Workday Wednesday Fun
When I arrived Fred's, Bill & Mark already had things well in control.
They were just finishing up putting a brace beneath the two parallel lines that head over to Goodie's Gulch.
Then it was time to investigate the choke cable throws for the single turnout leading in behind the Fallentree Mine and the two other turnouts which take ore cars into the two mine spur tracks.
We see the two lads installing the under bracing.
This brace will help straighten the newly laid board leading to the farther trestle.
Fred is happy to see them making use of the C-clamps.
All is level.
When we first purchased the board (on the left) and installed it the plank had not warped...but it has in recent days as you note the water pooling in the centre.
The lads ensured that it was 'cup down' at the time...but these boards have a mind of their own!
The two spur tracks leading into the mine are perfectly level.
Before we lay the tracks down we will deal with the remote throws for the three turnouts.
New choke cables are going to be used here to give the Nelson Yard crew an easy way of controlling the turnouts from their neck of the woods.
Bill had a brilliant idea to save the old cables and use them in Nelson Yard to control some of the further turnouts that require a long reach located at the western end of the yard.
Indeed, nothing goes to waste here!
We realized that the 'angle iron' bar holding the throws for the choke cables had to be moved about a foot to the west in order for all three choke cables to reach their desired turnout.
This proved to be "easier said than done"!
Here we see Bill & Mark having a go at their attempt to lift the angle iron out from the ground.
Jeff & Pat pitched in as well...shaking and swinging the angle iron back and forth.
Eventually with the efforts of so many, skipper Pat was finally able to pull the bar out of the ground.
Mark does a 'test' to determine if all of the cabling will reach the desired turnouts.
Lumberjack Pat arrives on the scene with the 'heavy equipment' required to pound the angle iron back into the ground at its new location.
We all took turns hammering it into the ground as Jeff bravely held the bar in its vertical stance!
Bernie & Henk look on.
Folks...we'll have to take up a collection this coming Saturday morning...
...as this pair must be so 'down and out'...
...due to the fact they cannot afford razors any more! 😎👀😎
All the while Chris kept the property cleared of those incessant weeds that creep up every week!
Pat of the "Brewer" disposition would be proud of Chris & Henk...helping to maintain the property keeping it in "ship shape"!.
Pat is enjoying a European cruise at the moment and is deeply missed on the Wednesdays!
These next few pics come our way from Bernie's camera.
Here I am discussing with Bill our intentions with the cables.
Mark is busy taking an important call from our Prime Minister. It seems the PM wishes to take a break from all of his meetings and 'trade' them in for a much better meeting with trains in Fred's backyard! 😎
One proverb states that "Too many cooks spoil the broth" while another indicated that "Many Hands Make Work Light".We prefer the latter one here at the OVGRS.
Courtesy abounds as everyone has their say and each recommendation is dealt with - with respect! 👍👍
And then what Bill says - goes! 😎😍😎
The morning actually proved to be much cooler than expected...which allowed for great working conditions.Thanks, Bernie, for these images you sent along!
This is what skipper Bill thinks of his Workday Wednesday comrades!
Alas...he is right...for a couple of times we all sat around the crew lounge under the canopy while he toiled in the hot noonday sun a couple of weeks ago! 💥
Here's a smile from skipper Bill!
And...his always interesting shirts.
This one purchased during his attendance at an airshow in New Zealand.
We enjoy camaraderie on our WDWD's just as we do during our Saturday ops sessions.
Freddie is no slouch on the Wednesdays either!
For he devoted time in the dispatch booth to repair the plug that allows the Nelson Yard switch engine to charge following our operations.
The locomotive and charger reside in the engine house at the western end of Nelson Yard.
The tiger lilies are in bloom in the rightly named "Rust Garden"!
Hey...I had a friend come over to make music with me and he brought along this interesting Chinese four stringed instrument called a "Ruan".
This is my bandmate Corinne's son, Michael.
Indeed, we share the same given names and we share our passion for music.
Michael taught in China for a few years and he is fluently trilingual!
And...yes, we were able to make some great sounding music together!
And I share this image of the railway in Panama that my daughter, Karen, took for me while she was visiting this country for three days last week before she headed further south to Ecuador and further west to the Galapagos Islands.
And yes, she managed to snag this shot of one of the locomotives pulling a ship through the canal while aboard a local smaller vessel that takes visitors throughout the full length of the system.
Another view of the same scene.
More water required!
There you go!
Whoa...check out the clearances on both sides of the vessel!
A few moments earlier Karen took this image as her vessel had been trailing this massive beauty!
And...yet another shot for 'dad' of the locomotive!
Impressive!
A scene from one of the viewing platforms.
And...looking the other way.
Hey...just like the Rideau Canal system...only 'way' bigger!!!
And...speaking of 'way' bigger!!!
Cool night shot!
Thanks, Karen, for sending these great images to dad!
And...with the sun setting over the ocean it's time to close this entry for now!
On behalf of Father Fred we wish to thank all of those who tune in each week to check in on the action of our dedicated WDWD crew (Workday Wednesday crew)!
Hey...not to jinx anything...but we have fine weather anticipated for this coming Saturday...so train ops will most certainly be a 'go'!
I know, I know...you are all saying..."Geez Mike, you just jinxed the session!
No way José!
We are the WDWD crew of the OVGRS and we are Canada Strong!
