Home
Up

Operating Session on Jim Senese's Kansas City Terminal Railroad

 
On August 10th, I joined a group of seven other modeler railroad operators from Dallas-Fort Worth in a trip to Claremore, Oklahoma, to operate on Jim Senese's great Kansas City Terminal Railroad. This railroad takes up the second floor of a large 1920's-build farmhouse, and features five yards and numerous industries. Each two-person crew assumes the identity and personality of one of the railroads, and each crew switches cars and pulls and spots industries, then tries to make it across the terminal dodging the other transfer crews to deliver cars to the connecting railroads. This is a nice large layout, and everything ran flawless with Easy DCC command control and locomotives equipped with Soundtraxx sound decoders. Thanks to Chris Atkins and Pearre Davenport for the invite, and of course Jim Senese for being such a wonderful and gracious host. We hope to come back again soon, if Jim will have us!

Pre-Op Briefing

KCT owner Jim Senese discusses his layout philosophy and style of operation to our group before we started our first operating session of the day.

Tour of the Layout

Jim took us on a short tour of the layout before operating.

West Bottoms

Jim shows us the West Bottoms section of his KCT, this is switched by the Frisco

Big Elevator

located on the MoP

The Lottery

Crew members each picked and envelope; inside was their railroad assignment, switch list, and "personality sheet" describing how the crew should behave

Personality Sheet

Here's one for the MoP crew. . .

Switching The Mill

Our MoP job switches the big elevator on the KCT

Working on the KCS lead

The KCS crew works their lead; in the foreground is the Produce Yard, switched by all crews. It gets busy right through this section of the railroad.

Arriving at Argentine

Our MoP job arrives at Argentine on the ATSF with our transfer cut. As on the real Kansas City Terminal, railroads deliver cars to their connections, usually return light engine.

Waiting for the Frisco

Our return train behind MoP GE's awaits the FRISCO transfer to depart so we can follow. Those Frisco guys are always getting in the way. Our train was nearly 30 cars with three locomotives. . . .quite impressive!

Argentine Diesel

ATSF Argentine diesel shop. Chris Atkins switches MoP yard in background

Switching Argentine

Pearre Davenport, left, and Doug Watts switch Argentine yard

MoP's yard

Overall view of MoP's Kansas City yard. That's the KCS and Scoular elevator in the background.

Our Group

Eight of use from the DFW area, most of whom are members of the Southside model railroad club. Layout owner Jim Senese joins us front and center.

Frisco Power

. . . and cabooses congregating at 19th St. Yard. After dinner, Alf and I teamed up on the Frisco job.

Switching in the West Bottoms

A 2' by 11' island with lots of switching activity, between old brick buildings, based on the prototype.

Another view of the bottoms

We worked this area at least 30 minutes. One really has to plan their moves here.

One last view in the bottoms. . .

Pulling the last spur. . .

Our power. . .

a brass Overland GP15-1 and really sweet brass Frisco Caboose. . . .a great way to spend the evening. Thanks, Jim!

 

Original content copyright 2005 by Blair E. Kooistra. Comments or question?  bkooistra(at)sbcglobal.net