"Our" Place reborn! 3rd Year of adults 'n REAL Classic Trains in a special environment!

[pwolfe]

Hi Tom and all.

I'll have a pint of Clancy's please RUTH and it is back to H&H's Fish ‘N' Chips tonight.

Many thanks to all, for the welcome back after our Canada trip.

ERIC Glad to see you made it back to Arizona OK after the great Rendezvous we had, it was a real pleasure for Tom and I to meet Doug and yourself.

Many thanks for the great photos. I used the brides digital for the trip although it seems as though I am going through a rough time with cameras as the memory stick did not hold anywhere near as many photos as it did when it was cleared. I have probably lost my pics at the rendezvous as the wind mechanism is ruined in the 35mm although the electrics have come back, anyway I will see if I can find a camera repair shop in town here.

The advert on the L&NWR &Caledonian trains is a bit unclear. I think in the first column they are the times from the cities named in the left hand column to the city named just before the times. For example the time to Glasgow was 8 hours 0min from London, 6 hours 45 min from Birmingham and 5 hours 10 min from Liverpool etc. Looking at the dining cars arrangement that does not seem too clear as well.

Thanks for the Swedish carriage drawing, which Per was talking about.

JAMES It would be great to see the museum in Duluth one day and it always better to have someone who knows the museum to show you around.

I have not studied the Classic Trains special magazine on the last days of steam yet. It seems though,that steam survived in the Duluth area longer than in a lot of other areas in North America.

We are lucky there are so many good books that have been written about railroads. I am hoping that I will be able to visit the library in St Louis again, reading the old railroad magazines, from the 1950s and 1960s seeing how the railroads changed in those decades.

Enjoyed the photos from your museum.

ZEKE. I hope you can join us at Our Place.

DOUG Many thanks for your great photos and the descriptions. It is hard to imagine the Aerotrain on suburban services. I wonder if anyone has any film of a Big Boy traveling at its 80 MPH maximum.

It is really great to see the jokes, I shall probably get tweeted but I have to say I have missed them.

Really looking forward to Chicago next year.

FERGIE It was great to meet you.

Many thanks for letting the regulars at the bar how Tom and I were getting on with our travels. I really enjoyed the ferry ride and the tour of the city, you are very lucky to live in such a beautiful and interesting city Halifax is.

Have a beer on me.

MIKE Thanks for those very special links for Memorial Day. 

PER. Watney's and Bass. I will have to take you to some pubs around the Dudley area of the West Midlands of England for some Batham's and Holden's. The 5% ale at the Blue Anchor is the weakest they brew, we were there they two others on tap. At the moment I am drinking Black and Tan at the local Irish Pub when I visit, the pub runs an annual trip to Ireland each year.

I also have managed to see three of the preserved Big Boys, although different ones from the ones you have seen. The ones I have seen are at St Louis, Denver and Green Bay WI, they certainly are impressive engines.

Many thanks for the photos and information on Atocha station, and the link to the railway museum in Spain.

DL I hope you are having a great time in Cornwall.

CM3 I was very sorry to read of the loss of one of the K9 Corps, as Tom said they are part of the family.

Many Thanks for the interesting post on the PRR Pullmans and their various destinations, I guess it is part of the passenger railroad scene that has vanished now along with the switching moves. It was interesting to watch the switching move at Matapedia in Canada on Tom and my trip when the combined Ocean and Challeaur trains are split with the 3 diesels at the front of the combined train, splitting the train with 2 locos going on to Halifax NS and 1 loco taking the Gaspe portion.

Braxton Bragg sounds an interesting person.

TOM Many thanks for the Rendezvous and the first sets of the Canada trip photos.

I will try to load my pics up and get them in a format I can show at the bar. Let me know if you want a poster size one as the setting on my camera must have been very fine as I only got such few photos.

It truly was a wonderful few days

[CMSTPP]

G-day Tom and all present!

Leon- Could I get some of that fish with a few chips to go along with it, Thanks... Oh Ya and a coffee to go along with that, Thanks again.

Things are going quite well, and have been busy lately helping down at the museum here in Duluth. I am about to start working on some Semaphore masts here in the next month or so, and have a little fun restoring those back to running order. I will also be working on some of the mechanisms for the semaphores, so I hope to have one running.

Eric- Some nice pictures of that model RDC. I hope it wasn't to bumpy for them. And thanks for the pic of the Milwaukee reefer. They had some neat stuff fer sure. I have seen some of those diesel electric snow blowers in a couple of movies and they are quite impressive. Thanks for sharing all of those great pics.

When I saw that little Plymouth switcher it reminded me of a place I went to this last September. It was the Steam threshers reunion in Rollag, Minnesota, and for transportation around the place was a railway. And in there collection was a Plymouth switcher. I was really impressed with the set up and "YES" I did get a lot of pictures. So I will post them here soon.

Neat drawing of that little passenger car. I do quite a bit of tech drawing and have been working on a passenger car called a Business Dome. It is completely my idea but it looks like it could roll right off the assembly line. I will scan that pic in a little later and show you guys.

Doug is at it again with all of his great pics. I really liked the Kirkwood station inside and out. That is a piece of time saved indeed. Also thanks for the pic of the GM Demonstrator unit. Looks like an F3 to me. But I can't tell for sure. And then it might be an F2. Some type of F-unit but one you won't see much of anymore since most have no been long gone. What a large tank car. I have seen some big ones and that's up there But I have seen them bigger than that even. But it's amazing what they could carry and some pretty nasty stuff at that too. Thanks for all of the great pics.

Mike- Thanks for all the great Memorial day pics. I was certainly thinking about all that serve for our country. Thanks. Also great pics of the DSSA. The round House was located at Rices Point Yard. It couldn't tell today where it sat but I know where it sat and if I find a pic of it I will post it and show you. The NP yard is still around but not as big as it once was. But it still serves quite a few trains today.

Marthastrainyard- Ya you probably won't here of any other locomotive that had the gearless design. As far as I know the Bipolars where the only ones with that design but I might be wrong. But it was certainly very affective when it came to pulling passenger trains. Infact I have a video for you. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wfYNaPA3yTg See what you think of a Bipolar in action.

When it comes to an airbrush, it just takes a little practice. What I did was started out practicing on a sheet of plastic or an old rail car and just practiced until I was good enough to take on my project, which turned just fine. Just give it a try.

There were three trains built with that observation car called a Beaver tail. You are correct, one in 1928, the first edition of the Hiawatha with the 4-4-2 Atlantic steamer leading the way. The second edition set came out in 1935 but this time it was lead by the 4-6-2 F7 Hudson, and the last was built in 1939 with the 4-6-2 F7 Hudson leading the way again.

