Happy New Year!

Happy New Year

The membership of the OVGRS always like to find a reason to celebrate.

The change over from one year to the next is a great time to do so.

Let's check in on the festivities!

Three days ago we welcomed the New Year here in Ottawa, our nation's fine capital city.

The previous month, the gang of the OVGRS (Ottawa Valley Garden Railroad Society) met for their December meeting and socializing session.  We spot Fred and Chris sharing a laugh with Lawrence and Moe being entertained by Henk who is out of sight in the background.  Let's check out these lads from pics taken during our sessions in the garden!

Our chief host and conspirator, Fred!

The always smiley and affable, Chris with his crewmate, Steve in behind.

Judging by the sight of two locomotives to the lower right, there is a meet being conducted in Peter's Pond.

Lawrence, enjoying a short break while awaiting clearance into Ironwood.

Master Moe, our great videographer.

Moe has his train arriving Bell from the west.

Back at the meeting, we are thrilled to find Gord making his appearance.

Sharing a drink and some camaraderie with Gene and Fred...just out of the frame.

This "eye chart" caught my "eye"!

Here's Gord working Nelson Yard.

Later, in conversation with Grant who is visiting from out west.

Lela enjoys the sun in Fred's dining area.

Here she is at another table assisting the crew with setting out cars pre-ops.

Lela, crewing with Steve at Ironwood.

Pat is in conversation with Gene.

Pat, in conversion with Pete!

Gene holds court with skipper Fred.

The food is really what brings us to the meeting!  Hehehe!

We catch Bill in in the hot seat in Fred's office.

Later, we catch up with Bill in Cedar Rock.

Steve and Seanna share a photo with Tom.

Steve in his ON shirt.

Let's take a closer look!

Did we mention food and drink.  Yes we did, didn't we, Garry?

Seanna, in Rat Portage.

With her crewmate, hubby Steve.

Here's Neil.

Neil with Paul on a cool day.

Yum, yum!

We spot Malcolm, seated with Doug, Steve and Bob in conversation mid-room.

We find Malcolm with Pete and Garry pre-ops.

On another day with...moi!

Doug, our track superintendent inspects some rail with "Ore Train Bob!"

Dispatcher Doug.

Steve, the happy lad.

Here's Moe again...with Lawrence and Henk's back.

Here's Moe in Firgrove.

Moe with Henk in Ironwood.

Henk, coming up the RP&M branch into Bell Junction.

Doug checks out the camera man while Lawrence reviews the particulars around a session.

An unfocused shot of Gene, Garry, Bill and Bernie.

A better focused Garry with Fred.

Garry, downgrade out of Spruce.

We can't forget Bernie, our Craig Leigh and Douglas Yard yard master.

Bernie manages to escape the yard for a session and crew with Chris.

Did we mention treats!

Still more treats along with Seanna's fabulous Chili which I never got a snap of!

Here's Paul with Lela.

Paul with Lawrence.

A different Paul in the checkered shirt with others in the gang.

Paul with Bernie.

Pat and Paul.

Pat and "Paul to the power of two!"

Yet another Paul working the Cedar Rock branch.

With his dad, Colin.

Still more treats.

Aha!  Here's Henk!

And...here's Henk.

Always with a smile...especially when there's good tasting food and great friends around!

Bob hangs around with Paul and Steve.

Bob arrives the new ore dock in Northland.

Departing Firgrove.

And...here's Steve, bringing his consist through the bridge on the outskirts of Nelson Yard.

Bernie, sandwiched between Gene and Fred.

Bernie in the lounge.

And...with Lawrence and Paul.

Another shot of Paul.

While George and Brian couldn't make the meeting, they each play an important role in the group.

George at Bellamy.

Later, at Watkins Siding.

Brian with Garry.

Hey here's Doug in the foreground and Barry in back.

You look relaxed, Doug!

Brian, arriving Glenn Hammond.

Nice to see John making it out for a session.

Crewing with Steve.

Hey Chris, great seeing you out as well.

