North Dover B&M Crew Assembles Traffic for B&M Train MP3

Local Crew Blocks Traffic For Next Train 

In my previous post, I shared with you how Train MP3 was being readied at Lowell Junction.

That train will arrive North Dover later in the morning.  

The North Dover crew must assemble traffic for MP3 before its arrival.

To view the images in a larger format, click on the picture.
To return to the default page, click outside the image.

The switching orders above pertain to the crew stationed at North Dover.  They will search the yard for the two cars required for the next outbound train.  Outbound, in B&M parlance, means the train is  travelling"outward" or "away" from Boston.  It is for this reason, the town crew will block these two cars and deposit them to the outbound end of the yard for ease of pickup by the crew aboard MP3.

They will conduct their work aboard B&M Alco product number 1170.

Our switching orders tell us that two cars will be lifted by MP3 today.  A quick search of the yard tells us that both cars are on the north siding, quite a distance from each other.  We spot one of the lifts for the train, this Nickel Plate gon.

As well as this 50' Grand Trunk Western boxcar..

Our switch engine is on the south siding.

So, the crew will pull out onto the main.

In front of the station.

They will head to the outbound end of the yard because they will want to place their traffic to the outbound end of the north siding.  They do this as train MP3 is an outbound train.

They round the big curve in town.

Nearing the outbound end of the yard.

The crew approaches Boundary Road.

They cross the road where they will take the turnout onto the north siding.

Now on the north siding, they pull the long cut of cars from the siding.  That GTW is one of their lifts, but it is not the deepest in the cut so they won't worry about it yet.

Aha!  The NKP gon.  Now the crew can stop their train.

They make the cut.

The locomotive now is across the Salmon River and in the state of Maine.

While their traffic is still in New Hampshire.

With clearance from dispatch, they push their furthest lift onto the main and leave it there.

They return across Boundary Road to shove the other traffic back onto the north siding.

Make the cut at their second lift, the GTW 50' boxcar.

They've isolated their two cars.

Now they pull them back.

Straddling the Salmon River on Stanley Bridge they prepare to push the two cars back onto the north siding in town

.

The two cars are now deposited on the outbound end of the north siding where they will be an easy pick-up for train MP3 when it arrives heading outbound.

Thanks so much for checking in!

Mike Hamer, Ottawa, Ontario, Canada

Crew at Lowell Junction Blocks Traffic for Boston and Maine Outbound Manifest Freight MP3

Blocking Traffic In Staging

Boston and Maine RS2 #1503 is located at Lowell Junction at the duckunder entrance to the railroad room. 

 It is tasked with the job of blocking the cars for train MP3 that will be set out in North Dover later in the day

To view the images in larger format, click on the picture.

To return to the default page, click outside the picture..

Here are the switching orders for blocking Train MP3 at Lowell Junction on my layout.

Three cars must be located and blocked in the train after the fourth car.  We see that it's May 27, 1958, the day of my birth and we notice that Train MP3 will be travelling outbound.  It will have left Mechanicville, NY in the morning and arrive Portland, ME late in the afternoon with some stops en route.

They follow their orders in the yard and locate the cars required.

Building a model railroad in a room 11x13 means a host of compromises must be established,

The limitations of the room size require the main to be used as a yard lead.  No problem, though, as dispatch has indicated no trains arriving for some while, so the main effectively becomes part of the yard tracks for switching.

The three cars have been assembled on the siding destined for North Dover..

A Maine Central 40 boxcar.

An SBLK chemical car.  SBLK were the markings for a road a friend of mine modeled and operated here in Ottawa many years ago.

A B&M 40 foot boxcar rounds out the work here.

With the train now made up, the power for MP3 is brought to the yard.

Passing the tower that controls yard and mainline movements.

This trio of F-units back onto their train.

They await clearance out of the yard.

MP3's designation indicates that the train began its day in Mechanicville, NY and will end its run in Portland, Me.

Thanks for visiting my B&M/MEC layout!

All the best, Mike Hamer, Ottawa, Ontario, Canada

A Clipper Vessel Adds to the Scene Along the Salmon River

New Clipper Vessel

I haven't updated the blog in awhile, so here goes. 

 Here is a picture of a Clipper vessel I built a couple of years ago (from Model Tech Studios) and placed on the layout along the Salmon River near the legion hall. The model took some forty or so hours to complete.  It's a really nice addition to this waterfront scene and many visitors comment on the interesting look of this vessel with all its intricate rigging.

Here's a closer view of the area.  The Salmon River acts as a border between the state of Maine (to the left foreground) and the state of New Hampshire (to the right where the legion hall is located.  The structure was a scratchbuilt affair.  I really like the look of buildings that jut out over water along hillsides.

Thanks so much for checking in!

Mike Hamer, Ottawa, Ontario, Canada

Boy Scout Troupe Visits the Layout

Local Boy Scout Troupe Pays a Visit

A musician friend of mine is a Boy Scout leader and he asked me if I could host his troupe.  There's no better way to promote the hobby than to have a group of youngsters visit to run the trains in my book!

It's always fun to host visitors to my model railroad, and recently a group of local scouts and cubs wanted to come by. These young lads are very enthusiastic to learn about model trains. I enjoyed a fun visit. 

The boys enjoyed viewing the layout, and each lad was given the opportunity to run a train into North Dover, blow the horn at the crossings and use the bell in the yard. They also switched out a local industry as they teamed up to be part of the North Dover engine crew.

One lad found interest in the smaller of locomotives, the 44-tonner. He was impressed that such a little engine could pull a cut of cars...indeed it is the "little engine that could"!

Another lad was given the throttle as a crewman on the Maine Central. We see his train arriving Boundary Road on the outskirts of North Dover.

