...might be an apt description of Grand Valley Mogul 34. Normally seen on the Lowbanks mixed, or doubleheaded with sister 2-6-0 37 on a freight, today she's working a switch turn in downtown Dunnville.
Here, she's backed into Coffield Washer's siding with a carload of new automobiles destined for the Walnut Street team track's unloading ramp. Looks like the 34 is not the only thing backed-up.
As the boxcar starts into the teamtrack, leased CNR 0-8-0 8414 rolls by on an adjacent track with a train of empties, destined for the yard at West Dunn.
Both horse and iron horse wait patiently as the air is pumped up. There's an empty reefer at the ramp that needs to be pulled before those autos can be spotted.
Reversing back into Coffield's siding, there'll be just enough room for that reefer to clear the switch without the tender moving the cars already spotted at Coffield's loading dock.
As the cars on the other track continue to roll over the crossing, the 34's hogger quickly accelerates his charges forward, an unseen switchman preparing to pull the pin on that reefer...
...which continues to roll. Meanwhile, quickly reversing again, the 34 shows why she's a favourite of crews on the line.
And in no time, she's got those autos rolling towards the unloading ramp. It looks like the boys from car maintenance will have to tend to that low coupler before the emptied car will get pulled from the siding.
ops:
Later, a carload of castings is spotted at Bertram's Machine Works.
After picking up some empties from Creechan's Fine Fuels, the 34 will gather up the rest of her cars: a few on the tank and these hoppers on the pilot, then head back to the Highline, handing them off to the Grand River Southern for interchange to parent road EG&E.
I hope that you've enjoyed this vignette of the Grand Valley at work.
Wayne
Here, she's backed into Coffield Washer's siding with a carload of new automobiles destined for the Walnut Street team track's unloading ramp. Looks like the 34 is not the only thing backed-up.
As the boxcar starts into the teamtrack, leased CNR 0-8-0 8414 rolls by on an adjacent track with a train of empties, destined for the yard at West Dunn.
Both horse and iron horse wait patiently as the air is pumped up. There's an empty reefer at the ramp that needs to be pulled before those autos can be spotted.
Reversing back into Coffield's siding, there'll be just enough room for that reefer to clear the switch without the tender moving the cars already spotted at Coffield's loading dock.
As the cars on the other track continue to roll over the crossing, the 34's hogger quickly accelerates his charges forward, an unseen switchman preparing to pull the pin on that reefer...
...which continues to roll. Meanwhile, quickly reversing again, the 34 shows why she's a favourite of crews on the line.
And in no time, she's got those autos rolling towards the unloading ramp. It looks like the boys from car maintenance will have to tend to that low coupler before the emptied car will get pulled from the siding.
ops:
Later, a carload of castings is spotted at Bertram's Machine Works.
After picking up some empties from Creechan's Fine Fuels, the 34 will gather up the rest of her cars: a few on the tank and these hoppers on the pilot, then head back to the Highline, handing them off to the Grand River Southern for interchange to parent road EG&E.
I hope that you've enjoyed this vignette of the Grand Valley at work.
Wayne
