James Keena Named Man of the Year for 2015

General Superintendent William Chappell presents the 2015 Man of the Year Award to James Keena.

General Superintendent William Chappell presents the 2015 Man of the Year Award to James Keena.

James Keena, a 25-year member of the Highland Park Society of Model Railroad Engineers, Inc., the Society's highest honor. James has been one-man workforce the past several years. He serves as the current Paymaster of the club, a position he has held for 4 consecutive 2-year terms.

James also is the driving force for the "always under construction" Del Mar City scenic area that sits atop the Del Mar Passenger station. Further, Mr. Keena, while doing the duties of Paymaster and the "Mayor" of Del Mar City, he coordinates all scenery projects on the layout as Scenery Department Head. 

Congratulations Mr. Keena. You deserve the award of your peers.

Date Set for Annual Awards Banquet

Members of the Highland Park Society of Model Railroad Engineers, Inc. will assemble for the Annual Awards Banquet on Saturday, January 16, 2016
 at Cocos Restaurant and Bakery in Arcadia.

Drinks and fellowship begin at 6:00 PM with dinner at 7:00 PM. Presentation of awards will follow.

All members and guests can order individually off the Cocos dinner menu. Make your reservation for you and your guests with James Keena, Chief Clerk (pjkeenawhittier@msn.com). Cocos needs to know how many members and guests plan on attending so they can plan accordingly.

WHAT:     2016 Annual Awards Banquet
WHEN:    Saturday, January 16, 2016
WHERE:  Cocos Restaurant and Bakery
 MAP:    https://goo.gl/maps/sdASPnmJyiH2

 

2015 Open House of the Highland Pacific HO scale Model Railroad Club

Ray D. Olsen has produced a video shot at the recent 67th Annual House of the Highland Park Society of Model Railroad Engineers, Inc. Video clips start at the Western terminus of Vista Yard and work around the layout to the division point at Underhill. Thanks to Arie Korporaal for his clip of the Red & Silver "Texas Special" at Deka Siding.

Watch the video of the 2015 Open House on the Videos page.

Operating Session

The high humidity and high heat made the club rooms a welcome relief on operating night. The crew made a gallant effort to run trains but were stymied by the humidity. Frequent breaks for maiine cab operators was the order of the day.

Nonetheless, the group followed Timetable No. 7 and Train List of July 2015 to operate trains over the high iron of the mighty Hghland Pacific Railroad. About 70 percent of the trains made their final destination during the intense operating session.

The more members operate following the timetable and train list, the better we have become. While there are still challenges in timetable operations, it is becoming, well, fun.

Operating Session Focuses on Maintenance and Staging

Jerry Duncan's Super Chief approaches the entrance to Del Mar Passenger terminal while the UP City of San Francisco waits for clearance to depart.

An operating session on Wednesday night, August 26th, was used to restage complete trains, motive power, and rolling stock for the next timetable operating session.

Bill Chappell, Arie Korporaal, and Brian Hunnell worked the floor and mainline cabs. Dave Flynn, Pat Keegan, and Ron Merkel worked on various electrical projects.

Bill moved trains out of Underhill and Highland to Vista Yard and Arie moved trains into Del Mar Passenger Terminal and restaged passenger equipment as well. The operating session exposed a couple of items that need to be added to the maintenance list. A switchoint is broen in Doering Yard and the floor panel for Highland/Greely is inoperable.

While operation is fun, and the major purpose for the club, ongoing maintenance is a necessity. Come on down and help out.

Timetable Operation a Success

An NP reefer has been unloaded and waits for pickup at Deka Siding. 

What a night! For about 2 ⅓ hours the men of the Highland Pacific Railroad, Route of the Highlander, followed Timetable No. 3 to run mainline trains and local freight. Train Master James Keena spent several days and many hours getting the layout set to match the timetable. Kudos to James for organizing the layout in preparation for Timetable and Car Card operation.

Operations using a real-time clock began at 7 PM and concluded about 9:20 PM. The crew moved passengers, freight, and mail over the high iron. Other crews worked the yards and ran the locals. Trains ran on time (mostly) and we progressed through the Dispatchers Train Line-Up Schedule apace.

We had guests that visited the layout last week when we were setting up the layout for the Timetable session but there were no operations. They wanted to see the impressive Highland Pacific Railroad in operation so the returned for a second visit; this time when we were in full-dress operating.

Operators for this session were:

  • James Keena, Trainmaster and Dispatcher
  • Lindsay Smith, Mainline Engineer
  • Bill Chappell, Mainline Engineer
  • Gary Glaze, Mainline Engineer
  • Dave Dodds, Mainline Engineer
  • Bryan Hunnell, Vista Yard Operator
  • Ron Merkel, Del Mar Passenger Terminal Operator
  • Ron Wardwell, West End Yard Operator
  • Pat Keegan, Blue Island Local
  • Arie Korporaal, Doering Local
  • Dave Flynn

Early standards checking of rolling stock, passenger equipment, and locomotives paid off handsomely. There were no equipment failures nor "bad orders" at any time during the session.

Come on down and operat your model railroad like the pros. Our next Timetable and Car Card operating session is scheduled for Wednesday, September 30, 2015. The fun begins at 7 PM. Be there or be square.

Crew Call for Timetable Operation

The next Time Table and Car Card operating session on the Highland Pacific Railroad is scheduled for 7 PM, Wednesday, July 29, 2015. Passenger and Freight Operation will between 7:00 and 8:00 P.M. and continue until about 9:30 to 10:00 P.M.

Crews are needed for the following positions:

  • Dispatcher
  • 5 Mainline Engineers
  • Brakemen/Conductors
  • Vista Freight Yard
  • West End Freight Yard
  • Greeley/Highland Freight Yard
  • Underhill Yard/Castlegate
  • Doering/Arcadia Tower
  • Blue Island Operator
  • Pinehurst/Casper Tower
  • Bayshore Dock Operator
  • Passenger Terminal
  • Round House/Diesel Shop
  • 3 Local Freight Crews

NEC/DCC as well as conventional DC will be used for this Timetable Operations session. Attached is the Dispatcher Train Line-up Schedule for this session.

Timetable Operations Underway

Panoramic view of the Highland Pacific Railroad layout

Panoramic view of the Highland Pacific Railroad layout

Posted live during the operating session …

A small but dedicated crew of operators has been called to work by the crew caller and dispatcher Bryan Hunnell.

Train 804, an eastbound freight, left Vista Yard and hit the mainline another an hour behind schedule. Engineer Bryan Hunnell made up some time on the schedule by while switching at Bayshore Docks.

In the meantime Cab Operator Pat Keegan fired up the 805, a westbound freight on track 363, an began the long journey to the western terminus of the Highland Pacific Railroad. Picking up some cars at Bayshore Docks slowed his arrival at Vista Yard.

Train 806 Engineer Arie Korporaal made up time on the schedule running the First 806 out of Vista eastbound as a through freight. Even so, this priority freight with Western Pacific on the point arrived at its Greely Yard destination just under an hour late.

Lindsay Smith worked as Eastside Brakeman with Ron Wardwell serving as the critical Vista Yard Operator. Bill Chappell got the session underway by staging trains around the layout.

The next operating session governed by timetable is scheduled for July 29, 2015. Be there or be square.

Memberships available. Call (626) 285-1031