Belleville Days with Bonnie and Barry Through the Eyes of Noelle

We are in the later days of August and we find ourselves in the beautiful city of Belleville.

Thank you to Noelle for sending along this batch of images from our visit to Barry and Bonnie's home.  I was unable to attend this event, so experiencing it through the lens of other folks will be a lot of fun for me!

Noelle has captured Doug and Moe on arrival.  Indeed, they had been cleared into Belleville from Ottawa!

Pre-ops meeting.  Fred is seated while Rhea and James look over the list of trains along with the others from Ottawa.  James works for one of the railways near Tweed.  Barry tells me that he gave them their train orders and they were off right away riding the rails as an experienced crew!

The umbrellas serve a dual purpose.  They help keep the rain at bay and they offer protection from the sun.  We see John's yellow shirt in behind Chris who is in behind Barry (holding his diesel).  Rhea, James and Pat are to the right.

Barry had mentioned that the worry was of rain seeing as the heavens spilled early in the AM hours before everyone had arrived.

To view Moe's fabulous drone video from the day copy the link below into your browser.

https://youtu.be/pvpFBAyAt98

But, alas...the rains held off and the operating session got underway.

To view Malcolm's great video footage from the day, simply copy and paste the address below into you computer's browser.

https://1drv.ms/v/s!ApuSckIj0HVCguZdQODnuUBz8CxeyQ

We find Bernie (his better side) and Doug at Boyce Station making up their train and assigning the power for its run across the railroad.  Barry had erected this canopy to offer the same service as the umbrellas.

The crews meet to determine who will take which runs.

Fred and Johnny Chuff-Chuff catch up on the latest news.

 It would appear that Bernie and Doug are underway out of Boyce.  Looks like they are working Orleans after taking the cutoff track across the bridge near West Ben.

This lower section of Barry's railroad runs along the back of the property where Barry has built up the infrastructure to knee level..

Chris and Lela listen in while Barry offers words of wisdom to this "all red" couple!

Malcolm checks in on the lads in Orleans.

The blue skies offer a sign of a good day ahead for railroading despite the earlier threat of grey skies.

With their work complete in Orleans, the crew sachets over to Cumberland.

The blue Conrail unit hints that Malcolm is in the area.

Aha!  Here he is bypassing Belleville with crewmate Chris in the background.

You've gotta love the little details Barry has nestled throughout the railroad.

Bonnie's and Barry's magnificent handiwork and hard labour give the Botanical Gardens a run for its money!

Henk and Moe find themselves in Cumberland as John and Barry work Shaaneville in the distance.

The crew determines if a runaround is required for their moves.

Chris has found the shade!

As has Fred...enjoying the spray from the waterfall!

Doug relaxes beneath the arbour while James and Rhea work their train out of Trista Centre.

Bernie follows the progress of another crew's train looking back towards the bridges between Belleville and Shaaneville.

Their is a railside inspection box located at Kamarron City.

The box has noticed a defect in one of the cars.

It has been sent to the RIP track for repairs!  (And I thought a FRED was a Flashing Rear End Device all these years!  Hahaha!)

With his train holding to the east of Cumberland, Chris takes the time to smell the roses!

In care of a big, black Ottawa Central unit, this train drills the sidings back in Trista Centre.

Barry orchestrates his crew's moves at Hayes Fuels near Juliana Junction.

Trista Centre is a hive of activity.  James and Rhea perform an "operations dance" with Pat and Paul.

John and Barry have setouts and lifts to handle at the Hayes Fuels siding.

Indeed, tanker traffic is prevalent at this location of the line.

There seems to be a discussion as to if he is safe or out.  The manager has stormed out of the dugout!

Lela, Bonnie and Bernie.

Doug and Fred.

Ditto.

Paul.

Pat gets up to follow Paul back out to their train which has been given clearance to move once again.

Pat looks to the east.

Chris and Malcolm have finally arrived Cumberland.

Barry and John...now in Cumberland.

Ditto...again.

Under the big top!

Doug and Malcolm along the property line entering Belleville.

Chris and Lela.

Barry's railroad can host a large contingent of operators.

"Hey, everyone!  Mark has arrived with his little one!"

Great to see you made it out to Barry's, Mark!

Lovely foliage separates the railroad from the lawn area in this location and offers up a verdant backdrop for the train operators.

John, Chris and Malcolm at Boyce Centre.

Barry too!

Malcolm and Pat look to their left as Paul takes a break under the umbrella tree.

Mark surveys the line.

Bernie follows his train as it steps across the big bridge between Orleans and West Ben.

The western front of the property.

It continues to be a "blue sky" day!

Lunch time!  Yum, yum!

The crew assembles.

They are a famished bunch of railroad men.

Camaraderie abounds.

Gotta eat up...

...as we'll be running more trains in the PM hours!

Bonnie and Barry have made the surroundings so comfortable...

...an oasis for railroaders and railfans alike!

The upper deck.

With many around the table.

Johnny...

...with Chris.

Dessert!

Mark and young one relax in the shade by the wye.

In a country garden!

The ops resume...

...the crews get aboard their trains.

The gardens on the eastern sector of the railroad.

Great discussions.

Nice to see you, Mark.

Paul and Pat prepare for their afternoon run.

Doug and Bernie chat it up with Barry.

The railroad comes alive once again.

Multiple trains are out on the road once more.  That's Barry to the left with James and Rhea taking advantage of the umbrella as their train works Orleans.

Doug makes his way to his train where they shut down before lunch.

The corner with its soothing waterfall.

Bernie and Doug are in the hole waiting for clearance into Kamarron City.

Once Chris and Malcolm are done, they will gain entrance here.

The crew's transportion for the event.

Who is this stranger?  Well...it looks like Moe...it acts like Moe...it holds onto something interesting like Moe...well, it must be Moe!

Aha!  An alien in the sky.  We have just verified without a doubt...it is Moe!

(Henk is oblivious to the fact.  Hehehe!)

A final look back over the railroad.

A truly magnificent garden and railroad!

The "fab four!"

Still the "fab four!"

Fred, Chris and Lela.

A great big note of thanks to Noelle for sharing these images with us.  I know it takes lots of time and imagination to get these superb photos.

Check in later on for more postings from the lens of others taken on this great train day in Belleville!

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