Part Two Session #4
We were fortunate to have the occasion of running trains after a two week weather hiatus this past Saturday.
Indeed we had attempted to get in Session #4 two weeks in a row, but to no avail.
Finally Saturday surprised us and we were able to hold our operations!
In this entry you have access to a back stage pass where you will witness numerous trains plying the rails!
Boxcars, hopper cars and a host of others are the main characters in this Saturday matinee play.
It's a rare privilege to be able to operate large scale trains in a prototypical manner in the great outdoors and we thank Fred for hosting us each Saturday morning!
We remember Lawrence fondly as his locomotives continue to reward us with the joy of train operations.
It's the domain of the diesel on this morning and TH&B GP9 #401 gets down to the task at hand classifying Train 304.
Our Nelson Yardmasters hang out in their lazy-boys with the yard already organized and ready.
No, we are not insinuating that Doug & Henk are lazy lads!
Gaining clearance from the dispatcher, Train 304 begins to roll out of Glen Hammond with the first station stop being Spruce.
Our leased UP diesel works for the RP&M on this day.
Engineer Garry hauls passengers into Bellamy having just cleared the junction off from RP&M rails.
Passenger power rounds the curve into the Glen.
The abandoned mine plays visage to the passage of time and the passing of trains on the western end of the railroad.
302 progresses through the verdant landscape as a cabin still under construction is in the process of being erected.
Lawrence built the cabin with the intent of it remaining in the erecting stage. It adds a lovely human element to the scene.
Video fun in "The Corners" with 302.
We monitor the movements of Train 301 now in Spruce.
Moe and Doug have a fine handle on the proceedings here.
Spruce video finds.
Malcolm starts out from Firgrove on his second run of the morning aboard Train 314.
Again, thanks to the remarkable men and women at La Grange, Illinois, a total of 948 GP30 units were built for railroads in the United States and Canada.
My research tells me only two ended up on Canadian soil. Forty cabless B units were produced for the Union Pacific Railroad.
314 embarks on its eastward journey to Nelson Yard as found in this video effort nearby "The Ledges".
EMD certainly earned a few style points with the design of the GP30.
They say that "beauty is in the eyes of the beholder" and some may prefer the simplicity of the Alco product dressed in black to the left! 😎
Dilip offers up a smile as he and Bernie work Stuart and Bell aboard RP&M trains 71-72.
Their work is handling the interchange traffic between the two railroads.
Video of the meet at Bell.
Seven decades have passed since the introduction of the EMD GP9 in 1954 and 70 years hence they are still found running atop IPP&W iron in the province of Ontario.
We find the locomotive conducting switching moves up in Cedar Rock aboard Train 302.
Pat and Marcel have things well in hand at the end of the branch!
Railfan video as captured up in Cedar Rock.
Train 303 has reached Peter's Pond and takes the "lower" siding which refers to the work the crew must conduct here.
The lower siding is actually the further of the two from the grassy walkway. It is so named because the crew that takes to this siding works the lower Peter's Pond area and does not have to head up the lengthy Cedar Rock Branch.
The power shoves hard but with care as some cars are deposited at the team track and the Norton Fishery.
Peace and tranquility abounds at St. Helens at the moment.
A lone reefer occupies the ice track in Craig Leigh.
Passenger 2 has arrived and has backed its consist into the terminal. Steam power will cover the Pool Train on this day as the crew readies for its run momentarily.
Here is my seat aboard Number 2!
Just like Bernie, Mike is interested in freight cars of all manner as found at Ralph Yard today!
It's a hive of activity around Ralph Yard in Firgrove as trains arrive and depart within minutes of each other. All the while Rat Portage is kept busy with RP&M movements off in the distance.
The blue coloured Golding Grains facility towers over the trackage at the south end of Rat Portage.
We take another glance at the cow-calf pair working Rat Portage.
311 takes the crossing in the foreground as Rat 61 holds short of the junction in the distance. Dispatch has cleared 311 to Mercer Siding where the crew will meet opposing Train 302.
Two great train logos; the interlaced B&M of the Boston and Maine and the Algonquin and Ottawa lettering with the two maple leafs sandwiching the long line.
Rat 61 passes through Anderson on its way to Glen Hammond.
Typically this train would have entered Nelson Yard but activity near the western throat meant a detour was made around the big yard. The train entered Glen Hammond where it was then able to back into the big yard at the eastern throat.
Activity is busy at the junction crossing as evidenced in this video.
As dispatcher, I have choreographed the meet between the two trains.
