Operating events

These events are up-coming within a year or so, and are open to all interested parties regardless of OPSIG membership, which is of course encouraged but not required. If you would like to attend, you must contact the host and secure an invitation. For changes, corrections and or additions contact Ron Copher,

Monthly

Virginia (Glen Allen/Richmond)
Easton & Potomac Railroad: (Contact first)
Website: www.easton-and-potomac.com
Contact: Keith Stillman kfstillman@comcast.net

Multi-deck operations oriented layout featuring regular sessions Weekend and week nights. Please contact first for invite.

Illinois (Chicago)
L&S Division of the B&O RR: (Must contact for invite)
Contact: Ed Lorence lorence1827@sbcglobal.net 773-727-7716 9:00 am - 9:00 p

Schedule of Operations; November 10 2012 Start at 6:00 PM- December 8 2012 Start at 6:00 PM- February 9 2013 Start at 6:00 PM- March 30 2013 Start at 6:00 PM- May 11 2013 Start at 6:00 PM- Featured in RMC October 1997, MR April 2004, GMR volume 48 by Allen Keller December 2004. Railroad size 22' x 44' two levels 6.5 scale miles main line, plus 5 more hidden storage & sidings, 121 turnouts hand operated. Designed to operate 50 car trains, 25 industries for switching. 62 lighted buildings, 450 yard & street lights, 27 sound modules. Digitrax DCC, All sound locomotives, circa 1954. Limit 8 to 10 operators. Card card and weigh bills are used. Operators positions available 1/Grafton yard master, 1/MC yard master, 1/East Elkins yard master, 1/ Fairport yard master, 1/ Gray Jct mine, 1/ Elkins yard master, 4/Engineers/Fireman.

Bi-Monthly

Louisiana (LA/ Baton Rouge)
Midsouth Model Railroad Club Inc: (Open Invite Contact first)
Regularly: First Saturday of the even months
Website: www.missouthmodelrrclub.com
Contact: Arthur Houston ahouston3@charter.net 504- 723- 9290

The Club holds Bi Monthly op sessions on first sat of even number months

February

Arizona (Tucson)
Desert Ops 2013: (Open Invite Contact first)
Regularly: TBA
Website: http://desertops.org/

"Desert Ops is an annual model railroad operations weekend in Arizona. In even-numbered years the event is held in Phoenix; in odd-numbered years, in Tucson. Layout owners are pleased to host this event to share the fun and camaraderie of prototype railroad operations. Participation will be first-come first-served by registration through our website at http://www.desertops.org/ where you can make your session choices and obtain hotel information. Spend a warm February weekend in sunny Arizona"

March

Washington State (Seattle/Tacoma/Olympia Area)
Soundrail: (Open Invite Contact first)
Regularly: 3rd weekend in March, even years
Website: www.soundrail.org
Contact: see website

From Whidbey Island in the north to Olympia in the south, you'll run on a fascinating variety of layouts including some of the finest in the country. Operating sessions feature some of the best-known layouts in the country and will be held Thursday through Saturday.

April

May

Michigan (Dewitt)
ProTrak Weekend: (Open however, Please contact first)
Regularly: TBA
Website: http://www.protrak.cc
Contact: Andy Keeney hunter48820@yahoo.com

http://www.protrak.cc/ will be presented by Jim Moir, Protrak developer. Jim will also be available to work one-on-one with ProTrak users and anyone else that may have questions about the program. The event is open to everyone and they can attend as much or as little as they would like. There is no charge. Please contact Andy Keeney hunter48820@yahoo.com if you are interested in attending all or part of this 4 day fun weekend.

Ohio (Dayton / Cincinnati area)
Operations Dayton: (Open invitation, check website)
Next scheduled: Wed, May 15, 2013 - Sat, May 18, 2013
Website: http://www.mcr2013convention.com

Operations Dayton will be from May 15-18. This will combine an OpSIG type event with a regional NMRA convention. The convention will have a variety of clinics and operating sessions throughout the period. Layouts include outstanding Southwest Ohio model railroads in a variety of gauges - HO, O, N, narrow gauge - and operating themes. There will be terrific clinics, with many oriented to operations, plus self-guided layout tours. This is a great opportunity to attend a convention with National level clinics and an OpSIG focus at the same time, but at much lower cost. (Note that this convention takes the place of the SouthWest Ohio Ops meet – SWOOPS – for 2013.).

