Workday Wednesday, July 21st

Workday Wednesday Happenings 

While I couldn't make it out to Fred's this morning due to a musical commitment, Bernie managed to snag some great photos of the work that was accomplished by a "fab four" of personnel from the group.

There was a small crew on Wednesday; Lawrence, Pat, Fred and Bernie. They got one heck of a lot of work done. Pat arrived early and was weeding around Lilly. Those cute lily plants will grab a train and not let go...pesky little things! 

The grass was cut and weeds whipper-snipped. The needles at Mount St. Helens were raked and the tunnel track was cleaned. The trees at the curve between Ironwood and Spruce were clipped as they were growing into the aisles. We managed to get two barrels full of weeds and branches out before the garbage truck came around.

Meanwhile, Lawrence decided to replace the rotten wood at Blockhouse. He cleaned out all of the weeds and stone and cut new wood. He then installed the new base and re-laid the track. Fred took on the task of securing the track on Lawrence’s new viaduct. It was a much harder job than one would think. Tacking in those little nails with large fingers is not easy, but it was completed nicely.

Then Pat suggested we cut back some of the little trees at the curve into Nelson Yard. Cutting the lower branches was easy, cleaning out the dropped needles and earwigs was not so easy. We then moved to the other little tree at Fallentree Mine. We did the same thing and what a difference. We managed to fill another two barrels with weeds, needles and branches. 

Pat was there early and I found him already clearing the tracks at Lilly.

Pat digs out weeds at Spruce while Fred adjusts the IPP&W RS-3.

Lawrence takes a break while cutting a new board for Block House siding.

Pat and Fred taking a well-deserved break from the sun.

Lawrence was busy cleaning out weeds and rotten wood at Blockhouse.

 By this time the four of us stopped for water and conversation.

 Pat and Bernie cut the lower branches and cleaned out the dropped needles and earwigs. The engineers are going to be able to see their trains coming around the bend into NY and GH.

The same process was carried out at Fallentree Mine. When was the last time one could see the tracks at the mine? 

 Lawrence has completed replacing the wood base and relaying the track at Blockhouse. Nice work. 

Unfortunately, I never got a photo of Fred working on the track on the viaduct. Needless to say, it was not an easy task. Fred did get rewarded with a box of Tim Bits from a young visitor.

Thanks, Bernie, for the great pics and stories from this morning.  Cheers, Mike

Later, this evening, Fred sent me a note regarding clarity as to the ore train's handling during operations.  The image above was taken a couple of years ago.  Notice the IPP&W crew assisting the ore train with its lifts at the ramp at Ironwood Brick.  Typically, the ore cars would be set out at the eastern end of the passing track, but the IPP&W crew aboard the CN road switcher had recently arrived Ironwood so had no time to set the block of cars to the passing siding in this scenario.  We don't want the ore train switching at all...running around its train to handle facing moves.  Other crews or yardmasters will assist the ore train crew with any required lifts.

1.  Loads are set out at Ralph Yard in Firgrove, Fallentree Mine near Nelson Yard, the ramp at Ironwood Brick, and possibly Rat Portage.

2.  The ore train begins its run in Firgrove after picking up the loads there and proceeds to Nelson Yard.

3. Dispatch notifies the Nelson Yardmaster of the ore train's departure out from Firgrove to allow the Nelson Yard crew to lift the ore cars from Fallentree Mine and bring them into Nelson Yard ready to be lifted by the crew of the ore drag.

4. One of the IPP&W earlier freight crews pulls the cars from the ramp at Ironwood Brick and locates them on the eastern end of the passing siding for the ore train to retrieve.  This ensures the pick-up is of the trailing nature and not facing.  We do not want the ore train to be switching at all...just lifting its traffic as set out by other crews and yardmasters.

5.  The ore train departs Nelson Yard, runs past Blockhouse and through Spruce before arriving Ironwood where it lifts the cars from the passing track.

6.  The ore train then proceeds to the Northland Ore Dock in Craig Leigh where the train of loaded ore cars terminates.

7.  The empty ore cars have previously been positioned at the Northland Ore Dock in Craig Leigh.

8.  The crew assembles all the empties to its train and departs Craig Leigh in a westerly direction.

9.  On the westward journey, empties are dropped at the ramp at Ironwood Brick, in Nelson Yard, and at Firgrove at the end of its run.

10.  The Nelson Yard crew deposits the ore cars at the Fallentree Mine and, if necessary, in Rat Portage.

This means that the westbound ore train travelling from Craig Leigh to Firgrove is a train of empties and the eastbound ore train out from Firgrove to Craig Leigh is a train of loads.

Thanks, Fred, for sharing this information.  It will act as the standard operating procedure for the ore train for whichever crew mate is given the assignment on any given Saturday.

Looking forward to our next operations!  

Cheers, Mike Hamer, Ottawa, Ontario, Canada