Session #5 Underway Under Clear Skies
Yes, unlike the previous week, we were blessed with clear skies this Saturday morning.
It was time to get out the steam locomotives and re-ignite the passion for railroading from those 'bygone' days.
Our passenger runs were carried out with some early diesel switchers on this day.
Engine Number 5 works the yard at Ralph adjacent to the Firgrove passenger terminal.
PEI Railway #32 with RP&M van has arrived Bell aboard Train 71 and works the interchange.
The crew arrived Bell seven cars strong and will depart town towing but two cars from the interchange track.
This Uintah Railway Co. beast 'shakes the ground' as its crew switches out Larabie Fuels located on the western side of Ironwood.
Engine #4 is found taking the bypass at Douglas Yard.
Here is our Train Master, Dilip, who put together the entire session using the RailOps software.
He transported his engine on his new bike!
Indeed, we see a handsome lad with a handsome looking pair of wheels!
Some of the lads arrive to check out the latest acquisition.
"That's some mode of transport!" Moe & Mark say to Dilip.
Dilip sent along three images my way.
Here he found Pat & Jeff enjoying the challenges Cedar Rock throws at train operators!
In this second image from Dilip, we spot his 'passenger partner' Mark hauling into Glen Hammond on the outer station track with Passenger 1 while Dilip holds the station track with Passenger 2.
Glen Hammond is the designated meeting spot for the two passenger runs.
We will see Dilip's third image nearer to the end of the blog posting.
Jeff is our newest member in the OVGRS family and he listens in with Pat & Bill to what Father Fred has to say.
And...here is Jeff with Mark & Gerry - the Holy Trinity!
Which one is the Father? Which one is the Son. But more importantly...which one is the Holiest of Ghosts!!!
A Canadian Moment in Steam
The first CPR train arrived in Halifax on June 3rd, 1889.
We see this gorgeous Dominion Atlantic Railway engine # 531 having arrived Kentville, Nova Scotia.
Photo courtesy of Nova Scotia Archives and taken by Allen Gibson in 1938
And...here is another version of the Trinity!
These three brightly adorned 'billboard' reefers have found a temporary home at the icing platform in Craig Leigh.
We find the tail end of RP&M 61 leading the way over to Lilly out from Nelson Yard.
The cars have been placed strategically on the locomotive due to the trailing and facing sidings that must be dealt with en route.
You'll hear Henk hollering out instructions when you watch the first video and you'll hear me tell our visitor, Greg, that Henk is just a great big pussy cat at heart!
Video evidence of the comings and goings around Nelson Yard.
Passenger 2 levels out off the grade down from Firgrove and will soon be rolling to a slow stop at the station here in Bell.
In the meantime RP&M Train 71 is found drilling the trackage to the west of the Glen while 302 shoves a car destined for the facing industry at Brunt's Brewery downgrade in the distance.
Video views from Bell, Bellamy and 'The Ledges'.
We see the reasoning for the beige reefer to be coupled to the front of 302's locomotive on the way down the hill from Firgrove.
As indicated moments ago, the car was destined for the facing siding at Brunt's Brewery upon arrival in Bell.
Ahead of 302 was Passenger 2 slowing for its station stop.
Across the aisleway we find Pat & Paul working the yard at Glen Hammond aboard IPP&W 304 while Pat's relative, Greg, (visiting from Saskatoon) looks on in the distance.
At the same time Pat & Paul work the east end of the yard in the Glen, Malcolm & Moe work the west end aboard IPP&W 303.
While, over at Nelson Yard we find the local switcher making up future outgoing trains.
All of the activity listed above can be seen in this single video!
Now here's a man after my own heart - a Led Zeppelin fan!
Lo and behold...it's Pat's relative, Greg, adding a tremendous splash of colour to the proceedings!
And...here's Pat himself with his massive 'umbrella beanie cap'!
From my perch in the dispatch booth I can follow a great deal of the activity taking place along the western front of Fred's backyard.
In this video I am explaining to Greg how my wife's cousin left the stressful job of teaching for what I thought would be an even more stressful job - as an air traffic controller.
Boy was I ever wrong!
A Second Canadian Moment in Steam
This collection of engines was photographed during Railway Week at Belleville, Ontario in 1964
Yes, we do find a single diesel engine who managed to sneak into the picture!
I initially was fooled by the appearance of the second to last locomotive and thought she was a diesel when she really is a U4a streamlined steam locomotive!
Thanks to Chris for pointing that out to me! 😀😁😀
Photo courtesy of the Hastings County Community Archives
With their work completed at Glen Hammond, 304 is able to get underway heading to the various eastern towns.
The crew picked up one car in Glen Hammond and departs with seven in their consist.
With setouts and pickups en route they will eventually haul into Craig Leigh with six cars in total.
RP&M Train Rat 61 returns from Lilly on the Nelson Yard approach track as 304 departs on the bypass track.
304's progress out from 'The Glen' is found in this video footage.
Aha! We catch a 'double header' leading ore through Bell.
The train has taken Track 4 as a detoured run-through off the mainline station track.
The reasoning for the detour is the wide bodied nature of the White Pass & Yukon steam locomotive.
