Getting Real column - 10
10: Locomotive No. 29 is on the head end of train No.
14, the Merced Local, this day. It is shown waiting for
the semaphore to drop at the AT&SF interlocking plant
so that it can proceed toward Merced Falls and, ulti-
mately, El Portal.
10
11: While train No. 14 was switching cars onto its train
in Merced, locomotive No. 25 was doing likewise in
El Portal for the El Portal Local. Here is it pulling a YV
flat car loaded with a state roads department Fresno
scraper out of the auto loading track.
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the same train every day — the need to obtain a clearance
card before leaving the initial station (and possibly later before
changing train numbers), when to take water, etc. As such, it is
12: Earlier today, the engineer of the Log Train, the
No. 8, picked up its assigned caboose and left Merced
at 7:30 a.m., running light to Merced Falls. There it
pulled out the log cars spotted the previous day on
the Log Spur, ran around them and then coupled back
onto its caboose. It is now 9:34 a.m. and the No. 8 is
just crossing the county road as it leaves Merced Falls
for Bagby and a meet with the Rock Train.
12
much like having a mentor working with you as you take out
your first train.
Orientation
All of these efforts to help visiting operators might seem exces-
sive if you only have regulars operate your layout but every
operator is a newbie on a new layout. I also provide a quick
orientation for visiting operators before the operating ses-
sions. I have a checklist of the things I want to cover during
these orientations. For example, I like operators to take water
MRH-Jul 2013
