THE ADVENTURES OF LIL' PUDDY IN B.C.
CHAPTER ONE - FOLLY IN THE FRASER CANYON
(or A "CNR Hater's Chickens Come Back To Roost")
(The scenes for this instalment were recorded on John Walter's CN Sassamatt Division
layout in North Vancouver. It was featured in the January-February 2003 issue of
N Scale Railroading.)
Early one morning Lil' Puddy awoke to the familiar sound of steel rails passing
beneath his wheels. He was on the move once again, but to where? The departure from
Edmonton had been during the night and there had been no landmarks to identify the
route taken.
Now, everywhere he looked, he saw steep mountains towering above him, covered with
tall green conifers reaching towards an azure blue sky. Could it be? Yes, Lil' Puddy
had arrived in British Columbia! He had often heard the Puddington Valley's Superintendent
describe the beautiful scenery and spectacular mountain railroading to be found
there. And now, he was there to see it for himself. But on whose rails?
Lil' Puddy could hear the familiar sound of GMD 645 prime movers just ahead of him.
He looked ahead to see the cab of the trailing locomotive staring him in the end.
A GMD SD40-2W - he was on the CN!
Lil' Puddy cringed at the thought. "Oh no!", he gasped to himself. "After what my
superintendent posted on the Internet? Quick - someone cover up my logos and reporting
marks!" Oh well, at least he had a PGE boxcar behind him to keep him company. PGE
equipment was often seen on the Puddington Valley, and he was glad to have a friend
nearby.
Lil' Puddy was indeed on CN rails. The two SD40-2Ws were in charge of a northbound
freight from Lytton to Lillooet, and had gone into the hole at Moberly for a meet
with the southbound VIA passenger train.
As Lil' Puddy waited for his train to complete the meet and head back out onto the
main track, he noticed a CN section crew working beside the right of way. Presently
one of them walked over to the train and crawled underneath his front bolster. Lil'
Puddy became worried - what could this man be up to?
He tried to listen into the section crew's conversation:
"Hey Sam! What is Walt doing underneath that car?"
"This car is from the Puddington Valley. Have you seen what he posted on the Internet
about our railway?", replied Section Foreman Sam. "Here, I have it right here on
my Blackberry:
"Hi; my name is Puddy ( "Hi Puddy....) and I hate the Canadian National Railway.
I hate it's loco's; it's cars; it's stations; it's track; it's very existance. I'm
a CPR man through and through..."
We thought that our visitor here is looking pretty grimy so we are just going to
make sure that it gets a proper B.C. bath."
Lil'Puddy was horrified. What on earth could he mean? Soon, however, the section
crew was out of sight and out of mind, as his train was back on the move. The scenery
and the railroading were indeed something to behold:
Lil' Puddy was in awe. He was unsure if he had ever travelled through such spectacular
countryside. Through cuttings and tunnels, across bridges over raging creeks, past
steep cliffs he rolled. As he plunged into one of the tunnels, however, a horrible
noise began to emanate from underneath his front bolster. The curvature was sharp
and the wheels screeched in protest as they tried to negotiate the bend. Louder
and louder the noise grew. Lil' Puddy could see sparks from beneath his front truck
lighting up the darkness within the tunnel and he knew that he was in serious trouble.
Meanwhile, the CN train crew up front were unaware of the impending disaster. Their
eyes were firmly fixed on the track ahead, watching for any sign of rocks on the
track which was a common occurence in this area. As they exited the tunnel, all
seemed well:
However, for Lil' Puddy things were going from bad to worse. As he exited the tunnel,
he felt himself lurch violently to the left. The engines were proceeding across
another bridge, but he felt himself veering away to the left and falling . . . uncoupling
from the locomotives, and then from the PGE boxcar immediately behind . . . falling
. . . and he plunged into the raging waters of the Fraser River Canyon. Lil' Puddy
felt himself sinking as the ice cold water rushed inside his body, still sinking,
and then . . . blackness:
PRESS RELEASE - APRIL 1
Three cars of a northbound CNR freight train derailed in the Fraser Canyon on Monday
night. The accident occurred several miles north of Moberly in an area of the canyon
with numerous sharp curves, tunnels and bridges. The locomotives remained on the
rails and there were no injuries to the crew. One freight car plunged into the river,
another fell off the bridge and landed on the shoreline, and a third remained upright
but off the rails. The cause of the derailment was not known at press time.
