Mike McGrattan Memorial Train - Photo Thread

[mu26aeh]

I guess Mark is going to have an entire edition to his layout.  How do you pick one photo to submit out of those shots ? 

[Philip H]

@mark dance you are every bit the story teller @Puddington was.  Nicely done sir.

[tehachapifan]

Is that a home layout, Mark?? Wow....amazing work!! Going to have to take a sledge to my layout now.

[mmagliaro]

Mark Dance's layout is, well, MARK DANCE'S LAYOUT.  I had the privilege of visiting it in May at the Railway Modellers of British Columbia (RRMBC) meet, and as amazing at it looks in those photos, it stupendously exceeds mere photographs when you see it in person. 
A truly fitting and wonderful tribute to Puddington.

[ednadolski]

At Tehachapi Loop the devastation was on clear display: the rains had completely washed away the fill over Tunnel 9 leaving only the original trestle that supported it, along with some of the tunnel liner and - amazingly - some underground cables.   

It also looks like the east portal of Tunnel 9 was completely washed away, and - amazingly - the west portal slid uphill into its place.   

Ed

[BCR 570]

Today the Michael McGrattan Memorial Train paid a visit to Dawson Creek.  The yard is in the final stages of construction, with all turnouts now powered and control panel installation now in progress.  The yard did not yet exist when the train made its earlier visit in July 2016.  Permission was given for the  train to enter the yard dead slow and proceed to the station track via the runaround.  Word soon got out that the train was in town, and a large crowd gathered at the station to see the train off on its final journey to Ontario:

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The train made its way slowly through the yard behind RS-18 No. 613, RS-10 No. 581 and RS-18 No. 607.  For its trip over the Dawson Creek Subdivision, the consist was augmented with day coach BCOL 8 (the Lillooet-Seton Portage school train coach) which was available as school is out for the summer:




The train made its way out of town past the Northwest Wood Preservers mill at the west end of town.  Revenue service to Dawson Creek has not yet begun, but some freight cars are in town for testing the new trackage and turnouts:




We say goodbye to the train for now as it makes its way across the Kiskatinaw River bridge:




Next stop - the Kanto Subdivision of the Puddington Valley Railway!


Tim

P.S.  Apologies for the poor cell phone pictures; no room to set up a tripod in the layout room during construction.

[BCR 570]

And now, the final chapter in the story of our McGrattan Memorial Train can be written.  Almost a year to the date after the train began its travels across the United States and Canada, I travelled to Ontario to deliver the train to the McGrattan family:




The train was carefully boxed up in the same packaging in which it had traveled around North America:




Mike's 85 year old mother Lois joined us for the day, and as she was also coming from Toronto, offered me a ride for the 1 1/2 hour drive to Peterborough.  There I met Margaret and Sam McGrattan, and got my first look at the Kanto Subdivision layout which Mike and Sam had built.  After a wonderful lunch served by Margaret, I presented Sam with the four issues of N-Scale Magazine featuring the trains travels to date,  and then gave him the train to unpack:




It was then time to place the train on the layout and photograph its arrival at the Kanto station.  it was wonderful to see this excellent layout in person, as well as all the wonderful models Mike built over the years.  The large paper mill is particularly impressive.  Sam selected his Dad's model of FA-2 No. 4012 to haul the train.

Here the Michael McGrattan Memorial Train passes the paper mill on its way to Kanto station:




Rounding the curve into the station:




And at long last, arrival at Kanto station:




(Photographer's Note:  Unfortunately something appears to have gone wrong with my pictures for the last two images, which is disappointing as it is not possible to retake them.  I suspect that my camera may have slipped out of Av Mode.  My apologies:  I would not normally post images with such defects, but in this case the occasion dictates otherwise.)


A sincere thank you to all those who participated in this wonderful venture.  While I was taking the pictures, Mike's mother read through the Book of Condolence containing all of your messages and she was very moved.  Margaret did not have time to look through it during my visit, but I am sure she will in due course.  She very kindly drove me to the GO station in Whitby, from where I caught the train back to Toronto Union Station.

My job is now done.


Tim

[John]

Tim

My job is now done.

And a very good job it was.  Thanks for organizing this, and to all who participated, provided cars, pictures, and hosted this train.  The Railwire membership is truly a "family" of friends who come together at times like this to do some amazing things. I am proud to be counted among such as you.

/r John

[Lemosteam]

Aye, Kudos Tim!

[DeltaBravo]

The entire experience was very moving, thank you for your efforts.

[Nick Lorusso]

Thank you for your time & efforts Tim.  @Puddington was a great man. This was a great way to remember him.

[peteski]

Thank you Tim for the closing photos and of course for your effort of organizing the entire memorial.  Well done and a fitting tribute to our Puddy!  He is greatly missed but not forgotten.

[wm3798]

Pleased to have been along the route.  I hope Sam cherishes the contents of that well-traveled package.

Lee

[newt749]

As I was on the road crossing Canada from the East coast to the West, I was unable to respond to Tim's request for more information. While I was on vacation I did visit a couple of hobby shops, something that I don't have near me, and picked up a few copies of N-Scale magazine. It was a real pleasure to read over Tim's articles and the photos. You did a great job Tim and this was an incredible undertaking. Truly unique! Thanks for letting me a small part of it.

Rob
Hampton, New Brunswick

[El4774]

Wow to all the progress on the Puddington railway. I was following it in model railroader. I love that it follows Pokemon. "Gotta run 'em all" Locomotives that is.