The engine would come dangerously close to the station at Bell...and we wouldn't want the depot 'and' the engine taken out of service! 🙈🙉🙊
The ore train's passage through Bell is witnessed in this video.
The yard at Douglas hosts some eight cars at the moment with Train 313 being made up on the departure track to the lower left.
Indeed, yardmaster Bernie has all things under control! 👌
Peering out the window of my dispatch hut I gain this wonderful panoramic view of the business at hand in Glen Hammond, Nelson Yard and even Bell off to the left.
302 is bound for Wellington Lake after completing its assignments at Bell.
They have no work to conduct at the lake but they will exchange a single freight down in Peter's Pond and will terminate in Nelson Yard with eight cars.
The town of Spruce plays host to a number of trains throughout the day as we find 304 having arrived the siding track after getting over the hump from their climb at Clarke Grade seen to the bottom right.
The two opposing passenger trains have now met in Glen Hammond as prescribed.
We spot the same crew from the cameraman's perch at the other end of Spruce.
Father Fred takes a seat to watch the proceedings down in Peter's Pond as the crew aboard IPP&W Train 303 protects their train along the Cedar Rock siding awaiting the arrival of Train 302 and the ore train.
Grant eyeballs his ore train as it proceeds beneath St. Helens (out of the picture) bound for the distant Nelson Yard.
Pat & Jeff work the facing sidings in St. Helens aboard 301 as a distant train enters Craig Leigh far up the grade along the fence line.
Passenger 2 reduces speed on approach to the station on the curve.
Station stop!
Off in the distance we spot Jeff & Pat conferring on their next moves.
Busy days in Spruce as found in this video tape!
And I thought 'double-header' was a baseball term! 😎
The tail end clears the canyon at Hayes Falls.
Ore passes by the Peter's Pond depot.
The meet of ore with 303 is confirmed!
Peter's Pond meet as seen in video format.
The parade into 'The Pond' continues unabated!
Train 302 takes the 'Peter's Pond' siding because their designated 'Cedar Rock' siding was occupied by the crew of 303.
The crew of 302 will head up the Cedar Rock Branch where they will have four setouts and three lifts.
Ya gotta love those brightly toned billboard reefers!
The pond convoy continues as captured on video.
With the second meet complete, Train 303 is ready to roll out of town bound for points west.
The White Pass steam locomotive leads 303 past the depot.
Why...it's an 'up and over' meet as 303 is about to tunnel beneath St. Helens while 301 toils above.
303's departure from 'The Pond is captured on video.
Mere moments before the meets down in Peter's Pond we find Greg railfanning the ore train as it transits easterly through Wellington Lake.
The 'bark' of the locomotives can be heard reverberating through the forest area in 'The Corners'.
The crew passes behind the cabin in the woods under construction, aka Lawrence's beloved country retreat.
Ore movement as captured in this video effort.
There had been a delay in the Glen and the passengers were allowed to detrain and head into the station as the crews awaited clearances.
While over in the big yard, ore arrived.
The train will build its number of ore cars from four to nine with five pickups at the Fallentree Mine.
With Passenger 2 having departed into the distance, Passenger 1 backed up 'empty' to take the station track for the folks travelling west to once again board the train with the cause of the delay now cleared up.
Passenger meet video work.
304's power is found drilling the trailing sidings at Spruce.
They hold the siding for the passage of Train #2.
And...what a colourful consist Train Two holds on this day!
Spruce meet as witnessed on video.
Train 301 passes the Ironwood Brick facility as the crew enters town from the east.
They started out with eight cars from Craig Leigh and set out two in St. Helens.
Here in Ironwood they will lift three cars and deposit one, then they will once again be back up to eight cars out from town on their way to Spruce.
301's entrance video into Ironwood.
Conductor Jeff has lined the turnout for his train to take the siding.
He then ensures the position of the turnout on the main will allow Passenger 2 to escape town.
More video moments in Ironwood.
Passenger 2 heads out of town.
These older passenger cars certainly add a tremendous splash of colour to the surrounding scenery!
The head end reaches the area known as 'The Plateau'.
Video shot at 'The Plateau'.
The RCMP aid in the hosting of some sort of 'open house' in Charlottetown, PEI back in 1911
Photographer Unknown
Down in Rat Portage Doug & Felicity work the yard.
While up in Craig Leigh Bernie is the Douglas Yardmaster.
Note the Pool Train taking the Douglas Yard bypass track.
These two lads walked in off the street and asked if they could 'play trains'.
The good people we are - why...we let them in on the fun!
Henk & Gerry take a well-deserved break after the initial busy-ness of the big yard.
See what I mean!
Claire & Felicity are really the only two in the group who truly know what's going on...that's why they are all smiles! 😎😍😎
And...here's that third image Dilip snapped of 'little ole me' snapping a picture of Dilip!
Father Fred also knows what's really going on!
He knows that all the lads & lasses know what they're doing in bringing the past back to life as we all work diligently to re-create those fine days of steam out on the high iron.
I have plenty more pics and vids to share with you later this week.
Until then, we are the OVGRS of Ottawa, Ontario, Canada
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