CM3- The Bipolars first paint scheme was Black which it has been painted that. It's going to be # 10241. I just haven't been able to decal it. #10241 was one of the first Bipolars to hit the Milwaukee rails. I would like to see the inside of a little joe. I would also like to run one too. I have wanted to run one as long as a I remember. I know there is one at the IRM also and that one looks to be runable. Maybe someday......

Tom- WELCOME BACK!! Good to see you back and some great pics to follow too. I have not seen to many photos out of an airplane and it certainly looked spectacular. Montreal from the air is pretty big. Also some nice pics from the Montreal Central station. Something I don't really see everyday, which makes me happy I am here. I learn a lot about the world around me. Thanks for all of the great pics. Oh and BTW: Your other thread is still rolling along. I will be back there soon.

Pete- WELCOME BACK!! Glad to here your trip went according to plan and from some of Tom's pics it looked like a lot of fun. If you ever get up here in Duluth I will certainly take you around to all of the museums and train hotspots in the twin ports. Until then I will be in the clear and waiting. I believe the reason for why steam was around longer was because of the lake. They had an unlimited and pay free water supply. Just take it from the lake and run trains. Plus the Northern Pacific mined a coal called Lignite that the railroad could use for firing there locomotives even though it wouldn't burn worth a darn. But it was free. So the NP used it which there steamers were still in service in the 60s.

Happy railroading

James

[EricX2000]

Good morning Captain Tom and Gentlemen!!

Leon, no I can't stay tonight, I'll just a cup of coffee before I have to leave again!

Just a short note to tell I will be back tomorrow with an inclusive post. Other things have to be taken care of tonight. I had a very quick look at most of the pictures from Canada and I will certainly look again later!

 

The Santa Fe Museum, Atchison, KS.

 

Eric 

[Anonymous]

Good morning Tom and gang! I'll have a light breakfast. I tried to look up the information on the engine of the GM#103 for James, but the book just says D model FTA B-B Demonstrator, 1,350 hp. The sign hanging from it says it has a 567 series engine with 16 cylinders. We've had the quite the outpouring of information from CM3 and pix from the VIA trip taken by Tom and Pete. Keep ‘em coming!

Here is another car I thought was interesting at the MOT in St. Louis

1960 SL-SF #3000

Built by the St. Louis-San Francisco Railway, number 3000 is the first tri-level rack built to carry automobiles. Its inside dimensions are 83' long, 8'6" wide, and it used concrete for ballast. Due to vandalism to the automobiles, this type of open car was replaced by enclosed auto transporters

The manager of a large office noticed a new man one day and told him to come into his office. "What is your name?" was the first thing the manager asked the new guy. "John," the new guy replied. The manager scowled, "Look... I don't know what kind of a namby-pamby place you worked at before, but I don't call anyone by their first name. It breeds familiarity and that leads to a breakdown in authority. I refer to my employees by their last name only... Smith, Jones, Baker... that's all. I am to be referred to only as Mr. Robertson. Now that we got that straight, what is your last name?" The new guy sighed, "Darling. My name is John Darling." "Okay, John, the next thing I want to tell you is..."

[coalminer3]

Good Morning Barkeep and all Present; coffee, please; round for the house, and $ for the jukebox.  O.K. Boris, I know it's hard to believe that it was 40 years ago today, "Sgt. Pepper taught the band to play..."  Where did the time go? 

Gas has dropped down to $3.19/gal. here; approx. 30-cent decrease since Memorial Day, hmmm...

The FTA was manufactured from 1939 to 1945.  It had a 567 or 567A engine (16 cyl.) and 1350 HP.  FTB statistics are the same re dates, engine, and HP. 

OSP sent pictures.  Lambert looks about the same as I remember it, except that the looming presence of TWA is, of course, gone.  I counted three airlines in the picture at Montreal.

Pete stopped by with comments as did James.  Lignite (one step above dirt).  IIRC, NP and GN burned it in their locomotives.  Takes a wide firebox; keep the fire thin and it will work.

Barndad visited as well.  Interesting shot of auto carrier.  How many out there remember bilevel auto cars, and/or the transition period when there were side panels on the cars - later, as he explained, they became totally enclosed to reduce damage, pilferage, etc.  Thanks for sharing.

Eric sent pictures as well. 

Will try and post more later, but we must go "outside" today.

Work safe

[siberianmo]

<w/permission: www.scenic-railroads.com>

 

G'day Gents!

Friday again and the start of a new month! Amazing to think that this time last week, Pete ‘n I were traveling aboard VIA Rail's Ocean en route Halifax. Right about now we were in New Brunswick riding along a not-so-well-maintained right-of-way of the New Brunswick East Coast (NBEC) heading to Moncton. Ahhhhhh, was a wonderful trip with only the dome car and a Chef in the diner lacking to make it PERFECT!

There has been quite a bit of material Posted during these past weeks and my hope is the guys are taking the time to read it ALL.

This Thread - as we all know - is for the enjoyment of the gang at the bar. Keeping it as an inclusive place  with acknowledgments of the other guy's efforts is what makes us rather unique here in the Ether. Dontchathink???

I haven't decided whether a narrative of the entire Canada rail trip will be put together. We'll see - uploading ‘n downloading the Pix takes pretty much of my available time these days <daze>. Just follow along and you'll get the "scoop" in bits ‘n pieces . . .

Customer ACKNOWLEDGMENTS (since my last narrative):

CM3 Shane at Noon, Thursday - May 31^st: Enjoyed your piece on the PRR in WVA. Brought back a memory or two of a round trip I took from Penn Station in New York City to Cincinnati's Union Terminal in 1960. Went out to be the best man in a buddy's wedding. Was a great trip although the signs of decay was evident as the clock was ticking for the end of the Pennsy.

Many thanx for the quarters ‘n round! Without you, this joint would be hurtin' at the Coal Scuttle! <grin>

 

Pete at 6:41 PM Thursday, May 31^st: Good to see ya back in full-form! Catch-up does take a bit of time and it is really nice to see so much material from the guys during our absence. The Rendezvous Pix have no end - thanx to Doug ‘n Eric - and I've got zillions left to Post.

Sent ya an Email yesterday . . .

I'm sure Fergie enjoyed himself with us as we took him on that Halifax to Dartmouth (where he lives) ferry ride. The Halifax harbor (harbour) is really a special treat with the views all ‘round. He's a great guy and it was very typical of him to spend his Saturday morning with two "sightseers" - he's just that kindaguy!

I recall my first trip to what was then the RCN Navy Base and that was 1957! The Canadian sailors and ours got along quite well with lotsfun ‘n laffs at the local joints we frequented during our overnight stay. Good memories then - good ones now.

That I-Max film was absolutely fantastic and I'll do a bit of research to see if there's a link or two to share with the guys. Just haven't got the time at the moment. Anyway, when Pete ‘n I were at the ExpoRail museum (Saint-Constant/Delson, Quebec) we were treated to a film without peer. It was an absolute joy to sit back and take in the sights ‘n sounds of a Canadian Pacific steam loco and consist in the Canadian Rockies. With musical background and NO narratives, this was a marvelous work of film-art, fer sure, fer sure!

