Monday - still heading home

OK I wasn't going to post the pics from Monday, as we woke up to totally overcast and dark skies. However,  someone on FB requested that I post them, so here they are.  The rain held off while we were in Englehart, but just after leaving and getting ready to photograph 214, it really started to rain and got even darker.

Power for today's SB 214, ONR 1733 and 1730; a decent lashup. Now if that rain would only hold off

Maybe this is the power for the SB train...not to be

Northbound  coming into Englehart with 2103 leading.

Earlton - OK it's dark, rainy and railfanning is over for the day. 

Sunday - Time to head our separate ways

Sunday morning starts with breakfast at the nearby Husky station and then it's time to pack the cars and head back to our respective homes.  It was great seeing everyone again and I look forward to the next convention, which Peter plans to announce and share some details in the coming weeks/months as things firm up.

So while no trains were moving in Hearst, Mike had provided us information that the ditcher would again be working the Kapuskasing Sub, and we were able to find it watering down the loads just outside of Val Rita before heading to its next location to dump some ballast.

ONR 1802 leaving Val Rita and headed for Hearst with fresh ballast.

Adding ballast and watering the loads at Val Rita.

After leaving the ditcher, we were once again headed for Kap, as we knew that 313 had been called for 1100 out of Cochrane and would be making it's way towards us.

#313 crossing the Buskegau River ? outside of Hunta

After shooting the 313, it was time for another quick refueling stop for some lunch and then we were headed south again, our destination for today being a room in Englehart.  We wanted to check out the condition of the former paper plant at Iroquois Falls.  After approximately a years worth of work, this is what it looks like. Paper machine rollers scattered about and lots of concrete and steel rubble.

Former paper mill at Iroquois Falls

Abandoned engine house (tracks were on the other side)

Note rollers and other parts of the paper machine in the right side of photo

Arrival in Englehart late in the afternoon and no power visible in the Yard.

Monday saw the three of us leaving Englehart and chasing the SB 214 freight towards North Bay.  However, the weather didn't want to cooperate and the skies opened up, so after some quick shots at Earlton, we headed the Prius southward.  Arrival in Mentor at about 1045 and Vermilion 0000.  So a long week of driving and shooting trains, but well worth it and it was great to hand out with everyone for a few days.

Saturday Convention Activities

Saturday sees the convention attendees getting up and heading to Kap for a tour of the paper mill.  Great tour, however, they did ask that we restrict the amount of photos and not post photos from inside the mill to the web.  Therefore in order to abide by this request, I have only posted photos of the rail power and views from the public streets.

Blue skies and a nice sunrise are always a good start. Some foreign power arrived in the middle of the night.

Some MOW action outside of Hearst

Tembec paper mill main gate at Kapuskasing

Ex-ONR 1600, now a leased unit serving the mill

#168 sitting out in the weeds

Old Spruce Falls switcher #108 in the shops

Sunset in Hearst

Demonstrating the latest in railfan technology, Mike gets his drone ready for a demo flight in the parking lot of the motel

After a sunset flight over the Hearst mill, master drone operator Mike Robins readies his drone for landing.

Visit to the Hearst Sawmill museum and interesting discussion of history and transportation politics in the north with our hosts.

Friday Convention Posting

2017 Hearst Convention - Officially Day 1

Waking up to a cloudy day that turns quickly into a great sunrise

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Tour of the Cochrane shops

Otter Rapids dome car

Re-building passenger car 650

Passenger car 650 interior

Engines 1603 and 1601

General view of the shop floor

Ever wonder what it takes to keep the maintenance are clean?

After returning to Hearst for dinner, the group got together for a presentation by Bram Bailey and discussion of some group business.  Bram's presentation was about railfanning in cottage country and showed a progression through time of various locations on the ONR, CPR and CN.  Bill Woods also brought some fantastic models that he has built, including the canoe car and a wood chip hopper.  There were several more but these were the only ones I got photos of.  Thanks for sharing Bill.

ONR Convention 2017 - Thursday

After arriving in Englehart yesterday, our plans were to railfan our way to Hearst, arriving just before the dinner with other convention attendees.  So were up early enough to catch the morning lineup, and meet with Peter Ross as he stopped by the station.  Our plan was to see what was moving in Englehart, and get to Cochrane in time to catch the 313 departing for Hearst.

