Today we take computer networking for granted. In fact, most people don’t even think of it at all. The fact that the device in your hand can load a web page halfway across the planet in a few seconds is taken for granted. It wasn’t always this easy. In fact, it was downright difficult.
The quiet town of Eastend, Saskatchewan has become the home of perhaps the largest collection of ex CN, ex VIA Rail equipment in the world. Gary Southgate, a farmer from North Battleford, SK, has been collecting railway equipment for a decade. He has purchased ex VIA Rail blue and yellow passenger equipment, and locomotives, and … Read more
It was far too nice an evening to sit inside. We had fresh snow on the ground, the sun was shining, the sky was blue, and the temperature was hovering around freezing. A very pleasant evening for early April in Winnipeg.
I hate April Fools’ Day. Call me a cranky old man, but I don’t care for pranks.
This year, I chose to spend part of April 1 trackside. I hadn’t planned it, but when I awoke that Saturday morning, I felt like seeing trains.
“The Empire Builder“ is a new four-part documentary on James J. Hill, the founder of the Great Northern Railway and a huge figure in the history of railroads in the northwestern USA (and parts of Canada). I was recently offered a chance to view the documentary. So far I’ve watched two of the four parts … Read more
I happened to see a quartet of Milanese tram slides for sale on an online auction site a few months ago. I submitted the minimum bid and, lo and behold, I won. I guess there isn’t much competition for this type of slide! All of the slides are dated 1973 but have no other markings. … Read more
My wife and I went to Italy in September 2022 with her parents. I was a little nervous about traveling with my in-laws for 19 days. Don’t get me wrong – I like my father-in-law and mother-in-law. They are good people. It’s just a challenge being together with your in-laws for such a long time.
I was recently asked for some advice on railfanning near the Trans-Canada Highway between Winnipeg, Manitoba and Regina, Saskatchewan. I’m sharing a portion of this route here. Feel free to chime in with your own suggestions in the comments. I’ll be describing it as if you are heading west from Winnipeg, and I am only … Read more
The tracks run pretty straight around here. The flat prairie lent itself to straight lines and easy grades for railway planners in the late 1800s and early 1900s, so there aren’t a lot of curves on the main lines in the prairies. The CN main line west of Winnipeg is no exception.
Back in the late 1980s, I was hired for my first commercial programming task. I wrote two programs for the Super Snapshot cartridge… a Sprite Monitor, and a Sprite Editor. What was a Super Snapshot cartridge? What’s a sprite? Why do you want to monitor or edit it? To tell that story, we have to … Read more