"Our staff are currently on scene assessing the situation. The car which fell into
the river was in poor condition and was very likely the cause of the derailment",
said Al Fullovitt, spokesperson for the CN Sassamatt Division. "All of our own equipment
has been found to be in good working order."
When asked if the railway would be making an attempt to recover the car from the
river, Fullovitt replied: "This is a very difficult area in which to attempt such
a recovery. The car in the river does not present an environmental hazard and I
am pleased to report that we will have our line open to traffic very shortly."
The CNR spokesperson was unable to confirm or deny reports that the car lost in
the river was a special freight car on a worldwide rail tour.
PRESS RELEASE - APRIL 3
CNR Sassamatt Division officials confirmed today that the freight car which derailed
into the Fraser River on Monday night was indeed a special rail car on a worldwide
tour, and that an effort would be made to recover it from the river.
"We have received an offer of help from the British Columbia Railway, who have had
experience in difficult recoveries such as this one", said Al Fullovitt, CNR Sassamatt
Division spokesperson. "They have dispatched a car to ferry the boxcar to Allied
Rail Rebuilders in Sassamatt, where the car can be rebuilt for further service,
assuming we are able to recover it successfully."
It was also confirmed by CNR officials that a Sassamatt Division employee has been
fired for apparently tampering with railway equipment in an unsafe manner. CNR officials
would not confirm any possible connection between the dismissal and the derailment.
CNR Sassamatt Division officials were also asked about reported sightings of two
individuals and a dog being swept downstream after the derailment. "We don't know
anything about that", responded Fullovitt.
THE ADVENTURES OF LIL' PUDDY IN B.C.
CHAPTER TWO - RECOVERY AND REBUILDING
(or A "CNR Hater Is Placed On Probation")
(The scenes for this instalment were recorded on John Walter's CN Sassamatt Division
layout in North Vancouver. It was featured in the January-February 2003 issue of
N Scale Railroading.)
The right of way along the Fraser River Canyon had been silent for several days
when at last GP9 No. 4525 and a sister engine came into view towing a work train.
The roar of the Fraser River not far below the tracks served as a reminder of the
difficult task ahead - to locate a derailed freight car in the swift-moving river
and then bring it more than fifty feet back up to grade.
At the siding nearest the derailment site, the work train was re-marshalled with
the crane and idler car ahead of the locomotives. Upon reaching the bridge where
the locomotives had separated from the train, the egnineer of the work train saw
a lot of railway officials standing around. Engineers from the British Columbia
Railway had arrived to assist with the recovery of the derailed freight cars.
Throughout the morning the crane was prepared. This involved deploying the outriggers
and jacks, and due to the need for the crane to lift whilst on the bridge, steel
cables were bolted to the cliff and chained to the chassis of the crane. Work then
began to bring the Pacific Great Eastern boxcar back up to the grade. With this
car back on the rails and out of the way, the workers could then bring their attention
to the car in the river. While divers entered the river to secure chains to the
submerged boxcar, other workers anchored blocks on shore for the chains to run through.
Then the crane began to exert its considerable power as it slowly pulled on the
chains . . .
Lil' Puddy awoke with a fright. His side sheets were shivering from several days
of immersion in the river, and the water now poured out and over the threshold of
his doors. He was being dragged up the rocks along the shore of the river, which
made a horrible scraping sound. Still, the sight of the blue sky above began to
warm his heart, for he had truly thought that his days of riding the rails had come
to an end. He had so wanted to complete his trip around the world and return to
the Puddington Valley to tell all his friends on the roster about his travels, and
now he might just get the chance to do so . . .
Before that could happen, however, he had to climb the cliff which loomed above.
The strain on his underframe from the pull of the chains and the damage to his underframe
and brake gear from being dragged up the cliff was almost more than he could bear
. . .
