1970s CN Power

Old CN diesel locomotive #7179 in Winnipeg

Here are a few slides I’ve purchased recently off an online auction site. All of them depict CN diesel electric locomotives and were taken in the 1970s. I don’t know who any of the photographers were, unfortunately. The lead photo shows CN 7179 in Winnipeg, Manitoba, on July 19, 1976. 7179 was one of 34 … Read more

Fredericton’s Forgotten Rails

Railway track buried under leaves and fallen trees

There hasn’t been a train in Fredericton, New Brunswick since the spring of 1995. Both CN and CP lifted their rails from the city and today there are only a few traces of the railway left. The York Street train station is the most visible reminder that trains once ran in the City of Stately Elms, but there are one or two other traces if you know where to look.

The Musical Time Machine

Fish shaped mandolin

The power of music is incredible. One song can change a bad moment into a good one. One song can speak for a generation. And, for me at least, a song can be a time machine, bringing me back to a particular moment in the past.

Riding the Budd Cars – Sudbury to Chapleau

I had the opportunity to experience the VIA Rail service between Sudbury and White River, Ontario recently. This isolated and remote passenger trip uses two or three Rail Diesel Cars (RDCs) to serve remote areas between the two end points. It’s a little bit of an oddball service, but it has persisted to this day.

Review: Dominion Atlantic Railway

The book “Dominion Atlantic Railway” by Gary Ness is a must-read for anyone interested in Nova Scotia railway history, or indeed Canadian railway history. Gary’s extensive research shines through in this lavishly illustrated book.

RIP Bruce Chapman

I was very sorry to hear of the passing of Bruce Chapman. I never met him, but I felt I knew him (somewhat) through his many contributions to Branchline magazine.

Riding Portuguese Rails

Interior of a Portuguese railway station

My wife and I traveled to Portugal in May 2022. Portugal was one of those countries that are a little off the European tourist beaten path, so I wasn’t sure what to expect. All I really knew about Portugal was that it wasn’t Spain and they don’t speak Spanish. Our plan was to fly into … Read more

Faithfully

It’s hard to overstate the importance that the band Journey had in my teenage life. I lived and breathed the band, although I never saw them in concert. They were by far my most favourite band, and I was devastated when they broke up.