Please note that the operating schedule for our event is subject to change. Updates will be made to the blog as needed. Please see below for more detailed descriptions of the layouts planned for each operating day.
Charleston, Roanoke & Eastern Railway
The CR&E is a prototype-freelanced division of Norfolk Southern operating in West Virginia and Virginia. The approximate era is 1989-1993, with the modeled portion of the railroad running from the Lewisburg, WV, area to Roanoke, VA. The CR&E is a coal-hauling railroad with bridge traffic, extending from Charleston, WV, through Roanoke to Danville, VA. In addition to Norfolk Southern traffic, CSX coal trains move via trackage rights arrangement on a portion of the line. An operating coal branch feeds the mainline traffic as well.
The N Scale CR&E occupies two rooms (11 X 22 and 15.5 X 19) with a connector. The 250+ foot mainline is controlled using the Digitrax system, with simplex radio and corded throttles usable. Although no scenery is in place, the railroad is fully operational. Mainline dispatching is done using Track Warrants issued to the crews via FRS radios with headsets. Branchline dispatching is handled using Form 19 Train Orders issued to the crews at a few stations on the branch. Traffic is moved using car cards and waybills.
Visitors can choose from one or two dispatching jobs, two yard crew jobs, and a number of road crew positions. The layout owner asks that attendees bring Digitrax throttles and FRS radios with headsets if possible.
The railroad is handicap accessible via a lower-level entrance. A bathroom is available for use on the lower level as well.
Blue Ridge & White Mountain
The Blue Ridge & White Mountain is set in the fall of 1959 and represents railroading on the Maine coast during that time. A freelanced railroad, the BRWM purchased the Maine Central's Rockland Branch and the Bangor & Aroostook's Searsport Branch and connected the two. The railroad serves the Maine coast with a connection to the rest of Maine and Canada via the St. Albans & Northern Railroad.
This HO scale railroad occupies an L-shaped area of a basement, with one 24 X 12 area and another 25 X 15 area. The 250 foot mainline is operated with the Digitrax simplex radio system. Dispatching is under verbal authority communicated via FRS radios. Car forwarding is done with car cards and waybills.
Still under construction, the BRWM does not yet have any scenery, but is fully operational. The railroad is a double-deck design.
Attendees can choose from a dispatching job, three yard crew positions, and several road crew positions. The layout owner requests that anyone who can bring a Digitrax throttle and an FRS radio with headset.
This layout is in a basement and is not handicap accessible. One room also has 30" aisles. Please contact us with further details of your specific situation so we can work with the layout owner to determine the limits of accessibility.
Denver, Boulder & Western Railway
The DB&W represents the busy UP/BNSF Joint Line between Denver and Pueblo, Colorado, plus additional subdivisions. Set in the modern era, this is heavy-duty railroading representing both Union Pacific and BNSF operations. Heavy trains and big power with helper locomotives make this a challenging railroad to operate on.
The HO Scale DB&W occupies a full basement and features 350 feet of mainline. The railroad is operated using the NCE DCC system. The railroad is dispatched using both CTC and Track Warrant Control, with communications via FRS radios. A simplified car card system is used to move cars between destinations.
One of the unique features of this railroad is the number of live loads moved over the railroad. Real coal, real iron ore, real wood chips, and other simulated materials are loaded into cars, making trains heavy and train handling very interesting.
Operators can sign up for one dispatcher position, three yard crew positions, and a number of road crew assignments. A utility dispatcher is also needed to help control trains coming out of the railroad's hidden staging areas for crew changes on the modeled portion of the railroad.
All NCE cabs and all radios are provided by the layout owner. Food and drinks are provided, and all attendees of the RailRun are welcome to participate in this large capacity session.
The railroad is easily accessible, with no known handicap accessibility issues.