Colorado (Fort Collins)
RockyOps (Fort Collins): (Contact first)
Regularly: May 2015
Website: www.rockyop.org
Contact: Doug Geiger gmry@comcast.net 303-651-2225

Anyone with ANY level of operations experience is welcome, from the novice to the most experienced!RockyOp

Colorado ( Pueblo/Colorado Springs Area)
RockyOps South 2014: (Open Invite Contact first)
Regularly: Even number years
Next scheduled: Fri, May 02, 2014 - Sun, May 04, 2014
Contact: Greg Long greglong62@msn.com 719-547-9641

Anyone with ANY level of operations experience is welcome, from the novice to the most experienced!

New Jersey (Union)
The Model RR Club Invitational Operating Session: (Open Invite)
Regularly: Saturday May 18
Website: www.tmrci.org
Contact: Bob Nalbone Bobnalbone@aol.com.

Doors open at 11:30 a.m.; Op session from 1 to 4 p.m. Barbecue following session ($8 per person). Large HO layout, Digitrax DCC; 3 operating railroads featuring live interchange (mainline Class 1, interurban [CTC dispatched], and short line). Tower operations, TT&TO on mainline RR.

Texas (Cental Texas Area)
Spring Fling Live Steam Operation: (Contact for invitation)
Contact: Peter Byran peterb@pdq.net

Live team operations on 3 miles of track plus a 2500 foot branch line. Over 70 industries and 15 towns. This is the first and only true point to point Live Steam railroad in the U.S. Dates are always the first week after Mothers Day as it has been for the past 16 years

Missouri (St. Louis)
Gateway NMRA Rail/OP Weekend: (Open to all skill levels, Must be an NMRA member)
Website: http://gatewaynmra.org/railop.htm
Contact: Richard William Schumacher rschumacher@stlcc.edu

Three free operating sessions (Friday evening, Saturday morning and afternoon) with seven layouts participating (6 HO standard gauge, 1 Sn3 narrow gauge). Open to all experience levels. . Must be an NMRA member to participate. Registration is online, http://gatewaynmra.org/railop/sign-up.htm

June

Wisconsin (LaCrosse)
Riverrail 2014: (Invitation only, contact first)
Regularly: June of even number years
Next scheduled: Fri, Jun 20, 2014 - Sun, Jun 22, 2014
Website: http://guest.riverrail.com/home-page-2/
Contact: Mike Lord riverrailcord@gmail.com.

More Information as the event draws closer, also check out www.Riverrail.com

September

British Columbia (Greater Vancouver Area)
VanRail: (Invitation only, please contact first)
Regularly: 2nd weekend in September, odd years
Contact: Scott Calvert scottcalvert@shaw.ca 604-939-1849

Operations weekend in arguably one of the most beautiful areas of Canada featuring numerous layouts of several scales and operation systems. Participants will operate on three different layouts, and will also enjoy a couple of RR related clinics as well as some other social events while attending.

Ohio (Lima)
Great Lakes Getaway– South: (Registration is now closed)
Next scheduled: Thu, Sep 26, 2013 - Sat, Sep 28, 2013
Contact: Bruce Carpenter bnsf89@bright.net

Great Lakes Getaway – South event, featuring 3 days of operations. Doug Tagsold and I started this event some years ago and it has grown to include many fine railroads in Michigan and Ohio, so many in fact, we decided to split into two regions this year, north and south. Layouts are well designed, with very prototypical operating schemes. No first time operators please. We will have approx.. 40 openings, to be filled by first come, first served basis, with a waiting list, if needed. Featured railroads include: Bruce Carpenter’s BNSF Chillicothe Subdivision – HO Scale, CTC Operations, Present Day Era www.bnsfchillisub.com Bruce Carpenter’s Milwaukee Road Rocky Mountain Division – HO Scale, TT/TO w/ABS Signals, 1973-1974 Chip Cole’s CSXT Plymouth Subdivision – HO Scale, TWC operations, Present Day Era www.csxplymouthsub.com Gerry Albers Virginian Railway - HO Scale, some CTC, TT/TO, 1959 www.depwaterdistrict.com Phil Buck’s Union Pacific Marysville Subdivision – HO Scale, TWC Operations, Present Day Era Bill & Steve Rigg’s Montana Rail Link – HO Scale , CTC Operation, mid 2000’s Era

Utah (Salt Lake City Area)
Great Basin Getaway: (Invite Contact first)
Regularly: September, even years
Contact: Lee Nicholas leeucwrr@msn.com 435-744-2423

We will have 4 primary layouts this year: Lee Nicholas Utah Colorado Western, Rob Spangler Western Pacific 8th Sub (new layout), Gary Petersen Salt Lake Southern, Ted York Santa Fe Cajon Pass. Plus several more layouts open for evening sessions.

