Ominous clouds form over Cocoa Yard. Set the storm sails! (Photo: Zach B)

read a lot of books. In fact, I’ve read all the Hornblower novels. Even read the Patrick O’Brian novels about a British expedition that rounds Cape Horn with its endless pounding storms. And I didn’t get the heaving and scurvy of that passage in the op session, but I got the damn rain!

I was at the dispatcher’s desk in the “command” shed, along with the missus and the Farnhams. In the other shed, we had a full house and a heavy schedule. And we might as well have been ships in a storm-tossed formation, for all the chance of crossing between them offered. The rain was vertical, a roar on the metal roof that made radio communications damn near inaudible. And it went on and on, literally for an hour. I remember being hunched at my desk, a crash of lighting hitting so close I could feel it through the floorboards, gripping my headphones and yelling to be understood. By then, the other shed was taking on water (a roof leak). I just wanted it to be over. I felt like I should be writing in my water stained diary: “The storms do not abate. Scurvy grips the crew. Will this madness never end…”

The FEC pushes through a heady downpour in Melbourne (Photo: Chris S)

But finally it subsided and we could get on with the more peaceful chaos of running trains. Ken suggestion I run the thunder-n-lighting effect for the crew in the other shed but I noted that everyone had had enough of that.

Red over Red means the dispatcher will soon be dead (Photo: Zach B)

So during the rain, I was focused so heavily on moving trains with iffy communications that I let the railroad run a bit ahead of itself (by “a bit” I mean two hours). I missed a returning freight’s wait-time at Palm Bar and marched him into the already busy yard well ahead of time (and Al bitched about that two-minute advance last week. He’d have loved this). I told myself that I needed to slow things down and the crews decided to help, throwing wrenches into my brilliance that really staggered the session.

First off, there was a massive delay getting the Titusville Local done. According to the timetable, a southbound freight should meet him there and follow him to Frontenac where they perform a spiffy pass. Well, I delayed the overtaking train in Titusville before the complaints of the crew finally made me ask the turn to get out of the way and let him through. Alright, so now that freight was running late which would delay other trains down the line (after Frontenac, there is not a passing siding to be found until Pinetta, half the layout away and on the other side of busy Cocoa yard). A train was already waiting there and more delays were on the way.

Next up was the coal drag due at the OUC plant in Frontenac. It, too, had to hold in Titusville since with all the run-around shuffling he had at the power plant, I couldn’t run him past and then have him block the prevaricating Turn from running back to the yard. Angry-man Wells took it in good graces. Growled once but accepted my reasoning (and probably had quiet words with T-Turn Al to get his thumb out and finish up for all I know). And yes, another freight was holding in Hialeah Yard and the yard crews were frowning at me since I couldn’t get the departure track cleared for all the delays.

A parade of trains freed from Titusville slowly make their way south, riding yellows (Photo: Zach B)

Finally the Turn finished up (or just burned their boxcars in the Titusville Yard and gave up) and headed back to Cocoa. I got the coal to Frontenac (possibly the crew did a slow down effort on me in revenge – took forever). Had the other train up to hold at Titusville, clearing the yard. But by now the damage was done. Everyone was two hours in the hole. There was muttered mutiny in the other shed (notice the sea-story reference cropping up again). Poor Bruce in the dead-as-doornails freight in Pinetta had waited the long wait and probably wished he’d brought a book or something. Thankfully the session ended after that.

I was afraid Ken would take me out behind the shed and put a bullet in my head.

So yes, a miserable performance. Threw switches fine.Routed trains fine. But in retrospect I should have not clung to the timetable like some Royal Charter (another reference) and just run trains past and worked things out further down the line. Bruce’s train was ending up in City Point, so he should have followed the Boney Turn sooner. Trust me, guys, I thought about this last night.

I will admit that the new “Yard Game” is to let your units roll off unattended. The yardmaster (mistress?) nearly let a set run down the runnel and possibly up to Titusville, which would have added to the fun. And the hostler let one run down the departure tracks to smash the crummy of a waiting train. So, yes, I wasn’t the only one making goofs in the rain.

But overall, I need to complement the crews who dealt with storms, delays and frustration like professional operators (I’m always proud of the Florida crews we can assemble). Enjoyed the company of the ride up and the laughs of the session. So yes, we’ll be back and I’ll give the wheel to Kyle. And damn his eyes if he does better!

>>>BUY A SEA-STORY FROM ME HERE<<<

The FEC puts on a parade of Ugly through Melbourne. Like the Edsel, this was the height of style in the ’50s (Photo: Chris S)

My crew, racked with seasickness and scurvy but still hearty lads! (Photo: Chris S)