Panarama Views of the LVN

Running Chris Lyon's LVN (Lyon Valley Northern) is always a blast as your trains traverse beautiful countryside scenes and huge industrial complexes.  The image above shows a lengthy coal drag passing behind the Glycol plant.  Photo Ron Newby.

Here is a similar shot taken at a slightly different angle without the coal drag.  Note the lovely lake in the foreground to the right.  Chris is an amazing backdrop painter and his work allows the layout to "go on forever".  Photo Ron Newby.

Here is the view at the bottom of the stairs when you enter the basement.  The container terminal is in the foreground to the left and the BNSF engine facilities are to the right.  Photo:  Chris Lyon

A closer look at the container terminal with the huge structures towering above in the background.  Chris has made great use of a central divider which offers a backdrop for a number of scenes.  Photo: Chris Lyon.

The large yard here offers long sidings for the many trains.  You can see the cut of coal cars on one of the back tracks.  Photo:  Chris Lyon.

BNSF Executive units haul the coal drag around the bend by the lake during an ops session.  Photo: Paul Smulders.

It's all smiles from Joel, Bob and me as the three of us take in the action in what looks to be a busy section of the layout.  Photo:  Paul Smulders.

Chris, the mastermind behind the layout, is observing the action in the distance while Ron and I check our train orders.  Monique is on a stepstool working the yard over by the grain silos.  Photo: Paul Smulders.

Chris shared this image with us of his Richmond Yard area.  This yard acts as a time saver, a clever inclusion into the overall train operating scheme.  It is challenging and rewarding!

Chris used spray bombs to help paint the large walls of his grain elevators.  He snapped this image in the middle of an ops session.

Paul Smulders snagged this shot of the coal drag passing the 3rd class Canadian Northern station I built for Chris.

Chris S. is working Richmond Yard as Joel is all smiles running the layout!  Photo:  Ron Newby.

Paul and I look over Chris's handiwork during a short break in the action.  Photo:  Fred Adams.

Across the lake we see some real beauties resting in the BNSF engnie shop in this photo taken by Chris of his layout.

This distant shot shows the size of the layout room with five of the many operators pictured in one shot. Photo:  Paul Smulders.

Chris snapped this photograph of the diesel engine idling beside CN Elsbeth Tower, named in honour of his daughter.

Chris also captured this shot of the Northern Alberta Railroad (NAR) diesel entering the diesel facility at Richmond Yard.

Paul Smulders was very impressed with Chris's magnificent mine complex and his photo can only capture a fraction of the entire facility.

Yes, you can plainly see that it's smiles everywhere whenever the Friday Night Crew runs trains.  Monique had camera in hand to get a shot of Fred, Bob and Joel kibitzing during the session.  While these images were taken at an earlier session, we will be visiting Chris's layout this coming Friday evening for more fun and camaraderie!

Jim McSherry's Vancouver Island Logging Railroad

This past Friday, the Friday Night Group met at Jim McSherry's Vancouver Island Logging Railroad currently under construction.  With most of the track work completed, full fledged operating sessions can be conducted.

Here is a log car on the log siding in Chemainus.  A single operator works the log dump.  Jim has been working on creating loads for these cars.

Jim uses pictures to aid with his modelling.  Here is an image of one of the trestles found on the island.  I have crossed this trestle when I visited the island a number of years ago.

Here is the curved trestle Jim created using the photograph as a reference.  It was a joy having my train step across this magnificent model.

The Bright Mine located on a mountain plateau.  Cars are marshalled for the mine in a yard located near Ladysmith on the railroad.

A Canadian Pacific switcher on duty in Ladysmith.  Bob and Doug worked the yard and facilities located here and they were kept busy throughout the evening.

An interesting looking crew car on a spur track located along an elevated section of the layout.  The area is Comox on the island.

The crew lounge is busy with five lads in conversation.  Another four are busy working the layout.  From left to right, we see Doug, Bob, David, Ron and Chris.

Fred is relaxing on the sofa in the lounge.  Later in the evening he'll run a train with me.  Fred is busy as a member on the organizing committee for our Ottawa Train Expo, a great show held at Carleton University in May.

Joel is my crewmate on the first freight out of Esquimalt bound for Nanaimo.  Here we are making up our train in the yard that serves as both terminals for the railroad.

The jilpoke located at the logging dump across the aisle from the previous picture.  Jim scratchbuilt this little puppy.

Currently Jm has two of these tall timbers hanging around the layout.  We'll have to gather all the lads together for a Saturday work session and create a whole bunch more for Jim!

Looks like neurosurgery going on around the yard near the engine facility.  The concentration level certainly is high as Jim, Chris and Joel check out a section of track.

Joel and I are northbound out of Esquimalt for our first stop along the route at Chemainus as we step out onto the high curved trestle.

We have arrived the yard at Chemainus.  Our train is on the main as we check our switching orders.

Jim designed this schematic board that controls turnout at many elevations along the route, both mainline and, mining and logging.

All of Jim's trackwork is hand-laid.  This double slip is located on an elevated level up the logging line.

Chris is enjoying the sightlines as a freight arrives the large yard located on a peninsula in the train room.

Here I am goofing around in the crew lounge, showing off a new weathering tool Ron fabricated for me.  No, I do not require any further weathering as the grey hair is definitely there!

 

One last look at Jim's log dump area.  This image was taken during a previous session.

Jim cleverly designed the trackwork here on an angle...just like the prototype!

Thanks, Jim, for hosting a great evening of train ops!  All crew members enjoyed themselves immensely and your layout is a true joy to operate!

FNG Eastenders Ops on the LVN

The eastenders schedule is underway and we had loads of fun on the LVN. The video is a compilation of the 21 Sept activities. Enjoy.

Eastenders 2012

Last gathering of the eastenders for this season.  We went to Norm Levert's house to look at the progress of his HO Scale railway "Nord".  The concept is a branch in Quebec that interchanges with CN and CP.  He showed us the layout in progress and at the end of the night we switched his yard in the family room.  We all were impressed with Norm's engineering and concept and are looking forward to his progress and us returning to operate in the future.

See more photos of this seasons activities

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