Session #13 Narrow Gauge and Other Interesting Items

Our 13th session of the season was narrow minded.
Click on the image to enlarge and outside the image to return to this page.

This meant we would see many steam locomotives with the odd appearance of a smaller center cab diesel.

Our good friend, Henk, sent these images of his center cab on his home layout.

Not to be overshadowed, the hibiscus offer a unique splash of colour to Henk's railroad.

A water feature.

Gorgeous gardens.

Henk, we'll have to get down to your place for an ops session at some time in the future.

Back to our regular operations.
Malcolm has sent along his brilliant video of this session.  Simply copy and paste the link below into your browser.
https://onedrive.live.com/?authkey=%21AEDD1xAWjdwjONo&cid=4275D0234272929B&id=4275D0234272929B%2129222&parId=4275D0234272929B%2129221&o=OneUp

Many a locomotive with drivers abound.

Gathering steam.

Awaiting their assignments.

Pre-ops we catch Dispatcher Doug and Bill Sn3 Scobie in conversation.

Moe, Malcolm, Brian, Pat and Garry set out cars in Glenn Hammond and Nelson Yard.

Seanna has brought Fred a wee gift.

Newfoundland beer!

Bernie and Henk discuss yard operations under Canadian skies.

Lawrence works diligently to help get the session started on time.

Pat sets out a car at Mackenzie Lumber just outside of Nelson Yard.

Pat sets out the ore cars to the east of Firgrove.

Seanna and Steve.

Doug enjoys a coffee pre-ops.

Moe and Malcolm under the rays of the sun.

Bernie grabs my camera to get a shot of me helping to set out the cars.

Nelson Yard is always a busy location.

The lads in the penalty box...Brian, Bill, Bernie, Malcolm and Lawrence.

Fred keeps things lively while Pat, Doug, Paul, Steve and Henk look on.

Garry too.

Steve and Seanna listen in on the pre-ops delivery.

As we all do.

The sign on the door of the beer fridge.

We find Brian in Glenn Hammond with a short passenger train.

He also ran Passenger #1.

Passenger #1 originates in Craig Leigh.

There's the handsome operator.

Pat is in care of the ore train on this day.

He arrives Bell with a consist of loads.

Later we find him through Spruce with a string of empties.

Into Northland with a big steamer.

Across from the tank track.

Through Watkins Siding.

With a great fence as a backdrop.

The Northland Ore Dock.

In Craig Leigh.

With a couple of tracks full of loads.

With Doug and Moe in the back at Bellamy, Pat and I have our RP&M Train 65 heading through the junction of the two railroads.

Mike and Pat...we make a great comedy team!

Say...there's Hamer beside the Hamer facility down in Rat Portage...big grin!

Following a few setouts and lifts, we head through the tunnel at Rat Portage.

We round the big curve out on the front property.

"Why is Pat playing hide and seek?" you ask.

Simple...our caboose kept uncoupling at the same spot each time we attempted to haul our train through the curve.

Finally, we are upgrade at Pratt's Bottom with the ore train traversing "The Ledges" directly above us!

With our exchange of traffic at the interchange in Bell, we turn our locomotive.

Now we are prepared to head back to Nelson Yard.  Train 65 has terminated and Train 66 will depart shortly.

With our train in tow.

We have met Doug and Moe up at Bell aboard Train 327.

Our tail end wishes the IPP&W crew a good day and we depart Bell.

Note how we also had turned the Drover Caboose.

"What have we here?" Pat and I ask each other in wonderment.

Yet another "service interruption" at the very same location as on our first run.

Well, Pat and I won that game of "chicken" and are now heading back to Rat Portage and Nelson Yard.

Pat keeps an eagle eye on things.

We can't have any more critters derail our plans.

Looking once again for daylight.

Daylight found.

Mike wonders if there is any traffic for his facility.

Sure enough...there is!

Their train orders.

Stipulate a set out at the Hamer Manufacturing complex.

Awaiting a green to proceed through the junction tracks.

Permission granted as the crew switches out the industries just west of Nelson Yard.

RP&M Train 66 arrives Nelson Yard.

Yet another visit to another turntable.

The crew will be ready to take out Train 71 in short order.

Lawrence and Malcolm signed on for 318 out of Glenn Hammond.

We catch up with them much later on their second run aboard 303.

They hold in Mount St. Helens on the station track to allow room for an incoming freight to gain access to the siding tracks.

The crew has it made in the shade.

On a gorgeous August morning in Ottawa.

Malcolm is our resident videographer.

Lawrence is our "go-to" fellow when construction ideas rise to the surface.

Lawrence is on a slow order on his final approach up into Nelson Yard.

Much later we catch the crew aboard Train 313.

They work the interchange tracks in Bell.

With an interesting consist.

And a lovely steam locomotive.

The wooden fence backdrop offers up some fine looking images.

Some of the latest rolling stock additions to the railroad are in their consist.

Looks pretty quiet with no other crews in the vicinity.

That's how the lads like it.

Almost done with the switching.

313 departs Bell.

Malcolm watches carefully as his train ascends the grade.

"Onward Ho!" to their destination.

Arriving Firgrove.

Yet another successful run is complete!

Doug (on the right) crewed 327 out of Glenn Hammond with Moe.

In a previously viewed photo, we see my RP&M train crossing the junction while Doug and Moe start our with their run.

It appears they have precious cargo.

Later in the session they have reached Bell where they meet Pat and me.

Their power on the day.

327 uses the IPP&W main as a lead for switching Bell.

