It's the 20th Anniversary Bear Creek & South Jackson op session gala video!
It's hard for me to comprehend that the BC&SJ has been running op sessions for 20 years, but here I am with 2 decades of operations.
A lot has changed since the first session with only an impromptu stub-end staging. The mainline has been complete since 2015. Now the last remaining track, the final version of Bear Creek yard is in progress.
Along the way, a significant amount of scenery has appeared (but there's still waay too much bare plywood).
I've met a lot of model train proto operation nerds over the years. We started with mother-may-I, quickly switched to track warrant control, and in 2013 started running Timetable and Train Order which is still employed.
I feel the need to give thanks to all the friends who came to the train dungeon for work nights (I'm glad I had help building this 1100 sqft monstrosity!) and those who (more or less) faithfully show up for op sessions. Without y''all I would have given up on the BC&SJ a long time ago.
If you'd like to know more about the earlier years of the BC&SJ check out my "Up the Creek" column in Model Railroad Hobbyist from 2009 to 2013. In April 2014 there was a 10th anniversary spread in MRH. In 2021 there was a layout update article.
Specs of the BC&SJ:
- HO scale
- Era is 1952
- Theme is protolanced railroading in Oregon's Willamette valley
- Mainline is about 5 scale miles plus about 2 more of branch lines not including the staging areas
And blessing upon my ever patient wife who often endures the loss of her husband into the train dungeon.
9 май 2024
