Hey...thinking Classic Trains recent Photo of the Day with the 2 CB&Q stockcars is a trick from the Model Railroader dudes.
That figure with that pose is available in every scale from Z to G, the picture in the background is a pasted backdrop, those weeds are modeler's weeds. Notice how the one stock car's roadnumber is conveniently cropped because it's probably the same road number as the other!
You can't fool an old horse fly.
Yeah, that's a "Model Railroader" phoney shot all right. The crummy lookin' cars, rail ties all askew, weeds all over the place...
You'll NEVER see an O gauge railroader's layout looking like that! WE have higher standards of appearance than those HO guys!
THAT'S why I hang out a lot on the "Classic Toy Trains" website!
And you'll never see any of "Penny Trains" layouts looking that that!
....and the hastily put together ballast in the foreground, dead giveaway .
Nice try Model Railroader...can't fool us old dudes.
Today Mar.1st, Classic Photo of the Day is about as exciting as a Diesel...falls flat, kind of like suet pudding, just sitting there. It's informative I suppose, nice stairs and lighting I guess but c'mon...where's the large freight building, carts and forklifts everywhere?
Don’t cry for me Argentine yard
http://www.loc.gov/pictures/item/fsa1992000763/PP/
One day 'City of St. Albans' was the photo of.
http://ctr.trains.com/photo-of-the-day/2017/02/cv-mountain-type
St. Albans train shed
And the joint bars look so realistic - didn't know Model Railroads when to the extent of using scale 39 foot rail lengths with 4 bolt joint bars.
Miningman
Never too old to have a happy childhood!
Wanswheel- "Don't cry for me Argentina"...yard. Good One!!
Fixed that Photo of the Day but good.
In addition, great add on regarding the " City of St. Albans". Bet not many knew that one.
BaltACD- injection moulding is very advanced these days!
Come to think of it maybe it's a wee bit more exciting than a photo of a Diesel ( as in , "oh great another A-B-A set of the same mass produced steam killers, but wow what paint!") ... still in the suet pudding category.
People, the folks, us,...we are all steam locomotives...robots are Diesels.
Beware the robots!
http://ctr.trains.com/photo-of-the-day/2017/03/santa-fes-argentine-freight-house
Slightly better than yet another Diesel
Miningman Come to think of it maybe it's a wee bit more exciting than a photo of a Diesel ( as in , "oh great another A-B-A set of the same mass produced steam killers, but wow what paint!") ... still in the suet pudding category. People, the folks, us,...we are all steam locomotives...robots are Diesels. Beware the robots!
I am a person, not a mechanical device powered by steam.
Ah, but a steam locomotive is the closest God in His wisdom has let man come to creating life.
Aside from the other method.
Is that guy checking to see whether they're nicely centered over the magnet?
Tom
Of course he is! Those Model Railroader guys like to have a good laugh on us! An obvious giveaway, inside joke sort of thing.
While I'm on "Another Photo of the Day Comment" how about from today's..Friday St. Paddy's Day and that shot of the Dominion leaving Ottawa Union Station in the deep freeze.
You know it's cold when the smoke raises straight up like that into the stratosphere. Steam is just billowing out of every nook and cranny on that Pacific. The photo is a bit blurry but it sure captures the cold.
That is what it is like every morning and evening up here from mid October to the end of April. It just ends one day, just like that, bing, gone. This is followed very quickly by an enormous invasion of black flies, sand flies, horse flies and skeeters. Then it gets hot and the sun goes down setting for a maybe a whole hour or so for a long time. September is nice! Thats it, September.
Back to the Dominion...the Big Brother of the much ballyhooed Canadian. Heavyweights, linens, wool blankets of extreme high quality with the Beaver logo "Spans the World" on each blanket. Real sleepers. Put Pendalton's to shame. Fine china, tableclothes, sugar and cream in heavy silverware, best ham and eggs in the morning you ever had ( yes, yes, bacon, Canadian bacon, Peameal Bacon options). Brass railed observation at the rear. Always played second fiddle to the shiny Canadian and it's domes since it's arrival and hype. Many of us, those that "know", we took the right transcon. Kept many of it's heavyweights right up to the end in Feb. 1966, 11 years after that picture was taken but probably just as cold on it's last day...sans Pacific .
