Session #10 Revisited
Passenger & Pool Train Power
With many pics and vids remaining I offer you a 'second glance' from our tenth session of the season.
Running the passenger trains is relaxing, enjoyable and you get to meet most other trains en-route at the various town locations and sidings.
When we have sufficient numbers of operators it is fun having two trains run concurrently where they meet halfway along the route of the IPP&W at the designated location of Glen Hammond.
With lovely weather greeting us on this day we get an early start to the pre-ops gathering in the crew lounge.
All the cars have been placed at their respective starting industries and on their starting trains and after a short 'sharing of ideas' we will be underway.
Joy is found in the smiles on the faces of our operators!
Here is a photo of Passenger #1 departing Craig Leigh at the top of the session.
Passenger #2 is running concurrently in the opposing direction to Number One.
Malcolm sent this image along of his train having reached Spruce a while later following our meet back at Glen Hammond.
In this next shot shared by Malcolm we see his train reaching Ironwood about to conduct a station stop on the curved station track.
Moments earlier, Malcolm had departed and I have now been cleared out from the Glen and into Bellamy.
Trains on curves make for lovely images!
Arrival at Bellamy.
Across the aisleway from me I spot Paul's CP diesel working Train 302 at Bell.
Passenger #1 terminates its run in front of the station up in Firgrove at about the same time Passenger #2 terminates at the other end of the line in Craig Leigh.
The Alco locomotive in the foreground belongs to Doug Culham and has come from Lawrence's collection. Lawrence lives on in our hearts always!
Doug & Pat have brought Train 303 west from Glen Hammond early in the morning and they are about to head back east in care of Train 314.
With the first trick of passenger trains now complete, Malcolm & I team up on Pool Train 33 using his power as it has recently arrived Craig Leigh where this next train originates.
This video shows us getting underway out from this eastern terminus.
We catch Malcolm at the throttle as our train passes Douglas Yard where Chris is busy assembling the consist for the next way freight out from here - Train 313.
Video efforts of the run-by at Douglas Yard where you hear the radio chatter between dispatch and the ore train.
Train 33 passes the Northland Interchange with those cars going off to Doug Matheson's Northland Railroad south of Manotick.
This is an imaginary interchange only...the cars remain on Fred's property.
Pat performs a run-by inspection of our train as he awaits his departure with the ore train.
Here are the empties that had been cleared of coal overnight aboard an imaginary ore carrier at the ore dock.
Pat has brought the loads to the dock to be loaded on another imaginary ore ship.
He will depart shortly with the empties to return them to their mine sites.
Of note, I believe Bob does the reverse run of the ore train starting at an imaginary different time of day...hauling empties back to the mines and picking up the loads later.
Either way works fine as long as it is a 'money making' train for the railroad! 😎😁😎
Video moments at Craig Leigh.
Arriving Mount St. Helens, Malcolm & I are pleasantly surprised to find the entire town to ourselves!
On this video, dispatch contacts our train upon arrival into St, Helens.
Even though my crew mate and I are in conversation we always are aware of the radio chatter as it is a 'two-way street' where not only do we, as operators, contact dispatch for clearance to the next town or for permission to assume the main for a while at a particular location...dispatch often has to notify us of any immediate situations we may encounter en-route.
We've run atop the plateau and reach the eastern outskirts of Ironwood.
Check out the interesting and entertaining chatter between the crew aboard an RP&M train and dispatch as heard on this video.
Yes, Barry..."service interruptions" do occur on the IPP&W and the RP&M as well. Big grin!
In Ironwood, we definitely do not have the entire town to ourselves! In fact we take a most unusual route around the two IPP&W trains working here at the same time.
Triple meet video in Ironwood.
We reach past the two trains and have a visual on the station in the near distance.
Continued video work in Ironwood.
At other locations along the line later on we find Gerry in Spruce with Train 301.
We also find the Nelson crew blocking yet another train in readiness for departure out from the yard.
Algoma Central unit #168 is toiling for the RP&M aboard the Nelson Yard-Bell Turn while the crew's counterpart Train 73 has arrived the yard at Stuart.
IPP&W Train 313 is routed in on a 'near' track as Dilip pilots his train to a slow stop. He & Mark will depart the yard aboard their third trick, Train 323.
A close-up view of Dilip's recently purchased van to collaborate with his B&O RS3 locomotive; both attained from Lawrence's collection.
Dilip wishes to thank John Fedak for readying the locomotive for operations. Thanks John!
Steve & Seanna are kept busy working the sidings at Lilly beyond the gap.
They are now back in Nelson Yard before heading over to Rat Portage aboard RP&M Train Rat 63.
Check out the shadow clearly evident on the aisleway offered up by Pool Train 33.
And...in the distance across the stunted valley we find Pat with the ore train making headways into Ironwood atop the plateau.
You can follow that shadow along the ground in this 'moving' video footage at Spruce.
Pat proceeds into Ironwood once he finds a clear alley.
Empty ore cars by the 'many'!
Video of the heavy action.
As my train departs Spruce I spin around to find Garry & Paul working Cedar Rock aboard Train 312.
Spinning around again I spot Gerry (crewing with Grant) with Train 301 in Ironwood while Pat and Doug are on the roll in the distance with Train 314.
301 rounds the bend into Spruce while Pool Train 33 heads for Clarke Canyon at ground level.
All of this activity is found in this next video!
Yet another 'over and under' photograph.
Malcolm captures our train as it crawls through the pedestrian crossing.
