Our Final Narrow Gauge Session of the Season
We enjoyed one of our largest crowds of the year at this week's Narrow Gauge session.
We won't make the magic number of "twenty plus" operating sessions this season due to the rainy nature of this summer, but the sessions which were held were enjoyed by all.
Indeed, we managed to re-create railroad history each of the Saturday mornings we gathered this season.
When the session was over, Fred had invited some neighbours and our train folks to his 'Patio Party' later that evening.
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Corinne stole the show with her remarkable voice.
Dilip got in on the action showing some great guitar work in Santana's song 'Black Magic Woman"!
Dilip was enjoying singing along to the tunes as well!
We played from shortly after 7:00 PM until 11:00 on a brisk fall evening. We had a ball playing and singing to a lovely small crowd of a 'Baker's Dozen' making for a very intimate evening.
I would like to thank Dilip and his lovely wife, Angeline, for sharing many videos from the evening and pictures too.
I will share more band pictures at the end of this blog entry along with our setlist.
Let's check in on the trains. This image indicates that steam was the ruler of the day!
Engine Number 12 will lead IPP&W Train 301 out from Douglas Yard on this morning.
Numbered, yet unlettered, she is a beauty with her white-walled wheels.
The steam locomotive belongs to John who crewed 301 with Dilip & Chris.
Northland Railroad #4 will look over the vast kingdom known as Nelson Yard.
We spot three locomotives up in Firgrove at the 'starting line'.
The engine in back will run Train 40 down to Bell later in the session.
The middle power is for Passenger 2, the first train out from the west.
In the foreground we find the power for IPP&W Train 302, the counterpart to 301.
The crew aboard 302 will follow Passenger 2 and the eastbound parade will get underway!
Here is a closer image of the two in back in their starting blocks at Firgrove.
We hover nearby that vast empire known as Nelson Yard where we spot yardmaster Bill ensuring all trains are ready to roll once the session commences.
Ironwood, Peter's Pond & Western #4 will demonstrate its raw power in short order pulling Train 303 outward from Glen Hammond on its eastward journey that will see the crew end up in Douglas Yard later in the morning.
While the line of the IPP&W makes its living hauling tonnage as a bridge route between Craig Leigh in the east and Firgrove in the west, passengers in such remote locations as Wellington Lake, Ironwood & Bellamy relay on the three passengers trains which ply the route daily.
Passenger Trains 1&2 typically meet in Glen Hammond unless there has been a delay for one of the trains.
If a delay occurs, the meet may occur in the town of Spruce on its namesake subdivision or here at the remote Mercer Siding along the Bell Sub.
Is it 'T-Shirt Tuesday' on a Saturday again?
Must be Mr. Scobie - aka - Scooby Doo!
Look! It is!
Grant is dressed for the cooler weather.
Rest assured, by 10:00 AM the jackets were off and the sun was basking Fred's backyard in warmth.
Len is occupied setting out equipment in Firgrove and Rat Portage.
Firgrove yardmaster George checks off the cars as Len places them on the tracks.
Narrow Gauge cars can be "Oh so colourful" as these two reefers suggest - found residing at Bud-Lite Gouda.
There is a plentiful variety of cars discovered here at Stuart.
While white - this car is colourful in personality!
Pat & Pete are all smiles before the session begins.
As are Seanna & Steve!
Nelson Yard has that autumn coloured look of yellows, oranges, reds & browns intermixed with a few remaining green tones.
White Pass & Yukon #14 handles Passenger 1, the first train out from the east on this day.
Before Doug C. departs we will rearrange the order of some of the cars on his train.
Passenger 1's power is captured on video tape backing onto its consist at the Craig Leigh passenger terminal.
RP&M Train 72 is being classified in Nelson Yard.
Once assembled the crew will run all the way to Stuart along RP&M rails with stops in Anderson and Rat Portage along the way.
Short video of Malcolm assembling his train in the big yard.
We find ourselves with Passenger 1 in the wilds of northern Ontario gripping the rails atop 'The Plateau'.
The observation car is now in its proper location at the tail end of the train!
