Here are some follow-up photos from our first narrow gauge train ops session of the season.
To see the earlier pics and stories, click on this link:
These first few images showcase the lovely steam power that visited the railway.
Steamers from different railroad lines.
Some steamers really clean.
Some with no markings on them at all.
Note the lovely rock bed in the gut outside of Nelson Yard.
Here's Fred...the man of the hour...every hour!
Ralph Yard at Firgrove appears pretty light at this moment.
That's because George keeps it neat and tidy!
Mount St. Helens in the shade to the east sees plenty a cattle drive!
Chris is running the hop from Craig Leigh down to the Mount as Train 21.
Shunting cars in the facing sidings.
Brian, Tom and I have worked as a great team keeping Nelson Yard in control at all times of the morning although at certain times it can be like riding a broncing buck.
Trains arrive and depart from all directions and both railroads, not to forget the local industries that must be dealt with.
Such as Fallentree Mine located where a large evergreen fell on the property many years ago in a violent wind storm.
The tracks across the gut act as a lead for the Fallentree Mine.
I'm drilling the mine as we speak!
Glen Hammond is "kid brother" to Nelson Yard although it, too, sees traffic from all directions and railroads including the pool train and other passenger consists.
Seanna is eastbound out of Nelson Yard as Train 312.
She and Steve earlier brought Train 302 into the yard.
Their power is now behind the Fallentree Mine.
They are through the trestle approaching the bend at Lilly.
An artsy shot of their train on the lower level at Blockhouse while my locomotive works the east end of Nelson Yard above.
Dispatch has cleared them to the western limits of Spruce seeing as no other trains will travel down the mainline for the time being. They await 301's completion of its duties in Spruce for clearance into the town.
Pat at Mount St. Helens.
With his crewmate Chris.
They departed as Train 318 from Glen Hammond and are now working in the shade at the Mount.
Later, they back into Ironwood to complete their eastward duties there. Dispatch had earlier passed them through Ironwood as work trains cleared up the aftermath of the earthquake.
They worked St. Helens first and then reverted back to Ironwood following the "service interruption".
Lawrence handles the industries at Cedar Rock aboard Train 304.
With our new operations plan of running 50% more trains, Lawrence began his day aboard Train 327 running westward from Glen Hammond to Firgrove.
At Firgrove, he turned his locomotive and ran this train, 304 eastbound to Nelson Yard. At Nelson he then took Train 314, continuing east to Craig Leigh. Here he is aboard 304 at Cedar Rock.
Coming down the branchline to meet IPP&W trackage in Peter's Pond.
More shots of Lawrence's beauty in Peter's Pond post-ops.
A beautiful bumblebee!
Pete looks on while Paul checks his train orders at Spruce.
Paul's gorgeous unit takes the siding in Spruce.
She sure is a beautiful looking locomotive, Paul.
This capable team has it all under control despite some strong earth movements in the nearby environs.
A look across the peninsula at Spruce with Cedar Rock in the background.
Paul and Pete bring 301 into the big yard at Nelson.
They continue westbound from Nelson Yard to Firgrove as Train 311.
Here we see them on Track 4 at Bell.
With some respite in Nelson Yard, I decide to take my RP&M train up to the interchange in Bell.
With a station stop in Pratt's Bottom.
And a station stop at Bell.
Ah...the comings and goings of a train operations session.
When you live in a seismic region, strange things can, and do, occur!
But Fred and Doug aren't shaken one bit!
Two handsome lads...Stu and Bob.
Doug's (the other Doug) dispatch board.
Camaraderie and laughter abound following the tremors!
Chris, Paul and Peter share a grand chuckle.
Yes, narrow gauge is just as colourful as standard gauge in my books!
The glory of railroading abounds.
We mustn't forget our tummies too!
Perhaps the tremors felt were really the tummy rumblings of a well-experienced, yet hungry crew!
Table talk a-plenty. Pat, Steve, Seanna, Doug, Stu, Tom and Paul share in the joy of it!
The tail-end tells me it's the end of the tale for this week's session.
See you all next Saturday in the garden when we will pull out those colourful diesels once again!
Have a great week!
Mike Hamer, Ottawa, Ontario, Canada
