Session #13 Narrow Gauge - Catch-Up Time
Now that my computer is enjoying life with a new hard drive I am able to create an entry from the session well over a week ago.
Session #13 took place on September 10th on a fine weather morning.
I ran Train 304 with Mark and the children. We enjoyed a full slate of operators.
Talk about authenticity! We have brought a bit of Prince Edward Island to the nation's capital on this "narrow gauge" morning with Chris's wonderful steam locomotive lettered for the "PEI" Railroad.
She's a true beauty, Chris!
Let's head to the other end of the continent where we find this White Pass steamer primed and ready for action in Craig Leigh.
Grant's power is found on the rear of 301 with the previously seen locomotive belonging to Malcolm on the front. Yes, their train will be double-powered all the way to Firgrove with Malcolm handling the trailing moves and Grant, the facing ones. Clever that!
Diminutive #3 holds down the Douglas Yard job on this day with Doug Matheson (the man the yard is named for) holding court as yardmaster.
Mark has brought out Number 111, this White Pass beauty...so we have a steamer and a diesel representing this road on this day!
I spot a new piece of rolling stock which Fred has added to the fleet. She's a "keeper" for sure, "Uncle Fred"!
"Yellow is the colour of my true love's hair in the morning when we rise..." as depicted by the tones in Glen Hammond. We could also say this image leaves us "Mellow Yellow"!
In our first moving picture segment we find Mark and children, Oliver, Matthew and Gabriela, departing Glen Hammond aboard our train, 304.
Oliver has things under control as we cross the viaduct above Blockhouse.
A closer view of 111, a Bombardier product.
Two cars belonging to the Continental Oil and Transportation Company are in the mix with various other rolling stock on our train.
Some video of 304's departure out from Glen Hammond.
Oliver steers 304 through the iron as our train rides high above Brennan Gap on the Fred Mills Trestle.
The port flank of our engine catches a few rays of the sun as we lean into the curve at Lilly.
Lilly video footage.
Meanwhile, across the gap from Lilly and off in the distance we catch the ore train descending the grade at "The Ledges".
Bob is captured on video in the cab of the ore train...well...you know what I mean!
We're through Spruce and on into Ironwood.
304 reaches Ironwood in this video segment.
Gabriela has cleared the main in time for the passenger train's arrival sneaking up behind our train.
Pat and Gerry control all passenger movements for this morning's run.
Pat's stealth unit still awaits some identification!
Our passenger train is caught on video for your viewing pleasure.
The old meets the new.
Ongoing video from Ironwood.
Paul awaits the Nelson Yard paperwork which Henk will provide upon his arrival at Fred's.
Garry sets out traffic in the Glen as Henk looks on in behind.
Len, Bill and Doug are three of the knights of the round patio table!
Now there's a nice collection of steam locomotives! Imagine if you had a model of each one!
Bob has arrived along with Seanna, Steve and Robin.
The crew listens in as captain Fred holds court from his seat beneath the canopy and out of view in this image.
301's crew for the morning, Grant and Malcolm. These two lads are tremendous ambassadors for the hobby in their leadership roles with the St. Lawrence Division of the NMRA.
Pat and Gerry are all smiles as they haul Passenger 32 into Bell in the wee hours of the AM.
My crewmates, Mark, Gabriela, Matthew and Oliver.
Mark instructs Ollie on how to blow the horn and whistle as he gets underway with 304.
Gabriela has taken over command of Train 304 and is found in the shade at Mount St. Helens.
We are drilling the trailing industries.
Let's view some video footage from this location!
We've "shed" a car or two as we pass behind the storage "sheds" uphill into Craig Leigh.
Some ascending video of our train between St. Helens and Douglas Yard.
Entering Douglas Yard, yardmaster Doug has aligned the turnout to pull us into the yard on the arrival track.
We slow for our passage into the yard.
Gabriela brings our train to a stop.
Video tape of our arrival at Douglas Yard.
This view showcases from right to left, Nelson Yard, Glen Hammond and Bell.
Passenger 32 as seen at the station in Bell.
304 as seen climbing the grade and entering the environs around Spruce.
Passing the rockery.
I peer over to Peter's Pond where I capture Doug and Dilip working the lower pond area.
