Garden Railroading: Vintage Halloween Special

Trains of October

It's Halloween...and we find ourselves under a "Blue Moon"...the first moon of this kind on a Halloween date since 1944! We also find ourselves in the garden at Fred's place running the trains! Not bad for this late of a date in the calendar year, we figure!

Last Saturday, on the 24th of the 10th month we gathered "in the garden" to run a few trains before the winds of winter set in. Yes, it's hard to believe how much fun we are having prolonging this wonderful "non-season" of trains!

These first few pics I snapped on my street in the neighbourhood of Alta Vista. I love the colours of the trees even at night time without a flash. The streetlamps offer sufficient lighting to allow the leaves to "do their thing" and entertain us.

The oranges and yellows intermixed with the varying green tones offer up a lovely "Halloween" palette for us to experience.

Sadly for the youngsters, we are in the "Red Zone" speaking in Covid terms...thus no outdoor trick or treating from door to door will take place...so how about us offering up a few train stories to help brighten the mood.

Say...speaking of night moves...

...here are some "night moves" snapped fifteen years ago on the IPP&W. The lanterns line up in orderly fashion as the passenger train bends into the curve heading into Nelson Yard.

Four lanterns illuminate the right of way for the engine crew in this haunting image!

Passengers delight to the spooks of the evening as we take you back in time...why, it's the "Time Warp Shuffle"!!!

The train "floats" past the depot in Glen Hammond while a large structure dominates a much smaller Nelson Yard veering off to the right.

The "Haunted Express" is found taking the crossing just past Bellamy. Indeed, we enjoy these images which are but a small part of a collection of recently surfaced archival footage of the railroad.

As mentioned at the top of the posting, the little lads and lasses require a bit of "cheering up" shall we say...due to the revamped October 31st trick or treat plans. And, we believe this lovely climax fulfills the need...in this image taken last week.

While these are but mere still images, you can just imagine all of that machinery moving, hissing and popping, can't ch'ya!

We must thank Mark for bringing this lovely specimen to the display table in Craig Leigh for us.

Say...check out that spiffy car in behind the locomotive!

Who said we couldn't watch this little beast in action?

She's a mover and a shaker.

Mark's train has already haunted Mt. St. Helen's...

...and is spotted just west of the location...

...heading off in the direction of Ironwood.

Let's check it out, little ghouls and goblins!

On approach to Ironwood, the crew begins their work at the first trailing siding in town.

As there will be no further traffic in the vicinity...

...Mark uses the main to hold the tail end of his train...

...while he sets out a gondola full of pumpkins at the Ironwood Brick facility.

The employees will take a break from their usual tasks...

...and they will transform those orange spheres...

...into true jack o'lanterns...at least that is how this story goes.

Mr. Hamer managed to capture the train move on video tape.

Continued switching and devilish twitching!

On the move out from Ironwood.

Because today happens to be the "Day of Trickery", let's wave our magic wand and check out how Ironwood appeared fifteen long train running seasons ago!

(Remember, you can enlarge the image by clicking on it and return by clicking outside the image.)

My, oh my, how things have changed!

And...we check in a year or so later from the previous two pictures to find these next four images. The Ironwood Depot used to reside on the "other" side of the tracks!

Different structures were erected on the western fringe of Ironwood.

No siding is found at Windmill.

Yes, the differences amaze all of our little tricksters and treaters!

Close-up view of Mark's locomotive.

His train arcs around the curve.

The head-end points towards Spruce.

We have arrived!

Arriving the newly "spruced up" Spruce!

The old town of Spruce circa 2008...12 years in the past.

The old station at Spruce.

We haven't seen this puppy in a long while!

Yes, Halloween allows us to do many magical things we could not do on the remaining 364 days of the year...such as take you back in time to an early "Invasion of Friends" back in 2005. Note the "not-so-fallen tree" where we have the "Fallentree Mine" in situ today.

Some things change...and Paul remains the same!

Gordy acts as the Nelson Yard master while our dispatch hut is camouflaged in green.

Hey...check out this rare, archival video footage, youngsters! Indeed, we were all a wee bit younger when this was taken in a location now referred to as "The Corners". Check out the "rarely used" track being used as a siding for a train meet in this archival footage from long ago!

(Possible videographer...Bob Bruyn.)

We head back to the archives to find a young lad running a train "at speed" from Firgrove eastward to Bell and beyond. The landscape certainly has changed since then!

We head back to the present time to find this glorious Large Scale Central commemorative car on the property! It was sent to Fred from a number of friends south of the border.

We have placed this beauty on the tracks at Spruce.

She's a true beauty, Fred!

It was a tremendous pleasure to find Doug visiting the gang this morning!

Fred shows Doug the skeletal remains of the canopy framework...skeletal and Halloween...fitting!

It was also a real treat to see Paul come out this morning. We've missed you this season, Paul!

Fred and Paul, adorned in their masks, keep a safe distance apart.

The only time we remove our masks is to take a sip of coffee.

Doug is enjoying the camaraderie of the morning.

Marcel arrives and joins in on the merriment!

Paul listens intently to a story Marcel shares.

Lawrence then arrives and takes a seat and listens in on the various conversations. He reminds me of one of the spies in the Mad Magazine's "Spy vs Spy" comic strips!

Doug's coffee keeps his hands warm.

Doug has been busy with his printing machine.

He has taken on the project of converting this Santa Fe car to an Ironwood Peter's Pond and Western one.

The Santa Fe lettering will be removed...

...and the car will look like this one!

Indeed, one of the seven Wonders of the World!

Brothers and dear friends they may be...but they sure do make up for "The Fab Four" in our books as witnessed in the archives!

As skipper Fred plies the rails at Bellamy with "The Ledges" in the background and yet another "bygone" tree to the left, we say farewell and "Happy Halloween" everyone!

So-o-o-o...with this being Halloween along with a true "Blue Moon" I leave you with 31 images...yes...hahaha...31 frightful images of haunted ghost trains!!! Brrrrrrr....hahaha!!!!!