Why didn't I get all the layouts I
wanted?
Every effort was made to get an attendees first and/or second choices of
layouts. For various reasons, some layouts are more popular than others,
and may not be able to satisfy the demand for operating positions. In
general, the layouts were assigned to attendee, based on their individual
requests, in the order in which they were received by the Committee.
Can I just visit a layout?
Dunno, it's up to the layout host. You should attend all sessions for
which you have been assigned. Some layouts may be open for visits.
Check the bulletin board in the hotel lobby for last-minute open houses and
impromptu activities.
Who is in charge of this mess?
Jeez, who would want to admit that?! This thing was organized by
committee, can't you tell! Check out the PrairieRail
Contacts link for a list of the guilty parties.
Will there be any unannounced operating sessions
(Renegades)?
What? We haven't kept you busy enough? Well, check the
bulletin board in the hotel lobby for any renegade sessions or open houses that
may occur. You are an operating juggernaut!
To whom should I present my
gripes/compliments?
What?! Model Railroaders griping about something? Imagine
that! Ok, if you have any gripes, contact somebody on the Prairie
Rail Contacts list. They have been trained to smile politely and nod
their head sympathetically in agreement to your plight.
Where can I find out which layouts I will
be attending?
This has changed from previous Prairie Rail events. You will get a packet
upon your arrival at the host hotel, containing information about your assigned
layouts.
Can I change the layouts that I get to
operate?
You will be assigned the layouts that you are scheduled to
visit. As courtesy to the layout hosts, who
are
counting on a certain number of operators showing up, we ask that you attend the
operating sessions, or swap with another attendee. If, for some reason,
you cannot attend a session for which you have been assigned, at least do the
polite thing and let the layout host know ahead of time. Otherwise, please attend all the sessions for which you have
been assigned!
I can't make it for the weekend!
Who should I notify?
If you can't make it for the weekend or part of the weekend, please notify
somebody on the PrairieRail Contacts list. They
will take your information and let the layout hosts know so that your vacancy can be
filled, if possible.
Where can I learn more about the layouts
involved in PrairieRail 2004?
Click on the Participating Layouts hyperlink, then
click on the desired layout. In 2002, some folks did not realize that you
could click on the Layout name to get more information about the railroad.
Most have photos, and some have detailed operating information provided.
Check it out!
I only want to run on my
buddies' layouts, or else I'm gonna cancel, is that OK?
Geez, how narrow minded is that? Last-minute pouty cancellations remind me
of stuff my kids pull. Be an adult, get your requests in early, come and
run some pretty toy trains.
Can I bail out early without notice on
my Sunday session?
Not if you want to get invited back to Prairie Rail again.
Why doesn't this web site have an easy to
remember URL like "www.prairierail.org" or something like that?
Because we're cheap, that's why! We'd rather spend our money making
our layouts look pretty for our Prairie Rail guests, than purchasing space and
bandwidth for a web site. So we use this freebie site and are grateful
for it!
We know that model railroaders get confused easily. Especially operators! So, to make it easy, here is
a list of anticipated questions and answers to make your PrairieRail experience
a smooth and memorable one. 