Into December
I began this entry back in late November when snow had already begun to settle over the landscape.
While 'denning in' I am able to review my photo files going back some ten years or more.
I grabbed an image from one file, then an image from another to come up with this latest blog entry.
Before we get to the trains, I have been skating at the new 'refrigerated' rink located on the grounds of Rideau Hall which came about totally through private sponsorship.
His excellency, Whit Fraser is in the red hockey jersey posing for pictures for families who came out for the opening ceremonies.
Even TSN broadcaster, Gord Miller, got in on the action on opening day.
The pavilion is heated with a fire always lit during visiting hours so you can put your skates on in the warmth the structure offers.
Skating hours are from 5:00 PM - 8:30 PM on week days with last entry onto the grounds at 7:45 PM.
On Saturday & Sunday you can skate from 1:00 PM until 8:30 PM with final entry to the grounds at 7:45 PM.
No hockey is played; it is simply 'free skating' and no reservations are required.
Whit Fraser used his hockey stick to allow him to balance while skating.
Video of the rink in action.
The fellow skating in the white jacket with helmet on is our former Governor General David Johnston.
Video of folks assembling for a group photo.
This is the scene out my window as I type this entry on November 23rd...but the entry will not be completed and posted until we reach December.
Let's watch the snow fall with Bing Crosby singing in this video!
With today being the first of December, we welcome in the month with a warm "Hello" to all.
May this month bring peace and serenity your way and throughout the world...the latter being a tall order we know!
Now, as Joni Mitchell sang..."Let's get back to the garden!"
In the spring, summer and fall of 2019 we were graced with the waters of Peter's Pond offering a touch of tranquility to the hectic train running theme!
On July 13th, 2019 railfans were thrilled to see this gorgeous steamer grace the rails of the IPP&W.
While the previous summer found Father Fred in Barry's & Bonnie's backyard on August 16th, 2018.
Lisa allowed me to travel to Belleville even though this was the day of her birthday!
We made it back home to Ottawa to celebrate later that evening!
The front end of the Uintah Railway steamer is hidden behind the wonderful ferns in Doug's backyard on May 30th, 2015.
The shed housing rolling stock off in the distance was befallen with disaster when a tree crashed down atop its roof a number of years later!
Malcolm captured this close-up view of the parallel tracks in Nelson Yard looking west on July 29th, 2017.
On June 17th, 2017 we find a local diesel working the passenger terminal area in Craig Leigh.
Here are three sister units of the OC 2028 from the previous picture.
I railfanned the Ottawa Central back in 2006 and managed to find some of these older images which I had resized smaller for an on-line railroading forum group.
It's 11:37 AM on the 26th of August, 2017 and Mike's CN RS3 is on the final run of the day hugging the fence line between Bell and Peter's Pond.
The station stop for Wellington Lake was not in existence at the time.
It's the summer of 2018 and I'm driving my train past Doug & Paul through Doug's magical landscape along the iron of the Northland Railway.
Pool Train 15 reaches Mercer Siding in August of 2016.
Some may be wondering why the tail end of the ore train has been left on the siding.
Bob left a number of cars here so that he could divert at the junction over to RP&M rails in order to lift ore traffic out from Rat Portage, a practice that was done occasionally at the time.
This RP&M 44-Tonner remains on the property to this day...albeit in the boardroom most Saturday mornings!
My train meets an opposing friend at the Sandra Bypass in Belleville on August 23rd, 2017.
Barry & Bonnie do a magnificent job keeping their backyard balanced beautifully with trains and gardens!
The train I am running takes to the large curved trestle on the upper line at David's wonderful garden railroad near Picton, just under a half-hour's drive from Barry's home in Belleville.
Care for a dip in the pond!
Not for me! 😎😄😎
And...when you are finished running the trains, depending on the direction you are heading, you can either run directly into the storage shed or you can back your train in!
Clever that!
Let's head 'Back to the Future' and visit our 4th session of the 2024 season.Doug has arrived Bell and is in the process of switching out Brunt's Brewing.
Indeed it is a long reach over to the brewery...but any good beer deserves effort for its reward!
Moe is Doug's partner on this day.
Video of their continued efforts in Bell.
While Doug & Moe continue working Bell, Bernie will be heading in their direction aboard his RP&M train and will eventually reach Bell following work in Rat Portage.
He first will hold a meet with Pool Train 33 in Rat as evidenced in this video work.
Much later in the morning, the Pool Train is seen switching out the house track in Spruce...although the gang forgot to put the depot out for the session!
Yikes!
The house track work is seen on this video.
Westbound Train 313 departs Ironwood with eyes on Spruce.
