Session #2 Part Two

Pics from Bernie & Mike 

Bernie sent along a handful of images my way from our recent session.

In them you will see me re-railing the ore train after a car hit the ground exiting the east portal of the tunnel under Mount St. Helens.

Bernie determined that two small stones impeded the wheels on the car.

It's the "Wild World of Railroading" on this Saturday morning.

 

It's a tad tricky re-railing the car on a curve low down at ground level.

Gerry and I are pleasantly surprised the engine was not disturbed!

Meanwhile, Pat works second trick Train 313 in St. Helens.

I've snuck out of the dispatch booth to check in on this meet of two trains down in Peter's Pond.

Steve, Seanna & Claire are in Spruce with Train 312.

Thanks to the Bernie Man for these five images!

Now back to my images before my batteries ran out in both of my cameras!

It's a caboose party for sure!

We are in Craig Leigh at the pre-ops setup time.

Pat found the old water tower which stands sentinel over the entrance to the passenger terminal area at the east end of the line.

Chris & Doug study the set-out sheets to see where all of the cars in the trays go.

Pat brings these two little ones to the crew lounge table so Fred can check the master sheet as to their destinations.

Doug has his hands full up in Cedar Rock but he knows what he's doing!

What's that device Marcel is carrying?

"On Guard"!

Bill makes good use of one of the car-railers Doug C. made for the group.

There's Doug walking beneath the umbrella assisting Pat as he places cars to their respective industries in the town of Stuart.

I love Marcel's "One of a Kind" diesel switcher.

She will come in handy running the route of the RP&M on this day.

A trio of cars adorn the team track at Spruce.

Renowned photographer and published author, Ray Farand, paid a visit for a few moments.

Fred was most pleased to see him!

Who owns this great looking shirt?

Why...it's the Bernie Man - of course!  😄😀😃

Nelson Yard is loaded with traffic in the wee hours of the morning.

I particularly enjoy this Erie 40-footer found nestled in amongst some siblings in the town of Stuart.

Hey...it's Fred's birthday on the next day - Sunday, June 15th.

Henk has brought along some healthy looking cake slices!

"Happy 84th Freddie!"

Fred admires his new (and much safer) BBQ grill cleaner!

Happy Birthday video party!

Before the games begin Marcel clears the track surfaces of any natural debris which would have fallen throughout the week.

Video proof of the maintenance.

Bill manually switches cars around on the RP&M train pre-ops.

In this video Marcel backs on to his RP&M train in Nelson Yard.

A myriad of cars fill up much of the trackage in the big yard.

Marcel advances down the A/D track heading for Lilly and Fallentree Mine aboard Rat 61 in this video shoot.

It will be a locomotive 'sandwich' seeing as he must have some cars on his nose and some on his tail!

Further Nelson Yard video viewing.

Passenger #2 rumbles down the grade at "The Ledges" bound for Bell.

Video railfanning at "The Ledges".

The parade into Bell has only just begun.

New video just released; "The Attack of the Fearsome Foliage!"

An overview of the west end of the layout.

Malcolm brings RP&M 71 to a stop in this video to conduct his switching moves at the trailing siding before he seeks clearance across the junction up to Rat Portage.

I removed all of the tables and most of the chairs from the area between the Cedar Rock Branch and St. Helens to offer easier access for the crews who must work these areas.

The aesthetics are much nicer as well.

Crews won't have to reach around tables in order to serve these trailing sidings up in Cedar Rock.

The area between Cedar Rock and Spruce offers some nice shady pics of the layout of the land in the eastern end of the property.

Here's Neil who will be running Train 304 with Pat.

His smile indicates that we are always having fun when running the railway!

A glance out my dispatch window showcases the many busy areas of the railroad at the start of the session.

Folks are tuned in at the pre-ops meeting.

Here is 302 having arrived Bell and taken Track 3 in order for the crew to conduct their work.

Track 4 will act as a runaround for them as will the main line by the station once the passenger train departs.

Steve & Seanna's Algoma Central Geep never fails to capture this railfan's attention.

He is drawn trackside like a fish to a worm on a hook whenever he sees this beauty arrive town!

