The Dispatcher
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Operations - January 31, 2010 - OpLD Sig
The Operations Sig and the Layout Design Sig have a combined meeting in Santa Clara about this time each year.  As part
of that meet, local layout owners host operating sessions for meet attendees that are new to operations or just want to
operate on new layouts.  So the Chicago & Mackinac RR did it's part and hosted 5 new operators (at least new to the
C&M).  We made sure we had plenty of experienced C&M operators available to mentor where needed.  The entire session
turned out better than anyone could possible expect and I believe a good time was had by all, which, of course is the goal.
The Operators
We had a very good crew and the statistics bear that out.  As the dispatcher, we had Jeff Osborn and the yardmasters were Andy Schnur and Pete
Cressman.  This was Pete's first shot at yardmastering on the C&M and he and Andy did a great job.  The guest operators were Ed Loizeaux, Tom
Crawford, Pete Cressman, Steve Kleszyk and John Gibson.  John wins the prize for the operator traveling the longest distance to operate, as he
drove in from Rocklin.  The regular C&M operators on hand were John Blunden, Les Dhalstedt, Jeff Osborn, Andy Schnur and Earl Girbovan.  I want
to really thank the C&M mentors for helping out.  I believe the smoothness of the session is due in a large part to their presence and assistance.  
Okay, lets run some trains!
Statistics:
We ran approximately 36 scale hours and here are the results:
The total number of cars moved was 371 in a total of 42 trains:
4 1st class passenger trains
2  2nd class Fast Freights (#210)
13  turns (out plus back)
8 through freight
5 PRR interchanger's (out plus back)
3 boat interchanger's (out and back)
4 Ann Arbor & Kalkaska Interchange runs (out plus back)

Online customer deliveries/pick ups totalled 81 cars at industrial sidings and in addition, we even picked
up/setout a total of 10 express loads in our passenger operations.  
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 The Yardmasters
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Pete volunteered for the Mackinaw City
yardmaster job.  Although Pete was a
guest operator, he had operated on the
C&M a couple of times.  But he has never
run a yard on the C&M so he got
baptised under fire.  Pete came through
like a champ and had the yard clear most
of the session.  Good job Pete.
The Move of the Day
Andy volunteered for the Comstock Park
Yardmaster position.  Here he is after his
yard cleaned out from the morning
traffic.  Andy did a great job and kept the
yard flowing through most of the
session.  See, below, what the yard
looked like at the end of the operations!
Good Job everyone.

Thanks for making the
Chicago & Mackinac RR
come alive one more time.
The Northwoods Fast Freight #102
1. Here is Cadillac with
the Thru Train South
holding the main and
the local Turn on the
siding and industrial
area.

2.  Oh, Oh, Here
comes the NB
Passenger train #102,
taking the Station Track
The Operators - Random Shots
The Southbound
Northwoods Fast Freight
was pulled by a couple of
brand new SD-24's from  
the C&M's southern
division.  From the top left,
counterclockwise:  passing
through north Petoskey;
going away with a consist
of Canadian National  
Jeff dispatching and Tom working the
Grind Job.
John G. and Earl working in Petoskey
Ed and John B working the Cadillac
Turn
Les and
Ed
working
the
Walton Jct
Turn
Earl
setting
out cars
for
Walton
Jct.
Comstock Park Yard
The Crew
Here they are, John B, John
G, Earl, Andy, Ed, Steve,
Pete, Tom and Jeff (Bob was
behind the camera!
(Unfortunately, Les had to
leave before the photo was
taken).

We had a great operation
(with some throttle
problems), moved a bunch
of trains and, I think, had a
good time.

Thanks for making it happen.
Jeff took over the dispatcher
duties and he did an excellent
job.  He completed the DS
sheet better than anyone, ever,
and I hate to say, even better
than my best effort.  The traffic
flowed well all 36 hours of the
operations.
1
2
4
3
5
3. There goes the passenger train power past the station.

4. The passenger train clears it's head end cars and executes
it's station stop.  The SB through train needs to saw-by to
make the meet work.  Cadillac is full of trains!

5.  It must be a good one as three C&M crew members are
caught gauking or is that railfanning?
Steve working the #102 in
Traverse City
Looks like Tom is having a good time
running a road train through Petoskey
Here's Ed loafing!
reefers loaded with Canadian perishables bound non-
stop to Fort Wayne.  This is one of the reasons the CN
has become one of our financial partners.  John G
looks like he is having fun being the head hogger on
such an express train.  Finally, I was impressed with
John's astute recognition of the red board at the Ann
Arbor interchange.  It only slowed the Northwoods Fast
Freight for a moment.
Since some of the loadings of the #210 contained frozen Lake
Superior Trout and other fish products, John nicknamed the
hotshot the Northwoods Fast Fish.  A spartan name for such a
magnificant train!
There was plenty of help for Andy in the Comstock
Park yard (everyone's a yardmaster!!).  Here is Tom,
Steve and John B all lending a hand.  Obviously, their
hands didn't clean up the yard!  The bottom pic
shows the yard at the end of the operations after
Andy got dumped on.  Good job Andy, you kept the
yard viable all session.
I want to offer special thanks to Ed and John B for putting up
with that problematic throttle.  I am researching the problem
and will get it fixed before it goes back into service.  Cadillac
is usually fun to switch, but with a problematic throttle, it is
difficult instead of fun.  Sorry guys and thanks for sticking in
there.