Bernie's Pics and Stories From Session #16

Session #16 From Bernie's Point of View

A great big note of thanks goes out to Bernie for sending along this great looking batch of images from Session #16.

With each contributor, we get a new "point of view" of how the session progressed.

All photos and captions come from Bernie himself!

Early morning and Bill and Doug are setting up Nelson Yard for the busy day ahead.

Bill...ready to put up the umbrella in anticipation of a sunny day.

Doug and Moe waiting for the bell as they have Bell and Glen Hammond ready to go.  Moe will be running 301 out of CL with Pat Brewer and Doug will be operating 304 with Gerry out of Glen Hammond. 

Marcel raises a cup of java as he joins Doug and Moe. Marcel and Dilip will be running 303 out of the Glen.

Bill and Grant waiting for the bell. 

Paul Anderson called in sick so Bernie had to assume the Craig Leigh yard master duties.  Here TH&B 73 gathers head end equipment for the pool train #33.  Besides running the freights at Douglas Yard and Northland, the yard master also has to prepare passenger trains at the Craig Leigh passenger terminal. 

The outgoing trains have yet to be set up in the CL passenger terminal.   

The yard switcher picks up REA express car for train 33.

The headend equipment is pushed onto the coach to complete the make up of the pool train.

TH&B 73 pushes an express reefer and boxcar into the freight terminal.

 

The three passenger cars have to be relocated as the long track is required for passenger 32/35 with its Budd cars. 

The passenger terminal work is complete and now it is back to Douglas Yard.

Pat and Moe will be operating train 301 this fine morning.  Their locomotive is already on their train and they are awaiting clearance from the yardmaster to proceed to Northland where they will pick up cars set out for them. 

Moe picks up a CP gondola from Northland. 

Moe has a green and is cleared to Mount St. Helens.

The yard engine picks up two tank cars from Northern Oil to start building train 313.

A box and hopper have also been picked up out of Douglas Yard for 313.

Train 313 only needs a caboose and it is ready to go upon arrival of 304.

A DOWX tank car has to be set out for train 313 to pick up when it departs Douglas Yard.  Of course, it is at the end of the cars in Northland so the whole string has to be pulled.  Good old Murphy!

The cars for Northland are pushed back in as the DOWX car awaits 313.

Marcel and Dilip are working Peter’s Pond with Train 303. 

Gerry and Doug are working Spruce with Train 304.  Grant, in the background, is checking orders for Train 302. 

A close-up of Gerry and Doug at Spruce.

Dispatcher and photographer Mike has a big smile as he is caught out of his dispatch control tower.  

Train 304 holds the siding waiting for clearance into IronWood.

Grant and Garry are at Watkins Siding with Garry’s big Pacific. 

Grant and Garry are still at Watkins while Pat and Moe are switching IronWood with 301. 

Things are getting busy on the eastern portion of the IPP&W.

Dilip gives a friendly wave as Marcel smiles at the photographer.  This probably means they have completed their moves in the Pond.

This photo finds Grant over at Watkins with two trains in IronWood; 304 with Doug and Gerry and 301 with Moe and Pat.  Neil is hovering near Spruce with passenger 33. 

The dispatcher has his hands full as things are heating up in the eastern territory.  Dilip and Marcel are waiting to get to Bell while the ore train with Steve and Peter enters Spruce. 

Seven folks have ample space to conduct their work in this image.

Neil has finally negotiated Spruce and Ironwood with Passenger 32 and has entered the ore dock to wye his train before pushing it into the passenger terminal. 

The yard switcher clears the wye as the observation car leads the way as the Budd train is backed past Northland.

Neil admires his fabulous Budd passenger train.

Neil has parked Train 32 in the near track and is now backing the CPRail RS3 onto Pool Train 33.

Neil checks his paperwork as he has switching to do as he tours the railway on his way to Firgrove. 

While Neil was making his passenger train moves the Ore Train arrived.  Peter has uncoupled the first cut as Steve pulls the remaining cars.

Steve pushes the last set of cars into their assigned track.  Neil is in the background preparing the Pool Train.     

Peter uncouples the last set of ore cars. 

A beautiful Alco.  The OCR did a fine job of painting their locomotives in a simple but attractive scheme. 

The Pool train departs Craig Leigh. 

No sooner is the Pool train "out" when 304 shows up with Doug and Gerry in control.

Doug gives a big smile as Gerry checks the paperwork and consist for outgoing train 313.

Train 313 departs while the yard switcher has set out a DOWX tank car from Northland Interchange for 313 to pick up. 

Steve has changed locomotives for the return trip of the Ore Train to Firgrove.  Peter looks on as Steve couples the ONR locomotive to the train. 

Doug handles the engineer duties as he has picked up the DOWX tank and backs it onto 313.  Gerry will be the conductor for the trip to Nelson Yard.

The Ore Train gets the green out of Craig Leigh first.  313 has switching to do at Mount St. Helens so will follow.

 Doug follows the progress of his train as it follows the ore train down the big hill.

After the Ore train and 313 have departed, the yardmaster gets to work making up Train 321 in Douglas Yard. 

 

 

Neil has wye’d the Pool Train and pushes it back to the engine terminal where he will pick up Passenger 35. The yard engine waits to make its way over to the Northland Interchange. 

Mount St. Helens is perhaps the easiest location to switch on the layout.  However, we constantly see cars located at the wrong industries.  In the foreground, one would think that the stock car would be located at the stock pen.  Instead, the cows will apparently go directly into a reefer.  In the background, the tank cars are at McKenzie lumber and not at their Valley Fuels facility.  The locations are clearly labelled so it should be easy to locate the cars in their proper place in accordance with train orders. 

 The cars have been rearranged so that they are now in their proper locations.  

The stock car is now in place.

These cars are properly spotted as well. 

The Budds on Passenger 35 make a wonderful sight as they pass Douglas Yard. 

Passenger 35 has the green out of Craig Leigh. It will create havoc with the freights as it makes its way to Firgrove.

Grant's steam locomotive makes an appearance.

Train 312 has arrived at Craig Leigh and is pushing its steamer onto new train 321.  It looks like the big Pacific has been replaced with a rather smaller 2-6-0.

Grant gets an elevated view.

Engineer Grant is all smiles as 321 is on the move.  Garry is conductor for this leg.  He checks his orders as he has to pick up the two freight cars set out from Northland Interchange.

Train 321 has picked up its cars from Northland and will back onto the caboose. They already have the green to depart for Mount St. Helens.  Just above the green target, one can see Neil attending to some Budd cars that have come off the track under Mount St. Helens.  

Bill gives a smile and toast in his air force themed T-shirt. 

A close up of Memphis Bell.

A huge "Thank You" to you, Bernie, for these great looking images and the "spot on" captions!

Also, thank you so much for the much needed  tutorial on car spots in Mount St. Helens!

We look forward to our next operating session this coming Saturday morning.

All the best, Mike and his OVGRS colleagues, Ottawa, Ontario, Canada