When at last he reached the right of way, Lil' Puddy wondered what would happen
next. His trucks had fallen off during the hoist and there was no way that he could
return to the rails in this condition. The work train had left a short while earlier
and now returned with a green bulkhead flatcar on the head end, followed by the
crane. It was now evident to Lil' Puddy that there were workers from another railway
present, and they seemed to be calling the shots. They directed the crane operator
to lift him and gently swing him sideways onto the bulkhead flatcar. For what seemed
like an eternity he hung in mid-air as workers placed large blocks of wood underneath
to support him. He was then slowly lowered into place on the flatcar, and the chains
which had dragged him up the cliff were now separated into shorter lengths and used
to secure him to the deck of the car. When the last chains had been secured, Lil'
Puddy looked down at the river below where he had so very nearly perished, and realized
that this had been a good day after all . . .
And with that, the work train slowly moved off to the nearby siding where it was
reorganized for the trip home. But to where? Lil' Puddy wondered now where he could
be going and how he would be made worthy for service again.
"Don't worry, my friend" said a deep voice from below. "You are on your way to a
rebuild centre and I will see you safely there", reassured the British Columbia
Railway bulkhead flatcar. "And once you are back on your own wheels, you are going
to come and visit our railway."
After an uneventful journey through the canyon, the train arrived in Sassamatt and
rolled through the yard. Lil' Puddy was excited to see so many familiar Canadian
freight cars in the yard - CN, CP, BCR, even an Ontario Northland car. The train
then rounded the corner and proceeded through Dyyston . . .
Presently the train arrived in the yard at Dyyston and the bulkhead flatcar with
its precious load was switched out and pushed towards the spur leading into Allied
Rail Rebuilders. This recently completed facility was conveniently located just
a few miles north of the site of the derailment. Lil' Puddy held his breath as the
car approached the entrance with its sign above. "Stop! I might not fit underneath!"
he exclaimed. He could not bear the thought of having his running board ripped off
as well as all the damage to his underside. "Stop, stop!", he cried. But the CN
engineer kept a firm hand on the throttle. Perhaps he could not hear Lil' Puddy's
cries above the whine of his engine . . .
But Lil' Puddy did fit under the sign, just barely, and his heart now swelled with
anticipation as he realized that his chances of riding the rails again were now
very good. As the Allied Rail workers began to undo the chains which had secured
him to the bulkhead flatcar, he began to dream of the places he had yet to see,
beginning with a visit to British Columbia's own railway . . .
THE ADVENTURES OF LIL' PUDDY IN B.C.
CHAPTER THREE - PUDDY PLIES THE RAILS AGAIN
(The scenes for this instalment were recorded on John Walter's CN Sassamatt Division
layout in North Vancouver. It was featured in the January-February 2003 issue of
N Scale Railroading.)
The afternoon shift at Allied Rail Rebuilders was coming to an end and the workers
were gathering outside prior to going off shift. They were looking over their latest
customer, PVR 2006, which had been repaired under contract for CN.
Puddy was grateful for the kind attention lavished upon him during his stay at Allied
Rail Rebuilders. "Thank you for all you have done for me", he exclaimed appreciatively.
"We would like to have done more for you", replied Foreman Floyd, "but the CN specified
'minimal required running repairs only' and our hands were tied. However, the boys
did spend a bit of their lunch hour to provide you with a suitable memento to commemorate
your visit to British Columbia. Now, wherever you go, you will be able to act as
an ambassador for our province and the forthcoming 2010 Winter Olympic Games."
"Will do, and thanks again", exclaimed Puddy. He had become aware of the familiar
throb of Alco 251 prime movers approaching, and presently two RS-10s arrived and
coupled onto him. "Where to now?", asked Puddy as the ALCO/MLW locomotives towed
him out of the Allied yard:
"You have a date with a northbound transfer freight to Lillooet, so we have to get
you over to Sassamatt Yard pronto", replied the engines.
After a brief stay in the yard and some switching, Littl' Puddy was soon on his
way north for a visit to the British Columbia Railway. He could not help but admire
the spectacular scenery as he rolled along at a good pace behind two husky MLW C-630s:
Soon the train was high above the Fraser River Canyon, and Littl' Puddy began to
feel a little apprehensive as he was whisked round sharp bends, through tunnels
and across one bridge after another:
"Don't worry - we have you safely in hand", reassured the trailing C-630 as he sensed
Puddy's trepidation. "No water sports for you today. We have been ordered to get
you safely to Lillooet as soon as possible."
