We start our posting out with pics from Malcolm's phone. Thanks for sending them along, Malcolm.
Malcolm also has shared some video from the session which can be seen at the following link:
The picture above showcases the "little engine that can"! This is our RP&M shunter.
Malcolm lensed his own train, Train #15 at Mount St. Helens.
Gord is setting the table at Nelson Yard with his centercab.
While father and son team, Colin and Paul work the west end of the yard.
They are both such handsome, young gentlemen that it is rather difficult telling who is the father and who is the son. Maybe we'll have to ask Cat Stevens!
Malcolm has Train 15 at the station in Bellamy.
Later, at Mercer where he passes 327.
Later still, a meet with 302 in Peter's Pond.
Back to that little RP&M shunter conducting yard work at Rat Portage.
Malcolm's train returns to Bellamy, this time eastbound.
From Glen Hammond, it's through the trestle before rounding the bend at Lilly.
Aha! Train 15 meets my train, 301, at Spruce. Garry is my crewmate aboard 301.
Indeed, a true "meeting of the minds!"
One last view of this impressive assembly of steam locomotives.
Malcolm has departed Spruce where he rounds the bend into Ironwood.
Where he meets Paul aboard 318.
Another meeting of the minds, this time a pass.
Malcolm found time to capture other crews in action. Here we see Henk and Garry at Bell with trains 328 and 311.
Henk, always the gentlemen, offered Garry and me an assist with one car we had to spot at a local industry. Much appreciated Henk!
Our run of 301/311 terminates in Firgrove.
Thanks, Malcolm, for sharing your wonderful images and video footage from the session.
We are pre-ops where Pat and Brian are checking the forms to ensure the appropriate cars get to their respective sidings around the eastern sector of the railroad.
Paul busies himself assembling Train 15, the Pool Train.
Gord begins work in Nelson Yard.
Paul chats it up with Colin as he starts his run of 318 at Glen Hammond.
Colin then finds time to share a laugh with our visitor, another Paul! Three Pauls...make that four!...all on the property for one session! It was great having you out, Paul.
Stu has arrived with some goodies that someone will be very interested in. More on that later.
I've brought my Annie out in Craig Leigh and have the locomotive turned on the wye awaiting its train's consist to be made up.
Garry and I have signed aboard 301 out of Craig Leigh.
Once Paul has our train assembled, I bring the consist around the bend in front of Northland while Garry checks over the assignment.
Our train will travel to Nelson Yard where we will terminate. We will then depart Nelson as 311, the continuation of 301 westbound to Firgrove. It appears that our greatest amount of work will be in Ironwood as we have four setups and four pickups on both trailing and facing sidings. We may also be asked to give the ore train an assist in Ironwood. With Garry as conductor, I have a great deal of faith that we will arrive Nelson in good time.
While we know Paul has all the proper cars in place, we do check our car numbers before departing. This is part of normal operations.
We arrive Mount St. Helens where we take the siding.
Running around our train in order to work the facing spurs at Mount St. Helens we spot 302 rounding the bend into Peter's Pond below us.
302's train began its run earlier in the day at Firgrove.
Their train is being made up at Ralph Yard in Firgrove.
Steve checks over his consist with the Firgrove yardmaster, George.
302 is underway!
They are downgrade at "The Ledges" with their stock car in its proper location behind the locomotive.
Standing atop an imaginary signal bridge, I snap this oncoming shot of 302.
Looks like a "really" long train, but alas, Steve is working the lengthy string of cars in Stuart Yard at Bell.
302 has arrived Nelson Yard with steamers on both ends of their train.
Clever use of the two locomotives, lads!
302 now becomes 312 with a destination of Craig Leigh. Dispatch holds the crew in Nelson Yard due to traffic congestion along the eastern sector of the line.
302 has met the RP&M train at Bell where traffic is interchanged.
RP&M crewmate, Paul, is working the interchange early in the day.
Love the RP&M combine, Paul!
You can't beat the look of a mixed train in my books.
In the meantime, 312's crew is kept waiting at Nelson Yard.
Let take another gander at that little yellow engine of Henk's.
We spot it working the branch in Cedar Rock as Train 327.
She's colourful...
...as is her owner!
A "bright light", for sure.
Henk has returned back to Peter's Pond from Cedar Rock.
Speaking of Henk, he sure is glad Stu arrived this morning as he would love to have a G-Scale version of this locomotive pictured in his book.
Hmmm...a little red box...what could be inside?
Aha!
Now, Henk will have some explaining to do when he gets home! Hehehe!
312 still waiting...
Paul has signed aboard 318, the turn out of Glen Hammond destined for Craig Leigh.
Looks like he is still assembling the train as his caboose is behind the locomotive at the moment.
318 is underway.
Eastbound.
At Lilly.
Paul keeps an eye out as his train rounds the bend.
Still no clearance in sight for 312.
No posting would be complete without a check-in with Bob and the ore train.
He's upgrade out of Blockhouse.
Rounding the bend at Spruce.
Into Spruce.
Out from Spruce where he has just met 318.
Meanwhile, at Mount St. Helens we find Train 15.
With Malcolm's White Pass steamer holding the honours on this day.
H-e-r-e's Malcolm.
Out of Mount St. Helens toward Ironwood.
Into Ironwood.
The Firgrove crew brings Train 20 into Bell. We see George and Brian.
Brian's diesel is pressed into service on this run.
Looking skyward, we spot an inbound which will land on Runway 32.
We take a glance at some of the rolling stock around the layout. Here we have a stock car in Craig Leigh.
A gondola in Peter's Pond.
A reefer...also in Peter's Pond.
Pre-ops, Brian has his diesel in Craig Leigh.
Pre-ops, I have my Annie on the wye in Craig Leigh with the battery standing on the footboards.
We spot Gord working Nelson Yard while Doug dispatches the layout.
Fred and Lawrence enjoy the quiet of the crew lounge.
Well...that's it for part one. Check in later in the week to see more pics of all these trains with visits to the three main yards. Will 312 ever depart Nelson Yard? Time will tell.
Have a great week everyone!
Mike Hamer, Ottawa, Ontario, Canada
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