Belleville - One Last Look
I managed to snag enough photos from our session for one last appearance on the blog.
We arrived Barry & Bonnie's place two minutes before 10:00 AM.
Indeed, we were ready and willing to run trains!
A terrific trio is found on the deck early in the morning; Fred Chris and Grant!
Here's Kingston Grant!
And here's Ottawa Fred!
Chris listens in with the assembled group.
We study Barry's colour-coded sheet with the first runs of the morning listed.
Speaking of terrific trios, here is another shot of those three tank cars with the furthest being a chemical car of some sort.
The UP diesel shifts gears as it goes about its switching duties at the eastern throat of Shaanenville.
You can't keep a good Geep down and this TH&B wanderer goes about its tasks even if its stanchions are in the workshop.
Moe & Gerry demonstrate versatility as they crew together on Train 403.
Barry ducks in to see what condition our condition is in! (Music joke!)
Video of the UP's work.
Chris and I plough out from Shaanenville and make headways for Brockville.
We enjoy the aroma of cheese from the cheese factory and wish we could stop to purchase some of Kurt's fine flavoured handiwork...but alas...we have railroading business to conduct.
Chris reviews our work for our next location as I drive the engine and work the railfan camera!
We pull up short of the yard limits at Belleville.
Video of our progress.
Now...was this staged...or did it really occur...or is this just a bad dream?
The National Transportation Safety Board will be launching an enquiry immediately!
Heh heh...Barry...no problems...this happens to us at Fred's on the rare occasion as well!
A blurry view of our Train orders.
Fred, Barry & Paul find some comfy chairs in which to relax.
Here's that trustworthy Geep once again!
A look at the farm at Kamaron City.
I particularly enjoy how the colours in the caboose match the nearby foliage!
And...that Alberta grain car is nothing to scoff at either!
Merrily they roll along!
Such a cool looking boxcar!
Pat has brought along his steam locomotive and takes her for a spin.
In the meantime Mike spots an interesting blue coloured behemoth.
Of course, it's that lovely Conrail unit - the one which he shared pictures with us in an earlier blog entry.
Fresh out from the darkness of the tunnel, this train finds daylight as it heads towards Shaanenville.
We enjoy the bypass tracks.
This yellow puppy gets around the railroad in short order!
The inverse would be this black furred puppy - belonging to the Ottawa Central but finding itself on the Belleville Sub!
Grant & Eric share stories...
...and pranks as well!
Bonnie & Barry...your backyard is a true oasis!
Aerial lunch photos!
Dig in, lads and lasses!
There is plenty of food to feed an army of operators!
Moe is wandering the wilderness in search of his long lost seat!
Locomotives await their afternoon assignments in the quietness of the big Ottawa Yard.
Pat's steamer is spotted once again.
Throttles rest beside their assigned power anticipating the next run.
Some rest atop their engines.
Thank heavens for umbrellas!
On the 'upper deck'.
Bonnie's table of refreshments and treats!
"Hmmm...how can I get going when I'm not on the tracks!" wonders our OC friend.
A quick look down the back of Barry's property.
Chris & I switch out an industry along the property line.
A crew passes through using the outer track in Belleville.
The tower guards the entrance to the yard.
Ali & Shaanen team up to run Train 802 starting off from Belleville bound for Trista Centre.
Barry has many interesting vignettes which draw our attention in a wonderful fashion.
Chris & I now work our later train; Train 603.
The tail end of 802 at Belleville.
802 has Shaanenville in the rearview mirror as the crew heads towards the trestle leading into the mountain tunnel.
Through the tunnel the crew has reached Kamaron City where they have already completed their work!
Shaanen wonders what a car is doing on the crossovers...although they could be about to run around their train to deposit the car on a siding back in Kamaron City...a possible explanation!
Hayes fuels sees plenty of triple 'domers' and chemical cars.
Out from Hayes Fuels, the crew will be heading straight for Trista Centre on a big curve!
Moe is 'incognito' in Trista Centre. Perhaps he is flying his drone?
Chris's handiwork is evident here with the lovely grain elevator and cylindrical holding tanks.
Gerry & Moe work the sidings in Cumberland.
Tom & Kurt hang out at Trista Centre.
Is it a bird? Is it a plane? Why no...it's the CEO of the railroad - skipper Barry!
I can't take enough photos of the gardens to study how they support the railway magnificently!
Post ops finds us relaxing before our departure.
And...we are on the road only to find more trains as we leave Belleville!
We are paralleling the main when Pat tells us of the train he notices in his rearview mirror!
The tail end.
Somewhere out on the 401 I spot this ship on the St. Lawrence!
Arriving Brockville's station I examine the weathering on the tracks.
Ed looks west to find a headlight and ditch lights.
They belong to engine #6431 now with the dimmed headlight and the ditch lights turned off.
Yes, the signal tells us this train is heading for Ottawa.
And...here we have the tail end of a train that has just come in from Montreal and has taken the station track.
The green indicates all is clear.
The train will get underway momentarily.
Au revoir!
Love the signal tower.
Not the clearest of shots, but I do appreciate this mural on the station property.
Lovely!
The gang awaits the arrival of yet another train.
It is always relaxing trackside!
Gerry has his camera at the ready!
Oh...another green! Something is coming from the west!
Yup, another VIA train!
And proud Canadians we are - hosting our American friends to some great trackside action!
Small wheels - but they manage to stay on the rails!
In my earlier blog entry I shared an image of the first freight train we spotted. This is another freight heading east.
The train is either heading to the Port of Montreal or the Port of Halifax. It was somewhere near 150 cars long.
Freight train video!
When I'm not playing a good ole 'gitbox' I have a ton of fun writing these blog entries for your enjoyment! Mike.
Fred, Ed & Diane are ready to head back to Ottawa - by camper van and not by train!
Now...that's travelling in style I say!
Thanks for checking in on our latest blog entry!
Barry & Bonnie, you are and continue to be such gracious hosts.
Here's to next year!
We are the OVGRS of Belleville, Brockville & Ottawa, Canada
Good to see a steam loco at your event, Barry. Now, that's how a train is supposed to look! Also, it's good to see that big, happy grin on your face - after all the hard work you've put in, you deserve to have such a happy outcome. From Johnnychuffchuff. In England, to be 'chuffed" means to be happy. Now you know. And that's where the name comes from. Maybe from steam engines too.....
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