Garden Railroading: Claire's Views From a Narrow Gauge Session

Claire's Views From a Narrow Gauge Session

Hi folks, Claire is one of our newest members in the OVGRS family.

She visited our sessions on the invite of Steve & Seanna and we are sure glad they brought her along.

Claire has a keen eye for "the interesting" when she photographs the railroad and she adds some whimsy to her work which I very much appreciate!

Love it!

Do not be mistaken that Claire accidentally found this locomotive out of focus.

The photo is meant to demonstrate movement and excitement!

Here is the same image of CN #571, a 2-6-0 steam locomotive arriving Peter's Pond from the east (geographic west) nearby the Brewer's Cooperage.

Claire beautifully captured the drumhead on the tail end of Passenger #1 as it breezed through Spruce 'sans' depot!

Without the station in place, there was no stopping the train! 😎

An RP&M crew passes the blockhouse on its way across 'The Gut' to Lilly.

Love the angle Claire captured with the parallel lines of the trackwork along the Fred Mills Trestle.

In this slightly further view we see the tracks leading up to the trestle and those beyond.

Claire has captured the corner edge of the green McKenzie Lumber structure at Lilly with the Blockhouse off in the distant haze.

Now we have clarity on the Blockhouse with the large Fallentree Mine looming overhead in the distance.

The Watkins Co-Operative elevator looms over the surrounding landscape at Bell with the lone Gramps tank car resting on a nearer track awaiting pickup.

The junction near Anderson sees some 20 trains traversing its trackage each day.

Across the valley from Anderson we spot a train downgrade at 'The Ledges' having departed Firgrove for Bell.

In a typical operating session we run 27 trains over 2 1/2 hours.

Black diamonds make their way east along the ridge between Firgrove and Bell being pulled by a 4-6-0 steamer.

This train has taken to the siding while the operators confer as to the destination of some of the cars in the consist.

The yard at Spruce is a-buzz with activity.

Indeed, the yard is filling up although the house track is empty at the moment.

The recently refurbished Watson Electric Facility takes center stage in this image Claire captured up in Cedar Rock.

Claire revisited the junction area at Anderson where a UP reefer blazes bright yellow in the rising morning sun!

The gorgeous tandem of the Fred Mills Trestle in concert with the Lawrence Watkins Trestle looks as beautiful without a train as it does with a train traversing the dry gulch!

Traffic heading from the right of the image to the left will soon reach Nelson Yard or Glen Hammond depending on the direction of the turnout a short distance to the left of this pictured scene.

Our westbound passenger train takes to the crossing outside of Peter's Pond bound for the resort town of Wellington Lake.

We view the train blazing across the pedestrian pathway.

She's one colourful steam locomotive! 😃😋😁

Up in St. Helens we find Train 301 working the facing sidings of which there are three at this location.

There happens to be no trailing sidings here for westbound traffic.

The many residents in Spruce hear the squealing of the wheels in the yard to the south (geographic north) of town and they are witness to the passage of the departing trains to the north (geographic south) as the trains descend the slope at Clarke Grade.

301 is on approach to Ironwood with Wellington Lake seen off in the distance.

Claire pulls back her camera to capture a lovely green freight car in the shadows of the Watkins Co-operative which shares the Wellington Lake siding.

One final look at this scene where you can just make out the printing of the location on the tall Co-operative building.

This is a great aerial shot in Ironwood showing the eastbound ore train's arrival with 301 safely tucked in on the far track.

We are witness to the approach of yet another train about to pierce the ironwork of the big trestle.

Our sources indicate this as being Passenger #1.

Train #1 departed Craig Leigh in the early morning hours.

The crew is bound for Glen Hammond where they will meet their opposing train, Passenger #2.

The train soars above 'The Gut' as it travels westward toward its destination.

In the meantime the Nelson Yard-Bell Turn, Train #72 reaches Rat Portage on the western fringe of Ontario.

Claire has found the crew of 301 in Ironwood running around its train to tackle cars which must be placed in a facing direction on the many spurs available at this location.