Garden Railroading: Session #7 - Of Trains and Boats

Session #7 - Of Trains and Boats

Today we began our new 'start time' of 9:00 AM instead of 10:00 AM as suggested by our Nelson Yardmaster, Mr. Bill Scobie.

The reasoning behind the earlier commencement is the heat we have experienced thus far this summer.

The earlier start enabled us to enjoy an earlier BBQ lunch and to be able to get home to family more quickly than before.

Getting home early allowed me to attend Ottawa's Rideau Canal "Lock and Paddle" where I was able to watch my daughter, Karen, join over 200 other paddlers in this one day festival.

Chris's Prince Edward Island Railway steam locomotive is representative of all of the other steamers found plying the rails of the IPP&W and RP&M lines on this fine morning.

I was honoured to have Claire (pictured to the left with Steve & Seanna) as my crewmate aboard Trains 31/311/322 today.

And, due to the earlier start I was able to make it out to the Rideau Canal to celebrate with my wife Lisa and my daughter Karen in the annual "Lock and Paddle" event.

Ottawa hosted this event while other cities did as well such as Montreal's Lachine Canal and Peterborough's amazing lift lock.

And we thought trains were colourful! 😀😁😎😁😀

Back in Fred's backyard, a few of us arrived in the 7's of the AM hours to begin setting out the cars.

We catch Bernie checking the car lists for St. Helens & Peter's Pond.

Here are some of the cars with three lists for three locations.

Once all of the cars were placed atop the rails I removed the two tables which reside between St. Helens and the Cedar Rock Branch.

I brought out the Watson Electric structure before the session and stored it away in the shed following the end of the operations.

Our concern is that the lovely blue roof will fade if the facility remains outdoors between our weekly sessions.

A new T-shirt must mean...

...that Bill is in the house...or...the backyard!

Thanks for the 'early start' suggestion there, Billy Boy!

Carrying cases come in all sizes and shapes!

There's my crewmate Claire handling the locomotive duties with a smile!

Trains are on the move as the parade out from Craig Leigh commences.

This is Claire's and my train, Number 301 heading for St. Helens with our consist suitably blocked for us upon arrival there.

Pat is hot on our tail with Passenger 1.

Typically Train #1 would depart Craig Leigh ahead of the freight train, but we were already set up in Douglas Yard and closer to the exit of Craig Leigh so we were granted the earlier departure.

Of course, we protected our train on the siding track down in St. Helens upon arrival there.

A video look of the two trains' departures.

301's arrival is imminent.

The two crews meet and share greetings.

Video taken as the meet occurs.

There are plenty of cars to deal with on this morning.

Claire & I have two setouts and two lifts - a relative easy assignment with all of the sidings radiating in the same direction!

Seeing as we are focusing on St. Helens at the moment, I interview Father Fred about the origin of the place name.

Here is Fred's interview response on video tape.

301 rides atop 'The Plateau' on the Spruce Subdivision while 302 heads east in the valley below along the Bell Sub.

We offer up a wave to the residents of the newly built property located high up in 'The Corners'.

I have requested permission from dispatch to have our train occupy the main just to the east of Ironwood.

My reasoning is that we have a single 'pick-up' on the Ironwood Brick siding - the black East Broad Top gondola #404 you see adjacent to the green building in the distance.

This will allow us to avoid having to make the long trek back to the siding for the single car once we arrive in the yard.

Request granted which pleases both Claire & me!

Video views along the verdant Spruce Sub!

Because Claire & I must stay near our train with all of the switching involved, I don't get the same opportunity to run amok over the railroad like I do when dispatching.

But, no worries...I gain the opportunity to photograph and video trains we meet along the way or those that are in the general vicinity of our charge!

Those narrow gauge passenger cars certainly are colourful characters!

Claire pulls the gondola from the Ironwood Brick siding.

Malcolm aboard Passenger 2 meets Gerry in care of 304 at Spruce.

Multiple trains are spotted in a single video take!

With the gondola now lifted to our train we pull into the yard and protect against the oncoming Passenger 2.

You can spot the passenger train way off in the distance at the western end of this quaint town.

Ironwood meet on 'The Ironwood Road' as captured in this video!

Upon our entry into Ironwood we run around our train to shove cars into facing sidings to the left of the image.

Here we had six car movements to deal with - some trailing and some facing...which is the norm.

At the same time, Train 304 has been cleared into town and they have now taken the far siding.

Dispatch instructs them to lift the ore cars for the incoming ore train.

Further to the west (geographic north) the ore train ascends the grade up into the town of Spruce.

Here they will run through town on their easterly transit of the rail system.

Aha! This dispatcher is also a 'roamer' although he appears to have a shorter leash than 'little ole me'!

In the video I inadvertently call Train 304 - Train 303!

Such are the hazards of live filming! 🙉

Here is what Ironwood looked like some ten years or so ago with Bernie smiling to the camera along the fence line.

Oh, how things look so different now!

Speaking of Bernie...here's the man of the hour!

