diff --git a/Source/Scheduling/Operation.cs b/Source/Scheduling/Operation.cs
index 112cfb7..ce66dac 100644
--- a/Source/Scheduling/Operation.cs
+++ b/Source/Scheduling/Operation.cs
@@ -27,8 +27,57 @@ namespace Nuclex.Support.Scheduling {
   /// <summary>Base class for observable operations running in the background</summary>
   public abstract class Operation : Progression {
 
+    /// <summary>Executes the operation synchronously</summary>
+    public virtual void Execute() {
+      Begin();
+      End();
+    }
+
     /// <summary>Launches the background operation</summary>
-    public abstract void Start();
+    public abstract void Begin();
+
+    /// <summary>Waits for the background operation to end</summary>
+    /// <remarks>
+    ///   Any exceptions raised in the background operation will be thrown
+    ///   in this method.
+    /// </remarks>
+    public virtual void End() {
+
+      // Use some ingenious double-checked locking to set the endCalled flag.
+      // Quite a lot of effort for a mere safety feature that prevents the programmer
+      // from calling End() twice.
+      bool error;
+      if(!this.endCalled) {
+        lock(this) {
+          if(!this.endCalled) {
+            this.endCalled = true;
+            error = false;
+          } else {
+            error = true;
+          }
+        }
+      } else {
+        error = true;
+      }
+        
+      // If the progression itself hasn't ended yet, block the caller until it has.
+      if(!Ended) 
+        WaitHandle.WaitOne();
+
+      // If an exception occured during the background execution
+      if(this.occuredException != null)
+        throw this.occuredException;
+
+    }
+
+    /// <summary>Exception that occured while the operation was executing</summary>
+    /// <remarks>
+    ///   If this field is null, it is assumed that no exception has occured
+    ///   in the background process. When it is set, the End() method will
+    /// </remarks>
+    protected Exception occuredException;
+    /// <summary>Whether the End() method has been called already</summary>
+    private volatile bool endCalled;
 
   }
 
diff --git a/Source/Scheduling/ThreadedMethodOperation.cs b/Source/Scheduling/ThreadedMethodOperation.cs
index 52b4f16..8f1466d 100644
--- a/Source/Scheduling/ThreadedMethodOperation.cs
+++ b/Source/Scheduling/ThreadedMethodOperation.cs
@@ -19,10 +19,62 @@ License along with this library
 #endregion
 using System;
 using System.Collections.Generic;
+using System.Threading;
 
 namespace Nuclex.Support.Scheduling {
-/*
+
+  /// <summary>Operation that executes a method in a background thread</summary>
   public class ThreadedMethodOperation : Operation {
+
+    /// <summary>
+    ///   Initializes a new threaded method operation for a parameterless method
+    /// </summary>
+    /// <param name="method">Method to be invoked in a background thread</param>
+    /// <remarks>
+    ///   Uses a ThreadPool thread to execute the method in
+    /// </remarks>
+    public ThreadedMethodOperation(ThreadStart method)
+      : this(method, true) { }
+
+    /// <summary>
+    ///   Initializes a new threaded method operation for a parameterless method
+    /// </summary>
+    /// <param name="method">Method to be invoked in a background thread</param>
+    /// <param name="useThreadPool">Whether to use a ThreadPool thread</param>
+    /// <remarks>
+    ///   If useThreadPool is false, a new thread will be created. This guarantees
+    ///   that the method will be executed immediately but has an impact on
+    ///   performance since the creation of new threads is not a cheap operation.
+    /// </remarks>
+    public ThreadedMethodOperation(ThreadStart method, bool useThreadPool) {
+      if(useThreadPool) {
+        ThreadPool.QueueUserWorkItem(callMethod, method);
+      } else {
+        Thread thread = new Thread(callMethod);
+        thread.Name = "Nuclex.Support.Scheduling.ThreadedMethodOperation thread";
+        thread.IsBackground = true;
+        thread.Start(method);
+      }
+    }
+
+    /// <summary>Invokes the delegate passed as an argument</summary>
+    /// <param name="method">ThreadStart-comaptible Delegate to invoke</param>
+    private void callMethod(object method) {
+#if PROGRESSION_STARTABLE
+      AsyncStarted();
+#endif
+
+      try {
+        ((ThreadStart)method)();
+      }
+      catch(Exception exception) {
+        this.occuredException = exception;
+      }
+      finally {
+        AsyncEnded();
+      }
+    }
+
   }
-*/
+
 } // namespace Nuclex.Support.Scheduling
diff --git a/Source/Tracking/SetProgression.cs b/Source/Tracking/SetProgression.cs
index e7053d6..a5e3c85 100644
--- a/Source/Tracking/SetProgression.cs
+++ b/Source/Tracking/SetProgression.cs
@@ -69,7 +69,6 @@ namespace Nuclex.Support.Tracking {
       : this() {
 
       // Construct an ObservedProgression around each of the WeightedProgressions
-      float totalWeight = 0.0f;
       foreach(WeightedProgression<ProgressionType> progression in childs) {
         this.childs.Add(
           new ObservedProgression<ProgressionType>(
@@ -80,12 +79,9 @@ namespace Nuclex.Support.Tracking {
         );
 
         // Sum up the total weight
-        totalWeight += progression.Weight;
+        this.totalWeight += progression.Weight;
       }
 
-      // Take over the summed weight of all progressions we were given
-      this.totalWeight = totalWeight;
-
     }
 
     /// <summary>Immediately releases all resources owned by the object</summary>
@@ -150,7 +146,7 @@ namespace Nuclex.Support.Tracking {
     }
 
     /// <summary>
-    ///   Called when an observed progressions ends
+    ///   Called when an observed progression ends
     /// </summary>
     private void asyncEnded() {