Don't be concerned about Posting Pix of our trip - in due course, Mate! I have plenty . . .

 

 

James at 10:05 PM Thursday, May 31^st: You've come a long way since your first visit to "Our" Place and surely have provided the gang with some fine Posts! Great to see ya and appreciate your help both here and on "my other Thread" to keep things going!

 

 

Eric at 1:08 AM today: Thanx for the ATSF streamliners! And not to worry, we'll be here when time allows for another "go" . . . Thanx for your Email - also the bride appreciated the kind words too!

 

 

Doug at 6:30 AM today: Great way to begin the new month with a couple of Rendezvous Pix and an awful joke! <groan> <grin> Been a great month of May with everything accomplished at the Rendezvous and the trip to Canada. Hope to continue at least one spate of Pix each day, perhaps two, of our trip - then back to Rendezvous fotos. By the time all of that gets done, we'll be planning for CHICAGO!

 

Sure like that camera of yours - ship me an Email with the "details" please - I'm about to deep six my super-expensive SONY in favor of something smaller and more dependable. Thanx!

 

CM3 Shane at 8:20 AM: Petrol here is at $3.02 (rounded). Saw it in Montreal at $1.17 (rounded) per litre!! That's about $4.76 per gallon. <yikes> Forty years, eh Has it been THAT long . . . <groan>

Check those Pix again - there's more than 3 airlines visible . . .

And yes, without TWA (Tom Weber Airlines) St. Louis' Lambert Field is a mere shadow of what it once was. No more hub, far fewer direct flights and the beat goes on . . . <groan>

Great to see ya and your quarters 'n round for the guys!

 

Reminder: Ruth has the bar from 9 AM until Leon the Night Man comes in at 5 PM ‘til closing.

Thursday is Fish ‘ Chips Nite!

Friday is Pizza ‘n Beer Nite! - and - Steak ‘n Fries Nite!

Saturday is Steak ‘n All The Trimmings Nite!

Dinner begins at 5

[marthastrainyard]

Good Morning everybody present!

 

Ruth, may I have a pint of Bass please, and a round for everybody present.

Sorry to miss the Pizza again tonight, but I have to post during the day for bandwidth reasons.

 

Tom, I thank you for the kind words. I wish you and Pete welcome back. It's good to have you back "down south". I will try to keep up the appearances, even if it will be once a week only. There are many, many pictures to share and a story, or two, that goes with them as well. I guess a little bit more details about our cross-country trip is in order this time. And I do agree with you that this is a rather unique place in that all of us recognize each other and appreciate what's published here.

I'm not that familiar with Canadian railroading, but do they still have the observation car you use in your avatar? I think I read in some earlier posts that there is a risk it will be taken out of service. If that happens I guess it is the last of its kind in regular service, isn't it? I understand there are a couple preserved here and there.

I had not heard "Tom Weber Airlines" as a name for TWA. "Teeny, Weenie Airline" or "Tears, Worries and Aggravation" are the two names I have heard.

 

Thank you Erik, for the C3 drawing. It brings back memories from years long gone. I had forgotten the steam heat regulators on the wall but the gas lamps were still in my memory! Now afterwards the car looks nostalgic and interesting, back then it was just uncomfortable. These cars were later replaced by 4-axle cars, B015-LÅ, and that was a great step up in comfort! Padded seats! Don't ask me how I can remember that class designation, but it is stuck in my memory forever.

And yes, there is snow in Skåne every now and then, but the extreme you showed in your picture is luckily very rare. My parents used to talk about the bad "war winters" when the river (Helge Å) in my home town froze so they could drive cars across.

Garden of the Gods. We had visited the Carlsbad Caverns and went straight up north (probably along US 285 for a while) to Santa Fe. I realize I was wrong about the name of the garden, but there was an area with a name like that along the road. Now, my wife thinks I'm totally off and am thinking of a place in Utah.  Oh well, as I said before, the memory is the second thing that disappears with age. From Santa Fe we went to Taos and Alamosa (had to get some rail fanning in on the trip  ), so we missed Raton Pass altogether.

The COLA "detoured" because I needed a picture of the depot on my club's layout  and since I am collecting the cars for the COLA I figured I take one of those down to the club a snap a picture.

The old train hall at Atocha is a really nice looking building. There are restaurants, coffee shops and shops inside and I found it is one of the few places where you can consistently order in English and be understood. The little pond inside is full of turtles.

When I see your picture of the Amtrak Genesis I wonder how that engine measures up in length compared to the old E8/E9? It looks longer, but I'm not sure.

It is a nice picture from the Santa Fe Museum in Atchison. I didn't even know there was such a museum. It will be worth a visit if I ever travel in that direction.

 

 

I'm sorry to hear about the loss of your K9 friend, Shane. I remember the grief in town when one of the local K9 members passed on. She had been the favorite of all kids in all Elementary schools where she went.

I don't recall seeing any SD-45, but the Tunnel Motors (was it SD-45-T2?) were quite common on SP in Southern California when I lived there. I think there was also a couple of SDP-45 that SP had moved down from the Peninsula to the LA area. In the mid-80's they used two of these to run a local daily freight down to Anaheim. What a sad way for a passenger engine to spend its last days! But at least they got to see Disneyland every day! (sort of)

Looking at old time tables or old maps is a dangerous thing, isn't it? I get lost in those so easily and it can take hours before I come up for air again. But it IS interesting reading, I agree wholeheartedly with you on that. I like your summary of the Wheeling branch operations. That could be used in an MR operation almost everywhere. I had thought of something similar for my fictitious Central California railway empire; now I have a prototype time table to use, thank you!

 

 

Doug, that's one whopper of a tank car! Wasn't there a kit produced for this car? In wood, even? It must have caused many problems on the tracks with a length like that. It's almost like the Schnabel cars that are built in Germany, even though they are longer still.

It's OK with the Aerotrain. I just remember seeing an old train at the Tennessee Valley RR Museum right next door to NMRA, and I was curious as to the origin of that. I think I remember seeing this train with the DOT logo on it. I was there long before the DCA (Digital Camera Age) so it will take a while to locate those pictures. I checked their website but it gives no information about what they have in the museum, just their train rides. But according to Wikipedia, one is kept in Saint Louis and one in Green Bay, Wis., so it must be another train I saw there.

 

I visited the web site you reference, James, and saw what looks like two "Little Joe" engines, E-75 and E-79. I must have missed it in your earlier posts, but what's the difference between the two?

I really liked the video you linked to. The snow scenes looked COLD! Interesting looking engines all of them. I have always wondered what killed the electrics, was it just too much maintenance cost? Maybe because the lines went through some rather isolated areas, or was there other reasons?

