Great Workday Wednesday Session Today!

Awesome Workday Wednesday Session Today

An even dozen members arrived Fred's property to lend a hand today for our weekly work session.

Of top priority was evaluating the trackwork running east of Wellington Lake to Peter's Pond.

New siding names were introduced and labelled and stone dust was spread over all the bare earth areas around Nelson Yard, Glen Hammond, Bell and Stuart.

Railroading aside for the moment...Steve McKenzie sent these two wonderful images of Garry's fine looking Gypsy Moth.  Here is Steve's message my way...

Hi Mike,  Dave Hadfield provided these photos of Gary’s 1928 Gypsy Moth which he flew from Edenvale on Sunday to Mike Potter’s hangar in Gatineau. This may be the oldest aircraft that saw service with RCAF still flying. 

We catch a glimpse of Garry and Karen receiving the vintage airplane.  It is my understanding that Garry wishes to donate it to a museum where it will still be able to fly.

I arrive the property to find Bernie hard at work already!

While it appears Uncle Fred is relaxing, he is simply taking a breather while in discussion with Mark.

Here's Mark...smiles and all!

I'm carrying Fred's 44-tonner out as a test engine for an area of track we are concerned about, the area known as "The Corners" situated between Peter's Pond and Wellington Lake.  But alas, Mark has brought out his latest purchase so we chose to run that locomotive instead.

Here's Mark railing his new locomotive.

Mark hopes to bring this gorgeous 2-6-0 Emma Nevada out to Saturday's session...either to run on 301 or the ore train...just two options for the session.  (Pictures taken at George's place!)

Mark wrote to me and indicated... 

Let’s see if we can give her a passenger run perhaps at the end of the session - a grand tour of the IPP&W!

My response to Mark was...

Say Mark...why don't you bring out your gorgeous passenger equipment and we can run Passenger 1 right off the bat at the beginning of the session from Craig Leigh while Moe & Gerry depart Firgrove with Passenger 2 at the same time.  As dispatcher, I can have Glen Hammond be the dedicated "meet" location for the two passenger runs!  Following your meet at Glen Hammond you would continue westward to Firgrove while Moe & Gerry would continue eastward to Craig Leigh.  Then the three of you could take turns crewing Pool Train 33 with its respective switching of headend material across both railroads.  Following the termination of the pool train, you simply reverse the process of the first trick with you running Passenger 2 from Firgrove eastward while Moe & Gerry run Passenger 1 from Craig Leigh westward.  This is not unlike how "The Canadian" departs Toronto and Vancouver simultaneously and meets somewhere at the half-way point on their respective cross-country journeys!  As dispatcher, it would be fun having the two passenger trains running simultaneously along the line.  I may have to hover closely to my dispatch hut though!  😎😃😎

Mark adds...

Here are a few photos of Emma Nevada on George’s layout last Sunday. She looks equally at home pulling both passenger and freight - or just simply hanging out by herself. :-)

Fred recommended pulling some light ore cars around the "test area" where we are concerned about derailments.

Video of Mark's locomotive in care of the ore train at Peter's Pond.

Being too lazy, I only brought out one carrying case of ore cars so an eight car run with locomotive and caboose will suffice for our purpose.

Nine cars heavy on the drawbar and she's ready to rumble!

Yes...already we encounter a derailment in "The Corners" located between Peter's Pond and Wellington Lake.

That's better...just a a couple of light twigs and those danged vines.

Video through "The Corners" where the locomotive meets some debris along the way.

Continued video in the area where we ask Mark to reverse the train.

Still more video in the neighbourhood where all obstacles have been removed.

Funnily enough, while the vines are very light, thin and airy...they can get caught up in the running gear and easily derail a locomotive!

Pat advises us to run the train in the opposite direction as that is the way he recalled the derailments occurring during last Saturday's session...so we travelled all the way up to the western fringe of Bell where the turntable is located in the town of Stuart.

Aha!  We have an audience member!!!  Mom was holding the lad up to allow him to see over the fence.  I heartily invited mom to bring him over any Saturday morning to see a large number of trains running!

Video through the region of Wellington Lake.

Video along Watkins Siding where we notice the young lad viewing the action from way up high in the gallery.  As he observes the passing train the consist, like a salamander in danger from a predator, drops its tail!

Mark turns his locomotive in this video effort.

Mark has now turned his steamer and is running around his train to reach the head of Track 3.

Cloaked in the sun's rays, she appears as a whispering ghost from the Grizzly Flats!

Heading back east on video.

Back through "The Corners" easterly video work.

Arrival in "The Pond" video.

While trains now run well through the location we were examining, the track is actually floating in the air above the subroadbed.  This will require our attention at the end of the season or at the beginning of next year's run.

As a result, as dispatcher this coming Saturday I will advise crews of a slow order restriction in the district between  Wellington Lake and Peter's Pond.

Hey...here's Seanna and Steve with their road crossing signal.

Pat and Bernie look on as Seanna and Steve discuss the best location for the signal.  

