September 11th Train Operating Session
Indeed, we must remember all the souls who lost their lives on this day twenty years ago. We keep their memories alive in our hearts.
To all the rescue personnel who worked tirelessly and who have been wounded physically and emotionally we think of you as well.
We are blessed to be living in a country where freedom abounds.
Now, let's check in on this week's train ops.
The crew working Firgrove and Ralph Yard has not given in to that internal combustion menace called the diesel as of yet.
Sure, we've got a couple of them "dastardly d's" on the property, but we consider them interlopers.
Our steam locomotives have been plying the rails of the IPP&W and RP&M roads for a quarter of a century at this point in time.
Number 48 is still doing today what she has been doing her entire lifetime, hauling freight (and people) in this verdant area of Ontario.
Here's a cool looking shirt offering some sage medical health advice in these pandemic times.
(Click on any image to enlarge and outside any image to return.)
Indeed, Mark...you are correct...
...trains are the solution for whatever ails the body and soul!
Be they big...or, in this case...rather small! They pack a huge dose of mental health vitamins!
The set-up pre-ops is very similar to the apron of a busy airport!
Lorna and Len form a great looking crew for the team in Firgrove.
Pat basks in the early morning sun.
Locomotives slowly come awake...
...to begin their day of work.
Cars residing at various industries around the both railroads wonder if today is they day they will be on the move.
Over in the engine house, locomotives of both eras await their maintenance call.
Doctor's orders, we tell them.
As per usual, Paul handles all of the chores on the eastern front with acumen as the Craig Leigh yardmaster.
Cars abound all over the line.
The icing platform begins its role of keeping the produce nice and cold.
Colourful billboard reefers help wake us up with their vibrant hues.
While it may be a tad early for one of these beverages...perhaps a "treat" post-ops is in the offing!
Why...it's "reefer madness" in Craig Leigh on this fine morning!
We love the variety of cars...and beverages too!
"I'll settle for a cookie...or four!" says the Cookie Monster as Oscar continues to gripe and grouch. Oscars asks this question of me..."Why do you always crew me with that blue bugger, Hamer! Why don't you vary those danged crew lists, will ya!!!"
Craig Leigh awaits a potential extension one of these days!
Crews continue to set out cars to their respective industries pre-ops.
It's "Sid the Kid!"
"This is railroading as it should be, steam powered!" the crew of 327 proudly states in advance of their run from Glen Hammond to Craig Leigh.
It's "Pat to the Power or Two!"
Now...no Henky Panky in Nelson Yard today...Henk!
It's the new singing group, "The Firgrove Trio" about to begin their concert! Say hello to Len, George and Lorna!
Aha! One of them interlopers has snuck onto the property!!!
We'll forgive him for today as 302 requires power to run this "very long" train down to Bell and onward to Nelson Yard.
Ralph Yard is full of lading that must be moved.
The yard crew here will handle their chores as they do every day of the week!
Hmmmm....what have we here? Do we see any rods?
Will it need to be greased beforehand?
Oh, it's only Marcel...and he's no interloper! Why...he's a valued member of the gang!
Even if his locomotive on this day does not hiss with steam and smoke exhaust!
It would appear that all is ready to go.
Pete picks up the hammer...knocker...clapper...
...and...with a resounding ring or two...the session members all gather in the crew lounge!
The Sludge Works is set out...
...as is the fine looking depot in Spruce.
The gang gathers...
...in the multitudes...
...and begin to socialize just before Father Fred begins his speech.
Then it's time to get the session underway.
Lawrence examines the sidings at the end of the two island spurs.
Mike ensures all signals are on and working.
Train 327 makes the junction and passes by the interlocking tower running in a westerly rail direction (geographically eastward facing).
The crew takes the lefthand rail at Mercer due to a momentary service interruption on the right hand track.
Video footage of their train.
Click on the white arrow two times to engage the video.
They make Peter's Pond in short order.
The town is all theirs at the moment.
Passing alongside the team track and the fishery.
Let's view the proceedings on video.
Train 65, an RP&M run up to Bell crosses the junction.
Pat tells us that 65 will be the number he selects when he goes to number and letter his locomotive...
...as '65 is the year he was born!
Pat tells us this himself on this video footage!
Train 318 is underway out from its departure point of Glen Hammond.
The sun strikes the front end solidly as she rounds the bend at Lilly.
Lovely caboose, Andrew!
Video action of Andrew and Mark's train.
The RP&M crew drills the island across Brennan Gap. We catch them backing onto the Lawrence Watkins Trestle. This crew will later take Train Rat 70 over to Rat Portage and back.
Lawrence and Paul command this train.
The newly rebuilt trestle holds the dispersed weight of their train with ease.
