Bravo to Barry & Bonnie From Belleville

Bravo to Barry & Bonnie From Belleville

Indeed, the title of this specific blog entry is in the fun form of alliteration! This is because the members of the OVGRS who "high tailed" it up to Belleville did indeed experience fun times - in spades!

 Barry and Bonnie's "Quinte and Eastern Ontario Railway" as spelled out on his business card is indeed magical to behold.

Barry tells us that the Quinte portion is represented with Quinte West, Belleville and Shaanenville (spelled for her Finnish other grandparents), while the Eastern district comprises Ottawa, Orleans and Cumberland.

Sidings, industries and passing tracks are named for many of Barry's railroading friends and close family members.

Not only did we get to experience the joy of running large scale trains in a wonderful setting, we were able to meet and establish new friendships with folks from Kingston and south of the border in the US of A!

Of course the surrounding garden shrubs, flowers and Barry and Bonnie's magnificent working waterfall offer a spectacular backdrop to the action trackside!  In this image we catch westbound Train 48 (Ottawa to Belleville) running along the newly installed passing siding which makes up part of the Sandra By-Pass.

For our new visitors to the blog, you can enlarge the images by clicking on them and you can return to the default look of the page by clicking outside them!

Pat's New York Central endcab awaits its first assignment on the yard tracks in Belleville.  He and Steve will depart with eastbound Train 62 (Belleville to Ottawa) in short order.

Note Barry's unique numbering system - unlike ours where westbound train designations are odd numbers and eastbounds are even.  All of Barry's "first trick" trains are evens (yes they are eastbounds) and his second trick ones - odd (all trains westbounds).

The yard at Ottawa - with a full van track and traffic ready to serve the railroad's bottom line!

And...how about the van track in Belleville!  I love the shorty caboose at the back of the string!

 While it may appear to a be a damp and seemingly cold morning...it is not that at all.  Sure, the skies are overcast but the air is dry and the temperatures are in that "smooth zone" for the best in train running.  Pat and Steve enjoy the morning's weather which is not unlike Goldilocks and the Three Bears...not too hot, not too cold...just right!

And Mike appreciates the overcast, grey skies...easier for photography than with a clear blue dome where early morning shadows wreak havoc on the shots.

Here is Mike with his crewmate, Randy, a former Air Force helicopter pilot.  It was great running with you Randy!

Randy chats it up with skipper Fred in the outdoor crew lounge.

The group gathers for the short "pre-ops" briefing.

The list shows the six trains Barry has set up based on the number of participants in the session.  Barry can run more trains if the numbers increase.  These are the "first trick" trains...all even numbered and all eastbounds.

And...the second trick runs which were completed following lunch by those participants who were able to remain for the afternoon's session...all odd numbered trains and all westbounds.

Steve and Pat hang out near Belleville as Robin and Joe work the yard.

Henk...you'll be happy to learn that Robin hails from your home country!  Yes another Dutchman running trains with us!

Some of my favourite freight cars are the ones carrying some of my favourite road cars...and these specimens do not disappoint!

We're all smiles because...we'll be running some trains!

Here's Grant!  He will be running with Moe on the day.

Cool cap Grant!

The beauty of Bonnie's gardens are evident in this shot of the annuals.  We'll have to wait a little while longer on the tomatoes in back though!  😎😀😎

These next few images will be a bit blurry as they were "snipped" from a video I took, but they will offer up an indication of our experience in Barry & Bonnie's backyard.

In fact, before each of the following video segments, the photos I share in advance of each video are snipped from the moving pictures and will always be grainy in nature.

Kamaryn City.

The newly installed double track at the Sandra By-Pass.

A look the other way trackside at Sandra By-Pass.  

Note the additional siding Barry added which is veering off to the left from the bypass's inner siding.  Indeed, Barry's operations continue to grow and improve from an already terrific operating plan!

Love the arbor in the backyard...a great place for lunch.

I also really appreciate how Barry has carefully planned and integrated the railway in amongst Bonnie's spectacular handiwork with the plantings and pathways in their backyard.

A beautiful backyard as captured on video tape.

To engage the video, simply click on the white arrow in the center once and then a second time.

Have your volume turned up on your computer as well!  😃😁😄

The crew aboard the CP locomotive is making up their train in Belleville.  Once their train's consist is complete, they will depart Belleville with a final destination of Ottawa.  Their wayfreight, Train 48, will make a total of 8 station stops enroute with some of the locations requiring switching.

