Bay Area Layout Design & Operations Virtual Weekend
January 30 & 31, 2021

Sponsored by:
Pacific Coast Region - NMRA
Layout Design Special Interest Group
Operations Special Interest Group

PCR Logo-new LDSIG Logo OPSIG Logo

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Welcome to the 2021 Virtual Bay Area Layout Design & Operations Weekend Meet!

The Pacific Coast Region - NMRA, Layout Design SIG, Operations SIG will hold the next San Francisco Bay Area Regional Meet virtually, Saturday, January 30, through Sunday, January 31, 2021.

A terrific two-day program is being planned for your model railroading enjoyment. The COVID-19 pandemic resulted in the organizers taking the meet virtual for 2021, with the goal of being back live and in-person for 2022.

The agenda for the weekend includes clinics, layout operations consultations, track planning consultations, and visits to local layouts, all virtual.

New! 01/30/21 UPDATE: Presentations for this SIG Meet will be posted as soon we receive them on the PCR's Clinics webpage. Presentations from previous SIG meets, as well as PCR convention and division meets, are also available.

New! 01/09/21 UPDATE: Sunday's virtual operating session at the Silicon Valley Lines has been canceled due to COVID-19 pandemic restrictions in Santa Clara County.

Both days of the meet are open to all. PCR/LDSIG/OPSIG membership is not required! If you can't join us for the entire meet, at least come online and enjoy some of the program.

TSG Multimedia's video of Bay Area Meet 2019.

TSG Multimedia's video report of Live Crew Lounge Panel Discussion at 2020's meet (Starts at 0:49)

Don't delay in registering for the meet!

Location (Saturday and Sunday Activities)

This is virtual meeting via Zoom video call and the Slack text chat website.

The Zoom and Slack sign-in information will be sent to registrants a week before the meet.

Be sure to update your Zoom app before the event to take full advantage of the lunchtime breakout rooms!

Unfortunately, you will need to bring your own coffee and refreshments to a location near the computer or tablet you plan to use to attend.

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Cost

There will be no charge for the 2021 virtual meet.

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Saturday – Clinics & Layout Tours

The ZOOM room will open at 8:00 AM for this event, with the meeting starting at 8:30 AM. We'll break about Noon for lunch and discussions, then wrap-up Saturday about 4:30 PM. All times are Pacific Standard Time. (GMT/UTC -8 hours)

TIME TOPIC PRESENTER
  8:00 ZOOM room opens
  8:30 Introduction Seth Neumann, Chairman
  8:45 PCR President's Remarks Chris Palermo
  9:15 A Brief History of the Bay Area "SIG" Meet Dave Adams
10:00 So You Want to Build a Dream Model Railroad Bill Decker
10:45 Enhancing Small Layout Operations: LCL & Livestock Al Daumann
11:30 Wine Tank Cars: Operations and Modeling Tony Thompson
12:15 Lunch / Birds of a Feather Discussions
  1:15 Using prototype information to design a branch line terminal Cal Sexsmith
  2:00 Tectonic Shift Jon Schmidt
  2:45 Developing the 'Why' of Your Railroad Steve Prevette
  3:30 Layout Design Challenge: Western Pacific San Jose Branch Bruce Morden
  4:45 Closing Remarks Seth Neumann

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Sunday – Layout Tours & Operating Session

Virtual Layout Tours

11:00 AM – 1:00 PM • Layout Tour Roundtable, via Zoom, with a selection of layout hosts in two different panels, both moderated by John Abatecola of TSG Multimedia. (Click the links for virtual layout tour videos.)

Here are some additional virtual layout tours of other excellent Bay Area layouts available on the YouTube TSG Multimedia channel and other websites.

Virtual Operating Session

The virtual operating session at the Silicon Valley Lines Model Railroad Club was canceled due to COVID-19 pandemic restrictions in Santa Clara County.

For an overview of how Silicon Valley Lines does remote operating sessions, watch the TSG Multimedia production Model Railroading 101: Remote Virtual Op Session Concepts.

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Track Planning & Layout Operations Consultations

Consultation sign-ups closed at 9:00 PM (PST), Friday, 1/29/21. Sorry you missed out, but there's always next year. Sign-ups will open sometime in November 2021 for the January 28-30, 2022 meet.

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Design Challenge

Bruce Morden has developed a great layout design challenge based on the Western Pacific in San Jose. You will want to get in on this one. Click here for more information about the design challenge. (PDF 820KB)

We are not accepting new requests to join the Design Challenge as of 5:00 PM, Friday, January 15, 2021. Thank you for your interest in participating.

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"Birds of a Feather" (BOF)

BOF discussions were held in Zoom "breakout rooms" during the lunch break on Saturday. None are scheduled for Sunday, but to let you carry on conversations after this, we'll have a Slack text chat website running for a week after the meet.

Birds-of-a-Feather (BOF) sessions provide an environment for attendees with similar interests to meet for informal discussion. ("Birds of a feather, flock together.") Proposers of BOF sessions should serve as discussion leaders only. BOFs are not intended to be presentations.

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RSVPs & Registrations

To facilitate planning and ensure your receiving the links needed to enter the ZOOM and SLACK rooms, please RSVP and register in advance using the ONLINE RSVP & REGISTRATION FORM.

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Contact Us

For more information, contact:
Seth Neumann
Phone: (415) 602-1510
e-mail: sneumann@pacbell.net

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