Maestro Dilip is aboard 301 with John. They are found in St, Helens, their first stop of the morning.
Dilip played guitar in a Santana song with us later in the evening...Black Magic Woman.
And, here is his train driver, John, having run around his train in readiness to work the facing sidings.
St. Helens video happenings.
We find a vertical meet as Train 1 reaches 'The Rockery' down below and Train 304 works Glen Hammond above.
The trains will end up 'side by side' in the Glen in a few moments!
Guest operator Barry has arrived and says, "Hello dispatcher!" to me as we determine which train he will take as heard in this video footage.
We say that Barry is a guest although he is an active member of the OVGRS. He has travelled a long way from his home in Belleville, Ontario to run the trains at Fred's place.
The powers that be have organized this interesting meet at Glen Hammond.
The passengers will wait for 304 to clear out before walking across the tracks to the station platform.
This is the typical meeting point for the two opposing passenger trains. As mentioned earlier, due to unforeseen delays Passenger 2 was held back on the west end of the railway at Mercer Siding where the meet will take place instead.
Glen Hammond video work.
Train 304 hurries past 'The Rockery' and hustles through the pedestrian crossing located beneath my dispatch booth.
From my perch in the booth I look out over the greater extent of Glen Hammond to see what appears to be a very long train...or is it?
Nope, it was Rat 61 following the departing passenger train into the Glen!
Video fun from my perch in the dispatch booth!
Counterpart trains 301 and 302 hold a 'visual' meet even though they are really miles apart.
The train in back is 302 heading east on the Bell Sub passing through Wellington Lake bound for Peter's Pond while the nearer train is 301 heading west on the Spruce Sub out from St. Helens and arriving Ironwood.
Pat is running 302 while Dilip is working 301 with John & Chris.
'Visual' meet video as captured by railfan Mike.
Dispatch manages to juggle a full contingent of trains and keep them moving as witnessed in this scene at Bell where the ore train is routed along Track 4 while Passenger 1 is stopped at the station.
The interchange track is full of freight cars and we have an RP&M crew in town to the west with an IPP&W train holding outside of town waiting to get in on the action.
Later morning video of the ore train passing through Bell with an advance locomotive assisting in the distance ahead.
Barry joined the crew of the ore train with his steam locomotive and by riding 'recon' he was able to conduct all of the facing lifts of ore cars when the crew came upon a mine. Brilliant that! 👍👌👍
Here is Barry's East Broad Top steamer #10 outside the engine house in Nelson Yard.
Today it will star along the route as the reconnaissance locomotive for the ore train.
A coincidence...hmmm!
We spot the crew at Hayes' Fall coming off Brennan Curve.
It's a vertical meet of two 'unit' trains if I can be so bold as to call a passenger run a 'unit' train! 😎
Vertical meet video.
Let's check out a few people pics in still photos.
We find a smiling John and a smiling Chris pre-ops as Doug ambles by in the background.
Pat & Mark discuss OVAR interests as both are on the executive!
Grant & Bill shiver in the morning dampness...but as soon as the sun clears the rooftops of the houses on the street to the south, the morning air will warm.
Doug - meet Doug!
Dilip, Felicity & Moe gather around the crew lounge table.
The pre-ops briefing must be getting underway shortly.
Then it's time to run trains as Seanna switches out Glen Hammond before getting underway with 304.
Felicity, Bernie, Ralph & Sid all congregate in Peter's Pond. Bernie is driving 304 with Felicity (and Pete) while Ralph & Sid handle Passenger 2.
Four trains (and five locomotives) are spotted in this image.
We have ore in the distance with its 'leading man' Barry already reaching the Bell ladder about to take Track 4.
RP&M Train 71 is on the Stuart ladder and in the foreground is the power for Train 41, the short hop about to head back up to Firgrove.
At the same time we have Passenger 1 stopped at the station with the front of its locomotive barely visible in the bottom left hand corner of the image.
And...at the other end of Bell (out of the scene behind the photographer) we have traffic waiting to enter the rather hectic environment here holding on Watkins Siding!
With the ore train departing, Passenger 1 is cleared up to Firgrove and Train 41 will follow shortly thereafter.
