From Jack Willits 8/9/15
A follow-up on our trip to Cornville. I can pretty
well say that no one is prepared for this railroad.
One word sums it up, WOW. Don Russ, Smokey
Joe, Jack Walsh and I went on the eighth. It is
approximately 100 miles from here and took
about an hour and a half. Verryl took about 40
minutes showing us his railroad and explained
his operation in great, easy to understand steps.
When we got our assignments I noticed that
there were 3 of the 36 throttles available left
Don got a branch line mixed train to run. I got a
drag freight, heavy lifter, I was the engineer and
Jack Walsh was the conductor. We ran from
Medicine Bow to Cheyenne with a full train and a
Challenger. At Laramie I changed power for a
Big Boy while the yard crew took care of the set
out and pick up. Also met a passenger City of
Somewhere and two freights at Laramie. Up
Sherman Hill passing a local switching a coal
mine. Down into Cheyenne and yard train so
yard crew can fill with eastward cars while I take
the Big Boy back the barn. I think I moved over
less that 10% of the railroad.
What I've described took about an hour and 10 minutes and seemed like just flew by. My leg was bothering me so I took a sit
down break. When I returned I found Joe in a siding with a locomotive failure waiting for a helper. [It did fail near the Wamsutter
center siding—Harriman type Siding—so the train was left on the siding, but by the time the replacement loco got there it had
been fixed, and was off and running--Verryl].
About noon we found a GREAT burger place right across the street from the railroad.
David Parks of Bay Rails Fame (Cumberland West - B&O and WM Railroad) Google inside the parenthesis
At the end of the 3 day February, 2015 Winter Invitational meet at the Wyoming Division, David Parks took me aside, and asked
with admiration, “Tell me, Verryl. How did you get so far ahead of the curve in just 3 years?”
David’s two layouts, which are on two levels in his large train room is highly detailed with great Virginia scenery, and is very high
tech with hidden staging, TV remote monitoring, Tower Operator/phone OS’ing, and he throws a great session with hot lunch
included. I took his compliment to heart.
Doc Schafer of Scottsdale (operations head of the Scottsdale Model Railroad Club)
Doc was YM in Laramie, and as I walked by, he told me, “Congratulations. You have accomplished prototypical [Rule 251D
double track with Track Warrants] operations with a minimum of paperwork.” Later he told me he was going to cancel his club’s
next scheduled session to come up to operate in Cornville. And they did.