Pictures From Pat From Session #15
Hey gang. I feel so comfortable in the fact that if I have to miss a session, I've got some amazing back-up photographers who are willing to step up and snap pics for our group blog!
Pat has done just that with the images you will see below. Thank you, Pat, for taking the time to snap these "vistas" from Fred's back yard.
Pat tells us that he was running the ore train and arrived early to put out all the ore cars. His "Little Annie That Could" was able to haul all the loads that he had, before picking up six more at Ironwood when he tackled the bank between Blockhouse and Spruce later on. And, then with a full contingent of 14 ore cars, Pat recalls that he went up the hill to Craig Leigh from Mount St. Helens with ease!
Doug & Doug are found in deep "Doug-like" conversation before the ops session begins.
Remember, you can enlarge the images by clicking on them and return to the default look of the page by clicking outside them.
Seanna and Steve wear matching hoodies and are dressed appropriately for the brisk temperatures.
George and Steve congregate out near the "bridge" entry to Fred's house. The term "bridge" is an old one for a "porch" as the porch bridges the homeowner from the elevated side door down to ground level.
The crew lounge table finds operators hovering around like worker bees.
Sid and Barry enjoy meeting up once again. Barry drove in the day before from his home in Belleville.
Robin, Pat and Bernie are prepared for whatever the session offers up!
Hey, here's Dilip with a big smile to boot! Thanks for the photos, Dilip, which I used in an earlier blog entry.
Bill and Len discuss matters as Steve checks in at home on his phone!
Len and Bill...the sun always shines on this pair!
The pre-ops meeting is underway.
The patio becomes the gathering place.
Gerry, in red cap...but not nighty...focuses in on every word Fred has to say.
No...it's not time for Santa's visit just yet!
Gerry has radio in hand as will be one of the first trains out with Passenger 32, whose yellow cars are spotted in front of the depot located along the fence to the right. Note the ore train already prepped and ready to depart as well.
Ore is "on the move" as Pat guides his train down the grade at "The Ledges" while Steve and Dilip are approaching the junction with 303. Steve gets the turnout following the passage of the RP&M train through the junction (caboose seen to the lower left) which is heading to Rat Portage. That would be the RP&M "Nelson Yard-Bell Turn" known as Trains 61-72. 303's next destination will be Peter's Pond.
RP&M Train 61 tackles the grade up into Rat.
Bernie was signed on as the Craig Leigh Yardmaster, but he and Doug traded places so Bernie could check out RP&M territory.
Our other RP&M crew, Steve and Robin are spotted in Nelson Yard. Their first train out will be Rat 62 which will see them run up to Rat Portage only and then return to the big yard. They will assist the Nelson Yardmaster first with some of the chores in and around the big yard facility.
We spot Barry with IPP&W Train 302 at Bell. His crew has entered the yard on Track 4 and have already begun their switching chores. Note the ore trains passage through Bell to the extreme right. Also note how Trains 303 and 304 have already departed the Glen as seen in the middle yard. Doug, in the dispatch hut now has four wayfreights to contend with simultaneously on the road along with the ore train and the passenger run. (At times we may have eight trains running at the same time depending if the two yardmasters at both extremities of the line begin their short hops down to their nearest neighbouring destinations. Craig Leigh's hop is down to Mount St. Helens and Firgrove's hop is down to Bell.)
Barry works Stuart Yard which is actually the singular third track from the aisleway.
Pat is alone on 304 on this day. He is now through Blockhouse and Spruce and takes the siding track nearest most of the industries in Ironwood.
The ore run reaches Watkins as it travels the line with the next station to pass being Wellington Lake seen off in the distance.
With their work complete at Bell, the crew aboard 302 departs on a slow order through Watkins but they will be cleared into Peter's Pond even if another crew is working there.
The crew aboard 303 has come into Peter's Pond on the "third siding over" indicating that their work here is assigned to the lower area of Peter's Pond only. Train 302 will be able to advance into "The Pond" as well and take the nearest siding to the aisle known as the Cedar Rock Siding. The ore train will depart at any moment and the two crews can "share" the mainline as their runaround. They should be able to work around each other as 303 focuses on the lower work at the pond while 302 will head up the Cedar Rock branch after determining their moves down below first.
Steve and Dilip discuss their strategy here.
Earlier, the passenger train was found underway out from Firgrove.
She's downgrade on IPP&W rails while we see the RP&M line flowing downward to the lower right.
Gerry is alone on the passenger runs for this day.
Robin and Steve have assisted Garry in the big yard. They backed their train, Rat 62 out of Nelson Yard where they proceeded into Glen Hammond. They have now departed the Glen and are found working the trailing spur track at Bellamy.
Yup, they are on a grade so cars left on the main may slide down the slope. Robin ensures this does not occur.
Sid and Fred look on from "The Theatre" outside the dispatch booth as Garry has lined the ore train in on the arrival/departure track at Nelson.
