Mark's Pics From Saturday's Session

 Mark's Saturday Pictures and Videos

Mark has kindly sent along a number of pictures and videos from this past Saturday's session. 

Like Bernie, it is nice to have a couple of railfan colleagues snapping shots from differing perspectives to mine throughout the session from up and down the line.

The captions come directly from Mark.  Thanks, Mark, for offering up your time to do so!

Locomotives need fuel and, well, so do their operators...

The rising sun from the east is just catching this gorgeous Connie… all staged up at Craig Leigh and ready to go on the IPP&W.

Click on any image to enlarge.  Click outside the image to return.

Who is this handsome fellow? :-)

Henk and Bill carefully setting up shop at Nelson Yard.

All in attendance listen rapturously to Father Fred’s weekly Saturday morning sermon… Father Andrew’s will come on Sunday.

Mike, taking a break from dispatch duties, is dutifully railfanning.

Marcel’s gorgeous CN E8 thunders up the line to Spruce.

Lots of operators, lots of trains...

Railfanning some fast-moving action over at Ironwood.

The reds/browns/maroons on Andrew’s SPR Annie and our train blend in so beautifully with the mine...

Andrew checks our consist as we switch locomotives over in Craig Leigh. The 0-4-0 Porter (Dartford Lumber co. #1) is about to take off for the first time down the mainline hauling a complete train. We know Matthew gave her a test run last week and everything checked out ok!

Small but mighty - doing work over in Mount St. Helens.

That’s a pretty long haul for a little locomotive...

Arriving Ironwood. Sorry passengers waiting at the station...no room for you on this mixed-goods train (unless you want to ride in the van).

Ahh… but here’s your ride. Thanks everyone for your patience! Lots of room on this passenger train.

Meeting up with Bob’s double-headed Annie ore train… wow, what a picture of classic steam!

Can we execute the challenging switching moves in Ironwood? "No problem," says Andrew. 

Really interesting shot as we head into Nelson Yard.

Yep, it’s always a busy place here! Yardmasters Henk and Bill keep everyone on their toes.

We have received a new train and are heading through Bellamy.

Arriving later on at Bell.

Everyone gets to the “end of the line” at some point…even Dartford Lumber co. #1, dwarfed as she is by her train. Our end of the line is with George in Firgrove, who graciously disassembles our incoming consist and puts the cars away for next time.

I see you Mike!

One last shot as we cross the trestle on a clear mainline...

Thanks, Mark, for all those images and captions!  The next batch of pics I have snipped from Mark's videos.  I will offer the link to his video page at the end of the line.

Andrew's colourful power leads Train 318 out from Glen Hammond in the early morning hours.

Tanker traffic is in evidence at the tail end.

Mark's diminutive Porter arrives the scene at Bell.

Let's zoom in on this little beauty as she high tails it down the station track.

We managed to get even tighter on this highballing gem!

Passing the Bell station.

With the Porter heading westbound (geographical eastward) at Mercer Siding this must be Train 313, the crew's third trick of the day.

That's one colourful consist!

The Porter holds her own in the middle of the consist as she works the siding tracks in Ironwood aboard 303.

Rushing through "The Corners" in a blur of mystery!

303 on approach to the Fred Mills Trestle and a meeting with the Nelson Yard duo!

Through the girders.

Sweet!

A nice "going away" shot that we have seen earlier from Mark's lens.

Looking good.

Spotted earlier dwarfed by the large Ironwood Brick facility.

A nice looking consist of gons and boxes!

The crew works Peter's Pond as Train 313.

Passing the fishery...

...and on up the branch.

To view the videos at Mark's Dropbox space, simply cut and paste the link below into your computer's browser.

https://www.dropbox.com/sh/bvkuv7oho8x5zwb/AABusZ9FPm_yQEU1hBo00-Jya?dl=0

We thank Fred for being a great host each Saturday.  Here we see him receiving a special award a few years back at an OVAR meeting...

...and here we see him waving to the cameraman, Mr. John Soehner, at last night's OVAR meeting in the new premises at the Hellenic Hall.  By all accounts the "in-person" meeting was a huge success as was the on-line ZOOM version!

Have a great day and take care!  

Mike Hamer, Ottawa, Ontario, Canada