Invasion of Friends 2019 Day Two in Ottawa

It's Day Two of the Invasion of Friends in Ottawa.

Steamers rule the day.

With our operations...

...being of the narrow gauge variety.
Feel free to check out Malcolm's great video footage from this session by copying and pasting the link below into your browser.

https://1drv.ms/v/s!ApuSckIj0HVCgtkNePfgNcLWo6nETA

The rolling stock has to come into line...

...and it does.

The ore dock will get a workout.

So will the operators!

That's Robin close to the camera with Neil in orange and Lawrence and Pat in back.

My crew mate on the day will be Andrew.

He has brought Fred a couple of track bumpers as gifts.

Bernie needs no introduction.

Nor does Malcolm.

Passenger equipment must be of the narrow gauge ilk as well.

The crowd gathers.  That's Father Fred in red!

Steve has a cool T-shirt on.

Love the Harvard, Steve.

David is wearing another great looking shirt.

We say hello to Gaetan and Ric.

Fred addresses the assembly while Brian listens in and Ken observes from away.

Andrew and Pat.

Neil, Malcolm and Robin.

Bill, John and Seanna with David and Bernie in back.

Doug joins the crowd with Bill and John.

This was the morning we actually took the group photo.

You read the names in the blog from Day One.

Andrew gets ready in the cab of my locomotive and our train is underway.  Malcolm shoots video of Passenger 2 departing Firgrove while George and Robin look on under the shade of that red tree.  
(Seeing as I am crewing Passenger 2 with Andrew, many of the shots in this posting will showcase our train and the many crews we meet en route.  While dispatching is a more intensive assignment, I actually am able to capture a greater variety of images as I run back and forth from the dispatch hut.  I am "collared" more as a crew mate due to the fact I must stay with my train.)

Ric and Paul assemble blocks of cars in Nelson Yard with Steve helping out from the other side of the big facility.

John and Pat will crew 327 out of Glen Hammond.

David will run on RP&M rails today.

Andrew has Passenger 2 entering Bell from the west.

He slows the train...

...for its obligatory stop at all stations.

Looks like we have some headend switching to conduct!

Yeah!

Neil will crew 318, the other train which originates at the midpoint of the railroad in Glen Hammond.

Some lovely looking power!

Andrew and I have made our lift of a single car and have replaced the other one on the west house track.  We are granted clearance to Wellington Lake.

Say "cheese" Andrew!

Station stop...

...at Wellington Lake.

Robin is assigned a position with Malcolm aboard 302.  They have arrived Track 4 in Bell.

Passenger 2 exits the "tunnel" beneath Mount St. Helens.

Soon to be in Peter's Pond.

We catch up with Lee and his lovely Mrs.

We arrive the pond...

...where the ore train has protected itself.

Two unit trains in one shot!

John and Pat hold at Mercer Siding to the east of Peter's Pond to await a meet with us.

Through Mercer, their train, 327, will be granted clearance into the Pond once the ore train arrives Mercer.

We've got our green through the junction.

Ric has his gorgeous "workhorse" working the tracks in Nelson Yard.

Station stop in Bellamy.

Then it's around the bend...

...and on into Glen Hammond.

We've got loads of "smooth" operators in Nelson Yard!

Speaking of a smooth operator, here's our affable dispatcher, Mr. Bill "Sn3" Scobie!

We are at the station in Glen Hammond.

Nicole and Neil work 318 at Blockhouse...

...with a couple of moves.

Our train...above theirs.

Ditto!

Dispatch has granted us clearance out of the Glen...

...under the condition that we keep a safe distance behind 318.

Andrew crawls out onto the bridge.

We find two crews hanging around Peter's Pond.  Malcolm and Robin are aboard eastbound 302 and John and Pat crew westbound 327.

Love the loco back in Craig Leigh.

Ditto...again!

It's the bee boys, B&B, Barry and Bernie!

Gaetan joins the two to make a handsome trio!

We see ya, Bernie!  Gaetan and Barry will be taking 301 for a spin.

Malcolm and Robin up in Cedar Rock.

George, the handsome Firgrove Yard Master.

Nice unit!

RP&M 65 departs Nelson Yard and works the trailing spur just short of the junction.

Steve and David work this train.

Ric's powerful engine tugs a long string of cars in Nelson Yard.

One of the other workers in the big yard.

Andrew admires the ore train...

