An E&N "Two Dog Night!"

Eleven lads descended Jim's basement stairs to partake in a great train ops session on the E&N Railroad depicting rail activity on Vancouver Island. Crews could sign up for a number of jobs which varied greatly. Train #2 began the session, the Nanaimo to Victoria passenger service with stops at Ladysmith and Chemainus. A couple of "Shawnigan Lake Lumber Co." jobs were offered...one being the run up to the mine and the log show, both areas under varying degrees of development. Another assignment was the "Ladysmith Transfer Wharf and Industry Switcher" with a morning shift and a "later in the day" shift. For those who like hauling freight and stopping along the route to exchange traffic, two trains were available, Extra #8008 and #8012, the northbound and southbound E&N freights . Indeed, Jim's handlaid track and turnouts look beautiful and the trains run very well. Jim, you should be a proud layout papa!



Stan and Mike M. are enjoying a story or two as Mike prepares to place some cars he has brought along for the session (which was greatly appreciated by Jim). Note the mountain forms developing in the background behind the lads.

This peninsula serves as both north and south terminal points on the layout...Nanaimo and Victoria. When you leave the yard northbound traffic turns right and southbound traffic proceeds on the straight by staying left. The track to the right in the immediate foreground is a new escape track allowing locomotives to head to the soon to be developed turntable and roundhouse. That's Rick and Jim on the left and John on the right with Joel and Bob far off in the background. Jim tells us he will be extending the peninsula to increase yard capacity here.

Jim is practising his painting techniques thanks to Chris's influence. He did this wall section all on his own. Looks like Jim's developing those necessary painting skills and the rest of the layout should follow suit...although the high hills and mountains won't leave too much of a canvas for this eager Fogg!

Here's the new turntable pit. It is yet to be wired, but we used it manually to turn locomotives byphysically pushing them onto the table...fun just the same!

Jim thinks highly of his visitors and so he places images of what his coal mine area will look like when complete.

I've brought the camera angle back to show you the yard at Chemainus and the Bright Mine. The track in the foreground heads out of the image to the lower right towards the log dump. After the track enters the upper of the two tunnels it continues to climb up to the logging camp.

Speaking of dogs, yes...it was a "Two Dog Night" as Jim and his wife, Pat...had these two train buffs delivered for the session. Their son needed them "dogsat" for a couple of days and the canine couple seemed to enjoyed the company of those weirdos known as the "Friday Nighters!"