March 2023 Ops - Farewell Bill

[Craig]

This past Saturday we had our farewell ops for a great Friend of the A&O family and the NCMRC Family.  Our friend Bill is leaving NCO to head east to be closer to family.  So we had our big ole full day op session to give Bill the proper send off.

Here are some shots of the days' ops, as well as some other 'cool' shots I found around the layout.

Enjoy!!!


Bill looking over the board...keeping traffic moving.


Mike working International Paper.  And notice he is still smiling! 


Kirk giving Mike some encouragement. 

[Craig]

A few more of some scenes that are starting to make their way on the layout.


Dorff and Son Loader at Brooks.  Such an amazing scene.  I worked the operating loader at Brooks (called Brookstone Coal) and I just caught myself looking over detail after detail!  David is truly a scene master!


Some of the Brooks details


More shots of the loader.  And it works like a DREAM!  Fantastic work on the loader mechanism Bob.  And the mechanism that David built to reload the 'coal' hopper is so amazing!!

[Craig]

And finally....our group shot for the day.  Bill in the comfy chair.



Good Luck Bill !!!!  We will miss you!!

[RickBacon]

We are all going to miss you Bill!  I hope you enjoy your future endeavors and family time!

It does appear that while Bill was doing a professional job dispatching the layout, the Millport yardmaster was largely goofing off and struggling with simple tasks!

[Bob]

David presents Bill with a "suitable for framing" giant farewell card.



Michelle operates CM Tower.



Working hard, or hardly working?

[Craig]

Ahhhhh….the life of a Dispatcher