Welcome/Schedule

DesertOps 2026 Operations Event

Dates: Friday, October 23, 2026 – Sunday, October 25, 2026
Location: Phoenix, AZ

DesertOps is an event held in the Phoenix area, occurring the 4th weekend of October in even years
This is an open invitation event. More info can be found at www.azdesertops.com

 


Thank You to all that 
participated in
DesertOps 2024

Desert Ops – October 2024

We are pleased to host Desert Ops 2024 in the Phoenix area, October 25-27th.

The owners of the 13 hosting railroads (including 4 new layouts), are ready to welcome our guest operators.

Desert Ops Timetable:
– Friday – evening session starting at 5:30pm
– Saturday – day session starting at 10:00am
– Saturday – banquet in the evening starting at 6:00pm (cash bar available at 5 pm)
– Sunday – day session starting at 9:30am

There are always some outlaw sessions available in addition to the scheduled sessions.

Registration:
We will open registration at High Noon (Arizona time) on Saturday, August 3, 2024
– Registration is open to all operators.
– Registration is first come, first served.
– We do not offer pre-registration or early registration.

We look forward to your joining us in October! If you have any questions, please don’t hesitate to contact us.

The fine print:
– Desert Ops is an open event, no invitation is required to participate.  
– There is no fee for Desert Ops attendance, you are a welcomed guest. 
– There is a fee of $40 per person for the group dinner.

Prototype railroad operating sessions in the Phoenix area started in 1959 and have been held continuously ever since.

Operations invitational weekends were kick started in 1986 in Salt Lake City and went national soon after. The idea is to host folks who do not live nearby and thus not normally have access to the host group of layouts. We will give preference to guests who travel the furthest since local folks can attend at other times.

Your Desert Ops coordinators,
David Doiron – ddoiron@cox.net / 602-550-3583
Rick Watson – spladivision@gmail.com