Garden Railroading: American Invasion of Friends

Belleville Invasion Fun at Barry's and Bonnie's Place

Chris, Lela and I headed down to Belleville to visit Barry's wonderful garden railroad.

This photograph gives us a great overall perspective of the railroad's environs.
Should you wish to see these images in larger format, simply click on each picture. To return to the regular blog page, click outside the picture.

Barry and Bonnie moved to Belleville from Ottawa three years ago.

Barry organized a series of operating sessions for us.

The morning session was a steam one.

Here is Eric, from New York, crewing with me.

I was able to run my CN RS3 during the steam session.

We did encounter a number of steamers though.

Barry built the layout in a few short months.

He first filled a huge drainage ditch in his backyard.

Barry followed all city ordinances to ensure drainage would still occur.

A gentleman brought out this live steam locomotive.

Love the colours of the Bumble Bee.

This train is in the hole awaiting clearance out on the main.

There is a great deal of railroading taking place on this layout.

Multiple crews run simultaneously.

Some of the trackwork is at ground level.

While some trackwork resides on raised timbers.

Barry has two terminals at each end of the line.

He has incorporated numerous towns along the line.

Runaround tracks ensure crews can set out and lift traffic on both trailing and facing sidings.

Barry even has a small town developing.

Signs en route enable operators to know where they are and where they wish to go.

I love the colour of railroading as evidenced by this nice looking steamer.

Barry's structures help set a time and place as well.

An aerial shot of the western section of the yard.

A view from the elevated deck.

My road switcher is heading east about to enter the tunnel.

She's found daylight!

Yes, trains circumnavigate the swimming pool as well!
This location where the tracks converge is known as Julianna Junction.

Since I posted this blog the other day, it has generated quite a lot of interest.
People want to know about the operations.
While I do not know the train names, I'll take you on a tour starting in the staging tracks Barry has set up beneath his deck. Cars on these tracks can go eastbound (towards us) or westbound out the other way (away from us).

Let's head eastbound. Our first location out of staging is Boyce Station in the shade along the foundation of Barry's house where we see a couple entering the yard with their train. The wye in the distance where another crew is operating is named Cora's Corners with West Ben in the background against the fence.
Barry has named locations on the layout after grandchildren as well as real locations from around his new home of Belleville as well as his old home in Orleans to the east of Ottawa.

It's obviously a steam session in this image taken at Boyce. Some locomotives have arrived the yard while one is pointing the other way, due to go out with a train shortly.

In this image, I am wyeing my CN road switcher in order to have it turned long hood forward for its next run. West Ben is the track along the fence.

I will soon be ready to to back to Boyce Station and pick up my train.

Following the track around the far corner of Barry's yard we see Quinte West against the fence to the left and around the bend will be the big yard in Belleville.

I love the look of this pair of tank cars found on a siding track in Quinte West.

My road switcher running light through Quinte West.

A wide angle shot showing Belleville tracks off in the distance to the right.

Barry is wise to label all locations making it much easier for visitors and train operators to gain an understanding of the places he has chosen to model.

The caboose track at Belleville in the far corner of the yard.

This shot gives us a great look down the length of the property...although there is plenty of railroad behind me as well. That's Belleville way off in the distance to the right against the fence. Then there is a bridgeway of sorts and your train enters Shaanenville, to the right.

This shot shows the bridge area located between Belleville and Shaanenville where some great railfan shots can take place as trains pass and meet each other.

This image taken before the ops session shows the tracks at Shaanenville already being filled with traffic for the day's session.

Barry has worked hard to create this little urban scene between Belleville and Shaanenville.

Some of the tracks in and around Shaanenville.

This shot was taken early in the morning before the session began. That's Shaanenville to the left with Picton industries residing on the short peninsula Barry has created. The mountain and waterfalls in the corner add a lovely taste to the layout as does the great circular "ocean" of blue.

Here's Picton Industries just east of Shaanenville.

My crew had to switch out these industries. It was a lot of fun!

A simple peninsula jutting out makes the world of difference as the industrial sidings do not always have to parallel the main line.

A steam locomotive hauling freight through Shaanenville.

One last look at a great looking steamer at Shaanenville.

It's time to continue east through the trestle and on my way through the mountain tunnel.

Yes, we know Barry will complete the bridgework below the track my train is plying, but I just love this shot of the diesel entering the tunnel!

Peek-a-boo! Aha! Found daylight!
We are entering the yard at Kamaron City.

An overall look at the yard.

A couple of stub-end spurs mean that westbound train engineers must run around their train in order to lift traffic from the two facing sidings. Eastbound crews simply gather their traffic in a trailing direction.

A great looking steamer passing through Kamaron City.

It seems the crew has some work to do here.

The colours on this engine are striking!

From Kamaron City, the line passes the footpath and will turn left into Trista Centre via Julianna Junction.

The crew has rounded the bend at Trista Centre where it will have work to do on the long sidings here near the house or at Hayes Fuels or Tatters-All Warehouse in the centre of the circle.

A cool looking load at Trista Centre.

The two industries inside the loop at Trista Centre.

I'm switching those industries.

Operations sure is a lot of fun!

Both industries are doing quite well.

A steamer taking on the big curve at Trista Centre.

She sure is a beauty!

Meanwhile, my train meets another just past Julianna Junction as we continue eastbound towards Cumberland and Orleans.

This railfan captured a shot of another train between Trista Center and Cumberland.

The colour of railroading is quite evident as witnessed by this railfan at Cumberland.

Another colourful car.

Further eastbound, we find ourselves in Orleans.

With its quaint depot.

Just a review using this image once more. That's Cumberland to the left with Orlean way off in the distance also to the left.

Departing Orleans for Boyce Station.

Through the trestle.

We have done a tour of the entire line in an eastbound direction and we arrive back at Boyce Station.

Why don't we check out some further railfan pics from Barry's great layout!
Here is a CN train passing by the town Barry just finished completing before our arrival.