Session #1 "Finally"

We Finally Realize Session #1

Well...it took a few weekends...but we were finally here.

Here...is...in Fred's backyard.

Why?  For train ops of course!

 John's uniquely painted CN steam locomotive offers us a hint as to which operations took place on "Opening Day"!

Yes...it was a narrow gauge session!

Here is John on video testing how she runs.

I brought along an extra Hosta I had in my garden at home.

It has found a new 'home' in Spruce.

It adds to the lush, green backdrop for the wonderful depot at this location.

This video attests to the fact!

As does this video!

These umbrellas had invaded my dispatch booth over the winter so I gave them their eviction notice rather abruptly this morning!  👅💪💫

But they soon found employment to earn their keep throughout the summer!

One even sheltered me as I snapped this image of the always interesting Nelson Yard!

Here is my favourite trio of the morning...Diane, Seanna & Claire!

Welcome aboard ladies!!!  😀😎😄

What have we here?

Well, well, well...this is exciting news...for the Watson Electric facility has been refurbished over the winter!

Great job Steve & Seanna!

The railroad truly blossomed this morning with 27 folks in attendance...and the Siberian Iris in the Rust Garden blossomed beautifully as well!

The crew lounge was packed for the pre-ops meeting.

The newly installed 'pop-up' canopy proved quite popular!

Gerry, John and visitor Andry stand around in anticipation of the session which is about to get underway!

Then it was time to run trains!

Malcolm & Robin reach Spruce aboard eastbound Train 304.

This steam locomotive is far from its midwestern American home as it plies IPP&W rails.

Marcel is in command of Passenger #2 as it traverses the rails at Bell as witnessed in this video scene.

While relatively empty of traffic except for Train #1 seen here, Ironwood would prove to be quite the busy location on this day - even witnessing a 'quadruple meet'!

With Passenger #2 hurtling eastward on the Bell Sub in the distance, Passenger #1 is spotted entering Ironwood in the foreground along the Spruce Sub with Doug at the helm...all told in video format.

It's really great seeing Bob out to run the ore train.

George is happy, as we all are, to have him 'in the mix'!

Here is Bob's power on the day.

The ore train backs on to its van in anticipation of a run along the IPP&W Railway as checked out in this video.

Eventually these ore cars will be retrieved from Ironwood Brick and sent on to the Northland Ore Dock.

Passenger #1 reaches the Fred Mills Trestle on the outskirts of Glen Hammond.

Trestle video evidence.

We spot our working crossing signals as installed by Seanna & Steve!

Video of them 'doing their thing!'

Perfect passenger synchronicity!

Indeed, a perfectly choreographed passenger run meet on video!

Passenger #1 has a distant view of Passenger #2 as both trains escape Glen Hammond in opposite directions at the same time!

Video views of the two passenger runs.

Andry & Fred hold court in the crew lounge!

Over in Craig Leigh we find the empty ore cars awaiting delivery across the system later in the AM hours.

Bernie's locomotive takes care of the chores in and around Douglas Yard.

Here's the Bernie Man himself!

John & Dilip handle Train 303 as it enters Peter's Pond.

The Norton Fishery track combines with the team track to house four freight cars at the moment.

A number of crews combine to keep the vicinity around Peter's Pond the busy place it is said to be.

Video of the ore train threading the needle between Trains 303 and 302 in the lower Pond area.

At Mercer Siding we find a meet of two opposing trains...and...two identical carrying cases!

Mercer train meet as captured on video camera.

We spot three handsome fellows...and in a moment...

...three handsome trains found in this video footage!

Trains above and trains below.

In this video Doug wisely brings his train to a stop to examine if there is any debris on the line ahead as he will soon tunnel beneath St. Helens.

 A duel passenger meet on two elevations and on two subdivisions!

Doug has successfully navigated the tunnel as evidenced in this video.

At another time in the morning, Doug follows the flow of his train through Ironwood as he slows for a station stop.

Stations on curves in the track are very appealing to the eye!

Over in Spruce Robin & Malcolm continue to work the sidings aboard Train 304.

Seanna & Diane have arrived St. Helens aboard 301 and begin planning their moves.

There is a slow order restriction on the turnout leading into the Spruce Yard as the tolerances are rather tight here.

Claire takes a well deserved break from photographing the many trains which abound trackside along the IPP&W and the RP&M railways!

Indeed, Claire is taking after Mike in her ability to snap shots of all the trains traversing the landscape!

Why...it's a 'Claire'voyant video!!!

Speaking of the RP&M...let's check in on the action down in Rat Portage.

Steve & Gerry man the NY-Bell Turn, Train71/72.

With a "going away" shot at the station down in 'Rat' this tells me the train is bound for Bell/Stuart indicating this as being Train 71.

Ore departs Nelson Yard on this sunny of mornings!

In this video you can hear the Craig Leigh yard master in Douglas Yard instructing an incoming crew to advance to their location while ore moves along the rails out from Nelson Yard.

Staying in Nelson Yard, we find it ablaze in colour on this day.

Nelson Yard video evidence of the colours of railroading.

Train 314, a mixed train on this Saturday, encounters Train 33 at Bell.

314 snakes into the yard on video as it descends the western ladder.

The smiles on the faces of Marcel & Andry say it all..."Running trains in the great outdoors with wonderful friends is as good as it gets in this fine world of ours!"

Billy Boy poses for this cameraman as Chris & Pat work their RP&M train in the Glen.

Indeed, the lads have the big yard fully in control!

Over in Wellington Lake Dilip surveys the scene in anticipation of his moves here.

We thank Dilip for the many hours he puts in to organizing our train operations with the RailOps program!

Off in Cedar Rock we spot Moe & Grant working the branch while the ore train proceeds through Spruce in the foreground.

Here the lads are at the end of the Cedar Rock Branch.

And...there is the lovingly refurbished Watson Electric facility towering above the landscape so beautifully!

Dilip & John have gained Bell as the new umbrella provides relief from the sun.

I still have many more images and videos which I will share with you at another time...but, rest assured, the starving crew were in good hands with Marcel 'on deck' at the BBQ!

A Canadian Moment

In this image we find 0-8-0 8421 shuffling a heavyweight business car around the Spadina Coachyard.

Photo courtesy of Bill Thomson

We are thankful that the rains didn't 'Rain on our Train Parade' this day - finally!

Thanks for checking in on the blog once again.  That's Chris Lyon on the left playing a 'D' chord and me on the right have already advanced to the 'C' chord in a maritime song we were having fun with down in Wolfville, Nova Scotia a couple of summers ago.

And...as always we let Freddie know how much we appreciate all that he does for us.

He was most happy to welcome a total of 27 folks to the railroad on this Saturday morning in June.

The rains never came...the smoke from the western fires didn't materialize over Ottawa all that much and the rails held on to the trains beautifully!

Until next time...we are the OVGRS of Ottawa, Ontario, Canada