Session #10 - Passenger #1 Power Play
Our eleventh session of the season took place on Labour Day Monday.
Why not on Saturday?
Simple - we were rained out this past Saturday so we decided to make Monday the rain date! So...Monday it was!
Mike plays guitar in a 'blues' band but he never gets the 'blues' seeing his D&H GP38 drifting past the 'all blue' Brunt's Brewery in Bell.
Yes, seeing as I was slated for the passenger service with our good friend Malcolm, many of the images and videos presented today will be from those runs...mainly from Passenger #1.
Aha! See what I mean! Passenger trains in abundance!
Alas, this is neither Malcolm nor me aboard this 'light' train. It is Paul running down to Bell our from Firgrove in a sunny, orange image!
And...speaking of a 'sunny' disposition, this bright yellow & grey Union Pacific end cab is operated by Craig Leigh yardmaster Chris on this day.
Yes, while there was really no rain in the forecast, the morning was somewhat chilly with a light overcast grey sky - matching the colour tones of Pat's switcher on duty delivering ore from the mines to the ore dock in Craig Leigh.
Adding to the colour of the morning is Steve & Seanna's Algoma Central Geep running the route of the RP&M having arrived Bell on Track 4.
What a thrill it was to see Bob out again following some pretty miraculous surgery! We've really missed you Bob!
Bob took some great video which we will share later.
As per usual, Fred takes command of the pre-ops conference where it has been decided that Mondays from here on in will act as rain dates should Saturday's sessions be rained out.
I informed the group that of out seven Saturday rainouts thus far this season...the following Mondays dawned bright and clear six of the seven weeks!
Folks began raising their hands in agreement of the rain date initiative and a moment after this shot was taken all hands were in the air!
The gang listens in while the discussion unfolds.
Then it's a quick and loud "Play Trains" under the canopy in the crew lounge and the session gets underway!
We spot Dilip & Mark blocking their train in Glen Hammond while Robin instructs his crew mate Moe to back out of Nelson Yard and await clearance into the Glen.
Firgrove Yardmaster George keeps abreast of the situation up in Ralph Yard at the western end of the line.
Right out of the chute, Malcolm & I will be "off and running" offering passenger service to folks along the line of the IPP&W.
I'm in command of westbound Passenger #1 here in Craig Leigh while Malcolm will depart Firgrove eastbound with Passenger #2. Our designated meeting point will be Glen Hammond.
Video of me backing my locomotive onto my train. At this point in time we have yet to find the second steam generator car which really is required for the train.
It was found later on by Father Fred in the bedroom at the back of the house! I'm wondering what kind of steam needs to be generated there!
I take the turnouts that will lead me out from the passenger terminal area.
I've passed Scobie's and now the Brunt's Malt Facility before saddling up beside the ice house.
Video of my movements out from the yard.
I'm excited to hit the 'high iron' as this is only my third time running trains this season as I have been relegated to the dispatch booth on all the other occasions - a role I also truly appreciate!
Train 301 has been blocked by the Craig Leigh yardmaster, Chris, and the crew of Grant & Gerry are able to sneak out of the yard before me as I am still making my way around the outskirts of Douglas Yard at this location.
The yard switcher takes the leg of the wye as I follow on the heels of 302.
Video action near the wye in Craig Leigh.
Chris takes the inner leg of the wye bound for the Northland Ore Dock where he has a lift to contend with.
The procession out from Craig Leigh gets underway.
The crew of 302 will take to the siding down in St. Helens and protect their train for my arrival along the station track.
Chris reaches the Northland Ore Dock where he will back his power onto the short stub-end siding to the bottom left of the image where two black hopper cars reside (out of the picture).
Parade video.
I arrive St. Helens on schedule.
St. Helens approach video footage.
Here is an interesting photograph which I 'snipped' from my video.
We have a 'vertical' meet of the two passenger trains. Passenger #1 is in the foreground running along the Spruce Sub while Passenger #2 is in back running along the rails of the Bell Sub!
Vertical video meet!
Down in Peter's Pond we find the crew aboard 302 having arrived town and taken the Cedar Rock Siding.
