Operating Sessions

Operating Sessions

Registrations for Operating Sessions Are Now Open.
If you want to sign up for an Operating Session,
contact David Carlton at reg@midsouthnmra.org

Shoals Model Railroaders

Saturday June 22nd from 9 am to 12 noon
Eight (8) operators

Location: in the Timetable
45 minutes drive west from hotel

At a Glance
Scale: HO
Prototype: Southern Railway
Era: 1970s
Completeness: 90%
Layout Size: 14' by 34'
Handicap Accessible: Yes Our layout is a rough representation of the 1970's Southern Railway main line from Chattanooga to Memphis. Our layout has 90% of it's scenery finished. A 3D printed model of Fame Studios in Muscle Shoals, and scratch built models of Ivy Green Helen Keller's home and the Tuscumbia Depot and other kit built buildings. It is a single track mainline with long passing sidings. There are staging yards representing DeButts Yard in Chattanooga and Forrest Yard in Memphis. The layout is in the shape of a "U" with a backdrop down the middle. There are 30 separate industries that receive rail service. We have a unit coal train running on the layout. We have a branch line that services four industries. Towns represented on the layout are Cherokee, Muscle Shoals, Tuscumbia, Sheffield and Decatur. We also have a thunderstorm on our layout. Our DCC system is Digitrax. We use Digitrax Duplex and Simplex throttles along with Digitrax WifI.

Alabama Tennessee and Northern Railroad
Redstone Model RR Club

Two operating sessions:
Thursday, June 20, 6:00 pm to 9:00 pm
Friday, June 21, 6:00 pm to 9:00 pm
Transportation Provided.

Departure will be from
the Hotel Lobby at 5:30pm on Thursday and Friday
30 minutes drive to Redstone Arsenal

At a Glance
Scale: HO
Prototype: : Southern, L&N
Era: 1950 to modern
Completeness: 75%
Layout Size: 20' by 50'
Handicap Accessible: Yes, but requires boarding of a van.
Number of Operators: 10 The Alabama Tennessee and Northern is a club layout located on Redstone Arsenal. The railroad represents an HO freelanced version of the greater Birmingham area. All track work is complete, except for two sidings. Scenery is in progress. The railroad is a single track mainline with six passing sidings. It has one mountain mine branchline and thirty-three industry tracks distributed over twenty one industries at five locales. Automatic block signaling protects four hidden mainline blocks. See http://rmrrc.net for more information.
Operators may bring their own DCC locomotive. A Digitrax throttle or Smart Phone w/throttle app is recommended. Engineers coordinate with each other as required. There are two classification yards and two lower-level staging yards. There are nine freight train jobs: two through trains; two shuttle trains; three local trains; a mine branchline job; and a hot metal iron run. The freight forwarding system consists of car packets holding a set of “next-destination” slips. Each car packet holds the equivalent of two waybills.

Todd Mill & Wildcat Creek Railroad

Operating session:
Thursday 6-9pm

Location: in the Timetable
45 minutes drive east from hotel
At a Glance
Scale: HO
Prototype: UP, GN and freelance
Era: Steam Diesel Transition
Completeness: Track 100%Scenery/structures 85%
Layout Size: 18' by 25' Handicap Accessible: Limited, requires three steps
Number of Operators: 5 I am fascinated by the variety of equipment used by prototype railroads. I have chosen Union Pacific as my prototype railroad because they seemed to have some of everything. The layout is an attempt to integrate heavy mainline railroading, a branch line, and narrow gauge into a credible transportation system. The mainline is based on Union Pacific and Great Northern during the steam-diesel transition. The Todd Mill & Wildcat Creek is a free lanced branch line which branches off the UP and GN at Cheyenne. The TM&WC is standard gage to the town of Slab fork. Slab fork is a dual gauge town, and the TM&WC continues west out of Slab Fork as a narrow gauge. Operations include several industries on the narrow gauge branch. Freight must be transferred to the standard gauge Todd Mill & Wildcat Creek at Slab Fork, and it is shipped out on the mainline Union Pacific or Great Northern at Cheyenne.

Decatur Depot

Four operating sessions:
Friday 10-12noon
Friday 2-4pm
Saturday 10-12noon
Saturday 2-4pm

Location: 701 Railroad Street, Decatur AL
5 minutes drive from hotel

At a Glance
Scale: HO
Prototype: CSX, Norfolk Southern
Era: Today
Completeness: 100%
Handicap Accessible: Limited, narrow aisles and a duck under
Number of Operators: 4 per session Built by members of the Mid South Division this layout depicts modern day Decatur in the area of the Depot. Because the Tennessse River lift bridge is shared by both railroads, the layout features both CSX and the Norfolk Southern. The Tennessee River lift bridge is featured as well as the trackage in the area of the Depot, including the switching yard adjacent to the depot.