Finished the 3rd Semester today, lots of exams the past week, Mine Tech, Radiation Tech, Civil Engineer, Power Engineer. 4th Semester starts Tuesday. Students will be clamouring for marks Tuesday morning, before I can even pour my coffee. Remains cold here, just like the picture.
Once I'm done marking I can get back to my lamenting and pining for what we had and lost and cherished and remember and loved.
PS- The "Dominion" was a great name as Canada was known the world over as "the Dominion of Canada" and it still is officially and in it's charters. Alas, sadly, no one uses that anymore but really we are the Dominion of Canada.
When the Canadian government patriated its Constitution from Britain in 1982, the word Dominion did not appear anywhere in the new Constitution Act, 1982, nor in the Charter of Rights and Freedoms.
Even so, the old BNA Act – now called the Constitution Act, 1867 – remains a part of Canada's comprehensive Constitution, along with the 1982 statute. As such, Dominion of Canada remains the country's formal – if seldom used – national title.
Confederation was, as is mentioned, in 1867. We were going to call ourselves the "Kingdom of Canada" but we sort of have you guys, the American's, to thank for calling it the "Dominion of Canada" instead because the word Kingdom had British connotations and since you just finished your Civil War we didn't want to stir up a hornets nest with a stressed out neighbour.
Strange how things come about sometimes. Of course the American's have the "Old Dominion of Virginia".
Anyway the Dominion was a great train, a classic, something Lucius Beebe would ride. Montreal to Vancouver.
http://i.ebayimg.com/images/g/VhIAAOSwmfhX3At8/s-l1600.jpg
http://i.ebayimg.com/images/g/cykAAOSwmLlX3At-/s-l1600.jpg
Thanks Wanswheel- Was feeling a bit down this am and your response was good medicine.
I have some of those bank notes...Two $10's, a $50 and three $100's. Also have one of those CPR blankets with the Beaver logo, purchased at a train show many years ago. Also a CNR "Maple Leaf" "Serves all Canada" blanket as well that was given to me by a friend from Switzerland. Once in a while I use them as a throw on the couch.
My girlfriend was a VIA ticket /reservation clerk serving the public at a wicket in Toronto Union Station and an elderly couple purchased sleeping accomadationo to the West and paid cash. They used those notes, which were pristine. This was late 70's. She asked her supervisor and simply switched them out with our own cash. Still have them.
The $50 and $100 were not that common.
Thank You.
Ah Virginia, the nickname "Old Dominion" was given to the then-colony of Virginia by King Charles II for it's loyalty to the crown during the English Civil War, and due to the fact a lot of Calaviers came here after the Roundheads took over.
The actual name of the state is "The Commonweath of Virginia," but this is just an old English term for a community or province formed for "the common good." It was applied centuries ago but doesn't give the state any special priviledges the other states don't have, it's strictly a title and no more.
Don't mention confederation to a Newfoundlander like Lady Firestorm's mother, she was a proud subject of the "Senior British Colony" as she terms it and unlike her younger nieces and nephews never considered herself a Canadian!
It wasn't wise to get her started on the subject of Joey Smallwood either, for that matter.
Anyway, that "Photo O' The Day" just impressed the hell out of me! Man, that's some cold!
Cold from October to April, reminds me of a song spoof from the VietNam era when many young Americans ran off to Canada to avoid the draft, sung to the tune of "The Marines Hymn."
From the hills of Nova Scotia, to the shoreline of B.C.
We avoid our country's service very contientiously.
Where the snow lasts until Easter, 'cause it falls by Halloween,
But we'd rather be Canadians than United States Marines!
This is the interior of Ottawa Union Station, which still stands today but is no longer a railroad station. It is a government conference center.
It IS significant because it was modelled after Pennsylvania Station in New York City and is a half size reproduction.
Sadly the train sheds and all the tracks are gone, gone, gone, ain't never coming back. Where the trains and tracks are in the Photo of the Day is now an expressway. No trains into the heart of Ottawa...you have to go to this suburban outpost about 20km away.
Firelock- Yes, I feel bad for the kids at Halloween up here. Coming from Southern Ontario my winters were no different than Ohio, Indiana and Pennsylvania and Halloween was just spooky, not snowbound and freezing cold, but it sure is where I am now. Guaranteed.
