HOTRAK - A Triple Play

HOTRAK - A Triple Play

Indeed this is the third installment of images and videos from my recent visit to Ottawa's HO Modular Group HOTRAK.

They were set up in the Canadian Museum of Science & Technology throughout December and into early January.

I have already met a number of my neighbours and also some of my friends in my music circles who had visited the setup or who had relatives who did so.

We thank all HOTRAK members for being such great ambassadors for our hobby of model railroading and model train operations.

This Ontario Northland train is leaving one season for another as the crew departs the Valleyfield bridge and enters a winter scene.

 We catch up with the train later as it passes through Mason Creek.

The crew has just crossed the Rideau River and will be in Algonquin Park in short order.

One aspect of modular setups I enjoy is that you may find equipment from any of the rail eras and from locations near and far.

These two specimens managed to catch my eye!

In my visits to HOTRAK throughout the years I have always been impressed with the Jackfish Bay modules.

These modules depict the real Jackfish Bay located on the north shore of Lake Superior in Northern Ontario.

To get there in real time you would have to reach Thunder Bay and then travel another 250 kms northeast before reaching your destination.

Environmental concerns over pollution from the pulp mill in Terrace Bay allowed Jackfish Bay to be designated as an 'Area of Concern' (AOC) back in 1987 (and re-designated as such in 2011) under the Canada-U.S. Great Lakes Water Quality Agreement.

I'm happy to say that the environment around the bay is benefitting handsomely from the actions taken due to this designation and the area is very much in recovery mode as I type this.

Here is an area where environmental concerns are not necessary as the waters are very much free of pollution. 

The photographer is standing on a bluff at Wolf Creek.

Now...this module called Still Water tells an entirely different story...heh heh!

It is most humorous with the tank car having gone off the rails into the small lake.

Note the people clambering atop the upper end of the car.

Yes, humorous scenes do abound on modular layouts to entertain the visitors!

I snapped this image way back in January of 2015 when HOTRAK would set up at St. Anthony's Soccer Club in the main dining hall for a weekend each year.

Now...if folks viewing that particular 'tank car in water' HO module say that something to that effect does not happen...well, in reality, it does...even though the railroads do everything in their power to prevent such accidents.

In the above image I am in the dome of the Park Car on the rear of 'The Canadian' traveling across the country from Toronto to Vancouver.

We are rounding a bend in the tracks at Lake Wabamun, 60 kms outside of Edmonton, Alberta heading west.

Moments later our train begins to slow to a crawl.

I am surprised and shocked at what I see.

Yes...the aftermath of a real train derailment!

Note the rail car in the lake...similar to what you saw on the HOTRAK module...although a different type of freight car!

Eight days before I passed this point aboard my train, in the early hours of August 3rd, 2005, 43 cars from a CN freight train derailed.

Oil and various other chemicals leached into the lake resulting in the evacuation of home owners and cottagers who lived nearby.

A 2007 Transportation Safety Board report found that a defective rail caused the train to leave the tracks. 

We spot some of the equipment involved in the clean-up.

Interestingly enough, a good friend of many of us here in Ottawa, Kenny King, was the engine driver of this train.

Of course, he was not at fault...but I'm sure the incident left him shaken.

Kenny resides in Alberta and has given presentations at our local model train conventions here in Ottawa in the past.

Hey, my OVGRS friend, Moe Cote, went to photoshop with the five earlier images and cleaned them up nicely as they appeared hazy like this version above.

I had taken all of the photos through the curved glass of the dome car!

Thanks Moe!

We have this aerial view of the disaster courtesy of CBC News.

Thankfully no one was injured or killed in this incident.

Over 800 000 litres of bunker oil and wood preservative ran into the lake...among various other chemicals.

Twenty years following the incident the lake was deemed clear of chemicals...but the residents in the area have always remained skeptical.

On a brighter note...the following summer my family took 'The Canadian' out west again where I was able to shoot this, my favourite image from the trip at Jasper.

We have my train, 'The Canadian' on the left with three power units on the headend.