Your advice for the airbrush is probably right on. I have an old brass model that's in a very bad shape and I have thought of using that as my test object. When I get that far I'll let you know about the outcome.

 

Well, Pete, I thought the 5% beer would be on the lower end of the scale. I have this problem with beer in large quantities, you see, so I would probably have to take it easy with the stronger stuff. But Holden? I had a car named that when I lived "Down Under".

If I can stay awake after arriving in Madrid in a couple of weeks I think I am going to pay another visit to that museum and get some more information.

[DL - UK]

Well hello Tom and all in

I'll have a pint of Bitter and something from the menu.

I'm back from Cornwall now and will say staright away Pete that the Blue Anchor in Helston has to be one of the UK's best pubs - nice building - traditional style, nice beer that really tasted good. Thanks for the suggestion. They had 2 of their 5 brews on at the time of our visit (which was very wet day after having done an 8 mike hike on the Lizard pennsinula - we were able to take in the lighthouse there and passed by the location of the huts used by Marconi to make / test the first radio signal in 1901).

http://www.nationaltrust.org.uk/main/w-vh/w-visits/w-findaplace/w-thelizardandkynancecove.htm

By the way did you know there was a group trying to re-open the Helston line - I think they have got their work cut out but here's the link.

http://www.helstonrailway.co.uk/index.html

We also managed a short visit to this Tin mine at Geevor. CM3 this may interest you, but I expect others will be interested. We should have left more time for this as it is an extensive site with lots to see and do.

http://www.geevor.com/

This is a remarkable location - stuck out in a remote corner of the country is what must be amongst the best industrial museums in the UK - it is run by the local community and they have done a  great job of telling the story of Tin mining and the associated work to process the mined rock to obtain the metal (at one time the area was thought to have most of the tin deposits in the known world). Unfortunately we did not have time to walk to the nearby Levant Mine where a restored stationary steam engine operates.

All went well with the sleeper trains in both directions - although it was sad to see that even on a public holiday weekend the railway only had the facilities to add one extra sleeping car to the consist making up a train with 4 sleeping cars and 3 seated (coach class I suppose you would call it) cars. Still - at least the service still exists - it was under threat not too long ago.

It is funny to wake up early in a platform at London Paddington Station in your sleeper berth whist countless commuter train arrive and disgorge people rushing to work! The ticket includes use of the first class lounge and showers at Paddington which is a nicely restored room with large Black and White pictures of GWR trains in the 1930s the Cornsih Riviera at Parsons Tunnel and also a large scale model of GWR King Class King George V in the reception area - nicely done. Comfy leather arm chairs too - it is beside the World war One war memorial to GWR staff who were killed in action whilst serving in war time (A large bronze statue on Platform 1).

Anyway - on to some acknowledgements from recent posts - Doug - I certainly enjoyed your detailed captions on some of the pictures - some very informative text.

Eric - thanks for the pics from the re-union - enjoyed looking over them - if you post some more with the regulars / proprietor in them I can see them loud and clear.

Per - enjoyed your Spanish photos - that terminus station is quite a site - nice architecture - some similarity to Paris St Lazare station I thought. Intwerestign trip report from your Amtrak journey too (with great pics to enjoy)

CM3 - condolences regarding the bereavement - always sad.

Tom / Pete - I look forward to more reports from your travels - one heck of an eastern Canada trip - Pete I'm interested in your views on the Ren stock vs the Mk3 sleeper. Sounds like you felt standards of service were up to scratch Tom - that is good to hear after the poor service I encountered in The Ocean Dining Car last autumn. More of your thought on Delson would be of interest too - sounds like you had a great time.

I trust you had a time to check out the Halifax waterfront and the museums / attractions there too.

Mike - enjoyed your memorial day links page. Some good pics there.

James - some more good info from yourself too over the last few days. Reliably ‘minding the shop' as we say!

Regards

DL

 

[siberianmo]

G'day Gents!

Ruth, take a well deserved break - I'll watch things for awhile.

Good to see Per 'n DL in this morning - more specific commentary either later today or certainly in the 'morrow. Appreciate the conversaton, PIX and of course - the business, Gents!

Continuing on with the Canada trip by foto . . .

Day Two: Friday - May 25^th, 2007

VIA Rail's eastbound Ocean at Moncton, New Brunswick, Canada - Renaissance cars

 

Our bedroom car - #21

 

VIA Rail's F40PH #6408 w/Spiderman II ad at Moncton, NB

 

Refueling the locos at Moncton, NB

 

VIA Rail's F40PH #6425 ‘n Ocean Renaissance consist at Moncton, NB

 

VIA Rail's F40PH #6408 (again) at Moncton, NB

 

VIA Rail's Renaissance baggage car (converted coach)

 

Departing Moncton - eastbound

 

Departing Moncton

 

Departing Moncton

 

Fish ‘n Chips Nite!! in Moncton <grin>

 

To be continued . . .

 

Tom

[siberianmo]

G'day Gents!

I see we've had two very special Posts this fine day - so let me address them while the "iron is hot," no telling what the 'morrow may bring!

Customer ACKNOWLEDGMENTS (since my last narrative):

Per at 10:15 AM Friday - June 1^st: What a fantastic Post and one that pretty much has a little something for all. Many THANX for taking the time and making the effort to put forth such a marvelous offering! That deserves a 5- Salute to our Texas Connection!

I think perhaps we should be referring to you as the "Our" Place Swedish Cowboy! - or - perhaps, YEEEE-HAW!  <grin>

VIA Rail still assigns the observation dome cars (referred to as Park Cars - named after the national ‘n provincial parks of Canada) to the Canadian which runs from Toronto to Vancouver on a 3 day per week (each way) schedule. They also have one on the Skeena, which is the train from Jasper, Alberta to Prince Ruppert, British Columbia (via Prince George, BC) also on a 3 day per week schedule - both trains are all Budd stainless steel corrugated side streamliners.

The "Ocean" that runs from Montreal to Halifax on a 6 day schedule only has a Park Car assigned from June 1^st through the end of October. (Although we saw one on our return to Montreal on Tuesday, May 29^th!! when the "Ocean" was attached to the Chaleur at Matapedia, Quebec.) Those Budd cars were all formerly "stock" of the Canadian Pacific's passenger fleet and have wound up with VIA Rail when that entity took charge of passenger rail service in Canada. I LOVE riding in the Park Cars - we used to ALWAYS book our bedroom in it (there are 4 bedrooms below - a triple (drawing room) and 3 doubles) - but now when the "Ocean" has that car, the bedrooms are no longer available for the paying passengers - we must use the Renaissance equipment. <boo hiss>

The Canadian and the Chaleur (Montreal to Gaspe) also provide a Skyline dome car and it is situated pretty much in the middle of the consist. The interior has a dining area - the dome - and a lower lounge area with a snack bar. The "old" Ocean had one of these cars as well.

