The Kaskaskia Valley Railway will hold its 7th Annual Fall Operating Session on the first weekend of November. That is November 1 and 2, 2008. We use RailOps software for the control of car movement and radios for dispatching. It is a weekend ops session with both days starting around noon and going until nobody is running trains anymore. Our goal is to run 18 trains to a schedule. Sometimes we succeed and sometimes some of the trains have to be annulled or extras have to be added. It is not really as regulated as it may sound, but there is lots of food and its a lot of fun. We also have a live steam track set up. If you can make it to 50 miles east of St. Louis, Missouri, you are certainly welcome to join us. There are usually about 25 to 30 people for the weekend. For more information contact me at [email protected].
Jean and I have decided to use the last of our American Airlines frequent flyer points and head out there for the long weekend.
We’re looking forward to this one!
Reserve an engine for us, as I won’t be able to bring any on the plane.
Geeee…thats cheating…
Does Carlyle have an airport?
Nope, but St. Louis is only 45 minutes or so. I’ve got some Sky Miles too. Time off work is the tough part.
EDIT: 70 Miles / 1 hour and 25 according to Google.
Work?
(http://www.jbrr.com/Pics/_forumfiles/crstr080905.gif)
Anyone else planning to attend? Ken? Bart?
We are 50 miles directly east from the Arch in downtown St. Louis and St. Louis - Lambert International Airport is another 18 miles west.
All are welcome and the more the merrier.
Bruce Chandler said:
Work?(http://www.lscdata.com/users/thejoat/_forumfiles/crstr080905.gif)
Anyone else planning to attend? Ken? Bart?
Work?..blasphemy!! Hope to…can’t speak for Bart, though I will probably do a layover in FT. Gay on my way out… What hotel you planning on staying at, Bruce?
The Microtel in Carlyle seems to be getting the highest recommendations. Doug is staying there, so I thought we would too.
Oh, Doug is coming??..any others of that motley crew from the GWN??
another incentive…
STOP with the incentives already 
I’ve got the miles, found I have one vacation day left over. Now to convince Marilyn we can afford the hotel/car rental and that that it’s worth the trip for just a weekend. I think it is, but she’s not sold yet.
Now THAT would be cool!
See you there!
“You’re welcome, but why do you call me ‘wise one’?”
“Aren’t you a guru?”
“No, I’m in sales.”
“So why do you sit on top of this mountain?”
“Allergies.”
Dunno yet…Will prolly be determined by the work situation…
Jon,
The best incentive I can think of is the “BS” being created south of us in the next county. Andy and Jane’s “Bluestone Southern Railroad” is worth making the trip just to see what can be done with a soybean field, if you apply yourself.
The real reason to come, would be to be part of Ric’s operating session, and enjoy the camaraderie of the railroaders, besides, Jane <Ric’s Dispatcher and my wife> always wants more people around that she can ““boss”” around…
Not to mention Jan’s food…
I dunno Andy, I seen to remember a lot of “What are you doing in my Yard?” from another member of the Clarke family…
Guys, the KVRwy works to simulate a real railroad only small in size. Qualifications for the position of Yardmaster or Dispatcher does not require a warm and fuzzy personality. Management decided long time ago that there was no money to allocate toward people skills training. Move the product, get the job done, suck it up if you think your feelings have been trampled on. “Political Correctness” means paying off the right politician to get the laws bent so that we make profit without the “revenuers” poken their nose into the company’s business.
Ken, yup, gotta agree with you there… Consolidated is my yard, and I don’t just allow anyone in there… <unless, of course, there’s a tad less work for me to do, if I let them in>… hehehe
Hold on… there was training???
First time there, I was told, ““Here’s a radio, and your instruction sheet, now, go run a train””… I hadn’t gone 3 miles, before the fire wilted down on me, the water quit boiling, and all the steam was gone… Used up half my sand supply, just trying to get a little traction, before I knew it… shrug…
But, it was fun… 