25 Oct, 2011   Summary

The Dunbar & Wausaukee Railroad (D&W) had a very profitable day as a handful of new employees were trained along with a few old heads.  All traffic was moved as planned with no major mishaps. A total of 6 employees ran 2 locals and 5 through freights plus switching in both yards.  One train was annulled due to lack of traffic.

During the employee training session, the new car card & waybill system was introduced and explained along with the basic rules for operating on mainline and yard tracks.  For the main, a simplified system of Track Warrants was used, with the dispatcher writing them and handing them to the conductors. In the future,  the conductors will write their own while receiving the instructions verbally over the radio. Within Yard Limits, the Yard Masters coordinated all train movements.  A brief tour of the system given along  with an explanation of the daily operation scheme.   Then the diesels were fired up. 

Unfortunately a system wide limitation was discovered.  Only 4 trains can be run a time due to the PowerCab with Smart Booster control system being used.  D&W management is budgeting for an upgrade in the near future.

Call Board for the session was as follows………
Dispatcher:  Slacker (Old Head)
Channing Yard Master:  Geezer (Trainee)
Green Bay Yard Master:  Shooter (Trainee)
Pembine Local:  Southern Dave (Old Head)
Coleman Local:  Teach (Trainee)
Through Freights:  Freddy Bear (Trainee)

At the end of the day a debriefing session was held.  D&W management has already made improvements to the railroad and operating system based on a input from the trainees.

The call board for the next session will be posted soon. I hope everyone gets a chance to mark up!

CD Heili
President  – D&W RR 

The Dunbar & Wausaukee Railroad  (D&W)  is the name of my HO scale model railroad.  It's a modern freelance railroad based partially in reality.  There was a real Dunbar & Wausaukee that ceased operations in 1924.

In my "twisted history", the D&W survived and grew slowly by hauling forest products and running tourist steam excursions thru the northwoods of Wisconsin.   Then in 1980, the D&W purchased the Milwaukee Road's line from Green Bay, WI to Ontonogon, MI., expanding it's operations considerably.

In real life,  The Escabana & Lake Superior  (E&LS)  actually purchased that line from the Milwaukee Road in 1980 and they still operate it today. These are the operations I'm modeling on my layout.

My D&W is a point-to-point layout running from a yard in Green Bay to another yard in Channing, MI.  Along the way, trains work fictiious industries in the towns of Coleman, Wausauskee and Pembine.  The D&W is powered by a handful of old EMD locomtives that were included in the line purchase from the Milwaukee Road in addition to other used locomotives purchased from various sources.  They all still sport their original paint schemes as there is no money in the budget for new paint jobs. Some motive power is leased from the Mullan Pass Railway and other sources as needed.

The Surface Transportation Board (STB) has approved the sale of the Dunbar & Wausaukee Railroad (D&W) to the Mullan Pass Railway (MPRW). The sale will be completed and transfer of ownership will take place on March 1st, 2009.

According to Mullan Pass Railway offiicials, there will be no changes in operations for now. The sale moves the D&WRR under the corporate umbrella of the MPRW but it will continue to operate as it's own railroad.