Roger, Barry & Rod Pay Us a Visit
We were thrilled to host two longtime friends and one newfound friend to our session today.
Roger drove up from his home in upstate New York where he is a member of the Finger Lakes Region of large scale modelers.
Barry & Bonnie drove up to Ottawa from their home in Belleville to pay us a visit. Barry also brought up some cars to trade with those who were interested in swapping out some cars.
We begin this entry with three pictures of the Glen Hammond depot shining brightly on the Friday night before the session.
We thank Dilip for sending these great looking night shots along our way.
We thank Bill, Chris & Doug for their fine efforts in creating the structure!
Roger, it was great seeing you come all this way from your home in upstate New York for the session!
Roger's shirt advertises the amazing Finger Lakes Live Steamers group to which he belongs.
Hi Roger!
Roger was one of the first lads to help set out the equipment pre-ops.
He held the honours for ringing the bell to get the pre-ops safety meeting underway before the train ops begin.
We welcome Barry from Belleville as well! Great seeing you join us, Barry!
Post ops we find Bonnie coming to pick Barry up for lunch...although I bet when they were first dating it was Barry that picked Bonnie up! 😎
Barry brought along a couple of narrow gauge cars to trade with folks. This MMX billboard reefer sure catches the eye.
Bernie loved the water service car and implored Fred to add it to the collection.
I ran the water car in a short train with my CN RS3.
She's a real looker Bernie!
Cool logo!
And...to think...it's already lettered for the IPP&W!
Sid & Jean introduce their friend Rod to the group. Rod had worked with Sid at Air Canada.
We say farewell to the iron coloured tree at Ironwood.
George and Len make quick work of the downing of the tree.
Tree cutting video in Ironwood.
Dilip sent these next three images my way for the blog. I am rarely in the images as I am the one usually taking them!
It's a Hamer bridge!
Ore is on the move beneath the Hamer span!
And...here is a snippet of that video I took!
Mike's video of playing bridge!
Pre-ops finds another early-bird setting out cars...skipper Bernie.
Bernie is handling cars for the east end of the railway.
Doug sets out cars at Bell and Glen Hammond.
Yet another T-shirt shot only means...
...that Mr. Scobie is in town!
Love the Bahamas hat!
It belongs to Mr. Pat.
Pat & Bill tighten a turnout at the western throat of Nelson Yard.
Felicity gets to work pulling the weedy vines from the greenery at Peter's Pond.
Doug is the Craig Leigh yardmaster on this day.
Mark and Andrew turn their heads to the speaker during the pre-ops gathering around the crew lounge table.
We are happy that Andrew was able to make it out. He borrowed Fred's locomotive from the Craig Leigh engine house to haul ore traffic on the morning.
Video of Andrew releasing Fred's steam locomotive from its engine house in Craig Leigh.
While diminutive in stature, this 0-4-0 switcher certainly is not diminutive in spirit.
Doug received this little guy from the Lawrence Watkins collecction.
An 0-4-0 video effort.
The little workhorse gets down to business in the early moments of the session.
Video work at Craig Leigh.
Yes, the operations are narrow gauge where steam rules the roost...but we can stretch our imagination to see the odd first generation diesel such as the B&O beauty working Rat 61.
Video taken in Nelson Yard.
The first train of the day gets underway out from Firgrove as Mark commandeers Passenger 2.
Here's Mr. Mark now!
302 departs Firgrove on the heels of Train Number 2.
Felicity & Robin are in the cab of 302 on this day.
The parade begins through the video lens.
Train 2 leans into the curve on approach to Bell.
The White Pass locomotive has things under control as the train takes to the station track.
Bell approach video.
302 plays the children's version of tag attempting to catch up with Number 2.
But alas, they take a different route through Bell.
302 is the video star!
Passenger 2 departs Bell as one of our car re-railer devices hangs out on the interchange track.
The re-railer will be removed when one of the crews having to switch out the interchange notices it in the way!
The White Pass locomotive leads the passengers through Watkins Siding.
Next station stop - Wellington Lake.
Continued video efforts with Passenger 2.
Rat 61 works the peninsula at Lilly before they can depart for Rat Portage. The blockhouse overlooks the wide dry bed here.
