Operating Session Countdown

Well, the house is on the market and we have had some folks walk through but no offers yet. I have stopped working on the layout since I will likely end up cutting it up to take it out of the house and our next home won't have the same sized space, so only pieces will be reassembled. I have a list of ideas I want to do different, such as incorporating a loop of some kind for continuous running, but that is a topic for another blog entry.
Eric D. was over one night last week to run trains. I am starting to count down the number of operating sessions we can have before we turn the lights off for the last time. I managed to spend a little time setting up the sequence of trains and I focused on specific local trains with only 1 or 2 stops for Eric to alternative between while I again focused on working the Irwin Yard and some local extras that originated from Irwin like the mine shifter.
Overall, it went extremely well!

TR-49 Westbound (Engine 8805) through to Pittsburgh, single stop in E. McKeesport to pick up cars on the P&LE Interchange

• Irwin trick set out cars for Greensburg for TR-60
• Run light to Herminie to pick up hoppers, HMR-1

TR-60 Eastbound (Engine 8604) local dropped cars in Irwin, pick up cars bound for Greensburg

• Irwin trick sort cars from Herminie mine run
• Irwin trick sort new cars from Pittsburgh TR-60

P&LE run leave cars for PRR (both from Erie and local pick ups) and take back to Erie any cars bound

• HMR-2 mine run to drop off cars
• IR-1 exchange cars at Heinz and LAS Fabrics, drop offs and pick-ups as necessary
• Sort new cars from IR-1
• Set out cars bound for Pittsburgh

TR-61 Westbound (Engine 8604) pick up & drop off at Irwin yard, continue to Pittsburgh

•     Irwin trick sort cars dropped off by TR-61
•     Run light to E. McKeesport and get P&LE Interchange cars

TR-62 Westbound (Engine 7046) local from Pittsburgh, pick up Irwin Industrials, drop off cars in Irwin yard, continue to Greensburg

• Irwin trick set out Greensburg bound cars
• Irwin trick run out and drop off Irwin Industrials, and E. McKeesport exchange cars - West Penn Power, P&LE Interchange

TR-47 Westbound (Engine 7046) Thru to Pittsburgh

TR-52 Eastbound (Engine 8805) Thru to Greensburg

Eric was having some problems correctly aligning the switches, even though I have the handles painted white for straight and red for curved. I think I will add mock white milepost signs on the straight track as a visual clue for the operators.

I hope we can get another operating session next week!