Mark's Pics From Session #14

Mark's Pics From Session #14

Mark has graciously sent along a number of pictures including captions he wrote from Session #14.

Here is Mark's message to me:

Hi Mike, Wonderful blog posts this week - Terry's switching layout in the garage, music in the Glebe, and everything in between. 

A veritable treat for the soul!  Here’s the pics I snapped last Saturday.

A handsome crew indeed - the original M&M’s, Mike and Marcel. Mike doing some early-morning rail fanning with camera in one hand and a fresh cup of joe in the other!

Here are my two workhorses for the day in Nelson Yard - boy what a size difference!  (I certainly agree with you there, Mark!) - Mike

Nelson Yard in all its glory just before the start of the session.  We’re in a veritable casino with all those coloured poker chips!

Andrew’s gorgeous SOO RS-3 thunders down the line.

Here my PIKO GE-25 tonner is put through its paces shunting a string of ore cars at the Fallentree mine in preparation for Bob who will soon be picking them up.

Hey it’s our friend Mikey again! This time he’s ended up at one of the new named sidings - the Shumelda fuel depot.

Nelson Yard during the session serves as a busy transit hub, with some trains originating/terminating, and some swapping crews to quickly get on another string of cars. 

I quite enjoyed working as Bill’s assistant at NY this week and look forward to working this yard again. (but Henk is sorely missed by all :-))

Bob’s handsome Big Boy earns his keep pulling a long string of ore cars through Mercer siding.

Mike directing traffic and taking it all in over at Bell.

There are a couple of places on the railroad where we have the pleasure of witnessing a “bi-level” meet, but I believe this is the only one where we catch a diverging route!

Small but mighty: the industrial switcher doing what she does best.

And now, ladies and gentlemen we have a Guinness Book of World Records entry (at least for this operating session): the VERY LARGEST locomotive of the day working alongside *the very smallest*. 

A question Mike could pose to his students next time he’s supply teaching: “how many 25-tonners would fit alongside a Big Boy”. The students could practice their math estimation skills! (I’d say at least 10)

Heh heh, love the mathematical question, Mark!  (Mike)

Mike taking in the action over by the dispatcher’s hut

And now, in the tradition of Mike posting “non-railroad photos” I wanted to share this pic of Matthew and Oliver (both past regulars at Saturday morning ops sessions). On Sunday we went down to Trenton in hopes of visiting the famous Royal Canadian Air Force museum, but unfortunately it was unexpectedly closed that day due to a power failure. Not to be deterred after a long drive, we searched for other military memorabilia and came across this storied LAV vehicle at a veterans commemorative park, which I believe served alongside our troops in Afghanistan.

And finally, since we always start each ops session with a “safety briefing”, I got a kick out of this sign posted at my local coffee shop in Manotick. I couldn’t agree more, especially on a chilly autumn morning!

Thanks so much Mark for sharing these wonderful pics and stories.  

I rarely get in the images on the blog seeing as I am mostly the man behind the lens.  These are greatly appreciated!

Pat Brewer sent along a link to a YouTube video of the wonderful trains song written by Steve Goodman, "City of New Orleans" with this lovely lady (Rhonda Vincent) singing it in...of all places...a model railroad room!  

Thanks for sending this our way, Pat!  Please thank HOTRAK member Bob Palmer for sharing it around your railroad group as well!

Simply copy and paste the link below into your computer's browser to watch the video.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YBcrcg5UIHI

Malcolm sent along this gorgeous image taken outside his hotel room in Greece.  Here is Malcolm's message our way:  

Hi Mike - we’re in Greece, finished our organized hiking week and now touring on our own from our base in the Mesennian region. Here is the view from the balcony of our rental.

Thanks Mark, Pat & Malcolm for sending along contributions for the blog.  Muchos appreciated!!!

All the best, the fine members of the OVGRS, Ottawa, Ontario, Canada