The train crawls atop the Lawrence Watkins Trestle on its way to Lilly.
Trestle video of Rat 61.
Steve made a quick appearance but had other priorities to attend to on this day. Great seeing you even for a brief moment, Steve!
Robin shares a story with Henk as Chris listens in.
Henk then offers a story of his own!
Laughter abounds as these two lads certainly enjoy each other's company!
Passenger 1 resides on the near siding while Pool Train 33 awaits its run on the second siding at the Craig Leigh passenger terminal.
This view from my dispatch booth shows how busy both Glen Hammond and Nelson Yard can become quite quickly.
RP&M 71 is underway and works the Lyon Supply spur at Anderson. Paul Anderson is running the engine and Chris is conductor.
Moe & Pat work 304 at Spruce.
The power on 301 is most impressive this day!
Train #2 slows to a station stop in Spruce.
We have our own version of Promontory just outside of Peter's Pond! I'm not even going to touch this one as I am just an innocent dispatcher! 😎
We find RP&M 71 earlier in the morning working the trailing siding just outside Nelson Yard.
The full length of their train is captured in this snippit from a video.
Video work at Anderson.
There is something about a unit train that speaks of beauty in railroading and this ore train awaiting its departure in Firgrove is a perfect example.
The crew has been given its clearance down to Bell. The ore drag will continue the parade of trains out from Firgrove in the early morning hours.
Meanwhile across the aisle RP&M 71 makes its way up to Rat Portage with interesting cargo in the first car behind the locomotive.
Firgrove and Rat Portage are found in this video.
Ore rolls downhill out from Firgrove.
The train will glide into Bell in short order.
Ore train video.
The parade of trains along "The Ledges" is relentless.
The local hop down to Bell is the next train in the string to depart in an easterly direction.
Continued video at "The Ledges".
We continue to follow the short hop from Firgrove down to Bell.
Final video from "The Ledges".
Passenger 2 reaches the junction.
Through Anderson.
On into Bellamy on video.
We catch up with some crews in Bell and the Glen.
Robin and Felicity check their train orders as a locomotive trolls Track 4 at Bell.
304 has gained its clearance out from the Glen bound for Spruce.
Bell and Glen video work.
304 drives through the Fred Mills Trestle eastbound.
Mike & Henk hold an interesting discussion regarding the ore train in this video.
We've granted the RP&M crew a free alley to run through Nelson Yard.
Typically they would back out of the yard and head into Glen Hammond, but they had no work to conduct there and the Glen was heavily occupied thus the transit of the big yard.
The coupler issue you will see is not the fault of the caboose...it is an issue with the hopper car.
The crew's exit from Nelson Yard as captured on video.
We backtrack a few seconds to check out the happenings in Nelson Yard.
And...mere moments earlier the same train lost its van at the far throat of the yard due to the wonky coupler on that hopper car as noted in this video as well.
Our earlier Promontory moment arrived when one crew was entering Peter's Pond from the west and another crew was still out on the main switching "The Pond".
Doug has lined up the turnouts for Andrew to back ore onto the Northland Ore Dock.
Mark sneaks by on the departure track out from Craig Leigh with Pool Train 33.
Felicity & Robin handle the industries up in Cedar Rock.
They pull quite a lot of equipment up with them.
At least they are "made in the shade".
Doug doesn't mind the shade at the same aisleway as he works Spruce.
Doug's power on 301 is this gorgeous steamer from Utah!
Ironwood has been opened up following the felling of the tree!
Earlier, Mark brought Passenger 2 into Glen Hammond.
Number 2 meets 303 in the Glen.
Sid and Bernie follow Mark's progress along the station track.
Passenger 2's video moment.
Len handles the short hop from Firgrove to deposit cars in the house track now known as the Bernicky siding.
Engine number 48 is Len's power of choice on this day.
Back in the Glen 303 continues handling set-outs and lifts...
...while ore moves into Nelson Yard.
Video moments of these three trains.
Doug & Roger handle the trailing sidings at the eastern fringe of Ironwood.
The Uintah Railway Company #51 is at ease with her chores!
Number 51 is truly a video star!
