GO Transit and More, Part 2

This is part 2 of 5 of my “GO Transit and More” series, featuring a morning spent in downtown Toronto watching trains. You can see part 1 here. After viewing a few trains by the Skywalk, I started walking west along the rail corridor. There is a nice walking path on the south side that … Read more

GO Transit and More, Part 1

In late August 2021, my daughter moved to Toronto to attend college there. We are very proud of her for being accepted, and she’s doing well so far. Of course we are sad that she isn’t living at home any more. Her cats miss her too. We packed some of her stuff into the back … Read more

A Juggling Act

Canadian Pacific business train west of Winnipeg, Manitoba

I heard that the CP “business train” was running empty through Winnipeg on its way to the east coast of Canada. Canadian Pacific has recently reacquired the “Short Line” through Maine, sold in 1995 as part of CP’s abandonment of the east, and has made a partnership with the NB Southern Railway to ship to … Read more

Variety Pack in Sault Ste Marie

On our way back from Toronto, my wife and I stayed overnight in Sault Ste Marie, Ontario. I wrote about my Huron Central railfanning before; I also visited the CN yard in the city. There were a few interesting sights there, from Wisconsin & Southern, Grand Trunk Western, Algoma Central and more!

Visiting the Toronto Railway Museum

The Toronto Railway Museum is located at the former CPR John Street roundhouse in downtown Toronto. It features an eclectic collection of locomotives, passenger cars and more from the Toronto area, together with interpretive displays explaining their significance. I visited it in August 2021 and took some photos. Here are a few. The impressive coaling … Read more

Trams in Toronto

There have been some form of electric streetcars or trams operating in Toronto since 1892. Initially they were under the auspices of the Toronto Railway Company; the Toronto Transportation Commission (now the Toronto Transit Commission or the TTC) took over in 1920 and has continued to operate the streetcars / trams / light rail vehicles since then.

The National Day for Truth and Reconciliation

September 30, 2021 is the first National Day for Truth and Reconciliation. Canada had 140 federally run Indian Residential Schools from 1831 to 1998, and the harm caused by these schools reverberates today. This day was created to honour the children of residential schools, their families and communities.

McAdam Train Station at Night

I was in Moncton, New Brunswick recently for business. After that was concluded, I headed to the Fredericton-Oromocto area to visit my mom. I hadn’t seen her since December 2019 due to COVID travel restrictions. I spent Friday afternoon and evening with her, then headed out around 9 PM. I was still internally on Manitoba … Read more

A Better Attitude

Steve burst into the kitchen, slamming the screen door behind him. As he stomped past his mother, up to her elbows in greasy dishwater, she cried out, “Hey! Improve your attitude!”

Chatham Junction

Station at Chatham Junction, NB

Occasionally I get an email from someone who needs some historical railway information. Sometimes it’s an author trying to confirm some details, or see what train was feasible for their character to take; often it is someone doing some research on their ancestors and trying to find out how they traveled across Canada. Recently I … Read more