Paul's CP engine powers the train on this day.
Up in Cedar Rock Garry handles the conductor's chores while Paul drives the locomotive.
They arrive back down in Peter's Pond 'Proper' to meet Train 314 having just arrived on the Peter's Pond siding track.
Over in St. Helens 304 is 'hard at it' drilling the trailing sidings as the ore train presses on by.
Paul, Malcolm & Bob pose for a great looking picture!
Gerry & Grant are working westward aboard 301, spotted in Spruce at the moment.
The CN Geep works 'long hood forward' and is on loan from Chris. Thanks Chris!
Passenger #1 makes Ironwood - where the old Ironwood trees once stood many decades ago!
Ironwood arrival as seen on video.
Number One enters Spruce.
The sounds you hear in this video do not come from my locomotive - they originate from a jet airliner having just taken off from Runway "3-2" at Ottawa's airport.
Yes we are directly under the flight path of planes departing Ottawa from Runway 32 or arriving on the same runway alternately labeled "1-4" - Runway 14.
Fred's home would be just across the river a ways from the threshold of Runway 14 seen to the upper left in this image of Ottawa's airport runways.
And...God forbid that if you are not interested in trains, you can always play golf at the Hylands Golf Club just south of Runway 25!
I have backed my train up the main in Spruce to await a meet with an oncoming IPP&W crew that is making its way up that long stretch from Nelson Yard, so I swing around momentarily with my camera on video setting where I find Gerry & Grant earlier aboard Train 301 in St. Helens.
Pat is being a good boy, waiting for the pedestrian crossing to clear so that he can follow his ore train up to Craig Leigh. We spot Pat & Doug switching out Peter's Pond aboard 303.
Rotational video views in the east of Fred's property.
304 arrives after traveling through the lengthy 'dark' territory.
Dilip & Mark are aboard the train as they take the siding.
With 304 no longer an issue in my books, I am cleared all the way through to Glen Hammond where I will meet Malcolm with Passenger #2.
Slipping down the grade from Spruce I bid farewell to Dilip & Mark.
With his train in the Glen awaiting mine, Malcolm railfans my consist as it exits Clarke Canyon.
You can see Passenger #2 up top in the Glen as my tail end is about to clear the crossing as Malcolm inspects the photo he has taken.
And...voila...here is Malcolm's photo which he sent my way!
He has captured my train in its descent into Clarke Canyon off Clarke Grade.
More photos from Malcolm will be shared when I create another blog entry on our Pool Train run.
I successfully navigate the Fred Mills trestle out from the big curve at Lilly.
Across the valley I spot our shorty ore train on approach to Nelson Yard where Pat will lift some seven ore cars to significantly lengthen his train.
Video of my approach into the Glen and Pat's arrival at Mercer Siding.
Final approach with my meet with my opposite number in Glen Hammond.
Malcolm videos my arrival. He has been waiting a short while. Had I not been held at Spruce awaiting 304 over that long stretch of territory, we most likely would have arrived at the same time or within a minute or two of each other. Alas, no worries, as waiting is what railroading offers at times!
My video of the meet.
While I was not able to save Malcolm's video to upload to the blog, I was able to view it and grab these two snippets from the action.
My tail end Pullman car is the Algonquin displaying the lovely New York Central livery!
While Bell appears congested in this image taken later in the session, everything is organized and the crew of the ore train, the Pool train, and the RP&M and IPP&W way freights manage to team up with dispatch to work around the situation...organized chaos if you will!
It's wonderful having you out, Paul!
Paul is the one in charge of this run down from Firgrove to Bell.
Paul's train as captured on video in Bell as I depart with Passenger #1 our from the Glen.
I hold at the station in Bellamy for the ore train to clear the junction before heading further west.
Junction video.
With the ore train now through the junction it is my turn.
Steve & Seanna work Rat 71 to the left as I clear the junction in this video.
There must have been some debris on the track near the coniferous tree as my steam generator car begins to wobble. Yes, Fred found the second steam generator car - in his back bedroom as mentioned earlier!
There's the car 'generating steam' right now!
Video through Mercer Siding.