View of Train 313 on in this video footage from 2024.
The drover's caboose is acting as the end car for the RP&M train while CN diesel #4789 awaits clearance out of the yard aboard newly made-up Train 311.
Wowser!!!
Not one but two Canadian Pacific beauties adorn the yard at Firgrove!
It's 2015 and we are blessed with this gorgeous double-header of the two locomotives departing Ironwood.
Along the Spruce Sub we bid farewell to the train as we spot the westbound Pool Train across the valley on the Bell Sub.
Mere moments earlier, this Passenger Extra departed Spruce on the big curve leading into Ironwood.
You won't believe this...but it's December 12th, 2015 and we gather in Fred's backyard 'sans snow' to run some extra trains!
Chris & Lela have decorated their CP switcher "in the Christmas mood" as Henk's European passenger train holds the same track in back.
This is enough to put us in the spirit of things! 💓
On a summer's day in 2016 Malcolm managed to railfan this NYC pairing during one of our 'Invasion of Friends' sessions.
We're in Ironwood one year later as the vines have taken to the back fence offering up a verdant backdrop to the scene.
Steve & Seanna are working the northernmost sidings of the town at the moment.
On the 29th day of September, 2018, we spot this live steamer making its way towards the engine terminal at Craig Leigh.
Earlier, Mark was busy controlling its progress around the railroad.
Mark, Mike and "Little Red"!
Ah...you can never have too much fun!
It's "Invasion Time" in 2018 as Gaetan & Nicole pass through Bell during construction season for the back fence.
The fence is now complete and by 2019 we have a nice wooden backdrop to our many images for the blog.
I'm with a visitor to the railroad on this day.
Brian hauls the Pool Train back into Craig Leigh after having finished his run with the leased power he brings out to the session.
Indeed this unit from the Helm Atlantic Leasing company (HATX) #417 adds a torrent of colour to the boxcar reds and browns in this image!
This unique looking puppy was brought out to one of our invasion sessions back in 2016.
The backyard is naked of a barrier between the properties from two streets as Bob is spotted near Ironwood.
It is June 30th, 2018 as the ore train passes the location that will one day become Wellington Lake.
The old bungalow on the back property is now gone and two homes take up the place where it existed.
A third new home has been constructed to the west of the two that are beginning to materialize.
Still in 2018 we locate ourselves in Ralph Yard where the trackage had a much different appearance at the time.
In the same year I am capturing an RP&M train heading out to the front of Fred's property.
The big curve is rarely spotted from the street as it seems to be camouflaged in all the nearby foliage and (sometimes) ferns.
The train disappears into the darkness of the shadows.
The drover's caboose brings up the rear of the train.
There she goes!
Why...it's my crewmate, skipper Pat!
We tunnel through the subterranean landscape beneath Firgrove.
We find daylight finally as we pass the whistle stop known affectionately as Pratt's Bottom while ore traverses the terrain above us at 'The Ledges'.
Pat is one of our reliable "Workday Wednesday" chums!
Here we are some seven or so years ago!
Let's advance again to the year 2024 as we visit Session #6.
Dilip sure is happy to run his newly purchased B&O tandem as observed in this video effort. The locomotive and caboose were previously owned by our dear friend, Lawrence.
The caboose hop continues on past the depot on the curve.
Continued video of Dilip's new friends!
We spot Passenger #1 traversing "Hosta Alley".
Train #1 enters the environs of Wellington Lake as the ore train drills Ironwood Brick.
Video of Passenger #1's passage through the verdant landscape.
John & Garry work the ore train while...
...Dilip and a crew mate are aboard westbound 303 while...
...Chris & Marcel are found in Spruce with Train 301.
All this activity is captured on video from Mike taken on July 20th, 2024.
The ore train is on the move bound for the Northland ore dock in Craig Leigh.
Those with a keen eye will observe in this video how the ore was running so hot that the IPP&W railway had to resurrect any of the older style ore cars they could find remaining on their property and re-introduce them into service once again with their more modern counterparts!
Malcolm maxes out the Mercer meet!
Pedestrian proof at Peter's Pond!
"Who's that character snapping our picture, Moe?" Lawrence seems to be a-saying! 😀😄😀
Chris is indicating this message to George, "We'll take one of these...and one of those...and a couple of them over there!" 😁😁😁
The house at back takes shape in the fall of 2017 as John, Paul, George & Ringo take a break from making music and playing trains!
Indeed, two houses are evolving on what was once the single property with just the one bungalow.
Earlier in the summer of 2017, the St. Lawrence Division of the NMRA paid a visit to Fred's.