Doug & Roger are stars as well!
301's continued efforts are caught on video tape.
Jean, Rod & Sid are all smiles for the camera!
And now...for those who like the Rick Mercer frenetic style of video, this one's for you!
This image captures three trains; Bernie & Barry aboard Train 303 off in the distance beyond the red umbrella awaiting their green signal through the junction crossing, Passenger 2 to the right where Mark is filming his train stepping out onto the Fred Mills Trestle beyond Blockhouse and the ore train having arrived Nelson Yard with Andrew, Bill & Henk looking on.
A very short video moment.
Fred regales the trio!
In this video, we see 303 off in the distance having been cleared through the junction.
We see the ore train in Nelson Yard being worked with Passenger 2 running in behind the lads.
To top it all off, you can hear Felicity requesting clearance into Peter's Pond with Train 302 from the west!
Busy times at Ridgemont High - or should I say at the IPP&W!
Father Fred looks on from his perch outside the dispatch booth as Passenger 2 takes to the pedestrian crossing.
Number 2 climbs the grade where it will meet crews in both Spruce and Ironwood.
Passengers pass by on video.
Ore is on the move.
More ore video!
Number 2 reaches the depot at Spruce.
304 has protected their train in the siding.
Mark keeps an eagle eye on his passenger train as 301 is about to run around their train in Ironwood just behind him.
The parade of trains continues with the ore train now reaching Spruce.
More parade video from Mike.
Andrew drives the ore train slowly around the bend near the depot.
He is cleared through Spruce.
Andrew and I hold a brief discussion in this video then you hear a very distinct, "Whoa, whoa, whoa!" in the background.
That was the warning given by one crew in Peter's Pond to another approaching train where a cornfield meet was just about established at the pedestrian crossing to the west of "The Pond".
All crews entering "The Pond" had been made aware by dispatch that a meet was to be held...but obviously one crew had not heard their radio.
I can safely state that no injuries or loss of life resulted in the near collision incident.
Roger takes a wee break to video the ore train across the way in Spruce as the passenger train enters Ironwood.
Number 2 passes by the new sidings at Ironwood Brick.
Mark slows to a crawl to honour Lawrence as he passes by Watkins Cabin.
Loads of video action here!
Ore arrives Ironwood.
304 finishes up with their work at Spruce.
Doug reassembles his train, 301. Following this, trains 301 and 304 will swap locations with 301 heading over to Spruce and then 304 coming into Ironwood.
Video at Ironwood.
301 is nearly ready to depart Ironwood...
...as is 304 at Spruce with Passenger 2 seen off in the distance getting clearance from St. Helen's up to Craig Leigh.
Video efforts in the east.
I brought out my CN RS3 diesel for Doug Culham to look at as it had been causing me issues as of recent.
The last three or four times I brought it out, the engine batteries would die after about twenty minutes.
When I went to charge the locomotive, my charger charged it rather quickly and the red light went green.
So yesterday I did an experiment...I kept the charger on the locomotive for an hour or so after it had already indicated the engine was charged. (No worries as my charger has automatic shut off capabilities.)
Well, lo and behold, the unit ran for an hour and a half at least! Go figure.
I told Doug that the experience was like going to the dentist with an aching tooth only to discover when you walk into the dental office your tooth now feels perfectly fine!
Video of my diesel working rather nicely with Doug at the controls!
My engine hauls our new tankcar out from Craig Leigh.
Around Northland.
Time for lunch!
Head chef Moe looks after us!
Andrew grabs a sausage.
And...another session comes to a close in Fred's backyard.
One last look at a colourful lad at Watkins Cooperative in Bell.
And...speaking once again of colour, this little girl appeared in my front garden where milkweed grows every summer even though I never planted them!
Thanks for checking in on our latest blog entry. Here I am many years ago outside my layout room running a Boston & Maine hotshot freight down from Portland, Maine all the way into Boston, Massachusetts.
As always, we appreciate Father Fred for hosting us!
This will be the only blog entry from me this week as I am soon getting in the car to drive to Wolfville, Nova Scotia where Lisa's mother turns 98 years old!
Have a great week everyone!
We are the OVGRS of Ottawa, Ontario, Canada
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