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John Zach, John's layout is being offered as a "Two-Fer" with Steve Hayes' Western Pacific. This means that when you sign up, you get both. These are large (by California Standards) layouts about 5 miles apart, 125 miles from the convention hotel. John and Steve will host 4 hour op sessions at each layout. If demand warrants, two sets of sessions will run, with groups swapping at noon. We anticipate running these sessions on Friday, and if a third section is required, on Thursday also. Please indicate your day preference in the notes. The first session will start around 10:00 AM and end at 2:00 PM with a one hour break for a meal. The second session will run from 3:00 PM to 7:00 PM. Given the distance and typical driving times (against the traffic) you should expect to leave the hotel by 7:00 AM and return around 10:00 PM. *You will not be assigned to these layouts if you have ranked them lower than 5th*. The route to the layouts is very scenic to the east of Oakdale and the Sierra Railroad Right of Way is visible to the south of the roadway. This model of the ever-popular Sierra Railroad is situated in an 1500 foot basement within sight of the right-of-way of the prototype (unfortunately, this part is abandoned). Operations follow the prototype with a simplified TT&TO scheme. The layout is faithful to the prototype although some industries operated over a longer time frame to increase operating interest. A 4:1 fast clock is used. The layout is well documented with switchlists, waybills, maps, train briefs and timetables. Track is generally flex with commercial turnouts and operates reliably. Train control is via EasyDCC. Train crews use radio cabs while yard cabs are tethered. The tone of the layout is casual but purposeful, one of the main purposes being that visitors have an enjoyable operating experience. The layout is about 15% sceniced, but many key structures are in place, giving the modeled scenes a sense of place. The layout can accommodate up to 15 operators including 3 yardmasters, a dispatcher and road crews. Website: www.sierrarailroad55.com revised 12/13/2008 |