Garden Railroading: Session #5 Narrow Gauge

Session #5 July 9th

Our fifth session was of the narrow gauge variety.

With our crew assignment list booked solid, there was plenty of action for plenty of folks.

The weather was in our favour on a clear July morning.

My great crewmate, Pat, has his locomotive at the ready in Firgrove with his toolkit hidden beneath the benchwork.

Remember, you can enlarge the image by clicking on it.

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We are crewing 302 on this day. With luck we should be able to make it across the line and back to the Glen by noon hour!

Ralph Yard, named for the late Ralph Dipple, holds many a car at the west end of the line. Looks like George and Len have the passenger consist ready as it awaits its power for its easterly run as Train 32.

Here's George and Len right now! Great to have you back in the fold, Len, following your wonderful vacation to Prince Edward Island. We missed ya!

The little hideaway at the extreme end of Firgrove is bathed in light from the rising sun.

A nice load on a flatcar in Ralph Yard.

The interchange area at Bell.

I wouldn't mind breaking into this car and enjoying a wee swig!

Glen Hammond comes alive each Saturday morning as we spot eastward facing Train 304 in the foreground. It's western counterpart, Train 303, is in the process of being assembled on the second track over.

And...just a wee swig from the contents inside this reefer would quench "me" thirst! The car resides on the spur at Dutchman's Stores, named after our affable Nelson Yard Master, Henk!

The east house track welcomes this little yellow puppy.

Pre-ops finds Bernie checking the set out list of cars for Mount St. Helens, Peter's Pond, Spruce and Ironwood.

Likewise, cars here are all destined for spur tracks and yard tracks in Craig Leigh.

Yet more cars for the terminal area in Craig Leigh.

Fred occupies himself with the master checklist.

The extension at Craig Leigh looks great!

This next batch of photos come from Bernie's cell phone and they showcase the progress that had taken place on Workday Wednesday. We find Lawrence and Marcel checking the level for the extension.

C-clamps certainly come in handy as they act as extra pairs of hands. We spot Fred working a clamp as Marcel joins him. Marcel fabricated the box at his home and brought it out to Fred's. Great work Marcel!

Teamwork!

Looking good there, lads!

Verifying the level once more. As we say, "Measure twice, cut once!"

The legs will rest on the patio stones.

Lawrence, hard at work.

Laying the planks as opposed to "Walking the Plank!"

Coming together beautifully!

Bernie drops what he is doing elsewhere to lend a hand.

Marcel and Bernie are all smiles as Marcel drills his hand! This is not the crucifixion, Marcel!

Little old Mike gets in on the action as the depot sashays over to the end of the benchwork.

With the "Craig Leigh" sign in place, all is well!

Nice!

Fred deals with the fascia along the back track.

After we had left, Fred worked on laying the tracks so Bernie drove back out to Fred's to snap a few pics of that progress.

Lovely! The linear appearance of the trackwork looks fabulous!

I also enjoy the fact that the front track heads beyond the terminal building to the end of the benchwork.. Creative, that!

With the "L" section of the terminal building in place.

Looks so cool!

Wonderful.

Meanwhile, as we do every Wednesday, helpers like Mike and Pat rake, trim the hedges and pull weeds.

Mike is all smiles!

Fred and Mike enjoy the view of the newly located Depot.

Pat blows the track.

There's Pat me boy!

Thanks for these great images from Wednesday, Bernie!

Back to Saturday morning. Dilip has just ridden over to Fred's. It took him about ten minutes to get here from his home.

Marcel enjoys the red planet...Firgrove!

Pat awaits the bell to ring.

Skipper Bill has Nelson Yard prepped and ready for the session.

Bernie and Moe are on separate crews but they share a common launch point in Glen Hammond.

Bernie checklists his cars.

Moe, the Flying Crow will be flying low atop IPP&W iron! No launching into the air on this day, Moe!

Great to see you out and about, Doug! You're looking great!

Steve is "all ears" and total focus as the pre-ops briefing is just about to get underway.

Barry is up from Belleville on this fine morning. We look forward to visiting your railroad once again, Barry!

Super to see you out as well, Mark. We've missed you greatly. Bob is indicating just "how much" we missed you in behind!

302 is under steam and rolling down the hill with Pat at the throttle. He and crewmate Mike will make Bell in no time.

Moe and Mark continue to make up Train 303 in Glen Hammond as Steve works Rat 62 in Nelson Yard.

Camera shutters click away as 302 is out from Bell destined for Wellington Lake.

"With luck we'll catch sight of the ore train," we thought to ourselves...when suddenly...she appeared behind this colourful steam locomotive!

303's crew is fortunate as 302 had been granted authority into Peter's Pond ahead of them, but alas...debris beneath Mount St. Helens derailed their plans...and their train!