"Actually, wasn't it 'get that car off the property' as soon as possible?", mused
the lead engine.
"There it is!", cried Puddy. "There is where I fell into the river", he exclaimed
as the train passed high above the scene of Puddy's misadventures:
It was no matter, for soon Puddy was safely across the bridge and on his way up
the canyon. It was getting dark now, and his journey north on the BCR would almost
certainly occur during the night. And so as the rails beneath his wheels continued
to flash by, Puddy settled down for a good night's sleep, and began to dream of
new places to visit . . . . .
THE ADVENTURES OF LIL' PUDDY IN B.C.
CHAPTER FOUR - PUDDY VISITS THE PEACE
(The scenes for this instalment were recorded on my BCR Dawson Creek Subdivision
layout in North Vancouver and David Morgan's PGE Squamish Subdivision layout in
Maple Ridge. Both layouts are in the early stages of construction so please forgive
the temporary scenery and cardboard structures!)
Littl' Puddy awoke from his slumber to some familiar sights and sounds. All around
him there seemed to be activity - the dull roar of machinery, vehicles on the move,
men talking loudly. The air was heavy with the smell of freshly cut and chipped
lumber - he was at a sawmill!
But where exactly? The trip north from Lillooet had taken place during the night
and there had been nothing to confirm where he was headed. The colour of the sky
and the slight chill in the air suggested a northern location, but how far north?
Littl' Puddy glanced across the road and saw the familiar profile of a Canadian
grain elevator. It was painted green and bore the Alberta Pool logo. Below he saw
the town name - Dawson Creek. Wow - he wondered if he had ever been that far north
before.
BANG! BANG! Suddenly Littl' Puddy felt a sharp pain in his side doors. Someone was
trying to open them with a forklift truck. "Hey, take it easy, would you? That hurts!",
he cried
"Sorry about that", replied Forklift Fred. "We've got to get you loaded in a hurry.
The Dawson Creek Switcher is in town and you have to be in that train. See all this
lumber on the loading dock? You've got to take it down to Victoria".
"Victoria?", replied Puddy. That's CPR territory, he thought. Could it be true -
a visit to CPR rails? Puddy became excited at the prospect. "All right then, let's
go - get that lumber in here", he barked. As Forklift Fred shoved the lifts of lumber
into the boxcar, his supervisor came running up the ramp.
"What's that noise?", he asked. "It sounds like people yelling, or a dog barking,
or something. Is that coming from inside the car?" But Fred could not hear over
the roar of his forklift's engine, and with a strong thrust he shoved the last lift
of lumber into the car and closed the doors.
Presently Littl' Puddy heard the sound of locomotives approaching, and presumed
that they were coming to fetch him. He had always made a hobby of trying to identify
locomitives by the sound of their prime movers, and these were unmistakably Alco
251s. Across the road they came, into the mill and under the chip blowpipe - two
MLW RS-18s, one still lettered for the PGE:
And then he was away, rolling through the Dawson Creek yard, past the various grain
elevators lining the yard:
After he was added to the train, the RS-18s went down to the station to fetch the
van and stop for lunch:
Puddy was a little annoyed at this. Why do those engines get to sit down by the
station while I have to sit around in the middle of the yard?", he grumbled. "Don't
worry", replied the RS-18s as they returned to collect the train. "We will soon
see what you are made of." What could they mean by that, he thought? And then, with
a sharp pull against his draft gear, they were off:
The journey across the South Peace plateau took Littl' Puddy past rolling fields
of canola and wheat, and several hay farms. This was certainly not the British Columbia
that Littl' Puddy had grown up listening to stories of. There were no tall mountains
and deep forests here.
Presently he felt the brake line activate, and soon the two RS-18s were in full
dynamic braking as their train began down a very steep grade. "This is an awfully
steep hill", he exclaimed. "It is indeed", replied the trailing RS-18. "Wait til
you see what is at the bottom of it."
And then Puddy saw it - a long, long bridge immediately ahead of the lead locomotive.
The sound of the wheels beneath him changed as the train left the ballasted roadbed
and began to cross the bridge. Puddy looked down - way, way down. He had never been
on a bridge this long or this tall. "Oh my gosh!", he exclaimed. "Do I want to know
how far down that is?" he asked out loud.