One signal will be placed at this pedestrian crossing while the other will be found a couple of meters to the left at the other pedestrian crossing closer to Fred's house.  The signal will be activated in one of two ways...a manual switch for the train operators - or by a detection unit near ground level that Seanna and Steve will devise.

Earlier in the week Fred had gone to the lumber store to purchase four bags of stone dust for around the worn down earthen area at Nelson Yard.

Bill has been wanting to have this job done for a couple of years now he tells me...thus his complaint last Saturday regarding any threat of rain and mud (none of which materialized by the way).  But...Bill's idea is a good one, for sure!

Yeah...Lawrence has arrived for a visit and to see what the crew are up to!  What a thrill it is for us to see you out, Lawrence!  👍👍

Oh oh!  We'd better watch out...Billy Boy has the blade in his hand!

Bernie's got a bigger weapon though!

The blade is used to cut the plastic bags which hold the stone dust.

The lad is hard at work!

Et voila...the job is done!

Looking really good there Bill! 👍👍

The back of Bill's shirt showcasing his other "transportation related" passion!

Lawrence and Bernie share a moment together.

Steve and Seanna share many moments together!  😀😀😀

We can't wait to see the railroad crossing signals working!

Bernie and I agree on the larger print for the labels.

Bernie has used his specialized printing machine; his label maker to create the names for the sidings.

He then adheres each label to a plastic/resin backing card.

This adds a bit of elevation for the label.

It looks like a few additional ties will be required to slip carefully beneath the rail joiners here.  That's a job for next Wednesday!

An overview of the newly developed trackwork up in Cedar Rock.

Great work, Fred, Bernie and Pat!

We're off to see the Wizard...the Wonderful Wizard of The Home Depot!

Why...you ask?

Because we need another ten bags of crushed stone!

This'll be heavy lifting for Bill and Mike!

Fred covers the bill!

Back at the railroad Seanna and Steve are measuring the lengths of the sidings so they know how many cars each industry holds...an important piece of information when dealing with the RailOps program!

Steve calls out to Seanna..."Hamer's is 44 inches long!"

While Hamer thinks to himself, "44 inches long...that's rather impressive for a short lad!"

Video proof of Mike's "44 inches" - careful - X-Rated film sprouting up!  🙈🙈🙈

Now, now, there, Mike...no need to boast!!!  🙈🙉🙊

Mark brings the dolly out to the road to give an assist.

Short video of Mark being advised by Bill to head back to Fred's where he will back the van up to the gate.  "Don't make the work any harder than it needs to be!" Bill advises the crew.

We bid Seanna and Steve farewell as they head home.  When they back out of the driveway, Pat will pull out as well freeing up space for Bill to back his van right up to Fred's gate for ease of unloading!

And unloading is what Mark is doing now.

Two bags of stone dust and she's a heavy load!

Here's Joan with Lawrence.  So great to see you once again, Joan!

Bill has added stone dust between Nelson Yard and Glen Hammond.

I surprise Bernie by showing up unexpectedly!

Thanks for all your help throughout the morning, Mark!

Yup...farmers we be!  On our farm we grow locomotives, freight cars and cabeese.  Take your pick of any at any time!

Hmm...just about my size!

"It's bloomin' hot out here!" Bill is heard to mutter.

But the heat doesn't deter him.

Billy Boy stars in this video!

Amidst all of the commotion, Pat quietly goes about the business of cleaning the right of way.

One of our latest acquisitions.

It's amazing to think that if we didn't weed and snip each week, the railroad would become overgrown in no time.

An overgrown railway leads to derailments and potential damage to the equipment.

Great work, as always Pat!

Robin made an appearance later in the morning following an appointment.

Here is another example of Bernie's labelling from his label maker.

Here's Bernie!

Hard at work!

Out with the old and in with the new!

This little gap between the wood and stone is enough for our resident chipmunk to make a home beneath the rails as discovered by Pat.

Oops...Pat also noticed this broken rail joiner at the Windmill Siding in Ironwood...something to be addressed next Wednesday!

I've packaged up our Ironwood Road RS3 for Fred to bring along to Barry's tomorrow as six of us travel to Belleville...Fred, Pat, Pat, Steve A. Moe & me.

She looks safe enough for travelling.

You'll recall a neighbour down the street from me had this little puppy resting on his driveway last week.

Well, today when I arrived home, my next door neighbour immediately to the east of me had just purchased this puppy!

Myles bought the Mustang from someone he knew down in California.

It's 23 years old...but doesn't look it in the least.

Myles wants to keep the mustang's head on the side door but he wants to remove the darker black flames that extend to the back.

Yes, there's a roll bar and a full back seat.

The dash was originally "all black" but the previous owner painted the white areas "for show".

Nice seats with the company emblem.

The casing lifts off behind the roll bar should Myles wish to take more passengers for a ride.

She's a beauty, Myles!

Speaking of a beauty...here's Father Fred!

Fred wishes to extend a note of appreciation to the twelve folks who made it out this morning multiplying our enjoyment of "working on the railroad"!

My next blog entry will showcase our time at Barry's and Bonnie's in Belleville.

We'll catch up with everyone else Saturday morning!