Layout rules apply at all times, except when superseded by Operations Session Rules during Operations Sessions.
When in doubt as to what to do next – STOP YOUR TRAIN!
No food or drink is allowed in the layout room beyond the beginning of the layout.
Cars and locomotives that have not been checked in will not be left anywhere on the layout.
All testing of locomotives will be done on the programming track or on the loop of track under the paper mill area.
At the end of all run sessions the inbound/outbound tracks in the main yard will be cleared of all rolling stock and locomotives. Overflow from the sorting tracks will be placed in the storage yard under the main yard or in one of the staging yard tracks. The inbound/outbound tracks are the five double-ended tracks in the main yard. The sorting tracks are the five stub ended tracks on the main yard. The staging yards are the five-track yard inside the west side of the center peninsula and the three-track yard inside the mountain behind Alpine.
Items not currently being used for layout construction or operation will be stored under the layout. Members will be held responsible for cleaning up after themselves in their work areas.
No chairs or other devices for seating one’s self will be in the layout room during run or operations sessions. The sole exception will be wheelchairs for disabled persons.
Engineers will be responsible for returning all mainline turnouts to their closed position after their train has cleared the turnout. The exceptions to this rule are turnouts #12 and #26: it is the responsibility of the engineer of any train approaching these two turnouts to make sure that they are aligned properly.
All cars are to be put on or taken off the layout in a yard or industrial area – not on the mainline or passing sidings.
Any cars moved between the set up for an operations session and the operations session must be returned to their original location. Car cards and waybills are not to be disturbed during this time except by the Trainmaster or one of his designated helpers.
All operators must pay strict attention to applicable signal indications in signaled territory.
Any car that is Bad Ordered will be placed on the check-in counter with a note giving the car’s number, reporting marks, the problem and the name or property number of the person reporting the problem.
Operations Session Rules are only in effect during Operations Sessions.
All locomotives and rolling stock to be used during an Operations Session must be checked in and on the layout by the end of the Sunday before the Operations Session.
The Dispatcher will be called and permission obtained before entering or leaving the mainline.
The Dispatcher shall control all electrically operated turnouts with the exception of turnout numbers 1, 4, 5, 6, 22 and 23. The operation of turnout numbers 1, 4, 5 and 6 will be the responsibility of the Yardmaster.
The Dispatcher will be contacted and permission received before operating any ground throw equipped mainline turnouts.
All Special Instructions included with the Train Information Packet shall be observed.
All trains on the mainline or passing sidings will have a caboose or FRED equipped car marking its trailing end. All local freights will have a caboose.
Realistic scale speeds will be maintained at all times.
The Yardmaster must be contacted before any train may enter or leave the Yard.
Cars containing hazardous materials can be placed no closer than four cars back from the locomotives.
Helpers will be placed in the rear third of a train. The exception will be point helpers on passenger trains.
Helpers will not be placed in such a way that they shove against underweight cars. The exception to this would be if the makeup of the train makes any other arrangement impossible or impractical (i.e., the train is made up entirely of underweight cars or the last 1/3 of a train is underweight cars.)
Passenger trains may only have helpers added directly in front of, or in back of, the train’s locomotive(s). Helpers may not shove against passenger cars.