Session #3 - Part Two

Session #3 - Part Two 

As you learned in Part One, we enjoyed a large crowd of operators and visitors for our third train operating session of the season.

We got a peek into the older days of steam when those breathing behemoths told their story through sights and sounds rarely seen these days.

This entry shares more of that story!

I begin our session with this lovely image sent my way from our dear friend, Colin Churcher.

After reading our first blog entry Colin goes on to say...Thanks for a reminder of a great morning.  I was thinking about our discussion on turning that passenger train after passengers had detrained at the terminus.

Several years ago I was in Zimbabwe to look at the Beyer Garratts in operation. We took the mail train from Bulawayo to Victoria Falls where the train had to be turned for the trip back to Bulawayo.  The train was made up as follows:

Fourth class; third class; restaurant car; second class; first class. There was no wye and only a turntable. The restaurant car was divided in the middle with fourth and third class strictly segregated from first and second.

They turned the train by breaking it up into individual sections and reforming it and just put the restaurant car and the locomotive on the turntable. It took all morning.

Here is my picture of the train returning to Bulawayo. I had to use a telephoto because the area around the bridge was heavily mined.

Thank you Colin for this wonderful image and informative story!

Here's Colin to the right of Fred & Gregg.

Here is an image of our crew assignment sheet for the session as pinned to the wall in my dispatch booth.  

With all of the operators and guest visitors, it was a grand time of train running and camaraderie!

Nelson Yard is poised to be an active location but the boys here will rise to the challenge...as they do every week!

Indeed, Henk & Bill rule the roost here!

Trains 303 and 304 are staged and ready to rumble out from the Glen.  

Pat & Garry are ready to get underway aboard 304 while Felicity & Grant have work to conduct at this location before departing the scene.

The ore train covers the territory at a location known as "The Ledges" where the crew hugs the fence line downgrade into Bell.

With 'four cars out' from Firgrove, engineer Malcolm will eventually reach his final destination at the Northland Ore Dock in Craig Leigh with some 14 cars in tow.

That must be some new-fangled mechanical device for off-loading the ore seen in the first car behind the locomotive!  Heh heh!

We find "The Gate of No Return" keeping skipper Henk fenced in (where he belongs)!  👌

The crew aboard Rat 61 work the industries to the east of Nelson Yard before heading over to RP&M rails.

That's the Fallentree Mine looming in the distance which marks the location where a windstorm toppled the large evergreen tree that was once rooted there.

Here is the same location as found in the year 2005.  

The tree stands sentinel over the surrounding area around Nelson Yard.  

The dispatch booth was green with envy!

Now umbrellas must mimic the shade the tree had offered us.

Note too the much different look of Nelson Yard and Glen Hammond.

A view looking east at Mercer Siding.

This was the broad extent of Nelson Yard in times past.

And...of course...as occured in later years but still long ago...this was the day of reckoning!

We return to the present day where we find this diesel interloper making strides out from Pratt's Bottom up to the interchange at Bell dragging Train RP&M 73 to its destined location.

And...seen above, Train 311 achieves the summit of the grade into Firgrove.

Video work from "The Ledges".

Train 323 seeks clearance to Peter's Pond out from Nelson Yard as Train 314 enters the area.

Once the tail end of 314 clears the yard throat the crew aboard 323 can depart.

Off in the distance to the left we find RP&M Train 73 having reached Bell.

It's a relative hive of video activity in and around the big yard!

Steve & Diane are running Pool Train 33 with a video car on the front end.

We follow Colin's advice to bring the passengers to the terminal "engine first" and let them de-train before we head back to the wye to turn the train.

 We then reverse it back to the terminal area 'sans people' in order for new passengers to board the next outbound train.

Video of the 'video' train!

All four passenger crew members are shown in this image with Diane appearing to the left followed in order down the tracks - Seanna, Steve & Claire.

Video of the arrival of Pool Train 33 into the terminal area at Craig Leigh.

The crew follows their train with onlookers present!

Reverse move.

The back-up move as shown on video.

Steve observes the reverse move.

Video of the continuing back-up move as Mike & Claire chat about birthdays.

The crew has reached the wye.

Wye or wye not?  

This is the video question of the day!  👍👍👍

With the Pool Train now having been 'wyed' the locomotive is now in the proper facing direction to take out Passenger #33.  

No passengers had to sit on the train as it was being reversed.

This new move offers the crews on the passenger runs more work and more things to ponder!  😁😁😁

Final video of the passenger run at Craig Leigh.