I have cleared 302 directly into Nelson Yard as I had forewarned the yardmasters of 302's imminent approach from the west.
The two red bread trays are new ones Fred picked up from a store somewhere on Merivale Road I believe. Each tray holds a maximum of five cars unless we stack a flatcar or two.
The crew aboard 302 exchanges greetings with 311's crew as they scoot past as video'd by Mike.
302 has been cleared through the junction and will arrive on the arrival/departure track in Nelson Yard in short order.
Junction video taping.
Pool Train 33 navigates its way through Clarke Canyon on a heading towards Glen Hammond.
Oh look! There's milk traffic on the headend!
Henk and Doug pay no attention to the passenger train as it will not impinge on their work in the big yard at all.
Hey, another GP30 is found on the railroad! This puppy is toiling away up in Nelson Yard.
Canyon video work.
The Fred Mills Trestle offers traffic the opportunity to "bridge the gap".
Passengers share time with milk and mail on this day.
The yard switcher stops short of the main to the east of Nelson Yard.
Bridge video taping.
Our Ironwood Road RS3 navigates the turnouts on the western ladder at Bell near the town of Stuart.
Traffic is traded between the two roads on the interchange track here.
Brunts and the Watkins Co-operative siding is chock-a-block full at the moment. No problem as our crews are very capable at dealing with traffic in the spur sidings.
George keeps Fred engaged in the crew lounge on this sunny morning.
311 blows the crossing on a heading for Peter's Pond.
304 continues its efforts in Craig Leigh.
Steve & Seanna wisely make use of the overflow track located down the center of the St. Helens peninsula.
Seanna is all smiles as they get down to their work here.
Industries abound on the inner and outer tracks in St. Helens.
Across the aisleway, Malcolm is sandwiched between his drops seeing as there is no runaround track in Cedar Rock.
It's rarely a dull moment when trains arrive and depart in the neighbourhood of the largest yard on the system. Pool Train 33 approaches the depot in Glen Hammond as the Nelson Yard job continues to make up and break down traffic.
Eastern Throat video in Glen Hammond and Nelson Yard.
313 rolls into Ironwood and takes the far siding.
Two contemporaries meet in Ironwood. The 313 crew meets Train 302 already underway with their switching.
302's crew asks 313's tandem if they could lift a gondola from Ironwood Brick. Our cooperative crew aboard 313 begins their effort with the assist at the eastern end of Ironwood.
This movement assists 302 as the siding is facing for that crew.
Camaraderie abounds on the IPP&W as we see in this video taken at Ironwood where the assist took place.
Another RP&M train is on the move out from Nelson Yard.
Doug & Henk control all train movements in their environment.
The "other" RP&M train works Stuart across the aisleway.
Watching the trains move about on video in seamless fashion inspires and energizes the spirit of railfans far and near.
314 arrives Nelson Yard mid-morning.
The GP30 passes an earlier EMD F-unit. The F's were last produced in 1960, one year before the first "30" came off the production line.
314 threads the needle on the A/D track. The crew will exit Nelson Yard aboard new train, 324.
Nelson Yard video activities.
324 is underway out from Nelson Yard passing the old Blockhouse siding.
The crew blows the pedestrian crossing.
Pedestrian footage on video.
Marcel and Pat have recently arrived Nelson Yard with Train 302. They will soon depart with Train 312.
They have reached Spruce where they have just met the Pool Train which is spotted slipping down the slope at Clarke Grade.
Chris runs the Nelson Yard - Bell Turn for the RP&M. He arrived as Rat 73 and will depart back to the big yard aboard 74.
311 makes progress through Bell and soon will depart for Firgrove.
Rat 63 works the Gut where the crew is either spotting or lifting traffic from the Fallentree Mine.
Yet another glance in the big yard.
And...another look across three busy locations.
Dilip finds himself aboard Rat 63 with Bernie as they lift some traffic in Glen Hammond.
They also have work to conduct at Bellamy.
My boxcar finds a temporary home on the Bernicky siding at Bell.
And...speaking of Bernicky, here is the man himself - Len!
Time to place cars back in their storage sheds.
Well, that's it for now! Thanks for checking in once again on the activities taking place in Fred's backyard.
Here I am working the IVACO plant on the late Bill Meek's layout.
On behalf of Padre Fred, thanks so much for checking in once again.
We are truly thankful Mother Nature saw things our way on this day!
It is fun to share all of our shenanigans with you!
We are the OVGRS of Ottawa, Ontario, Canada
No comments:
Post a Comment