I never heard of TWA referred to as "teeny weenie" anything. Actually, it was at one time the largest airline in the U.S. and perhaps the world. Over the last couple of decades of existence it underwent some traumatic changes that in fact denigrated what once was a premier airline to that of 2^nd rate, in my not-so-humble-opinion. And my opinion is based on being a rather frequent flier in connection with 7 years of rather intensive air travel - I retired with over 300 thousand miles in my account. So my thoughts are a bit more credible than the anecdotal crap so prevalent here in the Ether.

My first visit to the Garden of the Gods in Colorado was in 1953 while a Boy Scout en route to a Jamboree in Santa Ana, California. (Much has been Posted on this Thread and the original Thread over the years.) A fantastic work of nature and something worth seeing, fer sure, fer sure!

Really enjoyed viewing your 13 Pix and wish you had been with Pete ‘n I to be our "official" photographer. I'm hardly adept at using the digital and wind up with more unhappy moments with my SONY than not. It's most probably my fault - and I'm leaning more ‘n more to going back to the 35mm just gathering dust at home. Anyway, some great shots and appreciate the narratives accompanying them.

 

DL at 11:11 AM Friday - June 1^st: Very good to see you again and your links make for some interesting diversions!

Thanx for the trip report - you seem to have quite a knack at putting those together in a manner most "digestible" to the eye! <grin>

Regarding our Canada rail adventure - it's really a 2-parter and I've been weighing whether or not to undergo the labors of putting it all to writing. So very few at the bar these days <daze> - but let me make a comment or three regarding the Halifax portion of the trip.

As commented on over on the original Thread a time or three - I dislike the Renaissance equipment and will not EVER travel in those cars again unless the circumstances are quite extenuating (such as accompanying a friend who has never done so). After having made the Montreal - Halifax run so many times that I've actually lost count since 1990, there's hardly a favorable comparison I can find between the Chunnel Chugger Euro cars and the Budd stainless steel beauties of MY past. I will say this - the Renaissance cars ride better - much smoother ride attributable to a more modern suspension system. That's where the positives end as far as I'm concerned.

The absence of dome cars on the Renaissance is a bummer, big time. The "old" Ocean had two - a Park Car (obs dome) and the Skyline car (dome and lounge).

A real Chef in a real diner is missing from Renaissance as the food is prepared is some "morphed" cooking system betwixt microwave and convection, making most of the offerings come out rather "mushy" - not for me - no thanx! <ugh>

Community areas for socializing is sorely lacking aboard Renaissance. Yes, they have designed two of the cars to be "Service cars," which essentially means one may partake in a beverage and snack in an area more designed for fast food service than for sitting, chatting and taking in the sights passing by. These "Service cars" are attached to either side of the dining car, thereby providing the people in coach with a place to go and those in the sleepers with one as well. Unfortunately, the seating is very limited and once the movies are shown, you either listen to the soundtrack or leave the car. Not a good set up at all. The "old" Ocean had plenty of places whereby people could gather, have a leisurely chat and simply enjoy the ambiance of rail travel the way it was mea

[pwolfe]

Hi Tom and all.

A pint of Bathams and a round for the house please RUTH.

It is really good to see you kept busy now.

JAMES Looking forward to your photos of the Plymouth Switcher at the meet. What goes on at a Steam Threshers meet is it where there is steam farm equipment.

It was good to view the link to the Milwaukee Road Electrics again. One thing I noticed this time was when the train was headed by 2 Bi-Polars there looked like an engineer in each locomotive, do you know if these locomotives were ever fitted for multiple operation, or did each loco require its own crew when working in multiple.

Thanks for the info on why the steam locos lasted longer around Duluth.

ERIC Thanks for the photo from the Santa Fe museum and I will look forward to your post later.

DOUG Sometimes the freight cars in a railroad museum tend to be overlooked and I must admit I am guilty of this myself so I am glad you took some, many thank for the descriptions as well.

In the link to the Coors visitor site (The old Bass museum in Burton on Trent England) there is a section on the Shire Horses that are kept there. It says they weigh an Imperial ton, is this about the same as a Clydesdale

CM3 It was quite a shock to see your post and realize that indeed it was 1967 that Sgt Pepper album appeared, some still say it was the best album, when I first heard them words never, in my wildest dreams,would I think I would be in North America 40 years later. I was a youth of 16 and BR steam still had a year left then. Many thanks for invoking the memory.

PER Thanks for the round. I am glad you are enjoying Our Place as Tom says, "What is there not to like" and it is great to have you at the bar.

Bass used to be quite a strong beer. I have found a link to the museum,when I was there a few years ago,they had a perserved steam loco that worked at the brewery and a model layout of the very large railway system that served the different breweries there was in Burton On Trent at one time.

 http://www.coorsvisitorcentre.com/vc_home.asp?section_id=0

Holden's is local brewery in the West Midlands; Tom posted some photos of some beer coasters I brought back. I will try to find the page and post them again.

Many thanks for the photos of your trip from Boston to Chicago and in Chicago I am sure CM3 will know whose tracks you rode. That is a remarkable photo inside the ‘Turtle"

DL Real pleased you enjoyed the Blue Anchor it is indeed a great pub. When we were there we did try to find where the line to Helston had a station in the town but could not find any trace. We believed that a supermarket is on the site as there was a steep hill leading from the town and a local said it was in that area. It will be a hard job to return the tracks but if they can it should be a good location with a good tourist trade in the summer I would think.

Many thanks for the description of your journey to Cornwall and the links, the tin mine looks well worth a visit.

Tom has given a good description of the Budd versus Renaissance cars. They are not such a culture shock to me as I am used to the size of the BR Mark 3 sleepers but when I first saw them at Montreal station I was shocked to see the large gap between the coach body and the platform, they have to put a small bridge across so you can board. We were lucky as we were able to use the seating area after a while and with the large windows and 2 by1 seating are far better than what we have on BR at the minute I think. To have been kept in the sleeping berth with that grand scenery would have been a great disappointment.

I think Tom has summed up the food well, although the first meal we had was not too bad, but at that stage I think we could have ate a scabby monkey.

Their one redeeming feature is that the cars rode very well indeed and we did have a most excellent crew on the train.

I was really glad we had the trip in the Renaissance cars before the Budd ones as the Budd cars and Dome car was a revelation to me. Not to mention the great food on the Challeur.

The Renaissance cars do look a lot like the Mk3s to me and when the cars were being marshaled to connect to the Challeur at Matapedia at night, it was very reminiscent of a Scottish station on the Perth to Inverness line with the scenery

TOM Loved the RDCs at the start of your post.

I was looking for the link to the Bass Brewery Museum and found out it is now called the Coors Visitor Centre

[CMSTPP]

G-day Tom and all present!!