October

Illiniois (Chicago area)
AmRail: (Open Invite Contact first)
Regularly: October even years
Website: choprail.org
Contact: Mike Ritschdorff nwpoca@hotmail.com 773-763-1516

A very large and popular event, come to the Windy City and operate on many large and very operations oriented layouts.

North Carolina (Charlotte, Greensboro, and Raleigh)
NC RailRun: (Open / Registration by the website)
Website: http://www.carolinasouthern.org
Contact: Marcus Neubacher kntower@carolina.rr.com

We have a great lineup of operating sessions at layouts in several scales located in the greater Charlotte, Greensboro, and Raleigh areas. To help with the drive times across this rather large area we cover, we have split the schedule into Eastern and Western Regions. Choose all of your layouts in one region, or carefully select layouts in both regions if you are willing to make the longer drives. NC RailRun has been operational since 2006. It is a great opportunity for novice and experienced operators alike to enjoy prototype operations on some great model railroads. For a description of layouts involved in the event, as well as the current schedule, please visit our blog at http://ncrailrun.blogspot.com.

Minnesota (Minneapolis/St. Paul)
Minn-Rail: (Invitation only Contact first)
Website: http://www.minn-rail.org/
Contact: Randy Nord rnord@milwroad.org 763-559-0348

We intend to have 4 op session periods at the 2011 event (ie: Friday eve, Sat morning, Sat late afternoon and Sun morn) and with approximately 17 railroads (including 2-3 new ones this time.

North Carolina ( Hendersonville)
Saluda Rails: (Contact for invite)
Regularly: Fall of odd number years
Next scheduled: Fri, Oct 25, 2013 - Sun, Oct 27, 2013
Website: http://saludarails.org/
Contact: contact@saludarails.org

Saluda Rails is a model railroad operations group that promotes prototype model railroad operations. Operations are anticipated to be held every two years in Western North and South Carolina. 9-10 layouts from western SC, NC and eastern TN.

Pennsylvania (Allentown/Harrisburg/York)
Lehigh Susquehanna Operations: (open Invite Contact first)
Next scheduled: Fri, Oct 04, 2013 - Sat, Oct 05, 2013
Website: www.susquehannanmra.org/LSOP/LSOP5/default.htm

Come operate on three large impressive layouts in the Allentown area, and three in the Harrisburg/York area.

November

Wisconsin/Michigan (Meet is rotated around the division each year)
Winnebagoland Division: (Contact First)
Regularly: First Saturday of November
Contact: Dave Rickaby wmwestdiv@yahoo.com

They use this gathering to teach, encourage, and share operations while having fun and getting together.

California (San Diego)
TT&TO Operation on the Tehachapi Pass Layout: (Request to Participate via the website)
Regularly: Next operations planned in November 2013
Website: http://www.opsontehachapi.com

The operation will use 1953-era equipment, with full fleet of big steam, 1st generation diesels, corresponding car fleet, train orders with open telegraph offices, switchlists, and a real-time (bring watch!) timetable. Operation is planned for approximately 10 hours on Saturday and Sunday, with crew rotations at the 5 hour mark. Line will be in operation from Bakersfield to Mojave Yard, located on the mezzanine. There are approximately 35-45 operating positions available. The positions to be filled before operation can start each day are: Dispatcher, telegraph station operators, and yardmasters. To see the full list of potential positions, please reference opsontehachapi.com, "Request to Participate" page. There will be a small fee charged each participant to cover costs for security and on-site lunch. Motel Information will be provided upon sign-up. Please respond by email with the above subject line with the following information: 1. Name of Operator; 2. Operating position (DS, YM, TO, Road Crew, am or pm, Sat or Sun); 3. Any circumstances preventing full-time participation; 4. Any dietary restrictions (for lunches).

Operating Events