Operating Sessions

The next best thing to chocolate are the Operating Sessions which we hold once a month (except July and August). With the September, 2010 session we switched to a Friday evening schedule, starting at 6 PM. We use 1:6 fast time, so in order to get a full day, the sessions last 4 hours.
It is worth to note that we seldom make it in 4 hours, it usually takes a little longer to finish up the schedule
There are a few reasons why this is so:

1. Derailments on the upper helix can screw up the schedule really fast.
2. Stalling trains on the upper helix will screw up the schedule!
3. Inexperienced operators.
4. Operators not adhering to their warrant or not watching the signals or misinterpreting the signals.
5. Operators running into an open switch and thereby causing a short.
6. Derailments in general.

1+2 will be solved somewhere in 2012/13, as we will replace it after the second stage of layout building will be finished!

3 to 5 will be solved with time and ongoing training.

And 6 is really a growing problem, as we changed many wheelsets to Fox Valley's metal ones which don't really match up with Peco Code 80 and Code 55 turnouts - they tend to fall into the gap at the frog. Add to that a few not so well laid turnouts and you have a problem! It's very hard to back a long train through the Avery yard ladder without having derailments. Thanks to tips from the Internet, I'm using automotive tail light bulbs to guard against shorts in most blocks.

I really have no idea how to solve that problem. To be precise, I do have an idea how to solve that. But that would mean changing all turnouts with homebuilt ones, for example by using the FastTrack jigs. So far, I've heard many good things about the FastTrack jigs, but they are costly and I'm not sure if I will be skilled enough to build with them.

Besides these few obstacles, we really have fun as we have a relaxed approach to the sessions. There is no place for yelling or being obnoxious, and everyone tries to be as helpful as possible. It is well remembered that a failing train will eventually also delay the own train. The motto is: "Have fun!" - and that is how it should be!