Doug and Moe work the yard.

While our train works the interchange.

The diesel and the drover!

Off in the distance, Moe and Doug are spotted on their return run from Firgrove aboard 304.

Steve and Seanna meet them in Bell aboard their RP&M train.

Lots of work to do.

With many folks in close proximity.

Seems the crew has drawn an audience.

It's no audience!  Why, it's Henk wanting into Bell aboard 311 with Steve.

Steve and Seanna continue their work.

While Henk continues to smile!

Moe and Doug find themselves in Peter's Pond.

Paul is crewing with Bill aboard 302/312/319.

I've only caught up with them on their second run, 312.

We find them switching the eastern end of Ironwood.

With Paul's big steam locomotive.

Bill is a great crewmate and the two accomplish the necessary tasks with time to spare.

Their final run aboard 319 sees them through the trestle.

Skirting Nelson Yard.

On their approach to Glen Hammond.

319 arrives Glenn Hammond.

 Steve and Henk depart Nelson Yard with Train 311.

311 is their second run of the morning.

Entering the shared trackage.

Heading over to IPP&W rails.

Henk does his happy dance.

Right hand running through Mercer.

We catch up with them at Bell along with Doug and Moe.

That little center cab can haul some tonnage.

Switching out Stuart Yard.

Under the umbrella tree.

"I've been working on the railroad..."

"All the live-long day!"

Time to depart Bell for Firgrove.

Time to return to Bell from Firgrove.

Now aboard Train 328.

Rounding the bend into Bell.

Arriving Peter's Pond.

Here's Henk!

There's Steve.

And...here's the little engine that could!

Up in Cedar Rock.

At the end of the Cedar Rock Branch.

A splash of colour in the shade!

These next twenty images are taken from Bernie's camera.
The lads in discussion pre-ops...Bill, Doug and Fred.

Malcolm and Moe setting out cars in Glenn Hammond.

Brian, Pat and Garry doing the same in Nelson Yard.

Henk in Craig Leigh with Train 301 ready to depart.

Steve ensures all turnouts will get them out of the yard.

301 in Mount St. Helens.

Brian runs the passenger service on this day.

Pat hauls ore around the railroad.

Loads and empties.

Lawrence directs Train 318 into Craig Leigh. 

Pat takes a breather while Malcolm commandeers 318.

Lawrence has his locomotive turned and ready to depart as Train 303.

Brian looks ready for his passenger run.

Paul watches the passenger train depart Craig Leigh after having brought his train, 312, into Douglas Yard.

The passengers skirt Douglas Yard.

Bill and Paul will depart shortly aboard Train 319.

Bill, Doug and Pat pack up after the session.

Pat and Bill make a handsome duo.

As do Steve and Henk.
Thanks, Bernie, for the great pics!

Rolling stock review.

Lots of billboard reefers adorn the railroad.

Some rarely seen before.

Pass the ketchup please!

Cool colours.

I have one of these in HO scale.

And...one of these as well.

Hi Bruce and Jean!

Interesting load!

Interesting empty.

"I'll have another, bartender!"

The stock market must be doing well with so many of these cars on the move.

Near the engine house.

In Glen Hammond.

Let's check in on Firgrove.

The far end of Ralph Yard.

Paul, the yard master.

Pat Squared!

Looking down Ralph Yard.

Paul and Doug in Firgrove.

Ah...a nice break!

Paul brings the Firgrove Transfer down to Bell.

Ralph Yard in the shade.

Henk chats with Doug in the dispatch hut while Paul works Bell with his Firgrove Transfer.

Looking across Nelson Yard and Glen Hammond to Bell.

Paul's train departs Bell back to Firgrove.

The work never ends.

Paul's a true Canuck!

Thanks for keeping Firgrove an active area of the railroad, Paul!

Checking in over at Craig Leigh...

...I find my good pal, Bernie.

He is kept busy throughout the session.

Making up trains and breaking down trains.

As does Garry in Nelson Yard.

With many in-comings and out-goings as well.

There always seems to be an audience at Nelson Yard.

Yikes!  Two Nelson Yardmasters in the same image!

The trains run.

The traffic flows.

We're doing a great job as we've cleared the lading from this loading dock.

Steam...

...is supreme...

...on the IPP&W and the RP&M.

Lunch looks good too!

Thanks for cooking up a storm, Moe!

The lads congregate at the table.

Malcolm snapped this shot of me snapping a shot.

As soon as I left Fred's I headed over to the open house at the Aviation Museum.
This is a DeHavilland aircraft.  I flew in the Beavers and Otters for eight years when I taught in Canada's north up near Labrador.

The Rockcliffe Air Base was celebrating its 100th year of existence.

:Lots of cool planes.

Some from their base just across the Ottawa River.

Small aircraft.

Helping aircraft.

A buddy of mine flies this Pilatus PC12.

He works for the RCMP.

Biplanes!

Then it was off to the airport to do some plane spotting.

Incoming!

Outgoing!

Back to Fred's...oh look...we have visitors!

Why, it's Gaetan and Nicole from Montreal!
It was so nice of you to come by our session.  We miss you guys.  

Our sincerest thanks to Fred for hosting yet another highly successful train ops session.
It's a team that puts it together, a team that runs the trains each Saturday and a team who enjoys each other's company.

So, until next week, out steam engines say "so long"...

Until we gather again to run the modern brethren of the steamers, those colourful diesels!
Have a great week everyone!
Mike Hamer, Ottawa, Ontario, Canada