Garden Railroading: Train Extra 7316 With Len and Mike

On the days when I dispatch the railroad, I don't get the opportunity to run one of my three locomotives.

Earlier in June I was dispatcher for a standard gauge session.

I still bring out a locomotive to act as an "extra" should another operator require one.

On this day, my Delaware and Hudson GP38-2 was not required...

...so-o-o-o...I offered one of our new operators, Len, the opportunity to run the locomotive along the rails of both roads, the IPP&W and the RP&M so he could gain a better understanding of the place locations along the line...and...have fun while doing so!

In the above image, Bernie shows some of the throttle features to Len. Bernie has brought us a string of tankcars which will act as our consist for the run. He brought us this string from siding of the new Imperial Oil facility.

The cars are empties on this day and we have chosen to consider this train as being a short unit train. We've chosen to not include a boxcar behind the locomotive nor in front of the caboose.

Being an extra the call sign for this train will be the locomotive's numbers...Train Extra 7316.
This locomotive honours the late Ralph Dipple, an earlier member of the OVGRS. His name is in letters below the cab window on both sides of the engine. Ralph Yard at Firgrove is named after this fine gentleman as well.

I act as company photographer as Len departs Douglas Yard in Craig Leigh.

Our regular ops session is still running although we are near the end of the session.

Because all meets of trains have been met, I am able to close the dispatch booth and follow my locomotive along the line from east to west.

Len brings Extra 7316 down the slope from Craig Leigh bound for Mount St. Helens.

The main and siding are empty and it is clear sailing past the depot at St. Helens.

The turnout off the siding track in the distance to the left takes westbound operators into the facing industries at this location.

Eastbound trains have it slightly easier as all the sidings are trailing with no need to run around your train to work the small yard. This image taken from another day shows an eastbound freight arriving Mount St. Helens along the siding track. Note the three tracks to the right. The two lengthy industrial spurs here do present their share of switching challenges as each one houses multiple companies. A third centre track offers relief for operators to momentarily place cars when switching the area.

We continue our journey downgrade between Mount St. Helens and Ironwood.

We pass the industries to the east of Ironwood. That's the big Ironwood Brick facility towering above our train.

At Ironwood we blast by on the station track as there is no other traffic coming our way. At this location, we have a number of facing and trailing sidings to challenge the operators. Many moves must be mapped out in advance before entering the industrial area here. Note the smaller trailing spur to the left. Its "lead" is actually a couple of sidings out of the picture below us and they may very well hold traffic which makes switching this spur one of the trickier ones along the railroad. All of the spurs below this image are facing for our train, but note the other trailing siding off in the distance behind our train at the east end of Ironwood. It is Ironwood Brick spur we just passed upon entering yard limits.

Len highballs through Spruce.

We continue on our way through Spruce with no meets as yet.

Departing Spruce we note that for our westbound train there is a trailing track off in the distance as well as a facing turnout which handles two other tracks in town.

We continue our descent westward.

Rounding the big curve out of Spruce.

Local railfans can hear the dynamic brakes applied along this descending route.

Train Extra 7316 will bottom out at the pedestrian crossing just ahead of the train and out of sight of the image.

We blast through the pedestrian crossing, the lowest point along the eastern section of the IPP&W, and begin our climb at Blockhouse.

There is little need for sand as our consist is a short one.

We continue to rise as we reach the big bend at Lilly.

We are on our approach to the big trestle...

...located to the east of Glen Hammond and Nelson Yard.

Len has blown the horn for the bridge as the engine says so long to the bridge girders...

...and takes the Nelson Yard bypass track.

Extra 7316 arrives the station track in Glen Hammond. Some of our passenger trains have work to conduct here as you note the head-end traffic on the spur track in behind the depot.

The crew appreciates the shade found here.

Glen Hammond and Nelson Yard are located at the midway point of the IPP&W.

Two IPP&W trains begin their day at Glen Hammond while two other IPP&W trains begin their day at the two endpoints of the line. There will be meets along the route in the east and in the west. The RP&M crews begin their day working the big yard at Nelson (barely seen to the left). Once they have classified traffic for both railroads, they will depart from Nelson Yard along RP&M rails. Some RP&M trains will back out of Nelson Yard and head forward into Glen Hammond as part of their workload for the day.

Len has us on the roll out of Glen Hammond.

(We've lost our headlight...so I quickly photo-shopped one in. No problem, Len, the headlight is working again in my basement at home.)

Rounding the bend into Bellamy.

Note the siding that is handled by RP&M crews.

We hold for the red at Bellamy.

An RP&M crew is working the industries at Anderson.

They have cleverly blocked their train so that only their caboose can reside on the short segment of rails here at the junction.

We've been given our green signal (by me...the dispatcher) and are on our way through the junction over to RP&M rails.

The RP&M crew works Anderson as we pass by.

We have notified dispatch (me again) that we are safely through the junction tracks.

As we throttle up the grade into Rat Portage.

A kind RP&M crew has cleared the main for our passage through Rat Portage.
Rat Portage used to be a location with all sidings facing the same direction (like at Mount St. Helens). With the development of the Hamer Manufacturing complex seen in the above image, crews now have a siding to switch out that opposes all of the other sidings down in Rat Portage...making switching more challenging, creative and...certainly...more interesting.

Through the tunnel.

The big curve out front the property.

Len has Extra 7316 ascending the long grade out of Pratt's Bottom.

He checks his cars on a runby!

Approaching the interchange.

RP&M rails meet IPP&W iron.

Blue meets blue at Bell.
Bell is a large interchange point along both railroads. There is a large yard here, Stuart Yard, which is a lengthy section of track running the distance of town. There are some house tracks serviced by passenger trains on either side of the station. The mainline brings passenger trains to the station platform. Two arrival departure tracks for eastbounds and westbounds finish up the yard. To the east is a new siding named in honour of Henk and to the west are the many interchange tracks for both railroad crews to work. A turntable allows the RP&M crews to turn their locomotives as Bell is situated at the end of the line for the RP&M railroad.

We are downgrade once again out of Bell.

Descending the slope in behind Ironwood Brick.

In the dapple shade at a location dubbed "the corners".

Going deeper underground.

At the tunnel approach beneath Mount St. Helens.

Beneath the mount.

The big bend to the west of Peter's Pond.

Bottoming out at the pedestrian crossing.

Len has a clear alley through Peter's Pond.
Peter's Pond offers great challenges for the freight crews as it is the junction with the Cedar Rock Branch. Operators must plan their Cedar Rock moves very carefully down in Peter's Pond before ascending the line as there are no runaround tracks in Cedar Rock at the end of the branch.

Behind the patio area.

Through yet another pedestrian crossing.

Right-hand running at Mercer.

Climbing up to the junction.

Through the junction. All train operators must contact dispatch seeking clearance through the junction and they must communicate once more with dispatch to indicate their train has successfully cleared the junction.