New Structure Built By Chris For Barry

New Structure Built By Chris For Barry

You may recall Barry bringing some kits out to Fred's earlier in the operating season.

Chris (from Ottawa) offered to take one home with him to build for Barry.

The building materialized magically at Barry's recent operating session in Belleville.  Let's check out a bit of the story.

A new grain elevator for Barry’s layout!

(Remember, you can enlarge the images by clicking on them and return to the default look of the page by clicking outside them.)

Chris tells us the colour was inspired by this grain elevator in his home town

Under different sky conditions.

Drawings of the structure.

The drawings offer the various end views and alignment choices.

Chris later e-mailed me to indicate that these drawings I referred to are actually Chris's cut-and-paste rework of the drawings to suggest a possible kitbash of the structure, reducing the height of the tower to free up some wall sections and using them in other places. In the end we elected to keep it simple and build the kit as designed.

This is the old location where the old mill was situated on the green mat at the bottom of the image.

Activity from an earlier year.

The older facility was known as St. James Flour.

A closer look.  Barry tells us that unfortunately the structure disintegrated after about three years, having been built for an indoor railroad originally.

Before the changes were made, Barry shared these next few images with Chris and me.  Barry tells us that the rather large green plant will probably have to be moved, and of course, the building pad will be installed appropriately.

A look from afar at Trista Centre.

Barry has  re-configured the tracks into Trista Centre, allowing for a bypass, and it took a creative approach to the double crossover.

Yet another look.

Chris also sent along these next few images from the recent session at Barry's and Bonnie's.  Chris informs us that this is a cab-level view with Kurt looking on while Roger discusses switching moves with his crewmate.

Bernie looking for a missing car …very mysterious indeed...until... 

…it magically reappears.  The car was one that Tom’s train was supposed to drop!  Hmmm!  (Big smile!) 

Back up in Ottawa, Chris has reworked a CP diesel.  He tells us..."Here’s a photo of my GP9 CN 4578 when it was still CP 8530."

This photo of the newly painted, lettered and weathered Geep was taken yesterday at Fred's session up in Ottawa.  Mike tells us that the sound card sounds "so realistic", so much so that he felt a real Geep was in the vicinity!

Let's head back to Belleville for a moment.  Barry shares this picture of Hayes Fuels taken the day before the train operating session.  

Barry tells us that he had thought of using coffee tins for the tanks, but as you can see, Tom took it to a higher level.  This image is a general view of the facility, about 80% complete.  

Barry also mentions that the old Hayes Fuels building has been repurposed as the Chuff Chuff's Junk building, in Quinte West, replacing its predecessor, which truly had become  junk itself.

An overview of Barry's railroad which I managed to snap another year.

A second look at the schematic.

I re-share this photo which you saw in my earlier blog entry.  We find Bonnie and Barry with our American friends, Tom, Eric and Diane.  Barry sent me this message to share with you.  

"I would appreciate it if you would acknowledge the participation of my American friends, who endured ArriveCan at the border, and traveled for 3-1/2 hours from Oneida, New York in Eric and Diane's case, and 7 hours from Morgantown, PA in Tom's case.  I had visited Tom and Gina a month ago, and asked him if he would build me a new "Hayes Fuels" facility.  He brought it with him the day before the invasion, and we got the pad done, and the buildings and tanks set in place.  He almost finished the piping before heading for home Friday morning."

Here I am in the black shirt with my crewmate, Doug, from an earlier visit from another year.  That's Tom in the background with Garry way off in the distance.  Barry, you truly have created an outstanding operational railroad in your back yard which co-exists with Bonnie's incredibly beautiful gardens.  We appreciate the invite every year!  Cheers, Mike.

I would be remiss if I did not share an image of two of the most well-known and well-loved large scale train operators, Johnny ChuffChuff and Father Fred!

Barry is all smiles when visitors come and enjoy the fruits of his labour...a labour of love in his backyard!

My final photo for this entry showcases two lovely ladies enjoying some respite from the sun.  I wish to thank Noelle (in yellow) once again for taking the time to snap and share so many images which you saw in my earlier posting.  I wish to thank Bonnie for being such a gracious host to so many.  We are blessed to know you both!

Thanks, Chris, for sharing the images at the top of this blog entry.  The structure you made for Barry is outstanding.  I love the colour choice.  It truly does "stand out" and is greatly appreciated by all.

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