Yes, it’s that time of the year…our Canadian Thanksgiving weekend is on October 11th, 12th, and 13th. This is the usual end to our “Every Saturday” operating season on the IPP&W.

We still are open to run trains if the weather is favourable, but most of us are not much into freezing our extremities, or getting cold and wet in the usual Fall weather.

We are closed on the holiday weekend as most people are enjoying a family gathering, or are off visiting.

The Saturday after Thanksgiving can be a “Run-what-you-brung” day if anyone wants to join in, and the weather co-operates.

This past season has seen some very exceptional operations. We seem to have prevented most derailments, due to our very stable roadbed and close adjustments to all wheelsets for gauge. We have also been doing an on-going project of rebuilding all Aristo wide radius switches. The lack of derailments is in spite of the fact that we do extensive switching during our operations.
Again, I must stress the importance of a stable roadbed for the track, which prevents most operating and running problems. You just can’t go “Cheap” on roadbed, without a lot of frustration.

The Fall and Winter open the door to a very important part of any operation.
It’s the time to spend a lot of effort checking the rolling stock.
Rolling stock is a great part of any frustration during operations, if you don’t maintain it properly.
Have you checked the wheel gauge on all your cars ? Are you finally standardized on one make of coupler so that all cars and locos can fit ito the overal operation ? Have you checked the couplers for missing springs, height, and freedom of movement ?
Have all your locos and cars been lubricated properly ?
We usually spend the Winter replacing broken or missing parts on all rolling stock, and checking all these things. It’s also the time to check those cars that seem to keep rocking like an old maid in a rocking chair. It’s usually an easy fix, of making a better “Three point” adjustment to the body bolsters on most cars.

Winter is also a great time to finally get rid of truck mounted couplers and convert to body mounts. This is sure to improve those back-up moves you seem to try to avoid, until forced into the situation in a true operation.

Winter is also the time to sit in front of a warming fire with good holy water, and friends; to plan the new year’s operation and maintenence programme. The planning should include finding ideas for enhancing the trackage, or just plain fixing a switch or two that keeps giving problems. Maybe also adding that industry, and additional sidings. It’s a great time to build buildings too…

I hope this long note gives everyone motivation and ideas for a good healthy Fall, and Winter, and a great hope for a great new operating year.

Sniff! Brings a lump in my throat, but that is probably just from an allergy. Here’s to next Summer, may we enjoy all of it and the time between now and then.

Sounds good Fred. Sorry to hear winter comes so early up your way. We are just now starting to feel the cold, but its supposed to warm a bit this week.

I’ve got plenty to do on the Indoor division this winter. Besides car maintenance, I need to add several sidings. My recent attempts at more formalized operations have proven that I am very short of yard space. What I really need is engine storage. Too many locos

I might even resurrect my idea for a vertical transfer table - or car elevator, to feed storage shelves above and below roadbed height.

Every once and a while I enjoy running in the cold. November is a great month here for live steam. Cold enough for nice steam plumes, but not so cold as to have fuel or frozen finger trouble. Once the snow falls I’ll run the plow out on the line for a bit of fun, but I don’t think I’d attempt any switching outdoors. That is what’s nice about having some stuff indoors near a nice warm gas stove. That is if I can afford to by Propane this winter.

Stay warm, and well. Theres still at least a few months before full hibernation time.

Say it with me…“See the On30…touch the On30…the On30 is goooooooood…”

Sorry - with my eyesight I can’t see the On30

I’d love to join the mantra, Bart. Unfortunately, it’s been superseded by “See the ‘honey-do’ list… touch the ‘honey-do’ list… FINISH the ‘honey-do’ list from last winter, or you’re not buyin’ another train.”

Speaking of which, I must be off to finish clearing the basement so the contractors can start.

Later,

K

The one On30 pike that we were working on around here has been struck with an early demise. Paul Norton thinks his 20 year old house is too old and he is selling, and moving to a new one.
His basement is where the pike was.
No-one else has stepped up to the plate and offered it a home. I have about a half dozen cars on that pike, which will make their way back here. They have been offered a home over in the abbey of the Archie Bishop of Winchester, young Deryck Coleman, a true Branch Railroadian. I just have to package them and convince Canada Post that they shouldn’t cost more than they are worth to ship across the briney deep…!!!

So that leaves me with an On30 Connie, never out of her box, and one scale less to operate in the winter during partial hibernation. I still have the gigantic Eastern Ontario HO pike of Tom Hood’s, and the large Sn3, RGS pike of Bill Scobie’s to keep me from total hibernation. Both are being operated once or twice a month, and have get-togethers once a week.
A few of the guys that operate, and work on those two pikes during the winter, also find fun and operation on our Large Scale IPP&W, during the Summer. I still have the best of all worlds at my finger tips, year around. On30 is a fine scale, but I’m afraid I won’t see any serious effort around here, to build a pike in that scale.

It is sad to hear that the Norton Empire is moving and abandoning that On30 right of way. That shelf railroad had great potential and I know provided a great amount of joy when being built. Things always change and we must learn to adjust. Long live the Norton Empire.

Guess thats the price you pay for living in the cold country. Boy I’d get board if I could not run 365 days a year. Just don’t get snookered while waiting for spring. Later RJD

Wishing all Canadian railroaders a Happy Thanksgiving. I hope the weather as as good as it is here in the UK - like a summers day here.

Providing we are all spared for a while yet, and if the global warming pundits are correct, you will soon be running most of the year.

said:
Wishing all Canadian railroaders a Happy Thanksgiving. I hope the weather as as good as it is here in the UK - like a summers day here.

Lovely warm weather this weekend :D -- the summer we didn't get in May, June, July or most of August ...