And...off goes Passenger #2 now - heading for Wellington Lake.

Doug's Algonquin Road U-Boat is the power for Train 303 today.

This was a gift to the club from Lawrence's estate (as were many other steam and diesel locomotives) and this little gem of an engine was purchased as a fundraiser by Doug C.

303 drills the trackage in the Glen with Doug's U-Boat as power as seen on video.

303 departs Glen Hammond bound for Bellamy, then Peter's Pond.

302's arrival into Bell is shown in this video as 303 makes headways west.

The signs give it away.  

Passenger#1 is entering Ironwood westbound along the Spruce Sub as Passenger #2 slides down the slope easterly at Watkins Siding bound for Wellington Lake on the Bell Sub.

Ironwood passengers will step aboard #1 and head west in mere moments.

Passenger trains greet each other from a distance in this video footage.

It would appear to be a 'convoy' of TH&B Geeps in the east end!

Further multiple train action shots.

Number 2 pulls out from the big curve in "The Corner".

East end video work.

TH&B GP9 #401 tugs on the cars of the Passenger #4 as the train tunnels beneath St. Helens.

Tunneling video fun!

For TH&B fans, this image revives 'distant memories' of days long gone with the Toronto Hamilton & Buffalo GP7 pictured to the left and its GP9 counterpart to the right!

No, it's not a Creedence Clearwater Revival video, it's a TH&B revival one!

The IPP&W offers up a consistent service to those residing in Cedar Rock and to the industries found therein.

The crew of 303 have detoured up the branch to service these facilities.

Chris & Doug have all things under control.

Cedar Rock video vantage points.

Back down in 'The Pond' Chris & Doug have the remainder of their Train 303 protected in the designated siding for trains heading up the Cedar Rock Branch.

Passenger #2 encounters their train as the crew departs Peter's Pond bound for Bellamy and the Glen.

Peter's Pond encounter as captured on video!

The triple crew aboard 302 work the facing siding at Brunt's Brewery and Watkins Co-operative as...

...the crew of RP&M Train Rat 61 handles lading on the interchange tracks in Glen Hammond while...

...our two passenger runs meet "across the valley" in the distance on the both subdivisions when...

...we are reminded of our youth with this young lad enjoying the rail action trackside!

Video of all four events!

A Canadian Moment

TH&B GP9 #401 shares the turntable with brother #403, two of the three units delivered by General Motors back in 1954.  

The units were purchased to replace the two Hudson steam locomotives that hauled heavy passenger service between Buffalo and Toronto.  The photo was taken at John St. in 1958.

Photograph courtesy of the Derek Boles collection.

A Second Canadian Moment

In the later years around 1980, the TH&B motive power situation became quite troubling due to reliability issues with their small fleet of aging first generation diesels and leasing requirements were needed.  

We spot CP RS18 #8733 leading a brother along with three TH&B units of various makes as the train climbs the mountain out from Hamilton in those later years.

Photo courtesy of Reg Button

A Third Canadian Moment

Mike snapped this image of OCRail unit #1846 taking the road crossing between Coteau Junction and Glen Roberston in Eastern Ontario.  

This is an MLW RS18u built in 1957 and sold to the Ottawa Central in June of 2001.

Photo courtesy of Mike Hamer

Later that day, my street held its annual Wingate Drive street party!

For those who prefer something a tad stronger than checkers, here's the game for you!

I was also a very busy man performing with my band the night before the train ops.

This image was taken from an earlier gig.

And...on the Sunday I played with my friend, Eric, at a 'Celebration of Life' for a former teacher colleague.

Here Eric & I are with my colleague's lovely daughter, Erika.

She is in the music business out in Vancouver and has recently opened a music store selling vinyl records which are very much back in vogue.  

She tells me that she and her husband designed a stage large enough for full bands (or single musicians) to perform in the evenings from Thursday through to Saturday.

Thanks once again to our affable Padre, Father Fred of the Mills clan!

We once again were able to re-ignite the passion of railroading in Fred's backyard.

A number of guests attended and were totally surprised at the great setup we have here.

Until next time, we are the Ottawa Valley Garden Railway Society in Canada's National Capital.