At Spruce, 304 uses the main on the eastern curve as its yard lead while switching out the trailing industries.

Our affable & experienced Nelson Yardmasters await the onslaught of the arrival of multiple trains coming in from all directions!

"Not a problem!" Henk & Bill state.

304's crew reaches St. Helens where their work will be of the trailing variety.

Lukash looks on as the team aboard 302 begin their switching efforts in Peter's Pond.

This image appeared in a magazine in the late 50's.

And I have recently found it published once again in the latest issue of Trains magazine!

A rolling stock review finds these two reefers stationed at the icing platform in Craig Leigh.

The young lads enjoy playing with the vehicles at Brewer's Cooperage.

They also enjoyed gathering up pine cones!  😄😀😄

Malcolm hangs out by my dispatch booth as he leads his train along the rails across from the Glen Hammond depot.

Train 313's power has run around its train and tagged on to the tail end in order to service the facing sidings in St. Helens.

The crew aboard 314 have reached Bell along Track 3 from where they will conduct their switching activities.

Grant is the engine driver aboard 314 as his crew mate Felicity studies their potential moves off at Stuart in the distance.

Dad comes to the rescue of one tired puppy while little brother follows along with Grandpa to the lower right of the image.

With their work complete at Bell & Stuart the crew of 314 have found Peter's Pond where they have taken the Cedar Rock siding.

They have begun assembling their train in proper order to run up the branch.

Ralph Yard in Firgrove is home to a handful of cars at the moment.

Paul has arrived St. Helens aboard Train 31, the short hop down from Craig Leigh.

He is handling a number of cars in the yard.

Looking good there Paul!

Passenger #3 passes by a rather empty yard at Spruce on approach to the depot.

The train pulls to a stop.

Under the control of Claire & Seanna, out from Spruce, the crew will traverse the vast countryside before reaching Glen Hammond.

Much earlier in the morning, the ore train is found exiting the east portal of the tunnel beneath Mount St. Helens bound for Nelson Yard.

I have cleared the train as far as Mercer Siding where the crew will contact the yardmaster at Nelson for clearance into the big yard.

Video of the exit from the tunnel.

Henk's center cab enjoys its tasks at Nelson Yard.

More Nelson Yard video views.

Passenger #3 wastes no time sneaking out from Spruce.

The train bottoms out at the pedestrian crossing before tackling the grade up through Lilly.

Passenger video views.

Third trick Train 324 comes off the Nelson Yard lead and heads towards the Fred Mills Trestle.

This shot convinces us that there is nothing more beautiful than a steam locomotive soaring over a river - or even a dry bed!

Grant & Felicity are right on schedule as their train will reach Craig Leigh to the east with stops at Spruce, Ironwood and St. Helens en route.

Third trick video reels.

324 takes to the Brennan Bridge.

Claire enjoys a shady retreat as her train has reached the Glen.

We follow the passage of 324 on video.

Third trick Train 323 sets out this colourful reefer of beer to the east of Bell.

Beer car video!

We are in the "back 40" of the property along the fence line.

Activity abounds all throughout the back of this territory.

Trains are kept a-movin' at all times!

Fence line video.

Here is Father Fred adjusting a new railroad lantern he picked up.

Fred stars in this video cameo!

A Canadian Moment in Steam

 CNR 0-6-0 #7469 is photographed in Montreal in June 1953.

Image courtesy of R.L. Long

Another Canadian Moment in Steam

Spotted in Englehart, Ontario, ONR Steam Locomotive #701 was the last engine to run over Ontario Northland rails in regular service.

Photographer Unknown 

One Last Canadian Moment in Steam

Prairie Dog Central Steamer #3 returns to Winnipeg from Gross Isle, Manitoba following an afternoon excursion.

Image courtesy of Kyle Didur

"The Eagle Has Landed" 

- as Moe's friend, Rick Belanger, stated when he saw this photograph Moe took recently.

They look like twins, Moe!

Moe tells us that these fellows spent a little time talking about the old country one morning on God's River.

And speaking of twins, with this heat wave, the best place to be is near water (or even better - in it) as I am near it with my twin brother, Jim, in a picture taken last summer.

Thanks for checking in on this latest blog entry.

On behalf of Father Fred, Evan & Pat...stay safe and cool in this heat wave.

If the temperatures remain at this level, out of safety concerns we will cancel the maintenance session on Wednesday.

Here's hoping for cooler weather by the weekend which will allow us to run trains once again!

We are the OVGRS family of Ottawa, Ontario, Canada