A quiz before an operating session?

I experienced something new in my model railroad operating "career" this past weekend.

Upon arrival for a special operating session on Jack Parker's Piedmont & Western Railway, I was handed a clipboard with a two page document and a pen.  On that document was around 25 questions pertaining to the layout.  I was being given a quiz!

After originally wondering if I really needed to take the quiz -- after all, I had been to the P&W many times although I had not been in several years -- I decided to do as I was told and start walking around the layout looking for the answers.

As it turned out taking this quiz, which was never graded, was quite entertaining and very educational.  Jack had a great idea in giving it out --- the operators who participated that night would be searching the railroad and the railroad room for details, and details are indeed the things that sometimes help us out during operations.

Some of the questions were simply to get us to take note of things.  How many Black Angus cows are in the stockpen at Altamont?  Who cares, I might ask, but then again if I'm switching that town later I bet I know where to spot the stock car without even thinking about it.  What is the name of the power plant serviced out of Loray?  I know for a fact that someone is going to need to know where that is before a session ends, whether it's the Loray Yardmaster, a train crew, or anyone else who needs to send cars there.

So I got to thinking that this type of quiz might be a great idea for people to take before a session begins.  Veteran operators and newbies would be able to benefit from taking a few minutes to actually look at the layout, at a relaxed pace, and to actually notice things.  What a great way to point people to things that you, as a layout owner, want them to notice. 

Now, I suppose I'll hold off for awhile before developing a quiz for the CR&E.  I could see it now.  "How many screws are in the riser under the switch at Forester?" 

Marcus