More of the MRH Op Session on the BC&SJ
I took my shiny new Canon EOS 3T to the op session last night with the expressed desire to photograph Joe Fugate running trains.
I succeeded.
The first shot, above, is actually of Jordan Dobson, Norm, and a gentleman who's name escapes me right now... Jordan is a professional railroader (formerly a Signal guy for the PNWR, now he's a Conductor for the BNSF) and worked as the dispatcher for the entire night, the thought of which would send me screaming for the hills (short trip - Charlie's house is already in the hills).
Here we see Joe Fugate reading off his first track warrant for the evening. While the BC&SJ has flirted with TT&TO ops, and it would be more prototypical for it's era, pretty much everyone is more comfortable with track warrants.
Unfortunately, life is not perfect and Charlie had to shut the railroad down twice to re-solder switch points - the first time I can remember him having to do that. Joe took advantage of the downtime to check and see if anyone had noticed that the July MRH had been uploaded.
Meanwhile, I took advantage of the time to photograph some of Charlie's scenery and models. Above is BC&SJ Shay #5, which spends most of it's time in the Oakhill log yard. Matter of fact, I suspect that both Horace and Charlie would be very surprised if it left the log yard.
And here it is - proof that Joe Fugate does actually run trains sometimes - he's at the throttle of a passenger train with two SP Black Widow E-units and three heavyweight passenger cars in Daylight colors.
This is Homer - he lives in the culvert under the tracks through Oakhill. Living in darkness like this, he's developed a set of beady red eyes....
Here Joe brings his train into it's destination - Salem.
Superintendent of Nearly Everything Comstock takes a break from photographing the op session to discuss something with Mike Baynes.
Operator Bill takes the Reefer Express down the hill between Oakhill and Deschutes Jct.
Superintendent of Nearly Everything Comstock got to play with trains tonight too, taking a shift on the Helper Engine. Here he is breaking out of the train at Oakhill.
Mike Baynes was running the front end (and trying to stay out of the picture), a sound equipped BLI 4-8-8-2 Cab Forward.
Above and below are were I got to spend the night - Redland, a nice little switching puzzle with several industries (including some on a switchback), and perhaps one runaround too few... 
Not complaining - it makes it enough of a challenge to operate without being totally hair pulling. The above is shot from right above "Jallen" (aka Lumber Track #1, #2 and log track) looking east. Immediately past the bridge are the three industries sharing a switchback - the pipe company, the fruit packers, and "the warehouse." The double main to Deschutes are to the right.
A little further down and continuing to look to the east, to the right are the Engine House, Redland Mill & Feed and the Elevator - two of the busy customers of the BC&SJ. Further in the distance, the red building is the local depot.
Here is the eastern end of Redland, including the bulk oil distributor, BC Glass, and the Prineville Interchange.
