Session #5 Narrow Gauge - June 29

4-6-0 number 25 tells us that narrow gauge operations took place on our last session for the month of June.

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To view last week's session and any earlier ones, go to the blog archive to the right.

This large steam locomotive in care of the ore train west needed no sand nor assistance in climbing the grade at Blockhouse.

Malcolm collated a montage of video segments from today's session.  Copy the link below into your browser to watch.

https://onedrive.live.com/?authkey=%21ADw%5FW%2D2mIQUw3Tw&cid=4275D0234272929B&id=4275D0234272929B%2143610&parId=4275D0234272929B%2143597&o=OneUp

Garry is yardmaster at Nelson Yard with Pat in the background classifying cars as a member the RP&M for the day.

Malcolm and Steve in Glen Hammond.

The poker chips indicate specific train consists.  When being set out pre-ops, the car can be placed on any track "other than" the track with the same colour as the chip on the car.

A look across Nelson Yard, the yard in Glen Hammond and over to Stuart Yard in Bell.

Who says narrow gauge traffic is not as colourful as its standard gauge brethren!

Those billboard reefers certainly add to the colour!

Our dispatcher on the day, Mr. Bill Sn3 Scobie.

Manny and her dad, George, will act as yard masters in Ralph Yard at Firgrove.

Skipper Bob...our ore train guru.

Our affable Nelson Yardmaster, Garry.

Our videographer, Malcolm.

Pat Brennan and Henk...or is a figment of Henk?  Hehehe!

Pre-ops we find Moe, Lawrence, Steve, Pat Brewer and George.

Henk and Doug stand in the background.

Paul, Bernie (in back), Chris, Malcolm, Andrew and Anna.

Father and daughter...Andrew and Anna.

Laughter abounds each minute!

Pat Brennan, Garry, Fred and Len.

We listen attentively to Fred's preamble.

Thanks to George, we have some nicely refurbished structures at Lilly.

Thanks so much, George!

Steve and Malcolm will crew IPP&W Train 327 out from Glen Hammond westbound to Firgrove.

Paul Anderson and Chris will crew IPP&W Train 318 out from Glen Hammond again...in the opposite direction heading for Craig Leigh.  The two above mentioned trains begin their journeys at the halfway point on the railroad.

Lawrence is my crewmate on this day aboard three RP&M trains.

Pat Brennan and Moe will also crew RP&M trains today.  Their train, RP&M 65 is departing Nelson Yard for Rat Portage and Bell.  Once through the junction they will find themselves on RP&M trackage.  They will return to Nelson Yard as Train 66.

Passenger 2 arrives Bell eastbound.

302 trails Passenger 2 as it descends the line at "The Ledges."

The two trains in Bell.

Paul departs Glen Hammond with IPP&W Train 318 under diesel power as Lawrence lines the turnouts for our train, RP&M 70.   We will back out of the big yard and head forward into Glen Hammond.

Dispatcher Bill tells us...

...to obey all instructions...or else!

We've backed out of Nelson Yard and are on a slow order into Glen Hammond.

We will have some work here.

From Glen Hammond, we switch out Bellamy...

...and then we are cleared though the junction to Anderson.  I have just radioed the dispatcher to inform him that our train has cleared the junction tracks.

I take a glance over to "The Ledges" where I find the ore train gliding downgrade out of Firgrove.

Up in Firgrove, Manny and George work Ralph Yard.

Their Rio Grande 4-6-0 has great pulling power...

...as they drill the yard tracks.

Moe works the trailing sidings in Rat Portage aboard RP&M Train 65.

Pat is his engineer on the run.

Our train holds the grade on the outskirts of Rat Portage.

The only three cars in the entire yard area at Rat Portage are these three found at the Hamer Manufacturing complex.

Mark has Pool Train 15 at the pedestrian crossing as Bill looks on from the dispatch hut.

That's a keeper of a locomotive, Mark!

Pat Brewer and Andrew work Ironwood with Train 301 while Anna looks on.

That's Bob at Watkins siding in the background.

Paul Anderson and Chris are eastbound in Spruce.

Steve has 327 in Peter's Pond...

...with his crewmate, Malcolm.

Henk and Paul are awaiting entry into Peter's Pond with IPP&W Train 302.