I can't believe my eyes - as I pull into an empty Peter's Pond! How rare is that?!
Making my entrance into the pond on video.
While conducting my station stop in Peter's Pond I amble over to Craig Leigh to see how Chris is making out.
Chris reassures me on this video that thinks aren't so bad at all!
It's another "up and over" meet of the two passenger trains.
The meet appears in this video segment.
I'm on a heading toward Wellington Lake in back while IPP&W Train 301 rises above on the plateau in the foreground.
Parallel running trains on video.
You hear me talking with Malcolm. He has rescued my New York Central passenger car which became uncoupled beneath St. Helens and has returned it to me!
Ore loads pass through Spruce.
Four trains are spotted in this video on the eastern front of Fred`s property.
The ore train has arrived Ironwood on the left as I proceed up through Watkins Siding - so named for our dear friend, Lawrence Watkins who passed away earlier this year.
Video work along the back fence.
Passenger #1 meets 302 to the east of Bell.
Train 302 continues with its chores at Bell (or do they) as Number One passes by on video.
While railroads make every attempt to ensure consistency, nothing is predictable when you are out on the line and the crew of 302 realized that a coupler issue meant the tail end of their train remained in Bell while they proceeded on toward Wellington Lake.
302`s crew now has picked up the `leftovers` and now are on their way east as I pull in for a station stop facing west.
Bell video action.
Below the cab on my D&H unit is the name Ralph Dipple. Gord Bellamy named the locomotive after his dear friend Ralph who Ralph Yard is also named after.
It is always an honour for me to run this very special diesel locomotive along the routes of the IPP&W and RP&M.
Passenger #2 is on the final leg of its journey taking the steps up to Firgrove while another aircraft ascends into the clouds - heard above in this video.
Number One terminates here in Firgrove where we spot yardmasters George & Paul swapping out the van from incoming Train 303 and placing it on the rear of outgoing Train 314.
While, across the valley gorge we spot Moe & Robin manning Rat 61 in the near area of Rat Portage.
The story of Passenger #1 comes to a close with this video scenario.
I then head back over to Craig Leigh where Malcolm and I will crew Pool Train 33, but that's a story for the next blog entry.
In the meantime, I marvel at this lovely little diesel specimen.
All by itself, it handled all of the ore traffic on this day!
And...there was lots of it too!
Ah shucks...and I thought I could take it home with me!
Robin supports Pat in keeping his little darling for himself! 😏😖😜
A week could not go by without a shot of another of Billy Boy's famous T-shirts.
Here's the man himself!
Because I am always running around the property taking pictures from our session while typically dispatching at the same time, Bill calls me "The Eveready Bunny!".
With those rabbit ears we see atop Bill now...look who's calling the kettle black!
It is post-ops time and the lads and lasses await lunch.
I sneak out front to grab a few photographs of Grant's 37 Chev sedan.
She's a beauty Grant!
Hey, last Friday Lisa & I drove to Montreal where we had a reunion with 15 friends from our high school and university years.
This photographs showcases 6/8ths of our wedding party from 44 years ago. From left to right, Don, Marilyn, me, Lisa, Steve & Kathy.
The grilled salmon at the Pointe Claire Yacht Club was superb!
Here I am posing in front of Ted's Hobby Shop in the old mall in Pointe Claire near St. John's Boulevard and the 2-20 highway.
The mall is near the airport in Dorval and also across from the CN & CP tracks that parallel themselves running into Montreal which we refer to as the 'West Island Speedway'!
Another look at this image of Bog. Bob tells me he is ready to run the ore train this coming Saturday...which is awesome!
Copy and paste the links below into your computer's browser to see two lengthy videos Bob took during the session now on Youtube.
Part One
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NKi575ng048
Part Two
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BbTxIdashTs
Finally, we give thanks to Father Fred for making all these fun times happen in his backyard.
My next installment will take you along the route of both railroads with Pool Train 33.
Thanks for following along with the progress of Passenger #1.
It was a joy bringing this story your way!
We are the OVGRS of Ottawa, Ontario, Canada
No comments:
Post a Comment