The first op session of 2011 landed on January 15th. A large group of boomers assembled in the Bear Creek valley, anxious to run trains. There were 4 newbies to the Bare Creek including a group from Corvalis. Not much had happened on the BC&SJ since the previous session last year, but the maintenance crew did manage to get the out-of-adjustment switch machines in Mill Bend working again. It seems that all the water and mess from ballasting track and installing scenery had left some of the turnouts in seriously manual mode - as in you'd need to use a crowbar to move and hold the points in place while a train passed. Sigh. The track crew also managed to get most of the track cleaned as well as getting the wheels on most diesels de-slimed. The result was very few stalls due to poor electrical pickup. Yay!

We ran train line-up M with a Deschutes Express West that runs from Deschutes to Millbend, reverses itself then runs over the hill to Salem. Mike T. brought over two pair of newly painted Oregon Electric RS-1s that looked really sharp with a crummy also in Oregon Electric. A good thing since too many of the BC&SJ locos remain in the shop looking for someone to deal with various maladies (mostly power pickup). On the positive side both of the South Jackson yard NW-2 switchers which were thought to have dead decoders decided to start working again. Go figure....

Sean V., a refugee from Santa Barbara and Gary Siegal's crew volunteered to sit in the dispatchers seat. This was the first time in the hot-seat for Sean and he acquitted himself well. Mike T took the Reland local switch job again (his favorite!) and Len Bruening ran South Jackson yard.

The company photographer managed to take some photos until he got drafted to run a train. Some of the these are presented here for your enjoyment.

Click 'em to expand 'em.

Charlie Comstock Superintendent of Nearly Everything
The Bear Creek and South Jackson Railway Co.