Bay Area Layout Design & Operations Weekend - Feb 12-13, 2005

Sponsored by the NMRA Pacific Coast Region and the Layout Design and Operations Special Interest Groups

The NMRA Pacific Coast Region and the Layout Design and Operations Special Interest Groups will hold another joint Regional Meeting in Santa Clara, CA (approx. 45 minutes south of San Francisco) on Saturday February 12 and Sunday February 13, 2005. A terrific two-day program is planned. The agenda includes clinics, operations discussions, track planning workshops, and visits to local layouts on Saturday. There will also be operating sessions at a number of nearby layouts on Sunday.

The 2004 meeting was a big success, and we hope to do as well again.

RSVPs Requested

In order to insure that we have enough seats for the meeting and so that we can contact you in advance about preferences for operating sessions, please email Bob Jacobsen ( jake@physics.berkeley.edu) if you plan to attend.

Saturday schedule

Seth Neumann is again organizing a program of clinics, discussions and updates. He expects to have about 5 clinics, plus a panel discussion on "How to start operating sessions on your layout" and short updates from prior year's talks.

The meeting is planned to start at 9AM, and run through about 5PM, with layout tours in the evening.

Tenative schedule: 

8:30    Registration opens

9:00    Introductions                    (Seth Neumann)

9:15    Garden Rwy Design for Operations (Jack Verducci)

9:45    Railroad Paperwork               (Rob Mantler)

10:15	Break/Operation Session Sign Ups

10:30   German/Marklin Modeling and Layout Planning  (Gary Zaro)

11:00   Salt Lake Expansion              (Steve Hayes)

11:45   Lunch	

1:00    Design Challenge Discussion

2:00    Computer Tools for Operation     (Bob Jacobsen)

2:30    Birds of a Feather Sessions

3:30    Updates From Last Year
              Dahlsted  Kingston Branch
              Neumann   Niles Cyn
              Naumann   Basement Excavation
              Clemmens  UP Northwest
              Paul      Automatic Uncoupling
              
4:15    Panel Discussion: Owners of Newly Operating Layouts

Exhibits and Displays

Please bring along your display of layout design or operations related ideas. (Layout mock-ups are particularly interesting). When you RSVP, please let us know what you are bringing and its size.

Track Planning & Layout Operations Help

Byron Henderson is again organizing the design consulting. If you are planning a layout, bring along your "Givens & 'Druthers", maps, sketches, and other materials to get some free consultation from the group! They can also help with questions about operating your layout, including how to get started.

Layout Tours

Ray Mayle is arranging for a number of layouts to be available Saturday evening to tour and we would like to have more. Remember that SIG groups will be appreciative of seeing your layout in any state of completion. If you'd like to make your layout available, contact Ray at (408) 269-6511 (before 9 pm).

"Birds of a Feather" (BOF)

Would you like to meet with others modeling your region, prototype or era? Interested in DCC, sound, computerized switchlists, or layout CAD programs? Any of these might be a topic for an impromptu "Birds of a Feather" meeting. Let us know if you would like to informally lead a short group discussion on any topic on Saturday afternoon.

Sunday Op Sessions

David Parks is coordinating operating sessions for Sunday morning and afternoon at a number of nearby layouts, including many opportunities for those new to operations. Please send in your RSVP so we can sign up in advance.

Friday Night Dinner

 Some have expressed an interest in having an informal get-together Friday, February 11 for dinner. Let David Parks know if you would attend a pre-meet dinner at 7 PM so he can confirm reservations. If another dinner hour would be preferable, let him know as well.

Location

The meeting will be held at the South Bay Historical Railroad Society's (SBHRS) meeting room. The SBHRS is located in the Santa Clara Caltrain Depot freight house (see map) at 1005 Railroad Ave.; Santa Clara, CA 95050.

The SBRHS is also open to the public Tuesday evenings from 6 to 9 pm and Saturdays from 10 am to 4 pm. Visit the SBRHS via the www at: www.sbhrs.org Phone: 408 243 3969

Car Pools

Contact Bob if you need or can offer a car pool seat. Past attendees have come from as far away as Oregon, Nevada, and Southern California.

Other Activities in the Area

There is also a big knitting convention nearby that same weekend. It's called "Stitches West", and is at the Santa Clara Convention Center and Westin Hotel.

Contact for RSVP or More Information

To RSVP, volunteer to help out, get names for car pools, etc., contact: 
Bob Jacobsen
Phone: (510) 486-7355
email: jake@physics.berkeley.edu
Last updated January 5, 2005
Page maintained by Bob Jacobsen.