Ops weekend: The New Jersey Highlands

 If you’re reading this chances are good that you’re familiar with the concept of “Ops Weekends”. On the odd chance you’re not the basic idea is that a group of those of us who reside on the lunatic fringe of society travel to a city or region where a group of other layout owners, other residents of the fringe, live. 

They host us at op sessions on their home layouts. Layout owners seem to like this idea because it gives them a chance to show off their layout to a larger group of people with a common interest. Now years ago these were temperate affairs with punch and cookie refreshments. Of late it seems Rule G(*1) has been suspended, and in many cases trampled upon. 

So some time ago I investigated the possibility of bringing a group of friends to the layouts known as “The New Jersey Highlands”. These layout owners were quite organized and had one amongst them who acted as coordinator, Ted Pamprin.  He replied to my request in the affirmative; They were receptive to the idea. I then inquired with the usual suspects and got 19 “yes” replies.

Well… Ted set a limit of ten to my group. I put the last nine respondees on the alternates list and we began the plan. The first trip went off fairly well(*2), and I inquired if I might put together a second trip with the alternates. Ted replied that that was okay, so the second trip was put together. 

My 9 alternates had grown to 14, but I expected the usual number of cancellations so we went forward.

By trip time we were down to 11, and I planned to back out of any op session that could not accommodate all eleven (None did). The layout list changed as well, we lost three layouts due to a house fire and two schedule conflicts but gained two layouts to new construction, so we lost a net of one, but that left us with 7, I think. Good enough for a four day trip.

On Day one we hit Dave Abeles Conrail layout, set in the late 1990’s. Lots of horns, bells and lights as well as a lavish CTC system. Dave’s children and copious amounts of beer livened up the affair.

Day two began with Ted Pamperin’s C&O set in 1944. Beautiful scenery and structures along with a huge and varied steam roster set in Wartime West Virginia. Ted’s scenery is curious in that it almost looks like a black and white photograph. A-mix of CTC and TTTO.

After Ted’s it was off to Tony Koester’s 1957 NKP. Beautiful scenery again. Nickel Plate Berks glide through fields of corn, wheat, or soybeans. TTTO throughout, with foreign railroads crossing at grade, protected with local interlocking. My highlight was running 1-90 with Dan Munson. Why on earth the NKP saw fit to put us two knuckleheads together is beyond me, but we had fun.

Day three began at Dave Ramos’s New York Harbor Railroad. Huge switching complex set in 1950’s New York. I was part of the crew at 30th Street Yard. Dave is a gracious host and the layout is intensive switching. Great combination. Dave worked very hard to rebuild quite a bit of the elevated portion of the switching operation, requiring moving his gas meter. Frankly, this is one of the best switching layouts in the country. Certainly unique. Why he doesn’t get more press is BEYOND me.

From Dave’s we moved off to one of my personal favorites, Tom Picarello’s 1/48 scale Somerset County Traction. Everyone loved the heft of O-Scale. Tom’s equipment runs under full catenary, and the entire layout function's perfectly. I did not have one issue with equipment, certainly no derailments, nor even a stall. Beautiful scenery complimented by flawless operation. I love Tom and would jump at the chance to return here.

Our final day of operation opened with Jerry Dziedzic’s NYS&W. I see GREAT things here. I thought the operators office was brilliant, and the Sparta Jct. Interlocking and signals are worth the trip alone. I was partnered with Doug Good on a local that negotiated the entire layout. I thought we had a great time. Love to do that again. Jerry’s wife made chili for lunch; excellent!

After Jerry’s was Dave Olesen’s C&O. On our last trip we toured Dave’s layout. At that point we did not operate because he was under construction. By this trip he was fully operational, and well on his way with scenery. Dave has made great strides with construction over that last year and a half. His layout is set in early 90’s CSX over basically the same footprint as Ted Pamperin’s, West Virginia around Hinton and Thurmond. Fully CTC, Dan Munson had his hands full at the panel. 

We finished up at Dave’s and headed into Hicksville for a group dinner. 

Monday would normally, if I can even use that term for a situation like this, be another op session, but this time it was layout tours. Perry Squire, Tom Schmieder, and the New York Society of Model Engineers.

Due to some family commitments, as well as getting my dog out of the kennel, caused me to leave early for home. Exhausted.





1* Rule G states that no employee will consume or be under the influence of alcohol or narcotics while on company property, “The use of intoxicants or narcotics is prohibited”.

2* only one of our group had a heart attack that trip…

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