Busy time at Bell!
Crews in Peter's Pond stop their switching to offer a 'visual' inspection of the ore train as it passes through town.
Passenger 2 reaches the outskirts of Spruce while the trellis top of the back wooden fence provides a rather interesting shadow on the spruce shrubbery found - at Spruce!
Steve & Seanna work 304 here and will clear the mainline shortly while the passenger train conducts its station stop.
Ore reaches Nelson Yard as Bob & yardmaster Bill look east.
Aha! It's Barry in the leading role once again with his EBT steamer #10 pulling ore from the Fallentree Mine.
She's a lovely locomotive, Barry!
Three trains appear in this image.
We have the ore train running through Peter's Pond with 302's caboose and a lone lift on the Cedar Rock siding while 303's crew will request clearance westward out from 'The Pond' to Wellington Lake in short order.
Peter's Pond video work.
303 finally reaches Wellington Lake following its journey through Brennan Pass.
Video taken at Wellington Lake.
304 is found working the trailing sidings at Ironwood while 301 has made its way to the sunny environs of Spruce in the hazy distance.
Ironwood video efforts.
Felicity, Pete & Bernie are found at Wellington Lake.
Wellington Lake action shown in this video.
Barry runs his steamer atop the Lawrence Watkins Memorial Trestle as he pulls a string of loads from the Fallentree Mine.
Trestle video activities.
Grant & Pat are running Rat 61, the RP&M run up to Rat Portage and back.
They have already turned their locomotive as they continue with their efforts here.
Video of Rat 61.
Len's power runs the short hops down to Bell and works the greater Firgrove area.
Video of Len in action.
This image at Mercer Siding demonstrates once again how balanced the schedule is.
The train holding at Mercer for clearance into Nelson Yard is 302. The train passing is now 311...just having departed Nelson Yard where the crew had just terminated 301.
Pat is now bringing 312 up the grade at Clarke Hill after dropping off Train 302 in Nelson Yard. He is on approach to Spruce from the west.
IPP&W Train 312 progresses upgrade in this video segment.
312 reaches the big curve by the rocky outcrop in Spruce.
Spruce approach video tape.
With the arrival of 312 into Spruce, the way is cleared for Pool Train 33 to head west to Glen Hammond.
Barry has now boarded 312 with Pat while Sid & Ralph run the Pool Train.
Spruce happenings as found on video.
This little green gremlin is found at Stuart.
A nice reefer hangs out at Brunt's Brewery.
A lone water tower acts as sentinel near the throat of the Northland Ore Dock.
Brightly coloured cars abound all around the railroad and a glimpse down in Peter's Pond offers verification of the fact.
What's Moe got in his hands?
Aha! It's his drone which he is using 'manually' to snap video of the railroad! Clever Moe!
While we are having fun running the trains, Fred works away on the Ironwood Road RS3 to get it 'back in action' again!
Down in Rat Portage we find Malcolm working the neighbourhood.
If this photo was taken in the early hours of the morning, this would be Rat 71. The shot however was taken later in the session so this has to be Rat 63.
Railroading is sometimes a 'waiting game' as Bernie, Felicity & Pete have learned long ago!
They are aboard their second trick train, IPP&W 314, and are awaiting clearance out from Bell to Wellington Lake and on into Peter's Pond.
Bell seems to be like a magnet drawing all trains in the vicinity into its orbit!
See what I mean!
Three more trains to follow!
In this video, Grant & Pat roll into Stuart on the western outskirts at Bell. They take the RP&M ladder down to Track 4.
This will open up a clear alley for the Pool Train to depart town and head down on RP&M rails into Rat Portage.
The Pool Train can now advance.
Stuart video footage to the west of Bell.
IPP&W van - meet RP&M van!
The action at Bell & Stuart continues to heat up in this video effort!
As dispatcher, I manage to keep the trains moving as a train of ore empties passes through Bell before heading onto RP&M rails to the west of town.
Still more Bell video moments.
It's great to see Neil out! He removes his jacket for a picture of his OVGRS shirt.
That's one handsome lad with an equally handsome smile!
It was really nice seeing Barry at the session.