Once 48 clears out, the crew aboard the NYC switcher will take over and make up their train before departure aboard eastbound Train 62.

Typically the crew on 48 acts as the Belleville yardmaster team and blocks traffic for Trains 46 and 62 before making up their train, Train 48...but on this day things ran differently.  All six players took on the role as Belleville yardmasters...making up their own trains before departure...which was a lot of fun.  

With trains departing in a different order than the norm...we thought we would encounter bottlenecks system-wide...but with crews collaborating and with Barry's latest installation of by-pass tracks, the operations were very pleasurable!

Pat and Steve are in conversation regarding their "modelling" exploits over the summer - no...not the male swimsuit issue - working on HOTRAK modules - while Mike captures video of the first Belleville yardmaster crew working on their train.

48's crew continues to build their train with the mainline heading east acting as the yard lead.

Joe and Robin work the yard in Belleville...

...while Roger and Pat handle their chores in Orleans across the broad aisleway.

While Randy, me, Pat and Steve wait our turns to act as Belleville Yardmasters, in this video I have told Randy about my recent diagnosis of diabetes and how I was able to reverse the condition in three months as Randy and I discuss the situation while the video runs.

In reverse order of the operating plan, Trains 48 and 62 will soon depart the yard at Belleville allowing us to get down to the business of blocking the traffic for our run aboard Train 46.

We haven't minded the wait and we truly enjoy the role of being the yardmaster before taking on the role of train crew!

I title this image "Blue on Blue"!  💙💙💙

Seeing as my crewmate, Randy, is the engine driver in the cab...I should be the one getting the turnouts...yet I call out to someone else..."We've got to get that switch!"  

My bad...I'm slacking on my job...as witnessed in the video!  🙈🙉🙊

Randy has grabbed two cars we have selected for the train based on our train orders and he readies them for placement in the consist.

This image captures the three crews all facing east in the yard at Belleville...with our train actually ready to depart first.  Yeah!!!

From left to right, Trains 48, 46 & 62.

Before departure we have been asked by the crew of 62 to offer an assist in grabbing their caboose for them as we also reach in for our end car.

No, I am not being bossy - as it is my role as conductor to instruct my engineer on all of the moves...a typical railroad scenario played out thousands of times a day as captured on this video segment.

The crews aboard these two trains will soon begin their respective journeys but with Barry's new bypass at Kamaryn City, the crew on the New York switcher (Train 62) will be able to run past us in Kamaryn City while we continue with our work in the yard there.  The crew aboard 48 will have work to conduct at the earlier location known as Shaananville and they will not catch up with us.

Barry has cleverly allocated switching duties in the various towns along the line to allow trains to pass others and not have every train having to work every location.  This helps to alleviate bottlenecks as well.  Indeed an ingenious operating plan!

Our train is now underway to Kamaryn City.  Our journey will see us travel past the yard in Shaanenville where our train orders indicate that we will encounter no switching duties.

Video of our departure from Belleville - destination Kamaryn City.

We make Shaanenville in pretty good time.

Through Shaanenville, I instruct my engineer to get the turnout for the yard.

Then we travel onward to Kamaryn City with the two sidings at "Shaanenville East" evident in the lower foreground to the right.

Note.  When you visit a railroad you should walk the line before operations (if you can) to help familiarize yourself with the "lay of the land".  I didn't get time to do so...and - silly me - I instructed Randy to get the turnout to allow us to head down the righthand track through the bridges and tunnel thinking this would lead us directly into the main yard on the other side of the mountain while thinking the outer track to be the bypass route which is the situation in many cases.  

Boy...was I wrong!  So-o-o, I instructed Randy to back our train up to the turnout and head along the outer track to the left...where the switch had previously been set!  D'uh as Homer Simpson would say!  Hehehe!

Video action of our run through Shaanenville and Mike's taking the bypass track rather than the yard track!

Train 62 reaches the bypass track at Kamaryn City.

We back our train into the far siding where we will have a lift to pull out.

We have done a runby inspection of Train 62 and have indicated to their crew that all is well.

Randy gives a look of awe and inspiration as captured from the video!  

Video of the meet of 62 and 46.

Randy takes our engine from Notch 1 into Notch 2 as we crawl out of the yard and tiptoe across the short span over a dry creek bed.