...while Steve and Seanna gather more cars for it from the Fallentree Mine.

Looking good!

Ric bends down to examine a car...

...while Neil and Nicole continue with their work in Blockhouse.

Lots of folks populate the area on this day.

Steve has been granted clearance through the junction...

...so David throttles his train onward up into RP&M territory.

Our train conducts a station stop at Blockhouse.

318 arrives Spruce.

Followed by us...

...in short order.

Passenger 2 on approach to Spruce.

Meeting 318.

Drone footage!

Both trains are even numbered as both are eastbounds.

302 works the east sector of Bell.

We find them using the tracks at Watkins Siding for their switching lead.

Andrew and I sache into Ironwood.

Station stop.

301 in Mount St. Helens.

Passenger 2 in search of Mount St. Helens.

Ah!  There it is.  We meet 301 and wave hello to the crew.

In the Mount.

We seek clearance from the Yard Master in Craig Leigh for our green and notify dispatch of the move.

On arrival in Craig Leigh, we must wye our train to back it into the passenger terminal.

Ken and Bernie are in charge of the yard here.

Our train is short enough to be lined up along the engine house track.

Had we been any longer, the lads would have brought us onto the Northland Ore Dock.

Beside the engine house in Craig Leigh.

Hi Robin!

Past the second turnout on the wye, Ken and Bernie align the turnout and we are instructed to back down this leg of the wye.

Ken keeps a close eye on the action.

With a blow of the horn...

...and the bell a-ringing...

...we back down the other leg of the wye...

...through Northland...

...round "Big Tree Bend"...

...past Douglas Yard...

...near Imperial Oil...

...and...finally into the passenger terminal.

With Passenger 2 tucked into bed, Andrew and I board Train 15, the Pool Train.

We head out from Craig Leigh along the same tracks we had just used for our backup move.

In the shade of "Big Tree".

Our resident videographer captures our every move.

We thank the two yard masters here for the big assist.

We spot 327 westbound out of Peter's Pond bound for Wellington Lake, Bell and, ultimately, Firgrove.

Barry and Gaetan must protect their train as we come into Mount St. Helens.

Train 15 meets 301.

Seanna has the ore train in Spruce.

Doug pops over to say hello.

Our station stop in Mount St. Helens.

302 runs on the lower track in the background while 318 addresses its switching at the Ironwood Brick facility.

Neil hustles his train onto the station track to offer us the siding for the meet.

The ore train, holding in Spruce for an imminent meet with our passenger train.

Ric continues with his travails in Nelson Yard.

Our Pool Train and 318 in Ironwood with 327 in Wellington Lake.

327 deals with its trailing spur here.

A meeting of the minds at Spruce.

"My boiler is bigger than yours!"  (Big grin!)

Spruce is busy this morning!

Hey...two unit trains again!  Bravo!

Andrew and I are granted clearance to Nelson Yard with a brief station stop at Blockhouse.

We say good-bye to Spruce.

318 near Ironwood Brick.

Train 15 is slipping down the slope...

...onward to the east.

John takes a wee break as his train switches out Wellington Lake over by the fence line.

It's a beautiful morning although the thermometer continues to rise at an early hour.

Barry's steamer in Mount St. Helens.

Our passengers climb the grade.

Brief stop at Blockhouse.

Ric and Paul have things all clear in Nelson Yard.

While down in Rat Portage, Bob and Brian handle RP&M train Rat 70.
This train originated in Nelson Yard.

From Nelson Yard, the crew backed out the eastern throat and went forward into Glen Hammond.  They then proceeded onto Rat Portage.  When they complete their work here, they will return across the junction to Nelson Yard. 

We're on the road again!

Lee and his lovely wife.

Bypassing Nelson.

On into Glen Hammond.

In the distance we see Pat and John with 327 in Bell.

302 at the pedestrian crossing near the lounge area outside of Peter's Pond.

Looks like 301 is ready...

...and waiting for clearance to depart for Ironwood.

We appreciate the cool shade the umbrellas offer.

Paul certainly does!

Pool Train 15 is out of Glen Hammond.

Junction crossing.

Right hand running at Mercer.

A meet with 302.  The crew is nowhere around which indicates they have already run up the Cedar Rock branch.

Noelle looks on as Andrew radios for clearance to Wellington Lake.

We are about to burrow beneath Mount St. Helens.