I've mentioned it before but up in Churchill they send up helicopters on Halloween to monitor and scare off the Polar Bears that wonder what all the little appetizers are running around. Thats not a joke. They DO NOT shoot them, just scare 'em off. With the choppers they can see them coming all around and from a great distance.
Yes there were some draft dodgers up here. Worked with a fellow from McKees Rock along the P&LE. He simply finished his last 3 years of university up here. Never went back, I think he was afraid to. He did not talk about it much nor did I ask.
NDG- Are you saying that the Algoma Steel rail from Sault Ste. Marie that is now used as a border fence with Mexico came from Ottawa? I thought it was from a long prairie branch line starting from North Battleford.
Maybe both?
Who would have known that rolled rail from Algoma that served the Canadian Pacific Railway, built a country, supported all those steam loco's could ever end up as a barrier picket fence against drug smugglers from Mexico.
You can't make this stuff up.
Don't sell America short. It now is unofficially the United Trump Kingdom with King Donald starring in the award winning forthcoming motion picture Leader of the Pack which will be released soon in a Porta-Potty near you!
News Flash: Model railroading technology has just made breaking news headlines with the introduction of a cattle car that is capable of releasing the authentic smell of cow manure when it runs over and trips a revoutionary new track center mounted device! The World's Greatest Hobby just got better!
Ain't gonna show up on my layout! No "Eau de Bossy" in my Chugger Barn, just JT's MegaSteam, coffee scented, thank you very much!
NDG- The border can be quite intimidating these days. Has been that way since 911...what can you do. I stopped going to NTrak meets in the US with my modules and trainsets because it became a nightmare at the border, both coming and going. You used to be able to get a green sticker which they affixed onto a module and then every time you went across you pretty much sailed through but that is long gone.
The computer knows all...every parking ticket, every story, even what you will have for lunch before you even thought of it! Big Brother is there. Also of course every customs officer has an opinion and wants to be a star. Usually it's no trouble but sometimes trouble can come out of thin air. Had trouble once at Port Huron/Sarnia coming back from NTrak meet from Canadian Customs...my truck had broke down stateside and required a tow and repairs and I showed them the receipts ...they told me I had to tow the vehicle back to Canada and do the repairs here. Really gave me a hard time. Was there hours as they went through everything. I was worried about my trains, but had an itemized list when I went over and they checked it all. Paid a hefty duty on the repairs.
Loved those cat whisker curb feelers. Used to twang them just for kicks. Grandpa's Studebaker had them. I don't know how well they worked but a scuffed up whitewall looked like hell. Big thing in the fifties along with dingo balls and marker lights.
Yes NYC out of Ottawa all the way to the border long gone and tore up. It was never a big money maker but they sure were proud of that line. They had their own funky station and passenger service. FM high hoods H20-44 when they Dieselized. Spans across the St. Lawrence came down in '57 and '65. The trackage on the US side is still in use by CSX.
Colour of the future? Despite all the political polarization going on, arms build up in the zany countries requiring responses from the West and the threat of nuclear proliferation and the world still being a dangerous place I have great optimism and the feeling that we are entering an era where the good pushes back and the darkness recedes..for a while anyway. It's the "goods" turn.
More on Colour- On a personal individual level I can tell all that 2 years last October I dropped dead as a sack of hammers. Flash pulmonary edema, lungs filled with fluid and then the heart stops. It's like drowning so it takes a little bit of time but not much and you fight like hell, in vain. After multiple attempts of dialling 911 I finally focused enough to get the numbers right ( last attempt..no kidding)..got outside, stumbled up to the top of the driveway and dropped. I'm told they worked on me for 4 hours at the hospital here, was brought back and finally got me stabilized enough that they flew me out air ambulance down to Saskatoon. Woke up 3 weeks later.
Now here is the interesting part...I was somewhere, some of it familiar and lived a daily life...met people, did things, and I remember all of it. Much of it was filled with terror and fear and I saw terrible things and was in constant danger. Barely avoided death a dozen times, always different. Was well aware of time, clocks everywhere. Lot of strange odd and even funny events as well. Where was I? Not a dream, not like that at all. I would say the colour was greys and blues with interruptions of bright yellow sunshine.
When I came to it was a great relief to be out of that place but I think of it often. One thing I can tell you...there were trains!...modern Canadian Pacific Diesels but with a beautiful melodic steam whistle sound and huge iron ore trains, 40 feet tall with one big 40' tall steam locomotive pulling it. They went by constantly from across a river.
