The weather outside was frightful but the train room was delightful when my friend Robin Talukdar found himself in town with a couple of hours to kill yesterday, and asked if he could drop by to “run a train”.

We grabbed coffees, talked about Robin’s recent experience operating on the SP Clovis Branch that Pierre Oliver is bringing to life in his basement, and then headed to Port Rowan.

A freight extra was the order of the day, behind CNR 10-wheeler 1532. With four cars in tow, we had a lot of work ahead of us – well, a lot for my layout, anyway.

We sorted the team track at St. Williams, setting off two cars and lifting two others, which we placed on the siding to collect on the return trip.

We then headed down to Port Rowan, where we collected one car while setting off two. We placed a British American tank car on the elevated coal delivery track to aid with unloading fuel for a local dealer, and shuffled a car into the team track. We had one car to lift – one of the Milwaukee Road’s distinctive rib-side boxcars. And we turned the locomotive in preparation for heading back.

At this point, Robin’s window closed so we left things as they lay. The MILW car is on the main, the van is set in front of the station, and the 1532 is on the turntable lead. Next time I have somebody over, we’ll finish the work.

Robin has undertaken several layouts. Currently, he’s working on the Guelph Spur in Proto:48, a line jointly operated by Ontario Southland and GEXR. Go have a look – he’s doing interesting things.

Great to see you, Robin – and sorry we couldn’t visit longer. I look forward to our next get-together!