Yet Another Blog Entry Update
Back in 2024 our first September session took place on the "tooth" of September.
That would be the "two-th" or 2nd of the month.
We gathered to run our diesel locomotives that day.
While Gerry was in shorts and a T-shirt, many of the rest of us were in jackets as the September chill set in.
The lads in the penalty box await their verdict!
I escaped the dispatch hut on this day to run the passenger service.
Train 304 toils away in Glen Hammond before heading east for Craig Leigh.
Passenger #1 meets 304 a few moments later in the town of Spruce.
I arrive 'The Glen' ahead of Passenger #2 where I will hold for my meet with the incoming train.
I didn't snag an image of the actual meet.
Following the meet, I sashay into Bellamy for a station stop before crossing the junction trackage with the RP&M.
Malcolm's power is aboard Pool Train #33 having reached the depot at the outer limits of Ironwood.
Garry & Paul work the Cedar Rock Branch aboard Train 302.
Pool Train #33 sways around the curve leading into Bellamy where we spot an empty hopper on the team track.
The pool service arrives Wellington Lake where there is a station stop.
Pretty soon the resort town will close up shop for the fall but the siding will remain open for the Watkins Co-operative to receive shipments via the railroad.
The Pool Train sets out a car on the interchange track seeing as the house track is full to the brim at the moment.
Malcolm drives the Pool Train through Rat Portage in the northern area of the province as Paul looks on at the proceedings in Ralph Yard at Firgrove.
With a Pullman heavyweight car in New York Central dress in the mix, Passenger #4 departs Firgrove bound for the distant location of Craig Leigh with an "all stops" train.
Passenger #4 is a video star here!
Train #4 meets an RP&M crew switching out the sidings at Bell & Stuart.
Train meet video to the west of Bell.
I enter Bell on the mainline leading me to the station.
Bell entrance video.
Over to the east in Ironwood Pat & Doug work Train 324; their third trick of the morning as the ore train enters the fray.
Our other Pat is in charge of ore movements on this day and he will take the siding track to the left upon arrival.
Ironwood activities are plentiful in video!
With a mixture of heavyweights and lightweights, my train is on the move out from Wellington Lake along the Bell Subdivision.
Malcolm hauls his train out from St. Helens on the Spruce Subdivision.
In essence, even though we are in close proximity to each other on the property we are actually many, many miles apart on the railroad!
Both subdivisions are captured in this video footage.
I reach 'The Pond' to find Dilip heading back down the Cedar Rock Branch with third trick Train 323.
Our dear friend, Bob Clarke, is enjoying videoing the action!
Great to see you out Bob!
Video action in Peter's Pond.
Westbound IPP&W wayfreight 311 hugs the escarpment ledge as...
...I make my arrival known at the junction!
Junction video finds.
Malcolm hauls Pool Train #33 into the Glen.
Dilip's B&O van is spotted having exited the Fred Mills Trestle moments before.
The Pool Train arrives Ironwood on its return journey home to Craig Leigh.
Malcolm has backed the train onto the near arrival/departure track at the passenger terminal.
He now proceeds to pick up outgoing Train #3.
I am now found aboard my final run of the day, Passenger #4.
Eastbound manifest 324 has just arrived Craig Leigh behind this gorgeous A&O diesel locomotive.
The power switching out Wellington Lake makes use of the double tracks at Watkins Siding to conduct their facing movements.
This is the crew aboard Train 322 running short hood forward on their final trick of the morning.
Some empty flats are found along the Bravo Lumber siding in Spruce.
Likewise, a pair of cars are spotted at the Cedar Rock Supply spur.
Cedar Rock is quite the active location at the moment as Grant & Gerry make use of a facing spur as the 'lead' to get into some trailing sidings using a borrowed locomotive from Chris.
Thanks Chris for sharing your locomotive on this day!
Bob, Moe and Paul hang out around Mercer Siding.
Two crews work Peters Pond keeping out of each other's way as best as possible.
Four operators cooperate to attain their desired results.
Henk is all smiles on this fine, yet chilly, morning.
And now for something completely different!
Our home in Alta Vista is 70 years old and we felt it required some "heart surgery" as these rusted out iron pipes clearly indicate.
This was pretty much the design of the piping beneath our concrete basement floor!
The plumbing group we had in for the job are only one of two in the city that do that special lining of your pipes if that is what is required.
I was impressed with their work - they kept things neat and tidy throughout the two and a half day job.
Just like arthroscopic surgery they didn't cut up the entire length of our floor where the piping ran - rather they created oval holes every few feet and managed to remove all of the pipes and add new ones before re-patching the concrete!
Here's yet another view of the log dump on the O-scale diorama Doug, Rob & I worked on.
We put in some 1400 hours in this project alone with Rob adding the derrick and Doug writing all of the articles for the NMRA along with input from Rob & me.
This past Saturday Lisa & I visited Joan's place to help her take down her pop-up canopy as she was unable to complete the job alone.
We needed at least three of us all pushing in from the corners in order for the skeletal framework to fold properly into place.
Indeed, Joan was a happy camper...or should I say "canopy-er"!
It's amazing how the whole assembly folds down into this small area.
Joan was able to carry it into the house where the box was so that it could be packed away for future use.
She indicated that she may get a different style of shade provider for next summer as the fully set up canopy did not allow her to see her garden from inside all that well.
Yesterday Corinne & I played a senior's home in Orleans - Chapel Hill Retirement Home.
Above the fireplace in the main lobby was this beautiful CNR steam locomotive!
I wouldn't mind living in a place where they accept folks who love trains!
Love the white walled tires!
Here is the plaque describing the locomotive and its donor.
And...who could that donor be?
Why...it's none other than our very own Doug Hayes!
It was fun for Corinne & me to bring the joy of music to the seniors at Doug's retirement home.
And the ratio is two women for every man...my kind of stats!
Well Doug...your donation is appreciated by everyone I am sure!
Wow! What a World Series game last night!
It was one for the ages...tying in length the longest game ever in World Series history!
While I am rooting for our Canadian team, the Toronto Blue Jays...I find it fitting that Canadian Freddie Freeman hit the home run that propelled the Los Angeles Dodgers to victory in Game Three.
Freddie (wearing jersey #5 in the image above) actually has dual American/Canadian citizenship and his parents were both born here in our fine province of Ontario; his dad from Windsor and his mom from Peterborough.
Go Jays Go for tonight's Game Four!
Thanks for checking in on this blog entry!
Pic of me taken during one of the many "Movember" cancer fundraisers over the years when men grew moustaches to raise awareness for the cause.
And...here's a rather clean-shaven Freddie himself with big smile aboard!
I trust everyone is keeping their passion for trains well-oiled in this off-season.
More updates will come your way over time.
We are the OVGRS of Ottawa, Ontario, Canada
