9. There are no known photos of local freights on
the YV while they were running as extras. However,
this photo of a mixed train leaving Merced some time
after June 1943 shows what might have been a typi-
cal consist in those days. The engine has just passed
the semaphore for the AT&SF interlocking plant. Fred
Stoes photo.
9
provide to a visiting operator with the experience gained by a
real YV engineer running 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 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 have only regulars operate your layout, but every
operator is a newbie on a new layout. I also provide a quick
