Session #11 Rain Date on a Sunny Monday Morning
Hi folks, recently it was decided by the group that if Saturday's session should be cancelled by rain, then we would use Monday as a rain date - weather permitting.
Of our many cancellations this summer due to inclement weather on our Saturday's, the following Mondays dawned sunny and bright each time but once.
Therefore, we hope to continue this new tradition into next season. Father Fred is extremely happy as he has a better chance to be able to enjoy the social nature of our gatherings and the railroad is happy that it doesn't sit idle as often when trains could very well be run!
Seanna signed on to the passenger runs on this day as Steve covered the route of 302.
Garry handled the chores in Nelson Yard as Mike acted as official rail photographer.
Bob is back! So are his fire-breathing 'take your breath away' steam locomotives such as this gorgeous 2-6-6-2 Tank Engine!
Steve has an able bodied assistant in the cab on this day!
Doug's red-topped steamer comes to the rescue in Craig Leigh.
Bernie's wide-bodied steam locomotive works for the RP&M on this day.
Chris is Bernie's RP&M counterpart with his Prince Edward Island gem handling the chores along the route of the Rat Portage & Mattawa.
Robin's Algonquin & Ottawa is but one of the many Lawrence owned engines able to run on the line thanks to the goodwill gesture of Lawrence & Joan!
Pat started out aboard 303 with his steamer and has found himself in Nelson Yard finishing his run aboard 314.
One of Garry steamers, I believe, in Nelson Yard.
Doug's little fellow which came from Lawrence's collection. This lad toiled hard at the beginning of the session!
Seanna gets underway with Passenger #2 out from Firgrove as George explains how Paul simply uses a 'fob' to run the little diesel in back by the fence line.
Train #2 sneaks on out from Firgrove in this video.
Oh oh...Houston - we have a coupler issue! But the 'train itself' went to work and fixed the problem in a jiffy!
Self-repair video on behalf of the passenger run!
Train 302 follows on the heels of Passenger #2 out from Firgrove.
302 is now underway in this video.
Bernie, under the employ of the RP&M, lifts a car from the Fallentree Mine.
Video near Blockhouse.
IPP&W Train 303 runs through Mercer Siding in the background as RP&M Rat 61 works the Fallentree Mine in close proximity to the Blockhouse.
Continued video at Blockhouse.
Paul hauls passengers and headend equipment into Bell aboard Train 40.
A video wrap with Train 40.
Train #2 hits the road eastbound toward Wellington Lake.
A very creative tank car is being dealt with...
...by a very creative railway employee!
Bell video!
We are so happy to have Bob back following major surgery!
Bob backs onto his van before starting off with the ore train out from Firgrove in this video.
The procession out from Firgrove continues with the ore train. This is the third train out of this area within mere moments of each other.
In this video the lads are teasing Bob because the ore train is basically an 'extra' that 'gets in the way' of other crews who are trying to switch out their towns.
We reassure Bob that we all love having the ore train plying the rails of the IPP&W and that we are truly excited to have him back with us!
Chris is across the aisle from Firgrove down in Rat Portage seen passing by the Hamer Manufacturing facility.
Video work down in Rat Portage.
Yards are typically full as our sessions get underway as seen here in Craig Leigh at the passenger terminal.
We have Passenger #1, Pool Train 33 and Passenger #3 all lined up in their respective starting blocks early in the AM hours.
Nelson Yard can be much busier than witnessed in this scene seeing as a number of trains have already departed.
The yard at Bell along with its adjacent running tracks seem busier when we hold meets such as the one above with two opposing trains found on Tracks 3 & 4.
The Glen Hammond Yard is busiest at the onset of a session. Here we see an RP&M crew now working the yard after the two IPP&W way freights have left town in opposite directions.
We are at the end of the session.
Typically the empties would have been distributed out to the mines...but because Bob finished early, rather than simply go around with bins and lift the empties by hand from the various mine locations he conducted a "sweep" by running his locomotive and caboose back across the line to "pick up" the empties 'by train' rather than 'by hand'.
Thus, we see both loads and empties hanging out together on the Northland Ore Dock.
I have managed to get a crafty 'drone' shot of the ore dock with loads on "one and a half" tracks while empties hog "two and a half" tracks. Heh heh!
Bob is returning to Craig Leigh with his carrying cases in order to remove his locomotive and caboose from the tracks.
An aerial shot of his large tank engine.
An aerial view of Train 33 on the right and Passenger #2 which had arrived partway through the session.
The weather vane points north and we were graced for about an hour with cloud cover...but, rest assured, it was sunny for most of the morning and definitely while we enjoyed our lunch on the patio and a later visit with Fred before departing for home. No rains today but for a single drop felt!
With a wee break in the action I engage Craig Leigh yardmaster, Doug, in conversation.
Doug honours Lawrence in this short video interview.
Ore is being lifted from the mine and the cars will mate up with the remainder of the ore train back in Nelson Yard.
Trains moving in opposite directions make for this interesting photo.
Passenger #2 exits the environs of Glen Hammond and aims for the large trestle across the gap.