Lawrence rises high above the trestle named in his honour.
Some video tape of the show!
Passenger 2 is underway out from Glen Hammond.
A rarely seen rooftop shot from an interesting vantage point.
Colourful cars...being pulled by...
...an equally colourful diesel locomotive!
This is a bilingual lettered diesel...Canadian National on this side and Canadien National on the far side.
Hey, I wanna see the video of this run!
What's this?
This railfan begins to drool all over his camera!
Why...it's Henk's centercab toiling in Nelson Yard!
She's a true beauty, Henk!
Let's see video of those rods spinning!
The crew of 302 holds just outside of Bell...
...to allow the ore train first dibs into Watkins Siding...
...seeing as this train will have no work down the line at Wellington Lake.
In these next series of pictures and videos we will see how the lengthened extension of the tracks at Watkins Siding offers up tremendous flexibility for the dispatcher in getting multiple trains down the line in short order through previous bottleneck conditions.
Not any more...as the video footage attests.
Westbound 327 pulls out of Wellington Lake and will do a dance around the ore train.
The enginemen exchange pleasantries on this September morning.
Headend meets tailend.
Taking the turnout...
...327 is now underway upgrade into Bell.
Let's follow the video, shall we!
Westbound 327 meets eastbound 302.
When 327's tail clears the crossing...
...302 will crawl westward...
...and reach Wellington Lake in the near distance (out of the picture).
Still more video footage at Watkins Siding.
We have another meet coming up.
Eastbound 318 meets westbound 301 in Ironwood.
Andrew and Mark follow the progress of their train into Ironwood.
Let's check the video library.
318 is in the clear so 301 can set out.
Mike throws the turnout...not realizing that it had already been thrown...d'uh!
Sometimes multi-tasking doesn't work out as this video attests.
Bernie makes the correction...
and he and Robin are on their way to Spruce!
301 on video taking the big curve into Spruce.
We find two trains running in Bell at the moment.
IPP&W 327 holds a meeting with RP&M 65.
Both railroads hold a tremendous respect for each other.
327 takes Track 3 while 65 holds the main.
65's stealth power has reached the "outer limits" of Bell.
Love the video footage.
I'm called over to the eastern throat of Nelson Yard by a number of the lads. It would appear we have a "double header" on the move.
It' none other than Bob in control of the ore train.
What a glorious sight to see.
Ore video action.
Bob controls both locomotives off his single throttle!
How did you do that, Bob?
It's a magnificent sight to behold!
Thing One!
Thing Two!
The tail end does not disappoint as well.
Nicely done, Bob. We love the video as well!
We finish up with some "still" images. Mike has found Lawrence studying his train orders near the Glen.
Rat 70 has pulled out of Nelson Yard and arrived Glen Hammond.
The two IPP&W trains originating here have already departed the scene.
Back in Mount St. Helens we find Bernie as engineer of 301.
His accomplice, Robin, is conductor aboard the train.
Seeing as they have everything well managed...
...I decide to turn my camera over to Rat Portage where I find "Pat Squared" working the yard.
Looking good there lads!
Here's a great looking T-shirt. The message on the shirt tells me that it must be...
...Bill inside of it!
In the world of railroading, waiting is simply part of the game. Grant takes a seat while Doug seems used to the drill.
Robin and Bernie do the "Happy Dance" as they are the first train cleared into Peter's Pond...
...following the departure of Moe and Pete. They had quite a lot of work to conduct both in the pond and up the branch in Cedar Rock.
Marcel shares some stories with a visitor to the railroad...Denise.
Paul shows Denise's husband, John, the whereabouts of things on the railroad property.
Denise and John are school chums of Paul's.
I couldn't resist sharing some images I snipped from Mark's videos showcased on the blog earlier in the week.
The children are having a blast running and following their train around the railroad.
Mark's new Porter locomotive is certainly being put through the paces!
The diminutive locomotive handles the task admirably.
They are through the junction...
...and into Nelson Yard.
With the "run through" at Nelson accomplished, they are quickly found rounding the big curve at Lilly.
After crossing Brennan Gap once...they repeat the process a second time.
These are great train runners...keeping an eye ahead of their locomotive!
Eventually, they will graduate to become operators on the Saturday mornings with us in the years ahead!
The other evening outside my home, my daughter spotted this promise of better things ahead.
Goodness knows...we do need better days with all we have been through in the recent months and twenty years ago on September 11th.
Denise and Fred are optimistic for better days in front of us as well for whenever we are in the vicinity of the railroad...well...almost nothing could be better than that!
Thanks to Uncle Fred as always and thanks for taking the time to read through this blog entry.
All the best, Mike Hamer, Ottawa, Ontario, Canada
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