NGM Bulletin - June 2023
Andrew Lindemann
Sunday, May 28, 2023, marked the conclusion of this year’s annual Buford Presbyterian Church train show, jointly hosted by NGM and the Freemodelers. This show, in particular, typically falls on Memorial Day Weekend, and is one of the larger ones layout-wise, as well as the longest-running show (10 total days) on NGM’s annual calendar. Attendance was strong, with both Saturdays and Sundays being the highest-trafficked days as far as operators and guests.
There were three main takeaways from this show, all of which will hopefully result in smoother train operation in the future. Firstly, there needs to be a formalized dispatch structure if more than two trains are occupying a track at the same time (4 total), as crowded mainlines on a couple of the busier operating days resulted in bogged down operation and “trapped” members unable to exit the layout due to stopped trains occupying the gate bridge. Rob Keeney typically oversees layout operations and is very strict with dispatching rules when he is in charge; this oversight needs to extend to all dispatchers and yardmasters if the club is experiencing high operator volumes. Group leaders will work to implement a more formal, intuitive dispatching system that streamlines the process of registering train consists and granting permission to enter/exit the layout mainlines.
Secondly – and this is more of an opinion of mine than a consensus - Ivan’s wye and yard needs to be isolated from the mainline, removed completely, or completely overhauled/fixed. Electrically, the modules have been causing numerous hiccups when operators attempt to cross the mainline and pull off into the yard – most severely on the last Sunday of the show, when a long freight train crossing the wye crossovers caused the entire layout to glitch. Physically, the yard is too short to accommodate most medium-to-long trains, resulting in several switch moves to enter/exit and consequent mainline clogging. Ergonomically, the yard takes up valuable space inside the layout loop, and needs to protrude externally. The topic of Ivan’s wye and yard is one that certainly needs be of much discussion in future meetings.
Finally, and most importantly, a renewed emphasis on operator safety and attention needs to be stressed. Anyone operating a train - no matter the length, type, or direction - on a shared layout serves as the de-facto engineer and conductor of said train. One must always attend to his or her train closely and carefully. On the final day of the BPC show, a severe accident occurred in which a slower-moving mixed freight local train was rear ended by a faster-moving, heavier, modern freight hotshot, while on the Sachem Gorge bridge. The collision caused all but one car of the slower-moving train to derail, which consequently blocked the opposite-direction mainline, then causing a second collision with an oncoming passenger train. The accident tied up the mainline for more than 5 minutes while a couple of members sorted out the mess, and destroyed four couplers on the rear-ended consist. It was wholly the result of inattentiveness, and could've been avoided with a bit more care. Operational rules with the goal of accident mitigation will be set in place and strictly enforced at the next show – details to come.
Overall, the 2023 Buford Presbyterian Church show was a success, all things considered. Upgraded layout electronics were able to be utilized, and a variety of rolling stock from different eras was able to be displayed and exhibited. Additionally, several new modules were able to be utilized. We hope that the lessons learned from the week will be harnessed for the upcoming June show at the Southeastern Railway Museum in Duluth. The show will take place from June 22-25.
There will also be a workshop/operations session at the residence of NGM President Hannes Van Niekerk on June 17, from 10:00am to 4:00pm. Please contact Hannes for more details if interested.