Teaming Up With Malcolm
For today's operation, Malcolm and I signed aboard Train 327/328, a turn from Glen Hammond to Firgrove.
Our train is spotted on the west staging track in Glen Hammond in care of Canadian National RS3 #7831.
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For 327's run, Malcolm was engineer and I was conductor/brakeman. Here we are rounding the big curve westbound out of Glen Hammond.
We've passed the station at Bellamy. The CP diesel to the left is working the tracks in the western area of Nelson Yard.
Crossing the diamond with the RP&M at Bellamy. Our train is an IPP&W train. The IPP&W is the Ironwood, Peter's Pond and Western while the RP&M is the Rat Portage and Mattawa.
We are righthand running at Mercer. No need to wait in the hole as we will be the first train into Peter;s Pond on this morning..
Arriving Peter's Pond.
Running around our train to conduct our switching moves.
We run up the Cedar Rock branch with caboose in tow, an uncommon, but not unheard of practice. Another example of this type of move was when C&O crews worked under Chessie. They were sometimes spotted taking cabeese with them up industrial branches, not always with the caboose in the lead...yes, it was sometimes sandwiched between the engine and the cars being shoved.
Climbing the branch into Cedar Rock.
Bringing our four lifts back down to Peter's Pond.
We've run around our train.
We've protected ourselves for a meet with the ore train.
The ore train passes then its out into the country on the way to Bell for our crew.
Arriving Bell we snake onto Track 3.
Where we meet Passenger Train 1.
Me also meet 302 which is busy switching out Bell. He's working the industries across the main at Brunt's Brewing.
We need to get onto Track 4, the line closest to the aisle, in order to facilitate our setouts at the interchange track which can be accessed from this track only. We realize that 302 is using track 4 for car placements as he goes about his work. Aha! The perfect opportunity to have two crews assist each other with their moves.
With the meet of the three trains out of the way, we are ready to head out of Bell in a westward direction. The blue buildings make up the Brunt's Brewing siding.
On the way to Firgrove on our IPP&W track. The track you see adjacent to the locomotive is the RP&M line down to Pratt's Bottom and Rat Portage.
Rounding the big curve, we begin tackling the grade while the adjacent RP&M track heads downgrade into Pratt's Bottom.
Malcolm brings our train into Firgrove where we terminate 327. Shortly, we will turn our engine and begin the return run as 328.
Mark has everything under control at Firgrove. As we arrive in front of the station in Firgrove we see that our traffic for 328 has been readied for us. Great job, Mark and Bill!
We turn our locomotive on the armstrong.
Malcolm then proceeds to run back to the east end of the yard.
Where we will pick up our new train, number 328 bound for Bell, Peter's Pond and Glen Hammond.
With the train change, Malcolm and I switch roles. I become engineer while Malcolm handles the paperwork. We are new downgrade out of Firgrove in an eastbound direction. That's the Pool Train below us heading down to Pratt's Bottom and Rat Portage on RP&M tracks.
I bring our train into the yard at Bell. We head over to track 4 to place ourselves favorably for our moves at the interchange tracks with the RP&M.
We decide to handle our facing siding moves at Brunt's Brewery first. This entails running around our train in Stuart Yard at Bell.
A view from the other end of the yard. We've completed our facing chores and we notice that the RP&M freight has arrived the junction.
Henk hopes we conduct our trailing moves quickly and get the heck out of "his" territory...although the interchange is jointly managed. Hehehe. Interchange tracks are very interesting as they can be considered "universal" industries. Cars of any type and quantity can be found on them and you may not even have a structural building in place, only railroad tracks.
With our moves complete at the interchange at Bell Junction, we depart for Watkins Siding where we will hold for a meet before heading into Peter's Pond. Note how we've safely placed the tank cars within the consist...not behind the locomotive nor in front of the caboose.
Arriving Peter's Pond, this time eastward bound.
Colin shares a story with Malcolm regarding placement of cars in the train. Suffice it to say he is happy with our crew's decisions for Train 328 on this day.
We've completed our moves at Peter's Pond and have placed the appropriate lifts onto our train. We protect our train for the meet with Passenger Train 1 as the crew awaits the meet with their locomotive tucked in behind their train.
Love that observation car on Passenger 1. As an aside, when I traveled out west on The Canadian, we had four dome cars on our train. When we reached Jasper, a fifth was added for the trip through the mountains!
We've arrived Glen Hammond where we Train 328 terminates.
We step down from the diesel.
Then we head for lunch!
Thanks for checking in on our run of the 327/328.
Mike Hamer - Ottawa, Ontario, Canada
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