Model Railroading > Keystone Turn

Keystone Turn (Train #591) runs from Easton to Keystone and back on the River City Western, the layout of the River City Modelers in Spokane, WA. Follow along on a days work for the local switch job using a pair of Montana Rail Link GP9M's.

1. MRL GP9M's on the service track at Easton.

2. The day's work order for train #591, the Keystone Turn.

3. Pulling the needed cars from the yard at Easton. No yard crew on duty today.

Ted Curphey
Ontario, OR

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4. Train built and entering the mainline at Easton for the run to the Keystone Branch.

5. MRL Caboose bringing up the rear of the train.

6. On a Roll passing the West Easton Interlocking. Eastbound trains enter Easton Yard through this interlocking.

Ted Curphey
Ontario, OR



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 01/12/21 02:10 by funnelfan.

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7. Passing the East River City Interlocking. This interlocking controls access to the east end of the Passenger Terminal and Intermodal Yard.

8. Switching out the meat packing plant at Smeltz. I had already swapped the cars at Minden Mills, and left the train on the long spur to Minden, with the pickup behind the caboose.

9. Since the end of the branch has limited run-around room, I'm going to leave the excess cars from Minden and Smeltz at Onaway for the time being.

Ted Curphey
Ontario, OR



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 01/12/21 02:12 by funnelfan.

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10. Onaway is a gravel loading spur for the crusher shown in the distance.

11. Approaching the end of the branch, I will leave cars in a short siding before the bridge before pulling cars from the spots at Keystone.

12. Picking up the outbound cars from the mill in Keystone, including several empty log flats. This mill still burns the waste wood in a wigwam burner.

Ted Curphey
Ontario, OR



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 01/12/21 02:14 by funnelfan.

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13. Log loads have been spotted and working on spotting empty boxcars.

14. Heading back to Onaway over the mainline at the west switch at Hastings.

15. Back at Onaway, switching out the rock cars and building the train for the return to Easton. 

Ted Curphey
Ontario, OR



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 01/12/21 02:17 by funnelfan.

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16. Passing the Minden Mills heading down the Keystone Branch.

17. Reentering the mainline at West River City passing the commercial district and the entrance to the Intermodal Terminal.

18. Arriving back at Easton Yard.

Ted Curphey
Ontario, OR



Edited 2 time(s). Last edit at 01/12/21 02:21 by funnelfan.

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19. Cars sorted out into the yard and shoving back to the engine terminal to tie up.

20. Tied down on a Ready Track, we'll let the hostlers deal with the power when they find the time. They are busy readying some road power for a outbound manifest.

Ted Curphey
Ontario, OR



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 01/12/21 02:23 by funnelfan.

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That work order is pretty impressive.  Do they have software to do that?

I am starting to use JMRI also, just now working on setting it up.

A learning curve to be sure, but then so was RailOp.

Nice work! Looks like a fun place to operate.

So, the diner shown in photos 4 and 5 - inspired by Frank's Diner(s) in Spokane? :)  I've had good food there, at least at the North Spokane location.

Arved Grass
Fleming Island, FL

Looks like a fun layout. Thanks for sharing.

Regards, Jim Evans
 

RRTom Wrote:
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> That work order is pretty impressive.  Do they
> have software to do that?

Yes, it's part of the JMRI system. I haven't yet familiarized myself with it yet, but it's pretty powerful. That means there is a bit of a learning curve like Mr Murphy said.

Ted Curphey
Ontario, OR

Beautiful layout.Squiky  clean.Not prototypical
with it so clean.

Uncle Joe

"So, the diner shown in photos 4 and 5 - inspired by Frank's Diner(s) in Spokane? :)  I've had good food there, at least at the North Spokane location."

Kinda, Spokane still has a couple of railroad Diners still around. One is Franks Diner on the west end of downtown, a well known and highly popular restraunt. It can be impossible to get a seat much of the day. There is also the Knights Diner up near Hillyard. The older couple had recently sold it and it was getting remodeled just before Covid-19 hit.

Ted Curphey
Ontario, OR

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Great trip around the layout, Ted.  Thanks for the 'ride'












 

boejoe Wrote:
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> Great trip around the layout, Ted.  Thanks for
> the 'ride'




Agree. Fun way to spend the day.


Chris

Gotta love MRL chop-nosed GP9s. Great chase Ted.

~ Mr. MRL

* MRL 123 (returning from Pacific Steel & Recycling at Helena, MT 10/23/07)

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Mr. MRL wrote:

"Kinda, Spokane still has a couple of railroad Diners still around. One is Franks Diner on the west end of downtown, a well known and highly popular restraunt. It can be impossible to get a seat much of the day. There is also the Knights Diner up near Hillyard. The older couple had recently sold it and it was getting remodeled just before Covid-19 hit."

I've seen Frank's Diner on the west end of town. My wife had an aunt who lived in the western part of Spokane, and had a view of the ex-SP&S line just west of the elevated line through town. The place looked a lot busier than the North Spokane location which we stopped at a couple times on our way up to Newport and my wife's home town of Cusick - which also got me to do a bit of railfanning of the POVA. 

But I digress... :)

 

Arved Grass
Fleming Island, FL