Having spent several years of my youth in Garrett, IN - a B&O railroad town - everything except active steam brings back memories.
There was still inactive steam in the Shop Yard - and after hours a number of us 'railroad brats' would bicycle down to the Shop Yard and play on and around the T-3 Mountain engines that were awaiting their trips to the scrappers.
Remember the Capitol Limited having struck a semi-truck load of Joy liquid dishwashing detergent that was damaged beyond being able to continue on the train. The unit was brought back to Garrett and left on one of the outdoor tracks at the roundhouse - Sunday afternoon a thunderstorm hit - and then engine became a genuine 'foamer'!
Never too old to have a happy childhood!
What a fascinating time capsule!
Anyone besides me notice how old Boomer looks at 65? Hey, I'm 65, and I don't look that old. At least I don't think I do...
Thanks Balt. One of my favourite NFB films. They did several films documenting the end of steam era. Interesting that the fella Fred Davis interviews states it is a 25 year program to completely Dieselize .. they were in Year 8 so that would put them in 1975. I wish!! The end came within a couple of years from this.
Retiring Boomer on his last run didn't last much longer either. Mike did a search and found his headstone and obituary, less than 5 years from his last run on the Super Continental, bringing it into Melville. (I think it was mandatory at 65 back then for a working fella, not sure)
Melville was named after Charles Melville Hayes, president of the Grand Trunk, and perished in the sinking of the Titanic. I'm sure most know that fact but for the younger folk I thought it worth a mention.
Plenty of steam around in the film. The fella showing Fred Davis around explains about a train being made up going North to Flin Flon and Churchill. Imagine that! Also that Diesel horns were being replaced with 'steam whistles'. Too bad that really didn't happen, although there was some attempts. The pace of the film is charming.
Melville is still an important railway town. Many many of the branch lines and secondary mains in Saskatchewan are gone. We were like Iowa, with a lot of rail lines going everywhere.
Quite the bucolic scenes with kids playing with dogs and easy going steam locos soaking up the sun. Almost expect Rod Serling to walk on and talk about ' a quiet perfect place and things are about to change' schtic.
Must have been a real frantically busy and very serious place during the war years. I'm sure Boomer earned his pay in those times.
Canadian Film Board
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