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Operations Page
Here you will find information about how we do Operations on the Great Lakes & Eastern, Susquehanna & New York, Lehigh & Susquehanna, and the Sheffield & Tionesta.

Monthly Operations

The club operates the fourth and fifth thursday of the month from Februrary to October. We use Digitrax DCC radio and tether throttles, FRS radios, card order system and a schedule of over 100 trains to run! If you are interested, come on down.

Bring your own Throttles and radios. If you don't have them, we have Digitrax throttles and FRS radios for you to use.

Come and give it a try.
GATSME Ops Schedule as of Feb. 4, 2010
Feb. 25
March 18 & 25  <--- not a mistake.
Invitational  April 17 Saturday. Doors open 10AM. Orientation 1030AM. Trains roll 11AM. Lunch included. Operate until 630PM.
April 22 & 29
May 27
June 24
July 22 & 29
August 26
Sept. 23 & 30
Oct. 28   Last Session for the year.
Click diagram for larger layout map.

Click here to download the Complete Daily Schedule. All three tricks.

Click here to download the Train Descriptions.

Click here to download the Timetable. Contains location abbreviations.
  • The order in which each train is run is in the first column.
  • The second column contains the train number.
  • Third column is the train name.
  • The origin is where the operator goes to pick up his train. The abreviations are in the timetable.
  • The turn column indicates whether the train turns and where.
  • Then the destination.
  • Some trains have car limits.
  • Engine 1 indicates the assigned locomotive for the train. Engine 2 indicates a double header.
Car Forwarding System
To get the Cars over the 'road', we use a car forwarding system designed by Charles Carangi. Many operating RR's in the Delaware Valley use this system.

The Principle is quite simple. Fill in the top line of the card with the type of car (box, hopper, reefer), Reporting marks(PRR,RDG, SF, etc.) and the car number. It is important that all your cars have different numbers so as not to cause confusion.

The next step is to fill in the lines to the left that tell the operator where to route the car. The little boxes on the right tell the operator which line is to executed. We put a diagonal line in the current step to be executed. When that line is finished, another diagonal line is put in the box leaving an X, and a diagonal line put into the next line down. The next move is Cedar Haven Coal.
When you pick up the car, it is empty. At the bottom of the card, you see "EMPTY - Return to Mcintire coal mine". It is routed to Mcintire mine to be refilled before going to the next line.

So, instead of the card showing six movements, there are actually twelve movements. Pennelec/ coal mine/ Grover/ coal mine/ Pequea/ coal mine/ etc.
As each column is filled, you simply start again in the next column. This way the card and car are ready for the next operating session.

At the end of two columns, it is time to shop the car. Clean the wheels, lube the couplers, put the trucks back on, etc. This spreads out the maintenance and doesn't pile up on you all at once.
GATSME Model RR Club Inc.
P. O. Box 82, Fort Washington, PA 19034
215-646-2033
A 501-C-3 Corporation
 Site Designed and Maintained by
V. E. Pistilli
GATSME Lines
Copyright ©1999-2010 GATSME Lines Inc.
 Mailto:vpistilli@verizon.net