Hey...Seanna is stealing my job! Just kidding, Seanna! Big smile.
It's fun watching engineers videoing their own trains - a kinda 'out of body' experience I would imagine!
Video views near the Fallentree Mine.
The tail end of Train #2 steps out over thin air bringing up the rear of the train. Hey with the RP&M car on the end, this indicates a 'shared existence' between the two lines!
Bob has been chatting with Nelson Yardmaster Garry before exiting.
He has notched up the throttle as he leaves the big yard behind.
We have two trains crossing the gap at the moment.
The passenger run is atop the Pat Brennan Bridge while the ore train advances on the Fred Mills Trestle.
Cool video from the yard and out!
A forest ranger tower is an enduring symbol of the dedication of all our fire fighters across the continent and all our first responders who put our lives ahead of theirs while on duty.
Ore reaches the Pat Brennan Bridge over the dry gulch.
Boy oh boy...the parade continues - first passengers, then ore, now manifest. Wow Wee!
Video from around the gap.
304 finally makes progress eastward running late.
304 as captured on video camera.
This lovely IPP&W power came to the rescue of a road diesel...yeah for steam!
304 glides by 'The Rockery'.
Its tail end is dwarfed by the massive Fallentree Mine nestled above.
Holding steady!
Video scenes from 'The Rockery'.
This sequence of photos celebrates the beauty of steam.
Bernie is advancing slowly on Track 4 with RP&M Train 73...
...while Robin parallels him with IPP&W Train 322 over on Track 3.
We also celebrate the art of collaboration in this video effort with two crews from two railroads working together to achieve a common goal.
Pat relaxes as Garry offers him a new train in Nelson Yard following his arrival aboard 314. Pat will soon be on the roll eastward with Train 324. He has noticed two identical cars with identical numbers on them!
This blue reefer is one of the twines...so Fred & George will conduct a trade of traffic!
Two cars reside on the far siding at Lilly. We love the cylindrical tanks Chris had made for us! Bravo Chris!
Here is a sparkling blue 'littlest hobo' hoping to catch a ride on a train out from Nelson Yard!
Hey...there's that duplicate car down in Peter's Pond!
Bernie tucks into the siding to lift a car from the industries at Lilly.
Indeed, there is never a quiet moment running the RP&M as Garry watches Bernie conduct his work at Fallentree Mine.
Our handsome Nelson Yard yardmaster, Mr. Garry! Bill & Henk...we think you've lost your job! (Just kiddin'!)
Here's Paul, our affable yard master assistant up in Firgrove.
Here is chief yardmaster George joining Paul in the photo!
Moe reviews his switch list for Ironwood as Bob works Ironwood Brick. Robin is in behind at Wellington Lake with Train 311.
Fred & George confer in the outdoor boardroom.
Chris, Pat & Garry are off in the distance at Nelson Yard.
Many trains are found in this video example.
Chris pulls into Glen Hammond with his RP&M train.
The ore train factors in the scene off in Ironwood while...
...Chris reviews his orders for the Glen while the umbrellas offer shade in the morning sun!
Video at the Glen and off in Ironwood.
RP&M Train 73 holds steadfast to the rails on its uphill swing into Stuart and Bell.
Bernie listens in as Pat explains about the two identical twin reefers.
The squeaking you hear on this video
is not the locomotive...it's the birds nesting in the hedge up high!
Seanna...
...meet Steve!
You both will make a lovely couple!
Video along the eastern fringe of the Spruce Sub.
Garry is about to pack away his little CN switcher.
He has his carrying case lined up.
In she goes!
Garry tells us that this was one of Lawrence's many carrying cases for rolling stock.
With a few small adjustments Garry was able to make it work for his switch engine.
Here we are pre-ops...
...where we are happy to once again see other.
And...here we are post-ops having placed all the car trays back in their sheds. This is actually the standard gauge shed.
And this is the shed for the narrow gauge equipment.
Before we sit down for lunch, Robin greases the choke cables for the turnouts.
Good maintenance work, Robin!
Paul & Moe get greasy in a different way - with the sausages (or sometimes burgers)!
Hey, happy anniversary Steve & Seanna - having started dating back in high school 49 years ago on September 10th, 1975!
This fun image just in from our good friend, Moe!
Here is another photograph of my daughters Alison (foreground) and Karen (blue cap) as they are on a large canoe tour of the Ottawa River offered every Saturday morning from the local boat club. They are approaching Rideau Falls. For our friends from afar, when French explorer Samuel de Champlain first spotted the falls he thought they looked like a curtain. "Rideau" means 'curtain' in French...thus the naming of the falls.
This is the location where the Rideau River drains into the larger Ottawa River. The Rideau Canal is further to the west of this image.
Here I am with my buddy, Steve, a lawyer now living in Montreal. We are at the Pointe Claire Yacht Club.
Finally, here's our greatest friend of all, Master Fred!
Fred was so happy to see that we were able to get the railroad up and running on the Monday following the Saturday rain-out!
This coming Saturday's forecast looks very promising at the moment, so "here's hoping"!
We are the OVGRS of Ottawa, Ontario, Canada
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