The McGivney Overpass

Road bridge over a railway line

I love doing research.
Last year, I was asked about an accident that happened in the 1960s at a railway crossing in McGivney. A truck was struck by a train and dragged a long way, and the truck driver was killed.

Local Switching

Canadian Pacific train at a crossing

Local switchers – the unheralded but vital part of railroading.The main line trains get all the glory, but someone has to gather all the cars for those trains and sort them. Sometimes they’re called “yard jobs” or “local trains” or “transfers”, but whatever the name is, they usually have one or two locomotives and whatever … Read more

Slides From Alberta

CN train rolling through Drumheller Alberta on a rainy day in 1993

Here are some slides I purchased recently, all featuring trains in Alberta. Unfortunately I don’t know who was the photographer for any of them. The lead slide shows a westbound CN train rolling through Drumheller, Alberta in 1993, led by CN 2454 and another cowl unit (CN 53xx?). Clearly it was a dreary rainy day. … Read more

QNX

QNX Multiuser, Multitasking, Realtime, Networking Operating System

I came across this card recently and it brought back a flood of memories. I spent a lot of time with QNX. But what is QNX? And what is this card for?

CP Employee Pass from 1942

Railway pass for E.F. Nason from 1942

I purchased this Canadian Pacific Railway Lines employee pass recently from an online auction site. It was issued to an F.A. Nason, Signal Helper, and expired on December 31, 1942. It was signed by W.E. Merchant.

A Computer Geek: University

Composite image of four Student Union cards for Steve Boyko with photos

I studied at the University of New Brunswick. I have to be honest and say that I never really considered any other university. The “other” university in Fredericton was/is St. Thomas University (STU) and they didn’t offer computer science degrees. I didn’t want to live away from home – too expensive and too scary – so I applied to UNB and was accepted.

Can’t Blame the Cat This Time

A red train with a sunrise behind it

I awoke with a start. What time was it? The blurry digits of my clock radio seemed to say 4:00, but that couldn’t be right – could it? Donning my glasses, I confirmed that A) it was indeed 4 AM and B) I was wide awake. A glance outside showed a lovely morning shaping up, … Read more