ProTrak
ProTrak Operations Weekends
Upcoming ProTrak Operations Weekends:
2012: Thursday May 3rd to Sunday May 6th, 2012, Andy Keeney's Nashville Road, in Lansing, Mich
2012:
Active
users sponsor "ProTrak Weekends". It is all
about operating a railroad.
ProTrak Weekends are open to all, ProTrak user or non-user,
experienced railroad operator or new to model railroad operations, or simply
those who are curious about what this is all about. If you are
interested in holding a ProTrak Weekend, please see below.
There
is no charge. But you are responsible for your meals and hotel. The
purpose of the Weekend is Operate! and to explore ProTrak {and Grapevine} in
greater depth than is possible on chatlists or this website. This also is your chance
to provide direct feedback on what you want to see in ProTrak. 1. Andy Keeney and his Nashville Road
have sponsored eight Weekends in ~late April, from 2004 to 2011,
all held in Lansing, Michigan. Andy will be sponsoring The 9th
Annual
ProTrak
Weekend in May 2012, from Thursday
May 3rd
to Sunday
May 6th,
2012, in Lansing. Mich.
For
the Lansing ProTrak Weekends we stay at the Motel 6 on Saginaw Road.
Breakfast is at the incredible "Sophie's". You can fly directly
into Lansing and someone will pick you up at the airport. There is lots of
transport with folks who drive in. 2.
For Thursday October 18 the Buffalo airport is 2-1/2 hour
drive; NW flies from Detroit into the London airport (1 hour); and Toronto's
(expensive) airport is 1
hour. Lansing is a 4 hour drive - due east. Accommodation is in Stratford (20
minutes west) or Kitchener
(15 minutes east). Within a block, here in Baden, there are several good
eateries (EJ's, Tim Horton's, Subway and really good pizza).
There is great train-watching (VIA,
GEXR) 200 feet away, and right from the railroad-room windows.
Hosting a ProTrak Weekend Generally speaking, to host a ProTrak Weekend you
only need a few basic and obvious items. If you already host regular
(monthly or more frequently) operations sessions, then you will host a ProTrak Weekend
quite successfully. To host a ProTrak Weekend, you will
need: a railroad in good running order,
that can keep 20 people busy:
this means DCC; two-man crews are fine.
Plus there will be yard work, DS and ProTrak-operator roles. your ProTrak traffic program in
reasonable order:
leading up to your Weekend,
there are lots of users who would gladly help you get to this
point. part of the point of the ProTrak
Weekend is to learn more about ProTrak. By refining your
railroad during the Weekend we all learn. Because most of us will be flying or
driving in: have "good eats" close-by and acceptable accommodation within 15
to 20 minutes. If you are interested, then the first
step is: to publish recent photographs of your railroad
(on the web) so visitors will know exactly
what they can expect.
If you wish, we can post photographs here on
this website.