A couple of the Scouts crewed the North Dover switcher, Alco 1170. Here we see them heading into the siding at Haney Fuels to lift a tank car.

A great time was had by all as evidenced in this picture with many smiling faces!

Scenes From an Ops Session

Views from an Ops Session

The following pics were snapped during a recent operating session.

This shot was taken during a recent ops session.  A crew is working the yard at the duckunder portion of the layout.  The RS2 is blocking traffic in a long cut of cars and when the work is finished, the FT  pair trio-ed with a Boston and Maine F2 will be hostled on to the train for its run into North Dover and beyond.

The units are now on the train and the whistle has blown.  Shortly she'll be on her way.  This is the view from the entrance to the room.  These are the staging tracks that surround the layout.

A lower angled view at the same location.  Because these were staging tracks, I originally was not going to scenic them.  However, when I refurbished my crew lounge, I chose to do so as this area is what you see when you look over to the layout room from the lounge.

Here is an interesting shot taken from one of the corner access areas in the layout room.  You can see the train progressing on the ouside staging track.  Note how the staging surrounds the layout!

The train has exited the tunnel under the main street of town and will soon arrive the station platform in North Dover.  Oops, I'll have to adjust the front coupler on the diesel locomotive!  Yikes!

An aerial shot of the same location.  This scene is reminiscent of a similar one located in Bellow's Falls, Vermont.

Great to have you pay a visit!

Mike Hamer, Ottawa, Ontario, Canada

The Duckunder Section of My Layout

The Duckunder

This image above shows the staging area on the crew lounge side of the duckunder area of my Boston and Maine layout.  

This image above shows the staging area on the crew lounge side of the duckunder area of my Boston and Maine layout.  The two tracks to the right can be used to stage two trains or they can be used as a small yard to make up trains.  This allows a crew to have more work rather than simply take a staged train out on its mission.  The interlocking tower is an American Model Builders craftsman kit.

This "going-away" shot with the FT's shows B&M train MP3 (Mechanicville - Portland) traversing the diamond with the Maine Central.  This scene is located right above my duckunder on the layout room side of the duckunder.  The MEC track is a dummy track serving as a scenic element.  The interlocking tower is a plaster craftsman kit.

Nice to have you pay a visit!

All the best, Mike Hamer, Ottawa, Ontario, Canada

Car Loads Along the B&M

Carloads Along the Boston and Maine

There are many types of rolling stock that carry loads that can be seen by the railfan trackside.

 Above we have an elevated view of the Conley Lumber and Coal facility where a loaded hopper has just arrived and will be unloaded using the conveyer system just in view to the right.

During a train operating session, the Conley crew returns an empty hopper to North Dover where the North Dover crew will provide an "assist" as the two crews exchange the empty for a load. I enjoy watching as two crews work cooperatively to move freight along the system.

Here is an interesting load. Trevor Marshall made this flatcar model with its load of tractors which soon will be offloaded via the team track. A team track is such a valuable industry on any model railroad as a great variety of freight cars can be spotted beside the elevated ramp.

Flatcar loads are always fascinating to me. This Northern Timber Company flat was a gift from my good friend, Jacques Thuot. Jacques' layout has been featured in Model Railroader as well as Great Model Railroads!

Railfans along the Boston and Maine are pleasantly surprised when they spot an unusual car carrying an interesting load nestled in the consist of a long manifest freight and this B&M well bottom flatcar is no exception.

Wonderful to have you pay a visit!

All the best, Mike Hamer, Ottawa, Ontario, Canada

School Kids Visit Mr. Hamer's Model Railroad

My Students Pay a Visit With Their Families

At the end of every school year, I invite my students and their families to visit the model railroad.

 I fly the train banner outside the house as a landmark to make it easier for them to locate my house along the street. To say the least, the kids are thrilled to visit their teacher's home with their moms and dads and siblings.

Each student is given the opportunity to run a train around the layout. They learn to bring the train slowly into the station on a slow order and they learn how to blow the horn as a warning of the approaching train and to ring the bell in yard limits as a safety procedure.

I ask each student to bring the train to a stop at specific intervals so that I can instruct them about the different types of rolling stock. The parents take great interest in this as well.

They learn to blow two longs, a short and a long through the road crossings. Moms and dads (and some grandparents as well) are amazed at the level of detail...as many think that when they bring the kids over, they are probably going to see a model railroad on a 4x8 sheet of plywood.

Each child is given the opportunity to board the switcher and perform some rudimentary switching moves at the local industries.

Moms are just as keen as dads and the girls are as thrilled as the boys to run the trains. Each visitor signs the guestbook and I provide a lovely photograph from the layout for each visitor. Here we see two families with the moms. Dads come too, but they aren't as pretty as the moms! (big grin) While each group waits in the crew lounge for their turn in the layout room, I offer many model railroad magazines for them to peruse and there is a railroad DVD on the big television.

Yes, it is as much a thrill for me as it is for my visitors. I strongly encourage anyone with a layout to offer an open house for young people. After all, they are the future of the hobby!

Thank you for following along!

All the best, Mike Hamer, Ottawa, Ontario, Canada

Centerfold Boy!

I was thrilled to learn that my layout wound be featured in the 2010 version of the NMRA calendar, Canadian edition. 

The image shows Maine Central train #391, The "Oil Can" crossing Boundary Road on its approach to North Dover yard limits. The flare on the locomotive headlight is purely accidental. I took the shot with an ordinary point and shoot camera and the Athearn Genesis F-Unit has such a bright headlight! Yup, I am Mr. Month of May (which happens to be my birthday month). Two good friends, Chris Lyon (Mr. August) and Trevor Marshall (Mr. September) also appear in the calendar. To say the least, this was a big thrill for me as I am just a big kid at heart!