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2015 GNRHS Convention
Minneapolis / Saint Paul, Minnesota
Friday, July 17th through Wednesday July 22nd
Come along with Lindsay as I experience the Great Northern Railway in the
Twin Cities.
Friday, July 17:
It is 0 dark 30 as the taxi whisks me off to Sea-Tac airport. The three hour
flight to Minneapolis Saint Paul is uneventful and by noon local time, I am at
the baggage claim and calling my good friend Jon. The line at Hertz is enormous,
but there are six folks working the computers and I have my wussy Hyundai
mid-size in a short 15 minutes. Jon and I head for the "Ramada Plaza
Minneapolis" to check into our respective rooms. Nap time!
The nap was much needed, as Jon, Don and I are headed for a night-time operating
session at Jeff Otto's magnificent "Missabe Northern" layout.
#1: Our host, Jeff Otto (red shirt) talks it over with Don McGlothin and Jim
Chinquist.
  
#2: overall view of the Duluth dock area; #3: moving closer to the docks; #4:
The Great Lakes freighter, "William A. Irvin" prepares to take on some
Missabe
Range iron ore.
Jon and I were newbies when it came to operating on a model layout. Jeff gave us
all a short introduction, we were assigned jobs to do and then the "fast clock"
was started and off we went!
  
#1: Jeff giving us a safety talk and instructions; #2: Another view of
pre-operations meeting; #3: getting our assignments from the crew caller.
My assignment was a road freight GN 407 from Duluth to Lyndale Yard in
Minneapolis. Just like the real railroads (on occasion), my engine GN 3025 was
attached to the wrong train! A little switching and my waybills finally matched
my consist. I called the dispatcher for permission to depart.
  
#1, #2, & #3: Departing a bit tardy from the advertised, GN 3025 rolls along
south (railroad west) towards Lyndale. Notice the consist behind 3025 changes as
I set out and pick up cars at various points along the way.
I also took an assignment to haul an ore train, from (I think) Cass Lake to
Proctor, but was having so much fun listening to the articulated sound and
blowing the whistle, I seem to have forgotten to take any pictures!
Instead, let's look at some of the other scenes and operations:
  
#1: Dispatcher Nancy keeps the Missabe Northern fluid; #2: BIG GN power ready to
head out on a run; #3: Lots of ore at the mine.
   
#4: Don McGlothlin shifting cars at (I think) West Duluth yard; #5: Hey, maybe I
DID take a picture of my ore train - Here's GN 2015 (how appropriate) about to
head east to Proctor; #6: A chunky DM&I 0-10-2 hauls some empties uphill as GN
408 heads for Duluth underneath; #7: John Wegner ponders his next move.
 
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