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 2024 SEPT CARD ORDER OPERATIONS  
Monday, September 2, 2024
Category: Operations Meet
Summary: Card Order Operations beginning Monday Sept 2, 2024 thru Saturday Sept 7, 2024. You must fill out and return a registration form NOT LATER THAN AUGUST 24, 2024 in order to participate in this operation meet.
Details: We will begin at 9:00 am Monday Sept 02, 2024 by moving 250 freight cars from storage onto the railroad. As soon as all available crews have delivered the cars to the various towns and industries and switch yards, we will begin operating sessions for the rest of the week (Sept 2 - 7). We operate from 9 am until 5 pm. A few crews like to operate after dark and are allowed and encouraged to do so.

ALL participants must register in advance. If you don't register in advance, you will not be allow to participate. The deadline for registration is August 24, 2024. Registration materials will be emailed in maybe April or May. If you don't get a form, email me thru this website for a form, including your correct email address.

Each freight crew normally consists of an engineer, conductor, and one or two brakemen. Cars are delivered to specific industries, based on 4 position way bills that most model railroaders are familiar with.

For those who like to just ride the railroad, there are from 1 to 6 passenger trains running different routes on the railroad, following a timetable. Passenger trains have priority and thus freight crews switching cars in a town must clear a path thru town when passenger trains are scheduled to pass thru.

Since passenger trains carry passengers, if you happen to be at WCRR during running hours, passengers are welcome to get a ride on one or more of the passenger trains running. Passenger trains usually run beginning at 10 am and the last passenger train will depart at either 3 or 4 pm.

If you currently are an HO op SIG person and are physically fit, you probably would enjoy working in 1/8th scale. If you are new to the hobby or have never had the opportunity to "operate" in this scale, consider yourself invited to join us for the 2024 Fall Invitational Operation Session. In past years, we have had up to 70 operators. If you don't know how to "operate", don't worry, all of us were in the same situation once. We would assign you to a crew that is experienced and they will teach you what you need to know. Typically a freight crew "rotates." That means, on one trip a person may be the conductor, the next trip, he (or she) (yes, several women also participate with us, including running steam engines) may be the brakeman, or run the engine.

Participants will have the opportunity to experience the whole range of jobs. Each operating session, they may choose to do something different.

2024 will mark the 26th anniversary of this annual Fall invitational op session. Several of the participants have been coming most of the 25 previous years. In 2023, WCRR had over 80 registered participants from several different states. You do NOT need 1/8th scale equipment to participate. Approximately 15 to 25 of the participants bring their own engines and some freight cars. Others with no equipment just participate. All have a good time. There will be room for you.

If this sounds like something you would like to try, contact us and let us know so we can send you more information. If your time schedule does not allow you to join us for that much time, let us know what days you CAN come. We expect that you will be able to join us for a minimum of 2 days, hopefully more. Ladies are invited to participate, observe, or enjoy other activities such as card games, dominos, crafts, shopping, etc while the men are "working" on the railroad.

You may contact us thru this website or email me (Russ Eldred) at rmeldred@charter.net.
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