Leon- I will take the steak and fries with a coffee please, and a round for the guys. Thanks

Eric- Must be busy in your part of the world. But you have contributed some nice pictures. I have a question. The pic taken at the Santa Fe Museum,  Are those streamliners used at all They look to be at that stage where they could use a little help, or maybe it's just the reflection of the stainless steel sides. Anywho, nice pic.

Doug- Ah so that GM unit was an FT. That's all I needed, Thanks for looking that up for me. Alright, who's up for putting there car on the open auto rack?? Anyone.....  Well, I have not see any of those except when I built my NP open Auto rack. Pretty cool stuff. Thanks for sharing.

CM3- One step above dirt.. Now I like that!! Ya, I have heard many stories about engineers who's trains stalled on the way because they couldn't keep the stuff lit in a rainstorm. Usually the flames where so hot that it would instantly evaporate the water but this lignite turned into moosh with the rain, and it was like feeding dirt to a flame. So they would have a tarp over the tender just to keep the rain off. Some pretty neat stories from the steam days.

Tom- My, you come back with a lot of pics in hand. What a great set of Via rail pics. I was also a bit astonished to see Spiderman on the side of the F40.. I can say this. He certainly gets around.. Also some great pics of the passenger cars on the train. I have not seen them before. Where did they come from

Per- I see that's what everyone is calling you so I will too.   The difference between Little Joe E-75 and E79, there really isn't a difference. There pretty much the same locomotive but they have different #s. The only difference that you might find was, In later years, like in 1970s, the Milwaukee road blanked out a cab on one end. The cab windows where covered up and only one end of the locomotive had the controls. This was for saving money. The Milwaukee road was in a financial crisis and they did just about anything to save money. With only one end of the locomotive with a control stand they only had to maintain one instead of two. But outside of that there aren't any differences between the two.

Well, what initially destroyed the electrics and eventually the railroad was they made it to Seattle Tacoma too late. The GN and NP had gotten there before the Milwaukee by thirty years and Seattle was not to impressed with the Milwaukee getting there. The NO and the GN also had a bunch of towns established along the way which gave them some business. A couple of railroad cars per town and by the time you got to Seattle you had a 200 car train. Well, the Milwaukee's route came to be and most of the towns had been established along the GN and NP and people didn't want to move away from the railroad that was already there. And to make matters worse, North and South Dakota really don't have a lot of towns and people weren't willing to build there because the ground was undesirable or for some other reason. Also Montana really doesn't have a lot of land people can build off of so the Milwaukee really didn't have any business when it came to the Western part of the states. Back then the one or two cars per town did a lot with the trains and helped make revenue for them. The Milwaukee Road had the best way over the mountains to get to Seattle just not a lot of business. Now if the Milwaukee road where built today this one or two cars per town wouldn't happen. The railroads don't want to be paying the money to keep the turnouts in place for all of these small businesses. So today the trains run from Chicago all the way to Seattle without really stopping, and the Milwaukee Roads route was the best for this. Here the Milwaukee road would have done best since they ran trains from Chicago to Seattle without really stopping. Back in the day though, that wasn't how it worked.

Hopefully you understand what I just said. It was an interesting problem. I just wish they were still around.

Anyway, I really liked those shots of the end of the train. You could see stuff no one else could. That station really caught my eye. It really upset me to see the roof ripping off like it was, and unfortunately it may not have a lot of time in this world. I am also surprised to see catenary wires around too. I thought all had disappeared around the Chicago area. But I do recall a passenger line that was electric in Chicago. Maybe this is it. And I was quite surprised to see the... the turtle?? Who ever thought this "little" thing up had to be a bit out of his mind... right!? He certainly had something envisioned. I think it was you......

Pete- At the thresher reunion you see a lot of old steam powered tractors and a quite a bit of railway action too. I couldn't believe how many tractors, farm equipment, and huge power generator they had collected. I can't imagine the amount of money spent on this place. It's amazing.

An engineer in both cabs, ya that's how it was. Usually they wouldn't have two Bipolars on one train so it was unusual to see this. I really couldn't tell you why, unless it was a really big passenger train. But the Bipolars were not set up for muing (Multiple unit setup).

Happy railroading

James

 

[CMSTPP]

G-day Tom and all present!

Leon- Thanks but I'm good for now!

I have some pics from the Threshers reunion but unfortunately I do not have a pic of that little plymouth switcher. This next Spetember I will get some more pics.

This is a chot of a couple of shovels working the dirt pile. pretty neat to watch.

One of the shovels up close!

Here's one of the steam power electric motors actually making electricity for the area. You can see the big wheel in the back ground where the steam engine does all the work. Notice the belt running from the wheel to the electric motor. You should have heard this thing going, what a monster!!

Here is the train. This is a Soo Line 0-6-0 switcher used to carry the passengers around the show. The Round house with the Plymouth is actually behind me. Now give me a bit of a break, i was so excited I forgot to get pics of the roundhouse!! I know bad me.

Here it is up close. It was pretty cool to watch it take on water at the water tower.

Enjoy!

Happy railroading

James

[EricX2000]

Good morning Captain Tom and Gentlemen!!

Leon, glad to see you are still awake this early morning. Early morning means early breakfast. in other words French Toast, please!

A lot to read and catch up on the last few days! Took some time but it was worth it!

Doug –  I am adding a picture of the truck arrangement on the the tank car. I have seen very similar, slightly smaller, tank cars in Europe. I missed that tri-level rack for automobiles! I don’t know how I could, because it was obviously sitting next to the tank car.

That John Darling story was a good one!!

Tom –  The pix of the steam locomotive stuck in a huge snow drift is from the most southern part of Sweden, Skåne, and I posted it again because Per (who is from that part of the old country) wrote that there is less snow there than the more northern parts.

“Flying pictures” with a lot of people using their cell phones! How did people survive in past times when there were no cell phones? Delayed trains in Montreal and fuzzy travelers! I think Pete looks kind of tired (and maybe a little bit fuzzy).

Those ATSF streamliners were marked Burlington. I have not had time to do any research about them. The sad part of the Santa Fe museum in Atchison is that many of the cars are in a sad shape, broken windows, etc.

Moncton, NB, seems to be a flat, wide open place! Those Renaissance cars look kind of British. Are they the ones VIA bought from UK? Forget it, I just found the answer in your next post! I understand that those cars are not the most comfortable.

CM3 –  Thanks for the PRR info, Pittsburgh - Wheeling! Do you know why the Iron City Express/Staesman had a “double” number, 16 -22?

Pete –  Sorry to hear about your camera. I just got the message today about my (2 1/2 years old) camera, no parts available! Best Buy has to give me a new one.

Thanks for the clarification about the traveling times!

I probably have a DVD with Big Boy traveling at high speed. I have to check.

James –  Looking forward to see those pictures of that Plymouth and the Business Dome!

You are right about the streamliners. They certainly could use a lot of help.                   

Thanks for the picutres form the Threshers reunion! Old fashion kind of equipment! That Soo switcher looks kind of like it lost some wheels!