301 reaches Spruce early in the day.
With two locomotives on the train, switching will be a breeze!
Robin lines up the switches for 301's arrival into the big yard.
Papa Mark and Father Fred look on as Gabriela controls the White Pass diesel with acumen.
We have isolated a car and will handle both trailing and facing spurs in short order.
The rays of the morning sun reflect off the roof of the shed at the Norton Fishery down in the Pond.
Bob handles his facing moves aboard the ore train at Ironwood Brick.
Pool Train 33 makes its way into Ironwood for a station stop at the newly relocated depot.
Many crews are required to keep the trains moving. To the right we see Robin working Nelson Yard. In the center of the picture we find Ralph working an RP&M train while Doug handles chores off in the distance at Bell aboard 314 sharing the yard with Grant and Malcolm aboard 311. Henk and Chris are spotted to the right of the image in behind Robin.
The Pool Train has Glen Hammond in its sights as it crawls above IPP&W rails on the outskirts of Nelson Yard.
In Cedar Rock we find Doug and Dilip. They have planned their switching moves earlier down in the pond as there is no runaround capabilities at the end of the branch.
The track they are on (two over from Chandlers Sludge) acts as a lead for lifts and setouts at the mine in Cedar Rock.
Our train, now 313, passes the ore consist in Ironwood as we conduct our switching moves in town.
While...in behind...Grant and Malcolm sneak by at Watkins Siding.
More video work from Ironwood.
Our diesel runs around our train "just in time" as the pool train arrives town!
We have left a "clear alley" for the passenger run heading west through Ironwood.
Slowing for the station stop.
Pool Train 33...as captured on video camera!
With our work concluded at Spruce, we are cleared to Nelson Yard by dispatch.
We take that big curve out from Spruce, the same curve we navigated in the opposite direction earlier in the day.
Train 313 reaches the crest of the grade as we swing around the curve before sliding downhill toward Blockhouse.
Our departure as captured on video.
Mark and children had to leave after our second trick of the morning, so I haul out my steam locomotive...
...and I hire on a new engineer...Eric!
We haul our lading through Wellington Lake and on up into Bell.
Our travels in "The Corners" as captured on video tape.
Steve has arrived Nelson Yard with 302 and he and Seanna will depart shortly aboard their new train, 312.
Their power for the day.
Grant's steam locomotive doesn't mind being stuck at the tail end of the train.
"Not at all!" Grant is heard to say.
Malcolm searches for lifts at the two interchange tracks after setting out a few cars here.
Love that shirt, Grant!
"I do too!" replies Grant.
In this previously posted image, we see my crewmate aboard 323, Eric.
Eric's dad, Gerry, is a fellow guitarist in my blues band and he can sure play that axe!
Two steamers say hello to each other down in Peter's Pond.
We have to ascend the grade up to Cedar Rock.
We'll have a lot of work to do up here...but for now...let's check in on more of Mike's modeling projects.
I have managed to complete the rooftop billboard sign and the water tower on the FSM kit I have been building for a friend.
The maintenance area is now in place. Many detail items will reside inside those open doors including some machines similar to the ones I built for Doug...this time in HO scale instead of O!
The bell tower, water tower and sign.
Businesses "back in the day" made a little extra cash from offering their rooftops for advertising purposes.
A three-quarter view.
Ditto...from the other side.
Face on.
Note the guide wires for the exhaust pipe.
Another smaller exhaust pipe on the office roof.
This structure will adorn a waterfront harbour I will create on my friend's layout.
I have added a ladder to the side of the water tower and more piping leading below and above the tower.
With the Seafood Emporium all but complete, I have started in on my next structure build in HO scale, the "Department of Docks" kit from Foscale for David.
Whenever I have a rectangular building to construct, I always glue my walls together "in pairs" and then join them together once the glue has set for both pairs. I'll share more pics of this build with you in my next blog entry.
Well, that's all for today's blog entry.
Say Fred...are ya having fun yet!
Of course you are...because every day is train day!
My next blog entry will be a catch up from this past week's session when we ran diesels which hauled our standard gauge fleet. Be sure to check in later on!
All the best, Mike Hamer, Ottawa, Ontario, Canada
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