Of Youngsters, Decks, Trackwork, Tree Huggers and Holdups

Of Youngsters, Decks, Trackwork, Tree Huggers and Holdups

Mark sent me some images from last week's train running with Olie in charge and Pat sent along a couple of pics of his home project.

Remember, you can enlarge the images by clicking on them and return to the page by clicking outside them.

What's this, a yellow visitor?

Ollie struggles to keep up as the yellow Playmobil switcher darts down the main towards Bell.

It is Terry Fox weekend, and Ollie is running too - all for a good cause!

This neat Playmobil locomotive runs on 45mm track and is equipped with headlights, running lights and sound.  You can see the rear red lights as she is entering the RP&M about to disappear under FirGrove.

The yellow switcher takes a look at all the parked cars on the street - nice to see all our friends visiting today.

Best picture of the day - Ollie keeping watch over the tunnel as the Playmobil switcher emerges!

And here she is taking some lovely passengers for a ride.  Time to release that handbrake, cowboy!  Yee-haw!!

Here are the two images Pat sent our way with his own explanation.  

"I haven't been at Fred's much because of a focus of building our new deck with my brother in law. The old one was 1/2 the size and 28 years old. It needed to be replaced. 

I also transported a yard of 0-3/4 crushed stone from driveway to the location of the deck in an afternoon. Need to lay a good foundation for future trackwork under the deck!  Here's a pic... almost complete!"

"Here's the finished product. I am late to Fred's today but going to head over now."

Indeed, Pat did make it over to Fred's place where he and I pose for a picture!

Time for Pat to get that locomotive out from its carrying case...

...and get it earning its keep!

With the smells directly behind the locomotive...

...Pat hauls the train onto the wye.

Given a high green, she is on her way...

...as Pat, the engineer, peers around the corner of the shed.

Ignore the green aspect of the signal...he has been cleared through to Mount St. Helens...

...where he meets Bernie working the yard tracks here.

Pat breezes by on the station track...

...and is found downgrade to Ironwood with increasing speed.

Bernie and Pat at Mount St. Helens.

His train rounds the great bend between Ironwood and...

...Spruce.

She's all "spruced up" and ready to rumble...

...as she navigates the mainline...

...beside the empty Spruce yard.

A nice example of lading fastened to a flatcar.

She's off westward bound...

...slipping downgrade at "Clarke's Hill"...

...with Blockhouse in her sights.

We check back in at Mount St. Helens where we find Moe, Bill and Andrew.

Bill and Andrew are earning their day's pay...

...installing the turnout throws...

...and keeping intruders at bay!

Yikes!  I'd better get outta here!

It's safe to approach again...

...as Bill becomes the handy man!

I manage to keep a safe distance...

...as the two members of the track crew go about their business.

Looking good lads!

What's this!

Indeed a lovely pair of tree huggers!

We thank Andrew for devising this method for us for working the turnouts at Mount St. Helens from a distance!

Oh no...

...here we go again!

It's a hold up!

Our partners in crime want to know...

...why this trio of jailbirds were running trains while they were working so hard!  Hehehe!  (Actually, they appreciated the diversion every time one of the trains approached their worksite!)

Indeed, we love to laugh and enjoy each other's company at the IPP&W and RP&M railroads!

Have a great day!  Mike Hamer, Ottawa, Ontario, Canada