Per –  My experience is that the memory is the first thing to go. My memory is very good, but short. It usually lasts for about 0.2 seconds.

E9 is/was slightly longer than the Genesis, 70’ 3” vs. 69’.

The Santa Fe museum in Atchison has a lot of cars but many of them are in a sad shape. But if you are getting close while traveling it is worth a visit.

Springfield, MA certainly looks bad! At least they should fix the roof before it is too late. Nice pictures (and story) from your trip! I didn’t even remember what Union Station i Chicago looks like from the outside. I spent most time there inside the station.

DL –  Thanks for your trip report! I hope the guys working on the Helston line will be able to open that line again. Interesting!

I am posting some more pictures of the Rendezvous gang this time.

Doug and Juneau.

 

Lunch at the Trainwreck Saloon.

 

Tom and Pete. Union Station St. Louis. 

 

The Rendezvous 2007 is over! Sunday morning, time to move on.

 

Eric 

[Anonymous]

Good morning Tom and gents! I'll have a light breakfast please. Incredible postings yesterday gentlemen, especially from Per, but something that also caught my attention was the number of different patrons who stopped in! Surely do hope this is a sign of things to come! Don't know if there was a model made of the whale belly car Per, but it would sure be a nice one to add to the layout. Sure enjoyed your train trip pix. Sorry those pretty Chicago girls got in front of the picture of the bean. It will be one of the sights (and maybe pretty girls too) for attendees of the 3^rd Rendezvous to see on their way to Millennium Station.

Great to see DL stop in yesterday with travel comments and links. I confess to needing to check the links later. Then there were the several pix from Capitan Tom from is recent trip. How did you manage to find a clean window on a train to take pix through? Amtrak sure doesn't have them. I'll get some info to you on my little Cannon digital later. Pete referenced the "imperial ton" yesterday, (which is 2,240 pounds ... as we all know), and wondered if a Clydesdale horse weighed that much. The answer is possibly, because Clydesdales can weigh from 1600-2400 pounds. By the way, the bride and I are really enjoying our level I Parelli horsemanship course, which concludes today. We'll probably both sit as auditors at the level II tomorrow.

Really excellent pix from James from the Thresher's reunion, and more 2007 Rendezvous pix from Eric.

Somewhat speaking of which, I'm sure ya'll know that I'm in serious seek-mode for places to see for the 2008 Chicago Rendezvous, which I will host next year. One of the places I considered was the Fox Valley Trolley Museum in Elgin. I opened the place on Memorial Day, and I just didn't see enough there for us to put it on our must-see list. There are absolutely no signs on the cars to tell you anything about them, though the volunteers working there might be able to do that.

Even their website http://www.foxtrolley.org/info.htm gives very little information about their 25 cars.

1950 Chicago Transit Authority # 6101

I'll submit more photos later. I do want to mention that the one real bright spot of the museum, is the volunteer workers themselves. They are impeccably turned-out for the early period of the cars, enthusiastic and more friendly than any other volunteer group I have encountered anywhere. I can't praise them enough.

Have a great day ... I have a horse to tend ... and a class to get to.

What's the difference between a dog and a fox? About 5 drinks

[siberianmo]

<w/permission: www.scenic-railroads.com>

 

G'day Gents!

It' Saturday - which ‘round here means ENCORE! Posts ‘n Photo Posting Day! Of course, with the recently concluded 2^nd Annual "Our" Place Rendezvous in St. Louis - AND - the CANADA rail adventure a "done deal," there's been a volume of Pix to be viewed pretty much every day for a few weeks.

Today is pretty much "anything" from past or present - but keep the CLASSIC TRAINS theme in mind - okay? Thanx!

In time I'll get back to providing ACKNOWLEDGMENTS on Monday - Wednesday ‘n Friday - however, we've seen quite a flurry of activity lately, so it's best to keep up!

 

A REPEAT from past weeks: PLEASE do NOT "edit" your Posts if they are several hours old - days old or weeks old! This "skews" the "latest post" activity on the Thread for newcomers - bringing them back to where the "edit" was made. Changes are far better made with a NEW POST than going back in time. If you MUST do it, then follow-up your "edited" Post with a new one . . .

Think about this: WHO goes back to check to see if Posts have been "edited"??? THANX!

Customer ACKNOWLEDGMENTS (since my last narrative):

Pete at 6:40 PM Friday - June 1^st: I enjoyed that link to the COORS site in the UK . . . hmmmm, given all the fuss you made over COORS LIGHT, I'm wondering . . . <grin> Yeah, I know - lite/light beer just doesn't "get it" when it comes to REAL brew!

I'm not so sure a "scabby monkey" would've been included amongst the things I'd consume at dinner - on a train or elsewhere! <ugh> <grin>

Those RDCs are along the route from N. Vancouver, BC to Lilloeet, BC - breathtaking scenery fer sure, fer sure! RIP BC Rail, RIP!

And yes, the I-Max film we viewed at ExpoRail (Saint-Constant/Delson) was a shortened version of what will appear in theatre's in the future. That was a special treat for us and one that I'll not foget. The entire set-up at that wonderful Canadian Railway Museum is simply fantastic - amazing and well worth the cost of travel to it.

Pete ‘n I had to rent a car in downtown Montreal to get over to ExpoRail. There were no means of public transportation available and we figured the cab fares would've knocked our socks off. So AVIS was handy and off we went. Turned out to be a wise move as the place is a bit of a drive, plus we had the flexibility of keeping to our schedule rather than someone else's (bus or taxi). As it turned out, the day we visited (Sunday) was a "free" day for all museums in Quebec. We had no idea - but it was a nice savings, some of which we deposited in the "cash box" from an old street car used for museum donations. Just a wonderful experience all ‘round.

 

James at 9:51 PM ‘n 10:02 PM Friday - June 1^st: Yes, there are plenty more Pix where those came from. I took at least 600 fotos . . . . but as has been the sorry situation, all didn't turn out as hoped - far too blurry. Anyway, there's a sufficient number to provide a good spate of "show ‘n tell" as these days pass on . . . glad you're enjoying ‘em.

As I've mentioned previously, VIA Rail uses advertisements on their loco's to generate a thing called REVENUE! Anyway, I've traveled with "Kool Aide" markings and "Spiderman" 'n "Spiderman II" - who knows where it will end, but it is a money maker, just looks funky to me.

Pix of Steam shovel and Soo Line steam loco very interesting . . . .

 

Eric at 3:07 AM today: Our Resident Desert Swede returns in the form of the Nocturnal Night Owl (redundant, eh?) Why in the world are you UP so late?!?!?!? Anyway, great to have you aboard and always enjoy the commentary ‘n Pix.

I surely missed the Burlington markers as I wudda sworn those cars were ATSF - must've been some sort of not-so-subliminal-suggestion working on me, eh <grin>

Now that's a strange looking tank car! What's the logo - appears to be military?