"It is about 163 feet down, and the bridge is about 1,014 feet long", replied the
lead locomotive as he led the train across the bridge.
As they reached the west end of the bridge, the two locomotives throttle up into
Run 8 and copious amounts of black smoke soon belched into the air. "Hey, you are
going to muck up my roof", cried Littl' Puddy. "Sorry", replied the locomotives,
"but we now have a steep hill to climb and we need all the power we can muster to
get you to the top."
The scenery had changed now, and there were thick stands of spruce and aspen all
around. As the train reached the top of the hill and began the descent down into
Chetwynd, Puddy asked the locomotives what was next for him.
"Well, when we get you into Chetwynd, we are done for the day, but you will be switched
into the PV Freight for Prince George", replied the engines.
"PV?", queried Littl' Puddy. "That stands for Peace-Vancouver", came the reply.
"You have a long journey ahead of you, so I would think about getting some sleep."
"Yes, Vancouver, I would have to go there to get to Victoria", thought the weary
boxcar as he settled in for the long ride south. As he began to relax to the clickety-clack
of his wheels riding over the 85lb bolted rail, he thought of the sights to come
- over the Pine Pass, south along the mighty Fraser River (Oh no, not that river
again!), through the Cariboo country, along the shores of Seton Lake . . . he had
seen that lake in a travel brochure and was captivated by its distinct turquoise
green colour. Gee, I wonder what it would have been like back in the days of the
old PGE . . . I can just picture riding behind those orange diesels . . .
THE ADVENTURES OF LIL' PUDDY IN B.C.
CHAPTER FIVE - INDULGENCES ON THE ISLAND
(The scenes for this instalment were recorded on Steve Stark's E&N Division layout
in Vancouver. Steve began his layout in 1974 and what began as a fictitious island
railway gradually evolved into a faithful recreation of the Esquimalt & Nanaimo
Railway on Vancouver Island. Monthly operating sessions began in 2004. Steve's layout
was featured in GMR 1994 although the section from Victoria to Nanaimo has since
been rebuilt. These photographs were taken on the new sections.)
And it came to pass that in the course of his long journey around the world, Littl'
Puddy returned to CPR rails for a time. Not the mighty transcontinental mainline
across Canada, or that meandering second mainline across B.C., but the CPR line
on Vancouver Island. Littl' Puddy had been looking forward to this part of his journey
with much anticipation, and had dutifully delivered his load of 2x4 studs from Dawson
Creek to their destination in Victoria.
He should have been in a better mood, but yesterday was a bad day. The barge ride
over from the mainland was awfully rough due to a heavy swell, and the other boxcars
on the barge had been very mean to him, relating stories of how foreign cars often
fell off the barge and disappeared into Georgia Straight, and how he could drown
and be left to rust on the sea bottom. At one point the other cars had threatened
to release their retainers and roll to one end of the barge in hopes of tipping
Littl' Puddy into the sea.
After arriving in Victoria, he soon learned what a menace the local seagulls could
be. During the day they constantly swooped over him, pooping on his roof, while
at night they kept him awake with their neverending cries. And then, when at last
he had finally drifted off to sleep in the Esquimalt Yard, he was woken up by the
sound of someone hammering something onto his tackboard.
"What are you doing?", asked Puddy. "I have already been routed to Courtenay". "I'll
fix you, you miserable little rustbucket", came the gruff reply. "I lost my job
because of you and I am going to take care of you once and for all!".
"Oh no, not you again!", exclaimed Puddy as he recognized the railway employee.
It was none other than that annoying CNR sectionman who had tampered with his running
gear and sent him into the Fraser River. Now he was wearing a CPR uniform. "What
have you done - where are you sending me?", Puddy pleaded. But the trainman threw
down his hammer and walked away, laughing as he went.
What could this mean, he thought to himself. He could not quite make out the writing
on the waybill now nailed to his side. There was little time to worry about it now,
for presently two GP-35 locomotives soon came along and coupled onto him. After
all his travels, the maroon and gray diesels were a very familiar and welcome sight.
