t just about as good as it could get, they don’t understand this part of the hobby of model railroading.
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Great to see all the friends. Thanks for putting up with us breaking in Bo. And a big thanks to Andy and Jane for putting up with all of us and working so hard to make a weekend like this happen.
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What fun, “Life is Good!”
Wow. What a wonderful time! Great weather for the entire weekend, too!
For us, it started Thursday morning as we departed Virginia for a night at Corydon, Indiana. Fairly close by was “The Overlook Restaurant” with a GREAT view of the Ohio River.
On Friday morning we continued our journey. We had an extra long rest stop at the Goshen Road Rest Stop Westbound just a few miles east of Mount Vernon. Interesting place:
We stop here each year to check out the birds. Not very many this year, although we did see some Flickers, Blue Jays, and Chickadees. But, it’s a great place to just walk around for a bit.
Pretty dry, this time around.
Not too far from there we arrive at Andy and Jane’s fabulous railroad.
I really need an extra wide angle lens to capture it all, but the camera really doesn’t do it justice. Come visit!
Plus it’s hard to remember to even take pictures - I was just having too much fun just walking around or running my locomotive.
Inside, the yard continues to get better and better. I love the Coca Cola plant with the photos inside…(looks much cooler in person!)
And I can barely believe this backdrop!
Saturday morning is the official start and we begin the day with a BIG breakfast over at “Little Nashville Restaurant”, right next door to the Best Western Motel. From there, it’s a short drive down IL 127 to Andy & Jane’s place.
Another gorgeous day…and a gorgeous layout!
So much to take in!
I haven’t done the switchback yet…so it’s time. The basic premise is to take all of the logging disconnects to the top, load them up with logs and bring them back down. There’s also a tourist train that goes up and back down as well.
My engineer for today is Katy. She’s a good operator and runs the train at a very nice speed. Best of all, she can help re-rail the train if it goes off. so I don’t have to!
Ben decides that he can assist by bringing up the tourists!
Katy also helps set out some other cars…
Some Rooster sent some cars to be run, so I decided that since my locomotive worked, it could take them for a tour…
Here’s the train entering Evansville…
The extended forecast had predicted rain for Sunday, so naturally it was sunny and clear. (https://www.largescalecentral.com/externals/tinymce/plugins/emoticons/img/smiley-foot-in-mouth.gif)Again, breakfast at the Little Nashville Restaurant, then down IL 127 to the Bluestone Southern.
Perhaps something different to start the day? Sure, I’ll start with my own version of the “Polar Express”! Andy has some cars that I’ve been dying to run and he FINALLY lets me take them out.
Katy is here again today, so I enlist her as my engineer.
I want a nice long run, so head down the grade towards Woodlawn, the on to Memphis…
Memphis seems to have moved since I was here last (it used to be right next to Evansville, but now it’s down towards the power plant)
Since Memphis has moved, it’s time to run a train to that location!
I also pick up the Mem-Blu instructions so I can run a round trip. It’s a LONG run! We had down the grade towards Woodlawn.
On the return, we pick up a passenger…(we already had Anthony, but the grasshopper became the MAIN attraction)
A meet with the coal train…
Of course, it’s not all trains all the time. There’s food…and there’s MORE food! There’s also a bit of time to sit and yak…(https://www.largescalecentral.com/externals/tinymce/plugins/emoticons/img/smiley-foot-in-mouth.gif)
Here, we have Ric, Hollywood, Ken, (and THE HAND of Mark)…(https://www.largescalecentral.com/externals/tinymce/plugins/emoticons/img/smiley-innocent.gif)
Jean and I took a walk AROUND the layout. I do believe it’s the first time I have done it - as I usually am just running a train, so I am a bit more focused. Wow, the layout is even MORE impressive.
There are rumors of a pond in the future. The white stakes mare the water level. That’s the power plant in the distance, with Memphis just beyond that.
The “ditch” is just the result of erosion during the spring rains.
A closer view of the power plant loop with Memphis in the background.
A view from the top of the switchback looking at Evansville…Overlook in the background
A closer look at Evansville.
Nashville…with Okraville on the left…
Thanks to Andy and Jane for a wonderful time - and thanks to everyone else that showed to make this one of the fastest weekends EVER! Just a great time!
Some addition shots
And some more…
Is this a walk of shame? No golf cart ride after their run? (https://www.largescalecentral.com/externals/tinymce/plugins/emoticons/img/smiley-cool.gif)
Billy (Bruce) Joel making an appearance… Which kid has the throttle ? Young man in the blue t-shirt ?
Awesome pictures Bruce and Jane! (http://www.largescalecentral.com/externals/tinymce/plugins/emoticons/img/smiley-cool.gif)
Rooster ’ said:
Billy (Bruce) Joel making an appearance… Which kid has the throttle ? Young man in the blue t-shirt ?
The boy in blue usually had the camera taking pictures. Now the young lady was normally asking for clearance to get her train to her next stop. (https://www.largescalecentral.com/externals/tinymce/plugins/emoticons/img/smiley-cool.gif)
Rooster ’ said:
Billy (Bruce) Joel making an appearance… Which kid has the throttle ? Young man in the blue t-shirt ?
This picture shows it from the other side…just a few seconds apart!
L-R - that’s Jane behind the camera, Katie, Anthony, and Tyler (with the throttle).
You missed a darn good one, Rooster!
Outstanding guys !
This post has been edited by Rooster: I know Bruce but any run out at dads place is a good one ! Just amazing !!
Matt Russell said:
Cuz,
Now that is a group of ugly women !
I see that Katie was also using a throttle(https://www.largescalecentral.com/externals/tinymce/plugins/emoticons/img/smiley-cool.gif)
David Marconi,FOGCH said:
I see that Katie was also using a throttle(https://www.largescalecentral.com/externals/tinymce/plugins/emoticons/img/smiley-cool.gif)
Katie has the throttle for MEM-BLU. Tyler has the throttle for the coal train.
So I had some pictures sent to me from Andy’s and I’m really disappointed with Bruce! Out of all that were there here I thought he was the responsible one. Sigh …guess not… Shame on you Bruce!
(https://www.largescalecentral.com/externals/tinymce/plugins/emoticons/img/smiley-wink.gif)
But I was the responsible one! I was responsible for that mess!(https://www.largescalecentral.com/externals/tinymce/plugins/emoticons/img/smiley-embarassed.gif)
Bruce Chandler said:
But I was the responsible one! I was responsible for that mess!(https://www.largescalecentral.com/externals/tinymce/plugins/emoticons/img/smiley-embarassed.gif)
LMAO! Good thing I didn’t send the entire consist!!
Rooster ’ said:
Bruce Chandler said:
But I was the responsible one! I was responsible for that mess!(https://www.largescalecentral.com/externals/tinymce/plugins/emoticons/img/smiley-embarassed.gif)
LMAO! Good thing I didn’t send the entire consist!!
There’s more? You mean I missed my chance to put more on the ground??? (https://www.largescalecentral.com/externals/tinymce/plugins/emoticons/img/smiley-cry.gif)