Chris, in the shade.

My buddy, Pete, comes up from Nova Scotia and loves attending the sessions.

Great to see Mark.

And...his dad, Bill.

You look great guys!

Fred and Bernie near the new ore dock.

Gilbert offers the gang some great modelling services.

We also appreciate Joel's efforts to keep the schematic diagram up to date.

Doug and Chris...published!

Little ole' me!

 A great looking shed built by George.

Great modelling, George.

I was one of the last to leave the meeting and decided to snag a few "winter" shots of the railroad.  Here we see our canopy's skeleton.

And...we see the canopy serving its purpose!

The new houses going up out back will have a fine view of our ops sessions!

I wonder if they'll be completed by the time we get rolling again in the spring?

Here's what it looks like below our canopy at a typical session.

We also set up other "portable" canopies...aka...umbrellas to guard us from the sun.

We also enjoy our "grub" post-ops beneath the canopy.

The bridges in winter.

The bridges in summer.

There are actually three bridges that span the gut at this location.

Looking at the western terminus in Firgrove.

During a session.

A look over to Spruce.

Spruce in the summer.

With its lovely station.

Peter's Pond under a cover of white.

Peter's Pond in a layer of green.

The branch out of the Pond lies dormant in this season.

The branch out of the Pond sees action in this one.

Looking up the branch and over to Mount St. Helens.

Couldn't resist posting this pic once again in the same location.

Further up the branch.

Some new developments along the Cedar Rock branch.

Materialized this summer.

The additional trackwork made operations all the more realistic.

The end of the branch up in Cedar Rock.

In busier times.

Across the aisleway from, Spruce.

Mount St. Helens once more.

Nelson Yard blanketed with snow.

Nelson Yard blanketed with equipment!

The far end of the yard.

The "Far Side" with Chris.

Glenn Hammond.

Glenn Hammond holds a meet.

Snowbound Bell.

Bell on a lovely morning.

With visitor Rob and Pete.

Looking across the patio to Cedar Rock in winter.

Same location in summer.

The eastern outskirts of Nelson Yard.

Sees plenty of rail traffic.

Craig Leigh "gone to bed" for the winter.

Craig Leigh wide awake in the summer.

With a host of operators keeping the trains a-running.

The engine house.

The engine house pre-ops.

The new ore dock.

Near Northland.

Is the most recent expansion to the line.

It's construction enhances the operations of the ore trains.

A happy Fred and a very pleased Bob.

Pat pokes his head above the fence to sneak a peek at the ore dock with Bob, Moe and Steve looking on.

Douglas Yard in December.

Douglas Yard during a session.

With Bernie controlling all movements in and around the yard.

The patio in the cold.

The patio in warmer times.

And...warmer climes!

RP&M territory.

With an RP&M crew working the yard.

What's this...a new industry in Rat Portage?

Yeah!

Looking back at the railroad from Firgrove.

We catch a passenger train rounding the bend at Lilly.

With the houses in the background continuing to rise.

Over to Ironwood.

Where we find trains on the go.

Another view of the twin trees guarding the yard limits near the mine.

Speaking of the mine!

An overall shot looking over to Peter's Pond and Mount St. Helens.

Pete and his crewmate working Mount St. Helens.

 Careful not to step on the rails!

Same goes for this critter at Mercer Siding.

Mercer Siding.

Phil managed to make it out a few times this summer.

As did Lee, who assisted with the closing up of the railroad for the winter.

Really nice seeing Stu as well.

I would be remiss if I left out a few pics.

From a very special time we host each year.

Our invasion of friends.

From throughout Canada and the United States.

To see more invasion pics check out the archive to the right.

With the snow falling around the pond.

We think of warmer days.

Along the rails of...

The IPP&W and RP&M.

Indeed, Happy New Year everyone!

While the image above was taken on my HO Scale indoor layout, most of the trees you see actually came from my "garden"!

All the best, Mike Hamer, Ottawa, Ontario, Canada