And, today the patio area appears different with our canopy now gone! 👀😞😠

In the wee hours of the morning, Malcolm, Bill and Pat get down to work sorting out equipment in and around Nelson Yard.

George was the lone yardmaster in the west end on this day.

We enter Mr. Peabody's time capsule to find Fred working a train in Firgrove with Ralph yard in behind many moons ago.

We can see the ore track in Firgrove.

This is where the crew aboard the ore train initiates their run.

The brewery business is meeting with great success judging by this quartet of cars parked on its siding!

And...going back a decade or so in history we find the same scene with my 'clean' CN RS3 unit departing Bell aboard an RP&M train.

Pat & Fred are excited pre-ops to get the session underway!

Claire rolls us out from Ironwood bound for Spruce.

We arrive the siding for our meet with the ore train.

Spruce meet as seen from my video camera.

Claire has brought us in on a yard track that acts as a 'lead' into the trailing team track.

Our target is the flat car which we have proceeded to lift from the track.

While...off in the distance Dilip conducts maneouvers with the ore cars.

He is appreciative of the crew aboard 304 who lifted the ore traffic for him from the facing siding to the east of Ironwood.

While at Spruce Claire had noticed that old crow high up in the tree with his hungry eye on me!

He seemed very interested in our train running antics!

Crow video.

Pool Train 33 advances into Spruce.

We exchange pleasantries with the crew.

Onward they proceed to their station stop on the big curve to the west (geographic east) of town.

Sir Malcolm and Sir Patrick are in charge of all passenger operations on this beautiful day!

Pool Train 33's passage through Spruce is presented in this video footage from this town in Ontario.

Claire drives 301 back onto the mainline as we target Nelson Yard.

We take the sweeping curve in front of the station.

Across the valley we spot 304 heading east.

Spruce departure moments on video tape!

We lean into the broad curve at Lilly.

We skirt around the back of the McKenzie Lumber structure.

Lilly bend video take.

Claire & I are held in a siding momentarily so I head out to film other trains on the go.

We catch 314 making its way east along the Bell sub about to pierce the tunnel beneath St. Helens.

314 exits the tunnel while 313 works above.

Video work along both entrances to the St. Helens Tunnel.

It was great to see Bruce 'out and about'!

Bruce brought me this old guitar that "hadn't seen daylight in decades" as he told me - to see if it could be fixed up.

Dilip, Gerry & I worked around with it and I've finally got it all tuned up and ready to play.

It will be donated either to a young family or to the elementary school where I used to teach.

It was also great seeing Bill Weiler out.

Bill works on the 'real thing' at the museum here in Ottawa.

Here's Bill alongside Pat of the Brennan clan!

Hey! Here's Charlie...our backyard neighbour who has often peered over the fence to check us out running trains.

We thank his dad, Kieran, for bringing him out on this fine morning.

He even ran a locomotive all by himself thanks to Doug C.

Our final town to work before terminating in Glen Hammond was Cedar Rock up the branch.

There was a new 'twist' in our train orders for Cedar Rock as not only did we set out and lift cars at the end of the branch, we were asked to transfer a car from Ellens Crusher to Vant Aggregates in what is termed as a 'local move'.

Claire & I were surprised to finish our three runs by 11:00 AM.

I'll take a ham & bacon sandwich with a Black Label lager on the side!

Wishful thinking, eh?

Indeed, railroading can be 'oh so colourful' as evidenced right here in the location known as St. Helens.

And...speaking of colourful activities...how about this shot I took here in Ottawa along the Rideau Canal at the annual "Lock & Paddle" day!

We are at the Hartwell Locks and there are so many kayakers that they filled this lock...

...with 'leftovers' filling the lock in behind!

Aha! Even a "Dragon Boat" fit in with the group!

That's my daughter Karen in the center of the image in the white kayak wearing the lime green ball cap.

Once the water level is lowered and matches the canal's level, the gates are opened and the paddlers can make their escape!

The group started on the upper level above Hartwell Locks.

There's the crew aboard the 'Dragon Boat'.

Beach balls come out.

There's the 22-storey Dunton Tower at Carleton University in the background of this quite crowded scene.

Sardines anyone!

The lock fills as kayakers in back are able to 'cool off'!

They have made their escape!

What a lovely way to spend an afternoon after enjoying the running of the trains in the morning!

Thanks for checking in on the 'lock & paddle'.

Some fun video work canal side!

It sure looks like a ton of fun in this video!

Jailbreak video moment!

These young ladies do a fine job working for the canal system as evidenced in this video footage.

One of the girls is cautioning bystanders to move a foot to their right so they don't get hit by the timber boom.

Indeed, this is truly another great 'Canadian Moment'.

In my next blog installment I will share some more pictures and video moments from the day.

Yup, trains & kayaks...a wonderful combination!

The Rideau Canal is a UNESCO World Heritage site due to its outstanding universal value as the best-preserved example of a slackwater canal from the 19th Century.

It is also recognized for its significant role in military history and its engineering innovation as one of the first canals designed for steam-powered vessels.