A CN freight has just entered the yard in the opposing direction pulled by two locomotives.

In the distance is 'The Rocky Mountaineer' with an image of the mountains on the flanks of the second unit.

Of greater interest and serendipity, the image of the mountains on the second locomotive is a picture of the same mountains towering above the train off in the distance!

What luck...railfan Mike!

Feel free to click on the image to enlarge it.

Click outside the image to return to the default look of the page.

But...it's the variety of industries that make for creative scenes...and after all...without the railroads there would be little industry...and vice versa!

We are at Wilke's Crossing where a small brewery and foundry are located. 

This TH&B doodlebug managed to capture my attention.

Doug brought it out to take a spin around the layout.

Ah...here's a clearer view!

Now...if only we could leave winter behind as quick as Doug is doing in this image snipped from the up coming video!

Tangled in a web of fun!

We view Doug's seasonal 'magic trick' in this video footage taken at Valleyfield, Quebec.

Remember...to engage the video simply click on the white arrow in the middle two times slowly.

We see Dilip about to change the position of a turnout at Castor River.  

I'm presuming that Paul put together this digital assembly.

Nearby I spot this wonderful Canadian Pacific locomotive in the 'Support Our Troops' livery running along the main after exiting staging.

Wow!  This is one long train a-running as captured on video by Mike!

The long consist passes by Robin's diesel locomotive at Castor River.

Video action! 

Tom has taken to the wye at Hawthorne. 

A number of trains congregate in the vicinity as captured on video tape.

Indeed...I feel like I'm up in the Swiss Alps with David's train holding on the outer track from the station.

Train meet video occurrence.

David has cleared Valleyfield and heads on into the tunnel at Jackfish Bay.

With a short stop between the bridge girders 'here and there' for the tourists to snap images, the train will be on its way as seen in this video footage.  

With a few more 'sightseeing stops' en route, David drives his train through Spanish River and on into Wolf Creek.

Lovely scenery video.

Mark reaches speed out from Jackfish Bay and on through the Ontario countryside.

CN's prairie diesels do look nicely 'at home' in the province of Ontario as witnessed in this video effort.

Moments later an opposing train with similar locomotive in a slightly different costume takes to the main.

These GMD1's are fascinating to behold!

We catch the locomotive speeding on ahead in this video reel.

"I'd better stay with my train!" the engineer says to himself.

Exiting the tunnel into daylight!

More Jackfish Bay video work.

We appreciate the adhesion of the ship on the backdrop of this module dubbed the 'Annacis Auto Terminal'.

This shot was taken on the Freemo modules I believe.

The barge is loaded at Brighton Landing.

As viewed from a different angle.

You've got to appreciate that cool looking articulated bus...not to ignore the gorgeous steam locomotive!

Amtrak is keeping to schedule.

This means Josh must be around!

Hiding in the autumn colours!

 Over top the locks.

Around the bay!

Amtrak is on the move in this video sequence.

Hey...I found room for this Boston & Maine yard office on the inner side of the curved yard at North Dover on my HO scale home layout.

I spot outbound B&M manifest freight PM2 climbing the throttle as the train exits town past the yard office.

We witness video of the train's travel through the curved yard at North Dover.

Train PM2 left Portland, Maine earlier in the AM hours and will by-pass Boston westbound and arrive Mechanicville, New York by dinnertime.

The crew blows the crossing at Boundary Road on the outskirts of town.

Video action at the edge of town.

The crew passes the F.B. Hamer & Sons facility which you see flying the Ukrainian flag in support of our Ukrainian neighbours.

Video of Train PM2 about to cross the Salmon River which will take the crew out of the state of New Hampshire and into the state of Maine.

I leave you with this old-fashioned black and white image of Greg's train plying the rails in our grand province of Ontario.

I still have sufficient photos and videos to create yet another entry from my visit to HOTRAK.

That'll be for another day later on in the week.

All the best to all my train friends at both the OVGRS and at HOTRAK from all of us here in Ottawa, Ontario, Canada