Indeed, 302 is up in Cedar Rock.  Hello Robin and Malcolm!



We are all excited to see Stuart and his lady friend, Carmen.

Our train is in this photograph, but you cannot see it.  Yes, we are below the mainline located in Mount St. Helens.

Found daylight!

In "The Corners."

318 continues its switching in Ironwood.

Spruce and Ironwood.

Mr. Chris is a happy lad!
Love that shirt, Chris!
Love the smile even more!

Looks like we have some headend switching to attend to in Bell.  Our locomotive is the closer one.  We have work at the east house track.

Returning to our train.  The other locomotive is now on our right.

The ore train arrives Ironwood and must handle the facing siding at Ironwood Brick.

Looking good, Seanna and Steve!

327 in Bell.

We've completed our work at the east of Bell and approach the station track from Watkins.

Chris and Doug hold court as Nelson Yard continues to evolve throughout the day.

We also have work to conduct at the west house track.

We have a lift here.

We'll place our lift behind our first car.

Back on our train, we seek clearance to Rat Portage along RP&M rails.

Clearance granted, we are off!

A glance back at Nelson Yard and Glen Hammond.  The heat is building up as many of the gents seek shade and a place to rest.

We say farewell to IPP&W rails and descend into Pratt's Bottom along the RP&M.

Looking good!

We understand that we will meet Rat 70 in Rat Portage.

A quartet of tankers.  "She Loves You...Ya, ya, ya!"
Not that quartet, silly!

George and Lawrence discuss possible changes for Firgrove in the future.

Our power beneath Firgrove.

Bob's lovely diesel locomotive off the tracks in Rat Portage.

Rat 70 clears the main...

...for us!

Hey, here's David!

Looks like a three-way meet of the brethren!
Indeed Pool Train 15 meets Rat 70 and RP&M 65 in Rat Portage!

Cleared through the junction.

With a quick station stop in Bellamy, our train trundles into Glen Hammond.

Ric and Chris in deep conversation reminiscing of the "olden days" when the temperatures were a tad more agreeable!

Beneath the dispatch booth.

On the roll out of Glen Hammond.

Past Fallentree Mine.

Stepping out onto the high bridge.

Down at Mercer 302 holds for clearance into Nelson Yard.

The other way through Blockhouse.

302's power in Nelson Yard.

Robin and Malcolm verify the consist of their next train, 312, while Yard Master Paul has lined them up on the proper siding.

301 works Ironwood as Train 15 climbs the grade to the left.

Gaetan and Barry have work to conduct at Ironwood Brick.

We round the bend and must take the siding.

John conducts the moves for Train 304 at Bell.  He is now heading east.

We climb out of Ironwood bound for Mount St. Helens.

Where we meet Steve with the ore train.

"Haven't we met before?" I ask Steve and Seanna.

Striking.

The Craig Leigh Yard Master wants the ore train to approach first.

Ken, Neil and Bernie in Craig Leigh.

Craig Leigh typically is not this busy.  We currently have 303 wanting out, the ore train wanting in and our train, Pool Train 15 waiting down in Mount St. Helens.

The ore train is in the process of being backed onto the Northland Ore Dock in short order.

Nicole has here train, 303, ready to depart Craig Leigh.  You can spot her train in the distance beside the big tree.

Nicole and Neil are cleared out of Craig Leigh.

Past Northland.

303 meets Train 15.

Lovely locomotive, Nicole!

Following our arrival in Craig Leigh Bernie and Ken have us being wyed for the back up move into the terminal at the end of the line.

Ken sets up the route for Bernie.

Seeing as I wanted a few more pics, I hand Bernie the throttle and have him back up my train, much like a harbour pilot would do for a large ocean vessel!

Looking good, bernie!

Indeed.

Train 15 snakes through the turnouts at the throat of the yard.

Ken enjoys watching the action.

One of Ken's locomotives!

My crew mate, Andrew and me.

Stuart ambles into Craig Leigh for a visit...



...with Lela.

This is what is so great about our annual "Invasion of Friends".  Friends from far away meet up and share their experiences and even friends who live close to us who we haven't seen in a long while come over for the day.  Loads of memories are created.

Check for the "second section" from Day Two in the coming days where we showcase the afternoon runs following our lunch break.

Andrew, it was pure joy running the passenger trains with you!
All the best, Mike Hamer, Ottawa, Ontario,Canada