Moncton, NB is in an area that is rather "flat" although not completely. Traveling a bit further to the east is Sackville, NB and Amherst, NS where the land is indeed rather "flat" and the tidal waters of the Bay of Fundy rise and fall as much as 50 feet! Now that's a HIGH TIDE, eh

I see Juneau "made it" with the Rendezvous Pix!! Nice selection for the 4 continuing fotos . . . seems just like yesterday, eh Time doth fly when one is having fun and fun we had!

Getting a new camera from Best Buy can't be all that bad - but the circumstances of course were not to your liking. Surely wish I could get some sort of a "return" on my zillion-dollar SONY purchased some years back. That piece of flak isn't worth the price of a stale beer. <arrrrrgggggghhhhhh>

 

Doug at 6:56 AM today: Nice way to begin the weekend with a visit from the BARN WEEVIL himself!

Wouldn't it be great if we could keep up the pace ‘round here of the past few days?? Well, we KNOW that's not going to happen. However, if we maintain the "core" group of guys who give a Rat's Patoot, coupled with the vi

[siberianmo]

G'day Gents!

It's Saturday Photo Posting Day!

Time for MORE Pix from Day Two: Friday - May 25^th, 2007 - VIA Rail to Halifax, NS from Montreal, QC . . .

 

A New Brunswick Prison near Sackville - staff housing is below prison

 

Sackville mud flats from Bay of Fundy

 

Radio Canada short wave antenna field, Sackville, NB

 

Entering Nova Scotia, east bound on the "Ocean" to Halifax

 

A-frame nearing Amherst, NS

 

Amherst, NS

 

To be continued . . .

 

Tom

[siberianmo]

ENCORE! Saturday - 'n - Photo Posting Day!

"Our" Place is CLOSED on Sundays

 

Here's something from way back - May 16, 2005 . . .

Canadian Rail Journey, Part I of IV (initially Posted on page 12)

The first leg of my Canadian rail journey began on May 5th aboard VIA Rail's "Ocean" bound for Halifax, Nova Scotia. Departing Montreal's Central Station at 6:30 PM, the 12 car consist of Budd stainless steel cars slowly made its way across the St. Lawrence Seaway by way of the Victoria Jubilee Bridge (a unique rail and highway structure with a turnout and separate span over part of the Seaway). Train #14 was powered by two F40PH's, 6419 leading and 6418 trailing.

NOTE: Discussions regarding the existence catenaries at the Montreal Central Station have taken place over on "Canadian Passenger Railroads - Let's Talk!". There ARE catenaries to the left when approaching Place Bonaventure. Montreal's commuter trains - "AMT" - run their F40PH's to the right and the electrics to the left.

The train consist included a baggage car, three coaches, a Skyline dome car, a dining car, five Chateau series bedroom cars and a Park car (Revelstoke Park).

Over the years, prior to getting underway, my wife and I have made a habit of sitting in the dome of the Park car, simply to take in the sights and sounds of the lower level of Montreal's Central Station. Montreal's commuter trains, some electrified and others not, made frequent departures along with VIA Rail's corridor trains (LRC and Renaissance). Before we realized it, the train effortlessly began to move forward. Soon, the daylight enveloped the train and our long awaited journey "home" began.

As has been our practice, we booked a double bedroom - "D" - in the Park car, which for those who may not know, is the double with the most floor space. Our attendant, Claude, is an old timer and very much into ensuring that his passenger's needs are attended to promptly and courteously. I should add that he stocked an adequate supply of Mr. Alexander Keith's fine Pale Ale from Halifax, thereby putting my mind at ease regarding that aspect of my rail pleasures.

With a fair sky and receding sun, our train picked up speed and before too long, Montreal's skyline was but a series of bumps on the rear horizon. One more pale ale, then off to the dining car.

Generally we begin our evening meal at the Drummondville station stop - about an hour and one half from Montreal. This evening was no different. We noticed straight away that the menu had been trimmed quite a bit, with only two entrees offered and NO chowder listed. This was quite a surprise and we wondered aloud what had happened. The reply was along the lines that VIA Rail had decided to make several changes to Easterly Class and the dining car service, all designed to save them dollars. While that strategy makes no sense to me, apparently the "bean counters" think otherwise. I should note that the dining car was very crowded and we had about a 15 minute wait for a table.

I don't think that a trip with VIA Rail has ever resulted in our not meeting someone new and this particular journey was no different. There's just that little something - no - big something that fosters the atmosphere for conversations to begin. A couple of more train travelers have been added to the "list" of people with whom communications will be maintained. That's just the way it is. Try that out on an airplane!

One of the treats to take advantage of aboard the "Ocean" is sitting in the Park Car's dome. These domes accommodate 24 people and at times the seats are all full. I particularly like it when there's no one else there, especially at night, as the sights of signal lights, illuminated structures and the loco's headlight play games with the shadows of the night. If you have never experienced this, it may be a bit difficult to envision. Daylight affords the opportunity of viewing the full train from the rear along the roof lines. Night time gives yet another perspective. It's all part of the ‘wonder' of train travel and something that will be sorely missed once the Budd stainless steel cars give way to "Renaissance" and the "Euro" cars.

After breakfast in the dining car, we returned to the Park Car dome and remained there until our long stop at Moncton, NB. This is where the loco's get refueled and other matters get attended to. Scheduled for a 20 minute stop, we were off and running in 10. The train was a bit behind in schedule.

The track along the route between Campbellton, NB and Moncton, NB was a bit on the rough side - square wheel effect. This is attributable to the New Brunswick East Coast railroad's inability to maintain the track in the condition that CN had done over the years they owned it. A rough ride for those in the diner, for sure. CN routes their freights along a different right of way, thereby giving VIA Rail almost exclusive access to that length of track. We didn't see one moving NBEC freight during the trip. Many of the cars and loco's we did see still had CP or CP Rail markings showing beneath the freshly painted NBEC livery.

Perhaps the most scenic portion of the trip is between Amherst, NS and Truro, NS where the track is pretty much located on the ridge line of the mountains (hills to those of you from the west coast!). Just wonderful scenery and good track most of the way. The westbound "Ocean," Train #15 from Halifax, passed us on the left side as we approached Truro. Those "Renaissance" cars just don't look "right" to me and it's going to take some time to get used to seeing them. Anyway, my guess is that they were waiting for us in a passing siding, as we were running about 20 minutes behind schedule.

The run from Truro into Halifax takes about 90 minutes and on this particular Friday, it was true to form. Some very pretty countryside and lots of lakes to enjoy as the "Ocean" sped onward to our final stop. Approaching the town of Bedford (now part of the "new" greater Halifax) I snapped yet another photo of "Mom's" house - situated between the tracks and the water of Bedford Basin

Happy Railroading! Siberianmo