Barry drove all the way up to Ottawa to attend our ops fun from his home in Belleville.
What a well-designed railroad we have here at Fred's thanks to Bill and some of the lads who have been with Fred for a very long time!
On the left we find Pete, Bernie & Felicity working the industries at the end of the Cedar Rock Branch while 'miles and miles away' we find Seanna & Steve with their train at Spruce.
While the five of them are in very close proximity to each other, the crew on the left is working the 'west' end of the railway along the Bell Subdivision while the crew on the right is traveling along the 'eastern' Spruce Subdivision!
Indeed with the clever design of the railway, all of this action can be packed into Fred's backyard with operations hosting twenty or more folks most Saturdays!
Click on the image to enlarge the schematic of the entire lines of the IPP&W and RP&M railways.
Schematic produced by our good friend, Joel Racine.
Back to the 'Patio Party' where we see over Dilip's shoulder Pete on sax, Mark on drums, Gerry on bass and me on lead guitar.
The lovely lady belting out the tunes is our great friend Corinne!
While it is a fuzzy snippet from a video, we catch Pete playing his Baritone saxophone.
Bernie & Jill made Corinne's night when they got up to dance to the Everly Brothers tune, "All I Have To Do Is Dream'.
To tell you just how cold it got later in the evening, you can see my breath as I was singing.
Chris sent along this shot from late in the evening with Steve & Seanna all hooded up to keep warm. The rest of the crowd was over on the other side of the crew lounge table.
Chris also sent this artistic photograph from in front of the Glen Hammond station looking off into the distance.
Thanks for these two images Chris!
Fred and Angeline are under the lights as Bernie looks on. It was nice seeing streetcar Mike out for the evening and Fred's neighbours, Mike & Lorraine (with tons of wine) as well as Fred's new neighbours from across the street in the new house who came from Portugal. We didn't get any pics of them though.
Here is our set list from the evening.
Instrumentals Played as our drummer was setting up
Oye Como Va - Santana
Theme Song From M.A.S.H.
Love is Blue - Paul Mauriat
Classical Gas - Mason Williams
You've Got a Friend - Carole King
Yesterday - Paul McCartney
Norwegian Wood - Lennon/McCartney
Here Comes the Sun - George Harrison
Kansas City - Wilbert Harrison/Leiber & Stoller
La Bamba - Ritchie Valens/Los Lobos
Set One
Summertime - Gershwin/Ella Fitzgerald
Feeling Groovy - Simon & Garfunkel
These Boots Are Made For Walking - Nancy Sinatra
Don't Let the Sun Catch You Crying - Gerry & the Pacemakers
Georgia on My Mind - Ray Charles
Dreams - Fleetwood Mac
The Boxer - Simon & Garfunkel
Yes I Can - Valdy
Moondance - Van Morrison
Imagine - John Lennon
Rearrange the Rain - A Corrine Original
Ruby Tuesday - The Rolling Stones
Bird On a Wire - Jennifer Warnes/Leonard Cohen
Turn Me On - Norah Jones
All I Have To Do is Dream - The Everly Brothers
Crossroads - Eric Clapton/Robert Johnson
Bus Stop - The Hollies
Set Two
Sitting On the Dock of the Bay - Otis Redding
Bridge Over Troubled Water - Simon & Garfunkel
Fly Me To the Moon - Frank Sinatra
Ferry Cross the Mersey - Gerry & the Pacemakers
House of the Rising Sun - The Animals
Take Me Home Country Roads - John Denver
What a Day For a Daydream - John Sebastian
Me & Bobby McGee - Kris Kristofferson
Snowbird - Gene MacLellan/Anne Murray
Baker Street - Gerry Rafferty
Ticket to Ride - The Beatles
Just Like Heaven - Katie Melua/The Cure
Let It Be - The Beatles
Sweet Caroline - Neil Diamond
What a Wonderful World - Louis Armstrong
Thanks again to Dilip, Angeline and Chris for sharing pics with me.
On behalf of Fred, we thank you for checking in on our latest happenings here in his backyard.
We are the OVGRS of Ottawa, Ontario, Canada
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