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The Grand Trunk Pacific Railway built big, and the train station in Melville, Saskatchewan is no exception. This large two story building is the only one of its kind remaining in Canada.

Winnipeg had an airborne visitor – a rare one, at that. One of the two flyable Lancasters in the world visited the Gateway to the West this week.

I recently had the pleasure of visiting the Lake of the Woods Railroaders Museum in Kenora, Ontario.

Whenever I hear one of the classic Asia songs, “Heat of the Moment”, “Sole Survivor”, or “Only Time Will Tell”, I think of Dungeons & Dragons, and in particular I think of giants and Drow elves.

Well, that’s it. I’ve had enough.

Reliability matters more to me than $$$.

Here are a few slides I purchased showing CN RS-18 locomotives in the 1970s.

The RS-18 was built by Montreal Locomotive Works (MLW) as the Canadian version of the Alco RS-11. These locomotives had an 251B diesel engine under the long hood powering the traction motors driving all four axles. Just over 350 were produced, mostly for CN.

In 1958 CN placed an order for 11 diesel-electric switchers, 1000 horsepower with Montreal Locomotive Works (MLW). At the time, MLW’s 1000 HP offering was the S-12, superseding the S-7. The S-12 had the same 539 “prime mover” diesel engine under the hood, but with a new car body.

Back in late 2018, I published my first print book, “Passing a Half Century“. This told the story of my railfanning trip through Alberta and British Columbia to celebrate my 50th birthday (in 2017). I published it in electronic form and also in paperback form. I learned some lessons from my first print book, and … Read more

On April 19, 2024 two friends and I drove from Winnipeg to Calgary, all in one day, to attend the SuperTrain train show. Crazy? Maybe. Fun? Yes!

I’m still a railfan. I’ve had my doubts. From not feeling like going out to see trains, to withdrawing from the online communities and in-person gatherings, I hadn’t felt like a “real” railfan. I haven’t felt the need to be trackside very often. And yet. On an errand for my wife, I still drove out … Read more