"Come with us, my friend. We are in charge of Train #27 and you are the last car
to be added to the consist." Soon Puddy was in his place behind the locomotives
and at the head of the train, ready to leave Esquimalt Yard:
The train wound its way out of Greater Victoria, past homes, past the naval dockyard,
and on up the Malahat. This was more like the British Columbia which the PVR Superintendent
had told him stories of - tall trees, majestic mountains, cascading rivers, and
. . . more bridges! First came the Niagara Canyon bridge, which seemed to be suspended
in mid-air amongst the trees, and then came the Arbutus Canyon bridge:
As he passed across the bridge, Puddy felt the cool spray from the water cascading
down the mountainside. "Oh great, more water sports", he muttered:
The train then descended the other side of the Malahat Range and passed through
fertile farmlands before arriving in Duncan. There were many familiar faces here
- CNR and CPR boxcars, Government of Canada cylindrical hoppers, and so on:
By now Puddy was really enjoying his island trek. The scenery was fabulous and the
backdrop vistas were truly superb:
"I am enjoying this immensely", Puddy remarked. "Is the scenery this pleasant all
the way to Courtenay?", he asked.
"Courtenay?", queried the lead locomotive. "You are about to be set out. You are
going to John Gorosh." And then Puddy began to get that sinking feeling, as if something
was not quite right.
"No, no, I am going to Courtenay", he pleaded. But it was to no avail. Just past
Nanaimo the locomotives came to a stop and pulled Puddy off the train. "There has
been a terrible mistake!", he hollered. "Don't leave me here!"
As Train #27 disappeared into the distance, Puddy looked around. Everywhere he looked,
there were pieces of rusty old metal lying around. Next to him sat an Algoma Central
gondola, loaded with scrap metal.
"Where am I?", Puddy asked nervously. "You are in a scrapyard", replied the weary
gondola. "This is where all freight cars come when their time is up. We all end
up in a place like this. I have to come here on a regular basis to carry away what's
left. Looks like I might be carting your remains away next time".
Puddy gulped. He had come so far. How could he fall victim once again to the machinations
of a disgruntled railway employee? Would he truly meet his end in a remote scrap
yard, and on the CPR to boot? Oh the irony of it all.
"Hey Joe, look what has turned up", a distant voice exclaimed. It was the afternoon
shift coming on duty. "Yeah, looks like we get to cut up a boxcar today", another
replied.
"This can't be happening", Puddy protested. "I didn't come all this way to be turned
into Campbell soup cans - get me out of here!" And then Puddy heard the men ignite
their cutting torches . . . . .
THE ADVENTURES OF LIL' PUDDY IN B.C.
CHAPTER SIX - PUDDY SWINGS STATESIDE
(The scenes for this instalment were recorded on Steve Stark's E&N Division and
Jock Stark's adjoining BN Cascade Division layout in Vancouver.)
"Stop what you are doing!", yelled Foreman Fred as he ran from his office towards
the tracks. "You can't cut up that car yet. I don't know where it has come from
and I don't have a work order for it. I want to know who is paying the bill before
we expend any energy on it."
The scrapyard workers groaned loudly, disappointed at losing the opportunity to
cut up the recent arrival. "Kill those cutting torches and get to work loading that
gondola", Fred barked.
Puddy breathed a long, deep sigh of relief. He had felt the heat from the torches
as the men walked towards him, and it was a near thing. Just then a CPR flagman
came into view walking down the tracks, and behind him Puddy saw his train slowly
backing up the mainline.
"I've had to walk five bloody miles because of you!", grumbled the weary flagman
as he lined the turnouts for the pickup.
"Don't blame me", Puddy retorted. "I told you not to set me out here - its all been
a big mistake". Presently the two GP-35s locked ono his coupler and pulled him away.
"You've had a close call", remarked the gondola which had been his only company
in the scrapyard. "Good luck with your future travels, and try to stay out of any
more trouble."
Soon Puddy was back on the E&N mainline, rolling off the miles as the journey up
island resumed:
Presently the train pulled into Parksville, and Puddy took note of the CPR style
passenger station there. It was similar to the ones he knew back home on the Puddington
Valley Railway. How he wished to be home again, to tell all the PVR engines and
cars of his adventures, and all the things he had seen:
The journey north continued into the afternoon, and there were more bridges including
the trestle over French Creek. It was getting dark when the train pulled into Courtenay.