With our tail end reaching all the way back to the Kamaryn yard throat we cross the creek with our sights set on Trista Centre.

For these blog entries, it appears that the main subject has been our train seeing as we were quite occupied with our work pretty much the entire morning once we got underway.  I did manage to capture some video and images of the other trains which ran over the system.

Our conductor in the caboose gives a wave to the station agent at the Sandra ByPass as our head-end enters the territory near Hayes Fuels.

With our consist out of the way, Roger is able to head over to Kamaryn City to study the moves he and Pat will make upon their arrival there.

Video footage as our train continues its easterly journey.

With that Coca-Cola car near the tail end of the train rounding the big curve out from Trista Centre, this tells me Mr. Pat must be at the helm!

Yup, I recognize those shorts and shoes anywhere!

We pass Moe's Siding as we come to a slow stop west of Trista Centre.

Again, Bonnie's spectacular gardens offer up a marvelous playground for we train nuts!

Steve and Pat are working Trista Centre at the moment.  

In my next blog entry we will see how this crew offered an assist for us as they lifted a few cars on our behalf.  That's what it's all about...teamwork and camaraderie!

Video of Steve and Pat at work in Trista Centre.

Is it a bird?  Is it a plane?  No...silly...it's simply...Moe!

As Moe captures video of our operations from an aerial perspective, Pat and Steve continue with their work switching out the yard in the area near the house foundation known as Trista Centre.

Moe will eventually post his drone video efforts to YouTube at which time we will inform you as to how to find it!

Judging by his comments in the upcoming video...Steve seems to have forgotten his name!

There's our train waiting in the queue to get into Trista Centre.

Mike's video of Moe's video taking from the sky!

Now back to regular photographs from the session.

Let's conduct a little rolling stock review, shall we!  

Barry's a man after my own heart!  In my basement I model New England and this Rutland car is a true New England eyecatcher!  I have an HO version of this same fellow!

Indeed the colour of railroading is evident in Belleville, Ontario!

Aha!  That billboard car with the advertisement for Coca-Cola will be admired by one lad in particular from our group.  You'll learn of his identity a little bit later in this entry!

Trista Centre is playing host to a wide variety of car types and a variety of colours as well on this day.

The Southern Pacific car in Darth Vader dress catches the eye of this railfan down in Cumberland.  

This car must interchange with the IPP&W up in Ottawa as I have seen this little puppy before at Fred's place!

While listed as "orange" in colour on Barry's paperwork, this tells me that it's either me who's colour blind or our good friend and host, Barry!  Yikes!  😎👀😎

Yet another car has managed to find its way across the border from New England, this New Haven beauty.

And...another!

This lad has come great distances to run between Belleville and Ottawa in the province of Ontario!

Ah...yes....my favourite buggy!

Now here's a great example of a billboard reefer!  Lovely!

This Santa Fe employee will not require the extra shock control while traversing Barry's smoothly laid main line!

Another UP friend brings up the markers on the end of what appears to be a westbound train although on paper, she is travelling east.

Cars on cars!  Yes motor cars on freight cars!

A nice load is travelling on this Union Pacific flat car.

We meet some homegrown twins resting on a siding in Orleans earning money for the Canadian National Railway.

Mike has happened to find a rare freight car.  Indeed, 50 footers are rather unique in these parts! 

Quinte West sports a lovely steam locomotive from days gone by!

The inner line of the double bypass track houses a new spur.

That Rutland specimen certainly does appear tiny in relation to the surrounding foliage!

Our friend Chris from Ottawa will certainly enjoy this image as he played an important hand in this scene!

Back in Belleville and earlier in the day we spot the crew aboard number 48 continuing with the task of building their train.

My Delaware & Hudson diesel awaits its turn to dance on the far track!

Roger and Pat are well in control of Train 64 as they squeeze between the triple domes and the stock car.

Moe and Grant are working across the aisle running their trains in the opposing direction from ours.

With Belleville now in the rear-view mirror, Train 46 breezes through Shaanenville heading east to Kamaryn City.

Barry invites me to photograph the end of this McDonalds car.  What do you notice?

If you said, "An inverted coupler" then you win the Big Mac!  Yup, Barry is chuckling to himself, "How in the heck did that happen?"  💫💥💫

Train #44 is holding on the inner sanctum of the Sandra Bypass awaiting clearance onto the main line.