Our tail end is nearby while our power reaches the now abandoned location of Blockhouse...although the Blockhouse and station depot still survive.
Double train video.
Over at Anderson we discover RP&M Train 61 taking the crossing at the junction bound for Nelson Yard.
We've navigated the big curve at Lilly on final approach to the Glen.
Anderson video.
We arrive the Glen and I throw the switch to the main line...forgetting that we actually have work to conduct here!
D'uh Mike! After letting the passengers detrain, we will back up and I'll throw the turnout to get us down to the lower track that will provide access to the house track you see on the right.
Here is the house track with our lift being the 'through baggage car' and our set-out being the white Canadian National reefer.
House track video in Glen Hammond.
We've lifted the desired car.
It is now on our train. Now, to set out the CN reefer to the house track.
In the meantime, the ore train makes an appearance in Nelson Yard.
Busy video action around the Glen and the big yard.
Pool Train 33 meets two IPP&W crews in a busy Peter's Pond.
Video taken down in "The Pond".
Train 33 navigates "The Corners" on its way to Wellington Lake.
Continued video of our run.
The ore train takes Track 3 at Bell.
Train 71 handles the sidings at Stuart using Track 4 as a switching lead.
Video at Bell/Stuart.
We experience a triple meet here at Bell...or do we?
A quadruple meet it is!
We had been busy dealing with our various spots and lifts here at Bell, but all crews worked collaboratively to get us through as expediently as possible.
RP&M Train 73 makes its arrival into town. Once they clear the turnout on the ladder, we are able to head over to RP&M rails for our continued journey down to Rat Portage. Train 73 had been holding on RP&M rails awaiting clearance into the yard.
Quadruple meet video at Bell/Stuart.
Our power is now on RP&M rails rounding the curve out from Stuart.
We are downgrade making progress to Pratt's Botton, our next station stop.
Our departure video out from Bell/Stuart.
Slowing to a stop at Pratt's Bottom.
Video along the route of the RP&M.
Just above Pratt's Bottom we find the ore train tracking up to Firgrove.
At the same time Train 311 departs Nelson Yard bound for Peter's Pond.
Video shot along the Bell Sub.
311 crosses over the junction trackage.
The crew heads through Mercer Siding along the left hand track in this instance.
The wobble on the cars showcase the true nature of a short line railway as seen in this video effort.
Perhaps it's time to hit the RIP Track!
We hold just outside of town for a moment before proceeding into Rat Portage.
Rat Portage video.
Paul handles the short run down to Bell.
In this video, George tells me that Paul runs the ore train at his railroad on Sundays.
Train 33 has cleared the junction and has made its station stop at Bellamy.
Station stop video.
Dilip videos the progress of his train, 313, as it passes through the Fred Mills Trestle.
313's progress is captured in this video of Dilip taking a video!
Malcolm's Conrail unit handles Pool Train 33 with ease.
Video of our exit from the Glen area.
The overpass at the eastern throat of Nelson Yard offers a perfect frame for this photo of our train passing by Blockhouse.
Finding daylight.
Low level video near the dispatch booth.
Our train reaches Spruce after being attacked by the low-lying spruce shrubbery on the left.
I cut it back on the following Wednesday during our WDWD session!
Malcolm and I chat about his next wonderful vacation trip and I mention the shrubbery issue with our train in this video.
Malcolm guides our train through Ironwood.
Video in the clear through Ironwood.
We take the lower leg of the wye in Craig Leigh in order to back our train into the terminal area.
Wye video...wye not! 👀
There's my crew mate, Malcolm!
Reversing moves!
Reverse move video coverage.
Passing by Douglas Yard.
More reverse move video footage.
Rounding the bend on the home stretch!
Getting there video!
Almost home!
Arrival video.
Meanwhile, back at Anderson we have a 'beverage service' car in the mix!
Beverage service video account!
Hey, check out this awesome looking baggage car lettered by our good friend, Doug Culham!
She's a real beauty Doug! Next time we will run her on the passenger trains, for sure!
Later in the session I find Bob filming the action in and around Glen Hammond and Nelson Yard while Dispatcher Doug looks on from his perch in the dispatch booth.
My last train of the day, Passenger #4 arrives the Glen and I hold for a meet with Malcolm aboard Passenger #3 who will be arriving shortly.
You will see these trains running in my third installment later next week!
Steve is busy checking his RP&M train orders in the Glen at the moment.
Steve & Seanna are so creative with their carrying cases. This one transports their TH&B diesel and they have painted it in the livery of the Toronto, Hamilton & Buffalo! Bravo!
While we are in late summer with many days feeling like autumn, spring seems to remain 'in the air' with this lovely yellow CP reefer stationed at the icing platform.
Chris's UP switcher adds a 'spring in his step' as he continues to drill the trackage in and around Douglas Yard in Craig Leigh.
Pat Brewer & Pat Brennan...both Pat B's and both Pat Br's!
Or...how about...Pat 'squared'...or Pat to the Power of Two!
Thanks for checking in on my latest blog entry.
I have shared this image before of me with my dentist, Doctor Mike Watkins. He's a great bass player and a great sax aficionado. We simply call him 'Doc Watkins' whenever he goes into an amazing sax solo!
Chris & Papa Fred bid us farewell for another entry!
Thanks for having the patience to read through the travels of Train 33 aka 'The Pool Train'.
Later next week I'll share one last entry from this session when Malcolm & I take our final passenger runs concurrently aboard Passenger #3 & #4.
We are the OVGRS of Ottawa, Ontario, Canada
No comments:
Post a Comment