Bill Woods, Bram Bailey and Peter Ross checking out the action in Englehart

Train 214 - departing 0900 for North Bay

The chase begins as 313 departs approximately 1130 for Hearst.  Some quick planning and were off.

Train 313 leaving Cochrane

While there are several great locations to catch 313, we plan our first for Poplar Rapids. Lots of growth at track level so Bram and I make our way through the brush to catch it close to water level.

#313 across the Poplar Rapids bridge

#313 crossing the Groundhog River bridge at Fauquier

#313 at Moonbeam

A little post production by Bram and we get a true flying saucer pacing the 313.  Those two green guys staring out the lower windows were railfanning as well.

New leased switcher at Tembec's Kapuskasing paper mill; ex-ONR 1600

#313 crossing the Kapuskasing River while switching

#313 departing Kapuskasing

         

Wednesday Activities

Wednesday - ONR Convention T-2 Days

This blog starts the travels of two Ohio railfans and one Niagara Falls fan as we head northward for the 2017 convention.  We start our trip early, let's just say 0-dark early on Wednesday.  Bram departs his Vermilion home at just about 0001 Wednesday and picks me up on the eastern side of Cleveland shortly after 0100. A quick load of the Prius and were headed east towards Buffalo and then Niagara Falls.  Bill Woods joins us at about 0430 from his home in Niagara Falls and we're again headed towards the traffic of Toronto and destinations northward.  Luckily even though the traffic is heavy, we sneak past all of those busy commuters as the Prius hugs the HOV lane and we hit the 400 northward just around 0600.  A quick bite at the McD in Barrie and we're again in the car and headed towards Washago and our first and really only train of the day.  Green light showing at Washago, although very overcast and no real shot to be had between the clouds and the overgrowth.  So we we watch CN 3101, a long stack train, rumble through on its way southward before we're back and heading north on Rt. 11.

A bit of a stop at Bracebridge for Bram to shoot some of the downtown businesses, the location of the old station and and old industry location.  All are for reference purposes and Bram will be glad to tell all of his new expansion plans for the layout.

Another stop at the former CP station and now hobby store in North Bay to admire all of the products on display before we make a quick lunch stop and head towards Englehart.   Of course, another stop is needed in Temagami to check out the station and art display that's on hand.  Unfortunately the Bee appears to be permanently closed, so it's a good thing we grabbed lunch in North Bay.

Unfortunately our arrival in Englehart by mid-afternoon sees us finding no trains or action.  However, the 701 steam engine is looking fantastic since the last time I saw her, complete with new paint job. After walking around and shooting some photos of log cars, we find an ONR employee who tells us that the Rouyn-Norando train should be headed back later in the afternoon.  So we adapt and check into the motel and grab some Subway before heading to Kirkwood Lake and a previously done photo stop just at the Ontario-Quebec line.  After 90 minutes of so of battling the deer flies and lengthening shadows, we decide to call it and head back.  A check of our string marker near the crossing by the hospital confirms that somehow we missed that train.  It's been a long day, so we head back to the motel and shut-eye.  Hopefully tomorrow will see us finding some rail action.

2017 ONRH&TS Convention Preview

Follow along as the guys from Ohio (plus one Niagara Falls attendee) make the trek to northern Ontario and this years version of the ONRH&TS convention.  This blog will try to keep a running tab on railfanning and convention activities as we go through the week.

The Bailey Prius mobile departs Vermilion at 0001 dark Wednesday and travels eastward to pick me up around 0130 before we head towards the Peace Bridge and hopefully reach Toronto early enough to avoid the daily traffic snarls.  Along the way we will add Bill Woods in Niagara Falls to our Prius seating and depending on what is moving, probably will spend the night in Englehart.  A side trip to Bracebridge along the way may be in order if the weather cooperates, as Bram would like to get some building shots for a potential expansion project to the layout.  But I'l let Bram fill you in on those plans at the convention.  On Thursday we plan to chase our way to Hearst, making our arrival in time for the group dinner.

Current plans are:

Friday - tour the Cochrane shops
Satursday - tour the paper mill at Kap
Sunday/Monday - travel day home (although the OH car will be railfanning along the way so it takes us two days to get back)

So stay tuned to this blog for updates and some photos.  Photo bag is packed and batteries charged.  Extra radio is also in the bag and ready to catch some ONR action.  The weather forecast looks good and I'm really looking forward to touring the paper mill and maybe getting some new ideas so that I can finish my own paper mill modeling project.