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!