We Continue to Remember

We Continue to Remember

With four days remaining until Remembrance Day we continue to devote our attention to the men and women who left their homes and families to fight for freedom.

While many did return home, a good deal did not.

And, for those that did, they were often scarred for life from the experience.

We continue to honour them through these blog entries.

Now that I am retired after 40 years of teaching, I think back fondly to my favourite week in school...the week leading up to Remembrance Day.

I would integrate the theme of remembrance across all areas of the curriculum, including art.

My teacher colleagues throughout the school would do the same.

The students enjoyed cutting up the foam from a standard egg carton and painting it red with a black or dark green center which acted as the flower for the poppy, our symbol of remembrance.

They took pride in displaying their artwork along one of the main hallways in the school.

Each class in the school was asked to make a 'class wreath' which they laid at the front of the assembly when we gathered on the actual day of remembrance to commemorate the men and women who gave so much so we could grow up and prosper in a free nation.

I have always applauded our province of Ontario as it is one of a handful of provinces that have children attend school on Remembrance Day.

If they stayed home as a holiday from school, many younger students would see staying home as just that; a fun holiday.  They may not necessarily be encouraged to acknowledge this special day for its importance - as is done under the guidance of the staff at the school.

And...as I stated before in an earlier entry, we are thankful that we can enjoy the many freedoms we have...and that includes gathering with friends to share common interests in a peaceful nation.

When I first joined the OVGRS (Ottawa Valley Garden Railway Society) I did not own any locomotives.

Both Fred and Doug loaned me either steam or diesel locomotives to run - be it during a standard gauge operations where the diesels ruled the roost or the narrow gauge sessions where steam created a 'gleam' in this railfan's eyes.

Here I am powering through the Fred Mills trestle about to lean into the big curve at Lilly aboard Doug's AB tandem of F-units.

Thanks Fred & Doug for your kind offer of locomotives to run in my first season with the group!

I remember the joy I experienced when Father Fred sold me this 4-6-0 steamer which Gordie Bellamy lettered for me and Chris Lyon weathered so magnificently!

My lettering of the locomotive combined my passion for northeastern railroading and running trains at Fred's.

My steamer is the "Ironwood & New England" #27.

I was born on May 27th...thus the selection of the number!

This photo was taken of the Blockhouse siding that no longer is in existence.

Here we are back 11 years ago with Pat running his CP steam locomotive east hauling Passenger #2 bound for the terminal at Craig Leigh.

She's a beauty Pat!

We have an SPC steamer making headways atop the escarpment between Ironwood and St. Helens on the 7th of June in the year 2014.

We saw this puppy in a recent blog entry earlier in the week!

She is actually lettered for the Rat Portage & Mattawa Railway! 😀😁😀

My westbound train holds the main as an eastbound steers into the siding at Peter's Pond.

Indeed...train meets are always exciting occasions for railfans!

Aha!  A BC Rail RDC!  Lovely!

This 2-6-0 held down the job in Firgrove back in the day!

Golding Grains remains at this location to this day in Rat Portage although other industries have cropped up adjacent to the facility including a turntable created by Lawrence Watkins.

Normand has paid a visit to the layout as Henk and he look on at the proceedings off in the distance at Craig Leigh.

Moe & Fred join the party!

Note that the Northland Ore Dock is yet to be built by Bernie & Fred.

Lawrence is about to depart Firgrove with his beloved B&O road switcher.

Video taken of Lawrence & Paul up in Firgrove.

Henk & Ken enjoy many stories and much laughter during one of our invasion days.

They are working down in Rat Portage at the moment.

RIP Ken!

Fun video reels down in Rat Portage!

Andy was around at the time of our earlier invasions and his Bluestone Southern GP38-2 #421 attests to the fact.

We now miss Andy as well.

A rather short video view.

Andy has come off the Nelson Yard bypass track with his train having originated in Glen Hammond.

Bypass video.

He reaches the bottom of Clarke Grade.

His power will handle the incline with extra to spare as found in this video effort!

This image showcases how much Spruce has changed over the years.

You can spot the dragon that protects the town to the upper right as shared with you in an earlier blog entry.

Video taken at Spruce Curve.

Green, green...it's green they say...on the far side of the hill.

I think the song went something like that!  💚👽💚

Green screen video!

The passenger run makes a stop at Bellamy.

Bellamy station video.

My train makes headways uphill into Spruce with the 'hens & chickens' hanging out trackside!

Video of the climb up the grade to the west of Spruce.

We find that lovely Ontario Northland diesel climbing out from 'The Corners' at the location where the Wellington Lake spur exists today.

The train pulls in on Track 4 at Bell while an 'older cousin' awaits clearance out from Bell off Track 3.

Malcolm is kneeling down while Doug heads back into his dispatch hut in the distance.

The train runs long hood forward on its return journey east.

The crew is spotted at the location we now refer to as Hayes' Falls.

We are now one season later and we're near the end of that season judging by the jacket Bernie is wearing.

Indeed...it is the 10th of October, 2015.

Note how we have extended the siding along the fence in the year 2015!

This was Chris Lyon's idea...a brilliant one that has improved trains ops through that region of the railway line.

A different Chris...along with Malcolm work Ironwood with its lesser number of tracks back then.

Let's head back in time to June of 2015 as I haul my train into Spruce with its overgrown right of way!

Here we are in Spruce with the older version of Cedar Rock across the way near the top of the image.

I think Prince sang a song about the colour purple.

Indeed the foliage has flowered beautifully!

A bunch of us visited Doug Matheson's Northland Ontario layout in 2015.

It interchanges traffic with the IPP&W in Craig Leigh at the Northland Interchange track.

The grey CP reefer to the immediate right is currently residing on the Northland Interchange track in Craig Leigh on the IPP&W.

It will (theoretically) reach Doug's home line later in the early afternoon hours.

Doug's railroad is established in a beautiful woodlawn setting.

Lovely Doug!

It's August 15th, 2015 back at Fred's property where we find Lela & Chris working the sidings at St. Helens.

A week earlier on the 8th of August I hung out in the dispatcher's cabin.

Lots of fun that is!!!  You've gotta try it out!

It's a colourful array of freight cars that are found in Douglas Yard at Craig Leigh on this fine summer's morning in 2015.

Later in the early fall Steve & Seanna are dressed for the occasion!

Yup...you might say it's a tad nippy out!

But a bit of cool temperatures do not deter the crew as the railroad comes alive each Saturday morning!

"Father Fred & Friends" is a nice caption for this photo!

Thank you for checking in on this third entry around the theme of remembrance.

May we all take a moment out of our busy lives to recognize the importance of remembering those who gave it all for us.

We are the OVGRS of Ottawa, Ontario, Canada

May we never forget.

May we always remember.