Bill is where he should be...firmly seated in the dispatch booth.
(There happens to be another dispatcher in the trio of DP's who seems to have bizarre behavioral problems...he can never stay seated in the booth!)
(We wonder who Mike is referring to?) (Big smile!)
The turntable track acts as a layover track when RP&M crews switch out the many industries found in both the lower end and upper yard in Rat Portage.
The Comber Chairs facility will see a transferal of traffic momentarily.
Bernie has it all under control! The RP&M wants to hire you out, Bernie!
Ore finds "air" above the deep chasm know as Brennan Gap.
Piercing the Fred Mills Trestle with a consist of nine cars, the train will only grow larger when it reaches Ironwood.
A lovely "going away" shot taken by Sir Patrick of the ore movements! This train happened to emulate "Brennan over Brennan Gap"!
The entire Spruce Peninsula is in evidence in this lovely shot Pat included in the portfolio from Saturday.
Forest Ranger Steve comes to the rescue of a problematic coupler.
Job assessed and ameliorated...303 is underway to points west once again.
In behind Ironwood Brick.
The view from the viewing theatre outside the hut sees Fred and Sid admiring the efforts Garry puts in to keep the massive Nelson Yard well organized.
Garry has everything under control and shouldn't encounter "any" difficulties for the rest of the morning!
(Couldn't resist, Garry!) (Another big grin!)
The sun has some fun with Pat's photography here as the ore train curves around the big bend between Spruce and Ironwood.
Passing the depot on the curve. We all love the new location of the Ironwood station.
Steve and Seanna protect against the ore traffic.
Seanna listens in on the radio chatter as Pat makes his way into Ironwood.
Pat has run around his train and it would appear that he will be conducting his own lifts on this day. Sometimes the crew aboard an IPP&W train will be asked to pull the lifts from the Ironwood Brick facility on behalf of the ore train's crew.
Cool shot of flesh coloured thunder clouds hovering over Ironwood Brick only!
With five lifts made, the ore train will have 15 cars hauled behind on the headpin.
An alley has been secured for the arrival of Passenger 32 presently making its station stop on the bend to the west of town.
Pat holds 304 on the siding to watch Passenger 32 conduct its station stop. Pat gives Gerry the "okay" signal as no hotspots were found.
Aha! Bill "is" out of the dispatch booth as he admires that long drag of ore cars!
Pat's switching is interrupted once more as he observes the wheel sets on the ore train.
Fred admires the action on the Northland Ore Dock from his seat "in the house".
With loads dropped off for the next shipment out by marine vessel, MT's are now on the move.
The ore train holds back using visual track rules as Barry and Doug deal with the eastern end of Ironwood aboard 321 late in the morning hours.
On the move on a slow order.
321 is protected, allowing the ore train into the yard at Ironwood.
Pat has Train 313 running westerly as he takes on the challenges Spruce has to offer.
A crew is found descending the slope out from Cedar Rock with some lifts on the headpin.
A number of MT's will be set out at the Ironwood Brick facility. Cool aerial shot, Pat!
Ore lovers will delight in this "above" image of ore traffic all over the place...but all in the right places!
Steve and Robin bask in the sunlight and shelter found to the west as they work Rat Portage aboard their RP&M train.
George and Len have a tidy workspace up in Firgrove and Ralph Yard.
Bernie is enjoying his morning's run having escaped the confines of Craig Leigh!
Things are starting to heat up in Nelson Yard as the sun rises higher in the sky. Gerry is drilling the Glen Hammond house track aboard Pool Train 33 in the distance.
In the far off distance Steve and Seanna work the eastern front at Bell.
The sun once again shares its rays with us as Pat has snapped an image of one of our creative carrying cases.
A glance at Nelson Yard from the eastern throat.
Dispatcher Bill is once again "on the lam" from his home perch in the dispatch booth. He is checking in on Pat who has quite a bit of work to achieve in Spruce.
Number 10 is a real looker!
It would appear that Garry is talking to a locomotive off in the distance while Bernie telepathically guides his locomotive as well.
The green signal grants authority for the ore train to run through the junction out from Nelson Yard. Note the red signal guarding the line at Bellamy and the RP&M crew holding off in the distance on RP&M rails.
No...this will not be a "cornfield meet" as the ore train will be steered to the right.
Doug and Moe discuss a few matters as the session comes to a close.
The tank car Moe has graciously agreed to trade with Garry sure is a beauty.
Pat also sent along a small handful of images from George's session on the Sunday morning. We spot three locomotives in this image from above.
Len's CP road switcher is facing us as a CN Alco is on the far track.
Steam and diesel share the road.
Aha...one of Doug's steamers that Len managed to grab as I notice Doug's railroad logo on the tender.
Thanks Pat for sharing your images with us! Your always "all smiles" when running trains!
My next blog entry will showcase the images Bernie sent my way from Session #15 so stay tuned!
All the best, Mike and the OVGRS gang, Ottawa, Ontario, Canada