They tell me the cause was a viral infection from some time previous.
I'm told I was very fortunate not to have had brain damage as their was no oxygen for 11 minutes or something, and CO2 bubbles on the brain. ( Others may dispute the no brain damage thing).
Recounting your tale of Ottawa Union Station and the Taxi and Streetcars...we had a good decent functioning society that was, looking back, quite idyllic. It's a shame we lost so much of that and it seems we strive to get those times and feelings back all our lives. We should not have lost any of it in the first place.
The. NYC used this station as their own...here is FM H20-44 in lighning stripes.
You guys scare me to death. I've sent my application to the US Consulate in Frankfurt for a new passport as my current one will expire 3/27/17. I enclosed a really ugly photo and form so the fee can be paid with my Master Card. The new passport be valid for ten years....in ten years I'll turn 81 if the Good Lord permits me to live that long....
Cost of passport: $110.00. Two tracking mailers from the nice folks at Deutsche Post DHL: $22.00. (One to send my current passport; the second one to get it and the new one returned to me). The new passport will require a permanent resident stamp from the German authorities. Ten years ago it was FREE. I won't be surprised if I have to pay up front this time!
Took my wife and son on a vacation to Canada in April 97. We flew to Toronto and had a wonderful time. We decided to visit Buffalofor a day and an American Quick Draw McGraw A-Double-S Hole immigration officer on the border gave my family a hard time for no reason other than he probably had got up on the wrong side of the bed that AM.
We had a Canadian registered rent-a-car and when I presented my US passport and my wife and son's German passports the SOB looked at us like we were spys! After spending the afternoon at a Buffalo mall we started back to cross the border into Canada and I told my family I bet we'll have problems. None at all! When the Canadian immigration officer asked me if we had anything to declare, I replied no sir and offered to open the trunk of our rent-a-car for inspection. He said there's no need to and told us to enjoy our Canada vacation and waved us through.
In April 2007 I took my daughter with me to Dallas for a ten day tip to visit my cousin. She gave me the name "Train Nut" back in 1960 but did so with a smile and love in her eyes! Anyway, when we arrived at D/FW a first class US immigration A-Double S Hole didn't want to permit my daughter to enter the US because she presented her German passport instead of her US passport, which she forgot to pack. She was born in Big D in 69 you see but holds dual citizenship. If it hadn't been for another immigration officer (one with a brain) we would have not been permitted to enter the USofA!
Since I'm quite critcal of the Donald Quack Administration and am sure the CIA FBI ATF Homeland Security and SPCA all read and monitor my e-mails (not only on the Trains and CT blog sites but my cousin's x-husband too (who now lives in Knoxvile TN and happens to be a NKP fan by the way) I may not be permitted to enter the US when I fly home later this year....LOL?....perhaps not....
I'm giving serious thought about booking a flight on Air Canada and fly to Toronto, then if I'm not permitted to enter the US I'll drop by PM Trudeu and say hello! I'm registered to receive e-mails from his office Ottawa! When I made an enquiry if I could immigrate to Canada he replied personally (!) and said I'd be most welcome!
It is sad to see the continuing Decline of my home, the USA! In 1973 I had an opportunity to immigrate to Canada. BC Rail would have hired me as a brakeman. My wife wanted to return to her native Germany instead, so here I am!
Looking back, I wonder if we made the wrong decision? I retired in August 2010 after a 31 year career with Deutsche Bundesbahn/Deutsche Bahn AG (not to forget the nine years in Texas with SSW and ATSF) and BC Rail is gone now. With it's passing, British Columbia will never be the same anymore....well, that goes for Alberta too. They've lost the Northern Alberta Railway!
Canadian Pacific recently announced it is bringing back the Beaver. Now if it will paint up the Diesel fleet grey and maroon again, and VIA will reroute The Canadian back on CPR rails (where Canada and God intended it to run in the first place) Canada will be on the right track once more!
Joe Toth
Crysler, Ontario
Mile 96.29
Opened: 1898
Closed: 1957
Facilities: coal
Station from original location at the end of Station Road became a shed just south of town, the former freight shed was on the same property as a home. Both were torn down in 2014.
Photograph: Cornwall Yesterdays (last station building in Crysler before line abandonment)
To which I add....sigh!
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