That's Kevin in the foreground working Ironwood with Neil checking in on the passage of the passenger train at Clarke Grade as Chris, Stan & Angus look on.
Jeff, Paul & Bill stand in front of the town of Spruce.
Sadly, my dear friend, Bill, is no longer with us.
We miss you at OVAR and SLD Bill!
Grant came out to run trains with the SLD group and then promptly joined the OVGRS gang.
He has his own large scale railroad in his backyard.
Jeff in the distance in the maroon shirt and black fleece jacket has recently joined our team as well.
We welcome any folks who are interested in true train operations to come on over to run trains with us.
You may someday become one of the group as well! 😀😁😀
A look back at the two houses under construction well into the first snowfall of the 2017 season.
While two years earlier in 2015 in warmer times we find a CN train exiting the tunnel on Barry's layout in Belleville.
Barry's is a well designed and highly photogenic railroad in a gorgeous garden setting.
Ken always enjoyed coming up to Barry's, Fred's and Doug's railroads to run trains.
We miss you Ken!
Likewise with Terry who crossed the vast Atlantic Ocean to come for our invasion weekends!
We lost Terry just this past year and Ken near the beginning of the Pandemic.
These two fellows were great ambassadors to large scale train operations and truly fine gentlemen (who were real characters nonetheless) and they are deeply missed.
Indeed, as mentioned earlier in this blog entry, what a joy it was to visit Dave's magnificent large scale layout just outside of Picton, Ontario...so we revisit the railroad once again in this blog entry!
You can see the two tiers of railway lines in this image as well as the lookout atop the mountain.
Yes, Dave created the mountain from soil on his property and a large pond exists where the soil was removed!
The pond is seen beyond the trees and the house off in the distance.
I'm working my way up the many stairs and ramps to the lookout area.
There are a series of elevations in the climb which offer a variety of 'lookout' viewing areas for visitors.
And...this is one view looking down from above.
We see Chris, Johnny & Barry down on the lawn in front of the railway.
There are many ponds, patios and garden walkways throughout the landscape.
David's railroad was not so much an 'operational' one although it was a true beauty to behold!
He simply loved sitting out in the garden watching long trains running!
Just one of the many ponds found around the property.
And...when David was finished running trains for the day, he would simply drive them directly into the storage building (or back them in) where a number of staging tracks held the equipment!
These next few images were resized for an on-line forum and I never did save the originals which was silly of me!
We are at Doug's Northland Railroad back in 2017.
Paul, Moe & the other Paul are busily running their trains.
Steve is traversing the verdant landscape.
Modern power abounds.
Trains rise from ground level to such elevations as we see in this image.
A number of trestles dominate the landscape...and trees too!
Fortunately, during an earlier visit to Doug's that summer I did save the original images in their original size! 😎
Here we spot an unusual pairing of CN power with CP power!
Moe checks his consist as I am about to depart the staging area with my D&H GP38-2.
I'm underway!
If you are a Hosta fan, Doug has tons of varieties for you to enjoy!
I'm passing by the wonderful station Doug built out of Jiggstones with it's wonderful clock tower!
Indeed, the Hostas dwarf the power.
In 2017 some of the lads visited the Finger Lakes railroad with its ride-on trains!
Along with the ride-on equipment, the group also has a large scale railroad which Bernie took advantage of to run his power.
Fred & Pat are having the time of their lives!
I managed to find another file of pics from Doug's Northland Railroad taken in 2015 that were still in large format. Yeah!
Here, Lela & I are holding down the mine job on our way out from the mine facility.
The actual mine is way off in the distance out of the picture.
Chris is all smiles as he forwards his train into the station area.
The garden paths lead you to many new sights and sounds as you follow your train and meet other crews along the way.
Chris, Pete & Andreas take in the action as Pete's train takes to the vast curve.
Back at Fred's in 2015 I find myself in the dispatch booth working the radio with the crews out on the line.
Hey...if you are available, feel free to come on out to the Broadway Bar & Grill to hear my band, "Off the Record" play some great sounding tunes.
The event is Thursday, December 18th and, as the poster indicates, the pub is located at the corner of Prince of Wales Drive and Fisher Avenue.
Google Maps location!
May all our OVGRS family members enjoy this wonderful month.
And may the warmth of the lights at Christmas time warm all your hearts throughout this season of waiting.
And...as Father Fred always advises...if you want to experience more camaraderie around the theme of fellowship and trains, then come on out to the monthly OVAR meetings.
They are held the second Tuesday of every month.
There are great presentations, lots of models displayed and you can enjoy some excellent dining.
We look forward to the New Year when another blog entry will be coming your way.
We are the OVGRS of Ottawa, Ontario, Canada
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