Pat and I have made Peter's Pond following the "service interruption" and work our way up the Cedar Rock branch.

The new trackage extension is put to good use right away as Marcel and Paul work at the far eastern end of the line.

Righthand running through Mercer Siding finds 302 headed for its termination point in Nelson Yard in short order.

Dispatcher Doug is cool as a cucumber in the dispatch booth. In fact, he doesn't require the use of the fan in the upper corner of the hut!

Mark and Marcel haul Pool Train 33 into Ironwood out from St. Helens. They are on a slow order as an IPP&W crew attempts to clear the station track...out of sight to the right.

Rat 62 works the sidings in Rat Portage. This is the turn which only goes as far as this location. Love the loco, Steve and Seanna!

Who said working the largest yard on the railroad is stressful. Lawrence and Bill have it "made in the shade" at this location.

Not quite full, but Nelson Yard appeals to this railfan.

What time does the bar open lads?

And...what have ye got mixed in that wee bottle, Lawrence? Hmmmm! Judging by the grin on Mr. Scobie...the bar may just have opened!!!

"I like my caboose better than yours!" the two lads are overheard saying to Fred.

Chris and Doug have arrived Bell with RP&M Train 61. When they complete their work they will turn their locomotive and return to Nelson Yard aboard Train 72. Mark has just hauled the passengers into Glen Hammond for a station stop. He will have some work to conduct here before departing aboard the Pool Train.

Our RP&M crew determine their moves at Bell.

Meanwhile, in St. Helens Train 304 switches out the trailing sidings. When complete, they will terminate their run in Craig Leigh.

Marcel and Mark have conducted their station stop in Ironwood and radio for clearance into Spruce.

Station stop...Spruce.

We admire Mark's colourful steam locomotive.

This image snipped from a video was taken the previous week following operations.

Along with me, Dilip railfans Andrew's live steam train.

Let's follow the video footage on that!

Pat is about to get underway at the top of the day out from Firgrove.

Passing the short ore dock to the east of the yard.

Let's watch the video of Train 302's departure out from the western terminus.

Remember to click on the white arrow one time, and then a second time to begin the video.

Hauling into Bell, the train will take the ladder and run around its consist in order to serve the facing siding going into Brunt's Brewery.

Let's see the video there as well.

Yard master calisthenics undertaken by Bill.

Lawrence sashays down the western ladder of the yard to swap out a caboose for our second trick of the morning, Train 312.

Steve and Seanna discuss things at Bell.

Love the look of a big yard.

Some video reels from Nelson Yard.

The ore train threads the needle through Spruce.

Between Ironwood and Spruce...with crews working these towns and ore traffic and passenger traffic plying the rails not to mention other crews waiting to get into these towns, dispatch has to be creative in decision-making to keep the railroad flowing!

The tail end!

The head end!

Let's surveille the video here.

Our passenger run departs Ironwood. Facilities here include both trailing and facing sidings with actual sidings acting as "leads" for others. Also, the runaround tracks are quite lengthy adding to the time required to switch out the industries. Suffice it to say, operators must plan out their moves carefully.

Train 311 is found at Watkins heading west.

With the passenger consist out of the way, we are able to run around our train to conduct the remainder of our moves.

Ironwood video action.

Great to see Doug and Barry out and about again!

I showcase my newly delivered shirt. Thanks Neil for the surprise. I should've tucked it in better to eliminate the wrinkles.

Bernie managed to snap a few images with his phone camera. Here we see Pat rerailing his locomotive after it ran aground coming out of the curve between Spruce and Ironwood. (In fact, a number of locomotives derailed here.)

We later determined that there was a rather large gap in the rail coming out from the curve that will require immediate attention. The derailment then caused the locomotive to catch on the points of the upcoming turnout and one of Pat's large locomotive wheel axles broke apart in two and had to be manually reinserted. All turned out well.

My joy in learning that the locomotive did not sustain any lasting damage is evident in this posed shot.

Then I received quite the surprise! Neil arrived to deliver my OVGRS shirt. I was the last member to get theirs.

"Put in on!" Bernie shouted...so I did...right where I was standing! Hehehe!

Love it! Love the colour, Neil. "It's the same maroon colour of the Boston & Maine RR!" I called out.

"What tag? I don't see any tag?" Mike responds as he does up his pants!

Pat is oblivious to the strip show as he concentrates on his train, 311, making progress out of "The Corners".

Marcel encounters the same issue with his locomotive at this point in the curve.

Once re-railed, he's back at it and slows for a station stop as 312 is protected and continues its switching work unabated. Thanks for these fun photos, Bern. I'll use the rest you sent me in our "second section" later in the week.