Operating on the PBR&N
The 2001 Sn3 Symposium held in Seattle, WA this year featured an opportunity for attendees to not only visit - but to actually OPERATE on - some of the finest Sn3 layouts in the Pacific Northwest. Special thanks are due not only to Brian Ellerby, Paul Scoles, and Dave Woodrell who graciously opened their layouts to make this possible, but especially to registrar Jim Noonan without whose hard work and dedication, none of this would have been possible!
I was privileged to be able to operate Paul Scoles' railroad, and I thought that you might enjoy seeing a few pictures of the train I ran...
Photo 1 - Shows my train (Northbound Passenger Train #1) leaving the staging area of Del Norte on time at 10:20 AM.
A few notes from the Pelican Bay Railway and Navigation Company 'Freight and Passenger Train Procedures, Edition Number 10' .
From the Front cover...
P.B. Scoles - Chief Dispatcher and Constant Pain in the Butt.
Management reserves the right to ignore such rules at its pleasure!
From the General Rules and Regulations...
Northbound trains are superior to Southbound trains of the same class.
At no time should trains exceed 25 miles per hour.
Derailments and shorts may occur, as management is often lax with maintenance (according to some). However, causing a short and tripping a breaker by running through a closed switch will cause management to assign demerits to the guilty party, and unleash uncontrollable mirth from the other operators.
Photo 2 - Here we are at Silverado, on time and waiting to leave. 'Procedures' stated that we were to "...take the track behind depot. This is the Passenger main and the depot platform faces it."
Photo 3 - We have left Silverado and are headed through Diablo Canyon.
Photo 4 - After leaving Diablo Canyon, our train is crossing over the dry stream bed of Austin Creek.
Photo 5 - This is Big Trees station, where our train has stopped for passengers.
Photo 6 - This is Rio Dell and 'Procedures' state that, "At Big Trees and Rio Dell take inside (passing) track, so train is next to the platform."
Photo 7 - This is Pelican Bay where we have a scheduled meet with Southbound Passenger Train #2.
Photo 8 - We have left Pelican Bay and are back on schedule on our way to Ft. Nash.
Photo 9 - Ft. Nash and following 'Procedures' we took the inside passing track next to the platform.
Photo 10 - Here we are winding through Caliente Canyon.
Photo 11 - We were held up at Fort Riley, awaiting clearance to proceed to Klamath.
Photo 12 - We finally arrived at Klamath. After our scheduled stop, we'll depart for Smith River, which is is the north staging location.
Follow this link for the orginal version of this page.
Back to the MAIN 2001 Sn3 Symposium page.
Text by Pat Turner - with photos by Jim Brown & Paul Scoles
July 17, 2001