This "going away" shot captures Randy's and my train rounding the bend at Trista Centre.

64's crew has run around its train to drill the yard at Kamaryn City.

Eric is now driving a train, number 42, spotted currently in Cumberland.  My crew arrives the same location and we offer an assist to Eric who requires that boxcar to be on his train and not in front of the locomotive.

With our assist on his goal, Eric is able to depart Cumberland for greener pastures and Randy and I can begin our work there.

With their work at Kamaryn City now written in the books of history, Train 64 reaches Shaanenville with 44 in hot pursuit in the distance.

That loaded gon off the TH&B is a lovely example of local rolling stock.

The crew aboard this Canadian Pacific endcab finds Trista Centre all to themselves...an uncommon occurance indeed!

"Think I'll go out to Alberta...weather's good there in the fall...got some friends that I can go to working for!"

Well...the "four strong winds" didn't make their way all this distance to Belleville but there sure is one mighty fine railroad down this way which our singer/songwriter could go to working for!

Barry...we love these little shacks you have found!

They add a great deal of whimsy and character to the railroad!

An upper level shot at the bypass.

Indeed, Barry's many amendments to the railroad have offered improved and, as always, enjoyable operations for himself and for visitors alike!  

This scene reminds me of my mom from long ago coming to the front door and shouting out..."Mike, Jim...time for lunch!"  Well...today it's more like..."Railroaders...time for a break from the trains!"

Bonnie, you have done a magnificent job in organizing this amazing spread on our behalf!

Lots of tasty items...and all healthy too!

Loads of variety!

Thanks so much, Bonnie!

And...

...there are drinks as well!

Aha...the important items make the round table top...beer!

Now...here come the treats!  You're the best Bonnie!

Joe and Diane agree!

As does Eric!

Fred, Barry and Robin are happy campers.  

Say Henk...Robin is one of your kind...as mentioned earlier...he hails from your home country as well.  Now we can say we've been involved with two Dutchmen while railroading!

Pat has a happy face on pre-ops!

Eric too.  Wow, Diane is a retired first grade teacher and Eric is still teaching with 56 school years under his belt...now teaching Spanish.

My crewmate, Randy, and Barrie confer pre-ops.

Steve is all relaxed and ready to go after the three-hour drive.

Remember the Coco-Cola freight car.  Well, Pat would like a full shipment to head by rail up to his home in Aylmer, Quebec...just across the river from Ottawa!  Moe is wondering what all the fuss is about!

It's Barry & the Boys.  Sounds like a good name for a country band of musicians!  Git them thar gee-tars out lads!!! 🙉🙉🙉

Well, Barry and Bonnie...my D&H unit loved running on the steel rails atop your outstanding garden railroad.

We loved the sound of the waterfalls.

So, before I close this blog entry...Barry has asked me to share these next three images with you.

Barry actually called me away from my train to snap these pictures.  I feel like the chief photographer for the National Transportation Safety Board!

Yes, while derailments do occur on the real railroads, we sometimes emulate them on our modelled versions as well.  I prefer to call this a brief "service interruption"!

Our Ottawa group bids Barry farewell before we hit the road.  From left to right...chauffeur and railroad history buff, Pat...Ottawa HOTRAK leader and innovator, Steve...world renowned Father Fred, ham operator and former radio and TV employee, Pat (other Pat) and our delightful host and expert Garden Railroader...Barry.

I switched places with Pat...Mike retired school teacher (40 year career), musician and craftsman model builder.

Speaking of a "service interruption" on the rails...they can occur on the highways as well.

On the way home we encountered this burned out 18-wheeler on the eastbound shoulder of the 401, just as we had seen it early in the morning on our way west to Belleville.  It had not been removed as yet.

Judging by the appearance of things, we felt the driver would have managed to get out of the truck safely.

A number of rescue vehicles were on the scene...but unlike the TV show...the truck was not pulled away from the scene before the final credits ran!

This is the first of three blog entries I will create over the next few days showcasing the true enjoyment and friendship we experienced at Barry's and Bonnie's in Belleville.

It was pure joy getting to meet new folks and to develop new friendships!

Thanks for checking in on the blog entry from our wonderful trip visit!

All the best, Mike, Lilly and the entire OVGRS clan, Ottawa, Ontario, Canada