Fun With Friends Operating the Layout
Haven't posted here in quite a while as I've been busy keeping the Friday Night Group weblog updated each week after our train sessions. Check that blog out at www.fridaynightgroup.blogspot.com where you'll see many of the other fine layouts I operate on in the Ottawa region!
Just last evening I had my good buddy (and original Friday Night Group member) Marty Phillips in town for a visit. Fifteen lads descended the basement stairs to run trains and what a fun session we enjoyed. I brought out the Bluebirds from the display case for "old time's sake" and Marty really enjoyed seeing them run!
Here we catch a glimpse of the Bluebirds in care of train N2, "The Newsboy" as it traverses the New England River bridge. The train will enter Marshall Cut and will soon be in range of North Dover.
Bluebirds 1746 and 1701 are spotted exiting the inbound end of Marshall Cut at milepost 39. "The Newsboy" is a train laden with newsprint for Boston. Judging by the murky nature of the water, there'll be no swimming today!
A railfan trackside has spotted the train piercing the rock cut out by the Conley Lumber and Coal spur. The crew will duck under the Howard Street overpass and will meet a Maine Central Train at the interlocking tower.
The Boston and Maine train has superiority here as it crosses the diamond with the Maine Central. The crew aboard MEC train #390 has been holding the interlocking for some time now. The B&M will have siding priviliges in North Dover.
Another aerial shot shows the train crossing the Salmon River on the outskirts of town. Making the crossing, the crew leaves the state of Maine and enters into New Hampshire where they will shortly traverse Boundary Road.
This photograph was taken from the Main Street on the upper level of town in North Dover looking down on the station tracks. Train N2 will drop off a cut of cars to the north siding (at the right) and will lift an assigned block as well. Those tankcars resting on the south siding (to the left) will be exchanged with the Maine Central.
After the Boston and Maine crew depart town, the Maine Central train is granted traffic rights into the station. Here they will exchange some tankcars already in view along the south siding.
Wow! What's wrong with this picture!? Why...it's "Back to the Future" time! Look closely and you'll see what I mean!
Here's an interesting perspective of the train as it slows to a crawl near the station. The cars on the south siding to the left will be lifted by the crew and some others will be dropped.
Looking down the length of the track in North Dover we see the large Phillips Furniture Factory in the distance. I hope you have enjoyed the pics of these two trains...showing but a fraction of all trains run during the session last night.
I'll close with these two pictures taken of a bunch of the lads in the crew lounge. That's Chris looking up at the camera with Joel and Bob sharing the sofa. Fred, Peter and Rick are off in the distance on the other sofa. That's the back of Jim's head sitting on the church pew!
Peter and Fred seem to be enjoying themselves as well. Peter is another B&M modeller in the group and he models the Peterboro Branch of the B&M in steam days with those beautiful 2-6-0 Moguls!
Thanks for checking in!
Mike Hamer, Ottawa, Ontario, Canada
