Sunset Limited Operating Sessions
Houston, Texas February 13-15, 2020
THE CONVENTION IS OVER!
WE HOPE EVERYONE WHO ATTENDED HAD A GOOD TIME.
THANKS TO ALL OF THE VOLUNTEERS WHO MADE THIS EVENT POSSIBLE!
Like
to operate? We have you covered!
Plan
now to join in opereating sessions on 12 of the Houston area's most
operator-friendly layouts. While the 2020 convention does not
officially open until Thursday, Feb. 13, we'll kick off the operating
sessions a day earlier to fit in all 12 layouts.
We're
looking forward to some great sessions, with room for about 25 to
30 operators. The convention will feature five operating sessions. The
first will take place Wednesday evening starting at 7:30 pm. The
later-than-usual start will help avoid Houston's rush hour traffic and
give folks from out of town a little extra time to get to their
destinations. The full operating schedule is:
Wednesday, Feb. 12, 7:30 pm to 10:30 pm Thursday, Feb. 13, 9 am to noon Thursday, Feb. 13, 2 pm to 5 pm Friday, Feb. 14, 9 am to noon Friday, Feb. 14, 2 pm to 5 pm
To participate in the operating sessions you need to sign up as soon as possible with your top 5 layout selections. Scroll down for a description of each of the participating layouts. To get on the list, send an email to LSR Operations Co-Chairman Tom Bailey at tfbailey@sbcglobal.net with your top five preferred layout selections in order of your preference.
Please email as soon as possible so we can coordinate layout operating schedules.
We will schedule on a first-come, first served basis. While
we cannot give everyone all of their layout preferences, we will
do our best to accommodate your choices. If you have any
questions, email Tom Bailey at tfbailey@sbcglobal.net.
Robert
Ashcraft
Raton & Western Railroad
2
sessions/7 operators
Scale: HO
Era: 1962 standard gauge
Size: 20' x 20'
Layout: 100%
Scenery: 90%
Controls: DCC - EasyDCC
Fictitious
layout over Raton Pass; the Raton & Western is a
bridge route for the AT&SF and D&RGW. Layout
has mountains, five towns and two yards. A modified
double decked layout, this railroad is built for
operations requiring two yard operators and four road
engineers with a hostler helping both yard operators.
RailOp generated switch lists are used to move traffic
across the system.
Eddie
Aycock
Union
Pacific - Town Creek Division
1
session/4 operators
Scale: N
Era: 1960s - 1980s
Size: 10' x 16' + 12' x 12'
Layout:100%
Scenery: 60 %
Controls: DCC - Digitrax
The
Union Pacific - Town Creek Subdivision layout occupies
two rooms with three levels in one room and two levels
in the adjoining room. The route is Cheyenne, Wyoming,
to Pocatello, Idaho, with many elevation changes
through the mountains. The railroad has sixteen signal
blocks with Digitrax equipment. Atlas code 55 track is
used for everything outside of the staging area. There
are many industries with laser kit buildings. Ops
sessions run with JMRI printed manifests.
Bob
Barnett
River
City Union Terminal

2
sessions/4 operators
Scale: HO
Era: Early 1950s steam and diesel
Size: 11' x 17'
Layout: 90%
Scenery: 90%
Controls: DCC - Digitrax
The
RCUT models the Missouri Pacific mainline from St.
Louis to Little Rock with Texarkana as south staging.
Designed for operation featuring passenger, mail and
milk train operations. Equipment is MP, T&P and
MKT featuring the Texas
Eagle and Texas Special.
Gordon
Bliss
Santa
Fe - All the Way
2
sessions/10 operators
Scale: N
Era: 1953/1954
Size: 20' x 30' +
Layout: 100%
Scenery: 50%
Controls: DCC - Digitrax
The
Santa Fe - All the Way is a large double deck layout
representing Santa Fe's Chicago to Los Angeles
mainline. The layout features a 464' mainline, two
double-track helixes and a high scenery to train
ratio. Kansas City Union Station and Argentine Yard
are modeled. Operates 30 trains in a four hour session
with nine operators. PBX phone system used for
communications.
Craig
Brantley
D&RGW
- Spring Division
1
session/4 operators
Scale: O/On3
Era: 40s-50s narrow/standard gauge steam
Size: 21' x 32'
Layout: 100%
Scenery: 70%
Controls: DCC - EasyDCC and Phoenix sound
The
D&RGW - Spring Division is a freelance Colorado
narrow gauge railroad with standard gauge interchange.
Features Colorado mountains, dual gauge track,
scratchbuilt trestles, stud wall bench work, lighting
valence, custom control panels. Designed for operation
using RailOP generated switch lists.