At the Northland Ore Dock we find Bernie working the siding.

There's a nice smile!

Hey, it's not that Hamer lad...it's Mr. Scobie...following Hamer's principle as the "Roving Dispatcher!"

Moe and Pat are almost done their work in Rat Portage and will shortly enter the tunnel for the trip up to Bell.

Train 15 rounds the big curve at Lilly.  (I spell Lilly this way as that is the name of my puppy dog...although the real lillies are, in their singular format... "Lily")
Big grin!

Through the trestle at the gut...

...with Blockhouse in the distance.

With the departure of RP&M 65, Lawrence and I can now pull into Rat Portage.

Our first line of work is to handle the facing industry.

The earlier RP&M train has now dropped more traffic in the yard.

Lawrence grins as he appreciates the challenge of having both facing and trailing sidings to deal with down in Rat Portage.  I must thank Lawrence immensely for building the structure which is named in my honour!

With no turntable in Rat Portage, we return to Nelson Yard tender first.

As we approach Nelson, I notice the Pool train departing the Glen.

Train 15 at Bellamy.

Mark railfans his own train!

A well-deserved smile!

Bob holds the ore train on the main at Mercer.

While Nelson Yard continues to change its appearance throughout the session.

Steve has IPP&W Train 327 on Track 3 at Bell while Moe works his RP&M train in the distance at the newly installed siding named in Henk's honour.

Busy Bell.

The new trackage to the east of Bell...

...allows for meets of multiple trains.

While 301 continues to work Ironwood.

Anna looks on as Chris enjoys some shade in the distance.

There's Chris...

...enjoying a brief respite from the sun.

It would appear 318 is ready to depart Spruce for Ironwood.

302 is finally allowed into Peter's Pond.

Hi Bernie!

Brian has arrived the terminus at Craig Leigh with one passenger train and he will be departing shortly with another.

Looking good, Brian.

Douglas Yard at Craig Leigh.

The ore train in Glen Hammond.

Bob departs Glen Hammond while Anna and Fred hold a conversation in the lee of the dispatch hut.

A busy network of trackage at Nelson Yard, Glen Hammond and Bell.

The ore train experiences a strange encounter downgrade at Lilly.

Alas...obstruction is removed.

Sailing downgrade past Blockhouse.

With a host of railfans looking on.

Below the eastern throat of Nelson Yard...

...the ore train steps out onto the pedestrian crosswalk.

Moe and Pat arrived Bell as RP&M Train 65.  When finished, they will head back home as Train 66. 

Lots of tracks.

A meet of three trains in Bell.

No problems though...dispatch can handle the manouver.

Loads of action.

Lots of camaraderie!  

A huge splash of colour!

Little #4 sure has great hauling power!

RP&M Train 66 shuffles downgrade out of Bell.  It will pass Pratt's Bottom in short order and will arrive Rat Portage shortly thereafter.

Train 15 is now eastbound out of Bell.

Love the locomotive!

So does Mark apparently!  Hehehe!

Paul works the sidings in Ironwood aboard 318.

Dispatcher Bill...

...with his dispatch board.

Passenger 1 in Glen Hammond.

Indeed, we had both passenger trains running simultaneously.

Len and Fred in deep conversation.

301 continues with its work at Spruce.

A true lifesaver!

318 in Mount St. Helens.

A meeting of trains on two different levels.

Train 15 below Mount St. Helens.

Through the pedestrian crossing...

...and into the station at Peter's Pond.

Train 15 encounters 302 in the pond.

302 clears the way for 15.

It's onto Glen Hammond for Train 15.

The ore train makes appearances at all different times throughout the morning.

And...so it should!

Such a beautiful looker!

15 in the siding at Mercer.

While Garry and Lawrence enjoy a break in the shade!

Seeing as I take the pictures and don't get in many, here's a shot of "little old me" playing my Fender Stratocaster in my basement with my buddy, Pete Sutcliffe on acoustic guitar back in the late 70's...posted for a fun lark!

This is the first section of images and stories from this operating session.
To see more images and tales from the day, check out our "second section" at the link below

https://gardenrailroadottawa.blogspot.com/2019/06/session-5-second-section.html

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