Copyright © 2024 Mid-South Division. All Rights Reserved.
Last Updated: Thursday, April 18, 2024

Shoals Model Railroaders
	Saturday June 22nd from 9 am to 12 noon Eight (8) operators Location: in the Timetable 45 minutes drive west from hotel	At a Glance Scale: HO Prototype: Southern Railway Era: 1970s Completeness: 90% Layout Size: 14' by 34' Handicap Accessible: Yes	Our layout is a rough representation of the 1970's Southern Railway main line from Chattanooga to Memphis. Our layout has 90% of it's scenery finished. A 3D printed model of Fame Studios in Muscle Shoals, and scratch built models of Ivy Green Helen Keller's home and the Tuscumbia Depot and other kit built buildings. It is a single track mainline with long passing sidings. There are staging yards representing DeButts Yard in Chattanooga and Forrest Yard in Memphis. The layout is in the shape of a "U" with a backdrop down the middle. There are 30 separate industries that receive rail service. We have a unit coal train running on the layout. We have a branch line that services four industries. Towns represented on the layout are Cherokee, Muscle Shoals, Tuscumbia, Sheffield and Decatur. We also have a thunderstorm on our layout. Our DCC system is Digitrax. We use Digitrax Duplex and Simplex throttles along with Digitrax WifI.
Alabama Tennessee and Northern Railroad Redstone Model RR Club
	Two operating sessions: Thursday, June 20, 6:00 pm to 9:00 pm Friday, June 21, 6:00 pm to 9:00 pm Transportation Provided. Departure will be from the Hotel Lobby at 5:30pm on Thursday and Friday 30 minutes drive to Redstone Arsenal	At a Glance Scale: HO Prototype: : Southern, L&N Era: 1950 to modern Completeness: 75% Layout Size: 20' by 50' Handicap Accessible: Yes, but requires boarding of a van. Number of Operators: 10	The Alabama Tennessee and Northern is a club layout located on Redstone Arsenal. The railroad represents an HO freelanced version of the greater Birmingham area. All track work is complete, except for two sidings. Scenery is in progress. The railroad is a single track mainline with six passing sidings. It has one mountain mine branchline and thirty-three industry tracks distributed over twenty one industries at five locales. Automatic block signaling protects four hidden mainline blocks. See http://rmrrc.net for more information. Operators may bring their own DCC locomotive. A Digitrax throttle or Smart Phone w/throttle app is recommended. Engineers coordinate with each other as required. There are two classification yards and two lower-level staging yards. There are nine freight train jobs: two through trains; two shuttle trains; three local trains; a mine branchline job; and a hot metal iron run. The freight forwarding system consists of car packets holding a set of “next-destination” slips. Each car packet holds the equivalent of two waybills.
Todd Mill & Wildcat Creek Railroad
	Operating session: Thursday 6-9pm Location: in the Timetable 45 minutes drive east from hotel	At a Glance Scale: HO Prototype: UP, GN and freelance Era: Steam Diesel Transition Completeness: Track 100%Scenery/structures 85% Layout Size: 18' by 25' Handicap Accessible: Limited, requires three steps Number of Operators: 5	I am fascinated by the variety of equipment used by prototype railroads. I have chosen Union Pacific as my prototype railroad because they seemed to have some of everything. The layout is an attempt to integrate heavy mainline railroading, a branch line, and narrow gauge into a credible transportation system. The mainline is based on Union Pacific and Great Northern during the steam-diesel transition. The Todd Mill & Wildcat Creek is a free lanced branch line which branches off the UP and GN at Cheyenne. The TM&WC is standard gage to the town of Slab fork. Slab fork is a dual gauge town, and the TM&WC continues west out of Slab Fork as a narrow gauge. Operations include several industries on the narrow gauge branch. Freight must be transferred to the standard gauge Todd Mill & Wildcat Creek at Slab Fork, and it is shipped out on the mainline Union Pacific or Great Northern at Cheyenne.
Decatur Depot
	Four operating sessions: Friday 10-12noon Friday 2-4pm Saturday 10-12noon Saturday 2-4pm Location: 701 Railroad Street, Decatur AL 5 minutes drive from hotel	At a Glance Scale: HO Prototype: CSX, Norfolk Southern Era: Today Completeness: 100% Handicap Accessible: Limited, narrow aisles and a duck under Number of Operators: 4 per session	Built by members of the Mid South Division this layout depicts modern day Decatur in the area of the Depot. Because the Tennessse River lift bridge is shared by both railroads, the layout features both CSX and the Norfolk Southern. The Tennessee River lift bridge is featured as well as the trackage in the area of the Depot, including the switching yard adjacent to the depot.