Rocky Op South 2010 is upon us once again. This years event will be held from September 18th to the 20th which is a Saturday through Monday. This is because we are coordinating with the Great Basin Getaway which is Thursday through Saturday. Please note that the Great Basin Getaway is an invite only event and Rocky Op is a first come first served. The number of registrants at Rocky Op will be limited to about 45.

The layouts featured will be Fred Carlson's Gladstone and North Houghton. A freelanced HO railroad based in the upper Michigan peninsula in 1953. Its primary reason for existence is hauling iron ore from the Houghton peninsula to Gladstone, Michigan. The EasyDCC system controls the railroad’s steam and diesel power that are all sound-equipped. Operation uses TT&TO with a phone system, 6 to 1 fast clock and car cards to control train movements.

Eric Lundberg's Sandric and Lake Superior models the Denver & Rio Grande Western’s Royal Gorge Route between Pueblo, Colo., and Salt Lake City, Utah set in 1954. The HO standard gauge operates over Tennessee Pass on a double-level mainline with HOn3 narrow gauge originating out of Salida. The layout is currently powered by DC . Operation uses verbal train order using FRS radios, 6 to 1 fast clock and Ship It to control train movements.

Greg Long's D&RGW Montrose Division of the Denver and Rio Grande Western is a HO/HOn3 layout depicting the Montrose Branch located in southwestern Colorado in 1954. The branch mainline is point to point, starting in Grand Junction staging and ending in Montrose. The narrow gauge branch originates in Olathe. The railroad is controlled by EasyDCC with all steam and diesel engines equipped with sound. Operation uses TT&TO with a phone system, 5 to 1 fast clock and car cards to control train movements.

Bob Foltz's ATSF New Mexico Division attempts to recreate the Santa Fe’s crossing of Glorieta Pass, New Mexico in 1951. Operations focus on the helper district, “Redball” freights and the numerous famous passenger trains that run over the railroad. A short segment of the D&RGW narrow gauge “Chili Line” runs out of Santa Fe. NCE DCC is used to power the HO/HOn3 scale railroad with most steam and diesel engines sound equipped. Operation uses TT&TO with APB (Absolute Permissive Block) signals. A telephone system, 5 to 1 fast clock and car cards control train movements.

Bill Shanaman's New Haven and Hartford Railroad Company’s Hartford Division set in the 1950’s. The HO double decked layout consists of two lines located in central Connecticut which are the Hartford Line on the lower level and the Valley Line on the upper. The layout is powered by a North Coast Engineering Powerhouse Pro DCC system with some engines equipped with sound. Operations uses TT&TO with a phone system, 6 to 1 fast clock and car cards to control train movements.

John Denny's AT&SF Raton Pass represents the Santa Fe starting at Albuquerque, New Mexico and going over Raton Pass to Trinidad, Colorado during 1949. At the town of Hebron the Zia Mining Company operates a branch line connecting with the Santa Fe. The Zia mining Company can operate independently of the Santa Fe mainline. The HO layout uses Digitrax DCC with radio throttles. Operation uses verbal train orders, FRS radios at main yards and sidings, 6 to 1 fast clock and car cards to control train movements.

Bob Haggart’s Kiski Valley is an HO freelanced, based very loosely, on the Conemaugh Division of the PRR in Southwestern Pennsylvania in the mid fifties. Only the town names are real, as are some of the industries. The mission of the Kiski Valley Railroad is to support the Blast Furnace, Coke Ovens, BOF and the Rolling Mills of United States Steel Co. The layout is powered by NCE DCC. Operation uses TT&TO with a phone system, 6 to 1 fast clock and car cards to control train movements.

Jack Fogle's Timber Creek Division is an HO fictitious mining branch of the D&RGW set in the early 50's. All steam engines are equipped with sound, and controlled by an NCE-DCC system. Operation uses TT&TO, 6:1 fast clock and car cards to control movements of trains.

One possible addition is Jared Fogle's D&RGW Cumbres Pass which depicts the movement of cars from Chama to Cumbres in the 50’s. This layout is On30 and uses NCE DCC. We will keep you posted on it’s progress.

More information will be posted on the Rocky Op website , http://home.comcast.net/~rockyop/, as it becomes available. The registrar is Greg Long at greglong62@msn.com