This was the northern terminus of the E&N:
From here Puddy was destined for Burlington Northern rails on the Cascade Division.
It was several days later when a Great Northern switcher pushed him into the yard
to be switched into the Spruce Falls Turn:
From his place in the yard, Puddy watched as two ALCO RS-3s throttled up in preparation
for a day's work on the Cascade Division. One was painted in Northern Pacific colours
and the other was painted and lettered for the Spokane, Portland & Seattle Railway.
What pretty engines, Puddy thought to himself.
They were coming for him! They were the power for the Spruce Falls Turn, and they
soon coupled up to Puddy. At the grade crossing, Puddy saw a green police car with
BN markings.
"What are you doing here?", Puddy asked. The railway policeman leaned out the window
of his car and replied: "I am here to make sure you do not get into any more trouble.
You've made quite a name for yourself and we don't want any nonsense on our railroad."
"Wonderful", thought Puddy. "Now I am the railcar with a rep." The engines had left
after attaching Puddy to the rear of the train, and presently they returned with
a passenger coach and coupled it to him.
"What are you doing here?", Puddy asked. "This is a freight train."
"Actually, this is a mixed train, and I always bring up the rear. May I remind you
that you are a guest on my train and you should mind your manners.", the coach stated.
"Oops, sorry, you are correct", Puddy replied. The journey to Spruce Falls was a
brief one but once there it took ages for Puddy to be switched into the Spruce Falls
paper mill:
The next day Puddy made his return trip on the Cascade Division, now loaded with
paper from the Spruce Falls paper mill. He was now southbound on the Burlington
Northern mainline, and he caught a brief glimpse of Mount Baker as the train motored
through Bellingham behind two husky EMD SD-7s:
As the train made its way out of Bellingham and south along Puget Sound, the engines
began to pick up speed. It had been some time since Puddy had been on a fast train,
and the wind rushing past his doors was exhilarating. There were tunnels:
and bridges:
Puddy was now back in the U.S.A. and speeding towards a ride on the Selkirk Division.
At least on his round the world trek there was always something new to look forward
to . . . . .
THE ADVENTURES OF LIL' PUDDY IN B.C.
CHAPTER SEVEN - STRUTTIN' ON THE SELKIRK
(The scenes for this instalment were recorded on Brian Morgan's BN Selkirk Division
layout in Burnaby. Construction began in 1979 and regular monthly operating sessions
have been held since 1983. The layout was featured in MR October 1993 and July/Aug
2003 NSR.
These scenes were shot during the March session. The last session was held earlier
this month and after 25 years of successful operation, the layout is about to come
down to make way for a new one.)
From out of the damp darkness of a long tunnel, the northbound Selkirk Box emerged
into the daylight and skirted the emerald green waters of Copper Lake. The Selkirk
Box is operated as an extra train conveying low priority empties to the town of
Selkirk:
Puddy could not remember when or if he had travelled behind F units before. The
two green ones were F7s, repainted in BN Cascade Green but the third, an F3, remained
in Northern Pacific colours. They were working hard as they departed the town of
Cathedral and climbed through Mile High Pass:
At South Bend Puddy caught a glimpse of the large National Paper mill as the train
sped through town:
The Selkirk Division reaches north into British Columbia, and as the train made
its way north, forests and rivers began to dominate the scenery once again:
As his train motored through Rundle, Puddy saw the FED Lumber Company mill in the
distance. The train was now throttling up for the climb through Eagle Pass towards
Selkirk:
And then, all of a sudden, his travels in B.C. were over. The F units throttled
down and began to coast as they entered Selkirk Yard. Puddy stared in amazement
at the business of the place, with several yard crews operating simultaneously:
As the engines came to a stop, Puddy felt apprehension setting in. Despite the occasional
close calls, he had enjoyed his travels through British Columbia and had been thrilled
to learn that many were following his journey and reading about his adventures.
Now, however, the next stage of his journey would take him much farther away from
home. It would require a long trip across the water to a land far, far away . .
. . .
(Thanks to John Walter, David Morgan, Steve Stark, Jock Stark and Brian Morgan for
providing Puddy with an opportunity to explore their N Scale rails.)
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