Gene
Mangum
Mystic
Branch
2
sessions/3 operators
Scale: HO
Era: Late 1970s Standard Gauge
Size: 8' x 21'
Layout: 100%
Scenery: 100%
Controls: Digitrax
The
Mystic Branch is a standard gauge SP branchline set in
the Texas Hill Country based on the actual branch from
San Antonio to Kerrville. Features two fictional
towns, Mystic and Val Verde with a small yard
representing Kerrville. Off layout staging via
removable cassettes. Typical branch line operation
with urban and rural environments, featuring benched
rock cuts; trestle, truss and deck girder bridges;
scratchbuilt and kit structures.
Al
Partlow
Texas
& New Orleans Hearne Sub
2
sessions/7 operators
Scale: HO
Era: Early 1950s
Size: 20' x 38'
Layout: 100%
Scenery: 50%
Controls: DCC - CVP Products Easy DCC
The Texas & New Orleans Hearne Sub is a 20' x 38'
HO scale model railroad that depicts operations on the
T&NO Dallas and Austin Divisions in the early
1950s. The railroad includes the major terminal at
Houston, including Houston Grand Central Station, as
well as the towns of Hockley, Hempstead, Navasota and
Hearne. A major classification yard is featured
at Hearne. The Austin Sub leaves the mainline at
Hempstead for Austin and the Texas Hill Country.
Equipment includes both steam and first generation
diesels, typical passenger consists, and era specific
freight cars and cabooses. Signature structures
include the unique Hearne Passenger Depot, the
Hempstead Depot and the large rice dryer at
Hockley.
Steve
Sandifer
Santa
Fe - Howard Branch
2
sessions/2 operators
Scale: HO
Era: 1952
Size: 14' x 20'
Layout: 50%
Scenery: 95% Upper
Controls: DCC - NCE, some sound
The
Santa Fe - Howard Branch is in an expanded bedroom and
models Emporia and the Howard Branch of the ATSF in
Kansas in the early 50s on two decks. The upper deck
(Howard Branch) is fully operational with car card
routing. Instead of a helix, an around-the-room
behind-the-scenes ramp connects the two decks. 50
turnouts and two diamonds are hand laid with most on
Central Valley tie blocks using code 70 rail. Lower
deck under construction with 17 staging tracks, 2
helixes and the town of Emporia.
Dave
Shafer
Culpeper
Ridge Railways
1
session/6 operators
Scale: HO
Era: Steam
Size: 20’ x 25’ double decked with helix
Layout: 100%
Scenery: 30%
Controls: Digitrax
The
Culpeper Ridge Railways consist of four railroads in
the Appalachian Mountains and foothills. This is
a large layout in the late-construction phase, with
all trackwork completed. The Greenbrier and
Cherry River Railroad is a Class 1 mainline operation
with freight and passenger service to all major
points. In addition, a large division-point yard
serves the G&CR. The Jefferson and
Greenbrier Electric Railway is an electric interurban
which handles both passengers and freight. The
interurban railway features a separate yard, and
freight is interchanged between the G&CR and
JAGER. The highlight of the interurban railway
is a 15 foot long trestle. A logging and mining
branch line is completed which interchanges with the
G&CR, and an HOn30 narrow gauge logging and mining
line is also completed. G&CR, branchline,
and narrow gauge motive power is 100% steam, and many
locos have sound. JAGER motive power features
freight motors, boxcabs, steeplecabs, and
interurbans. Car forwarding uses RailOp/Excel.
Trains run sequentially (no fast clock) with a focus
on fun.
Randall
Wilson
Southern
Pacific Rabbit Line
2
sessions/7 operators
Scale: HO
Era: 1990s
Size: 22' x 36'
Layout: 99%
Scenery: 10%
Controls: DCC - NCE
Southern
Pacific's "Rabbit Line" from Houston to Shreveport in
the early 1990s is recreated here. The layout features
Southern Pacific trains and three shortline railroads
in the East Texas piney woods.
Bill
Wright
Green
Bay Southern Railroad

1
session/9 operators
Scale: HO
Era: 1956
Size: 22' x 43'
Layout: 100%
Scenery: 60%
Controls: DCC - NCE
The
Green Bay Southern Railroad represents the Green Bay
& Western Railroad in Wisconsin from the car ferry
on Lake Michigan. Track plan for Norwood Yard in Green
Bay based on the prototype yard plan.
Frank
Wyatt
Union
Pacific Illinois Terminal Rail Road
1
session/4 operators
Scale: HO
Era: 1960s
Size: 10' x 20'
Layout: 90%
Scenery: 90%
Controls: DCC - Digitrax
UPIT
is a two-bedroom switching railroad on one level with
remote (in hallway) dispatcher position using JMRI.
Normally in addition to the dispatcher, we have four
operators handling 19 short trains: two road engineers
and one operator for the town of Springfield and one
operator for the main Federal Yard.
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