"I have a bunch of train pictures you might like" said Reg. I said I would enjoy looking through them, and would give them a good home. When Reg brought them to me, I thanked him, not knowing what to expect from the contents of the envelope he handed me. Once I saw these, I knew I wanted to share them on Trackside Treasure. For one thing, to thank Reg for his generosity. For another thing, because I really enjoyed the eclectic and era-bending variety of these train pictures. Appreciating what someone else has collected can be a pleasant eye-opener. As this post illustrates:
Most of the photos were uncaptioned as to date, though some had locations written on the back. The funicular (top photo) has neither. It's a small print, and it's tough to deduce a possible era or location. The above square prints are easier - it's Ottawa, Ontario, and the collection is at the National Museum of Science and Technology. Mystery follows...is this Civil War? Grand Trunk? This cardboard-matted, stained print has a patina of yesteryear, showing some stabled iron horses and turntable:
Closer to home, stuffed-and-mounted Thousand Islands Railway 'Susan Push' 500 reposes at Gananoque, ON on a sunny winter's day:
Mattawa, Ontario railway bridge, likely taken from the Mattawa Marina.
If you dare, cross it!
Huntsville, Ontario - the Huntsville & Lake of Bays Railway Society.
Huntsville, Ontario CN station
CN Geep 4131 stationed at Huntsville, from which it serves local industries.
View from the Northlander in 1994, when CN 4100 was the yard engine here.
VIA 6403 at Kingston, November 2005, in the midst of its 2002-2010 CBC career.
Algonquin Park, 2001. During camping trips, our family definitely visited this plucky little logging locomotive with its visually-arresting spark-arrestor.
CN Tower views, undated. CN Spadina Shops still in service, 14 RDC's and 5 stored Tempo RS18m's might make it 1983:
The Metro Toronto Convention Centre was completed in 1984:
CN's Ernestown station. When this photo was taken, the section truck and piled crossing gates let us know the building was still in use by CN section forces. Notice the old (recently-replaced?) black-and white, not red-and-white, wooden crossing gates.
Pioneer and three United Grain Growers elevators populate Innisfail, Alberta's elevator row.
The Spirit of Sir John A in Kingston's Confederation Park:
Black & white and engraved formats!
English eclecticness - Class A4 4-6-2 Lord Faringdon, Gresley 1935
Moose Jaw CP yard. I taped three of Reg's photos together and added a few 'rails' to fill out the sweeping panoramic image.
Reg is a photographer as well as transportation fan. Years ago, Reg worked at a photographic store to which we took our films for processing. The staff of friendly gentlemen included John, Terry and Reg. Thing is, our family developed nicknames for each of them, respectively: Donovan (he resembled the assistant city editor on the then-TV show Lou Grant), Gretzky (big hair like Number 99) and The Explorer (full-bearded like a trapper or coureur des bois! Thing is, when my wife first met 'Gretzky' she actually called him that - she thought that must be his real name!
Running extra...
This HO-scale Revell interlocking tower train-show treasure got some paint and detailing and will soon find a home on my Vancouver Wharves layout. Sample location shown, watching over Burrard Inlet. Passing by is a train tailed by CP 434539 - a.k.a. Canada's only horn-hook coupler-equipped Rapido Trains Angus Shops van!
