Everybody says "Happy New Year" this time of year. Well, let's start 2017's Trackside Treasure posts off on a happy note. In past posts, we've had the Company Photographer captioning some classic era publicity photos returning again a few months later then one year later for a third post, and even some early VIA LRC publicity photos! VIA puts a photo or two each week on their Facebook page, including Discount Tuesdays. No captions. Each photo is just a springboard for passengers to complain to VIA. My train was 5 minutes late! WiFi didn't work! VIA fares are too expensive! First-world problems, people! LET'S MAKE IT HAPPY, PEOPLE!
Trackside Treasure reader Mark Perry sent along personalized Happy New Year greetings. At Dauphin:
as did Ray Farand:
Running extra...
My one-and-only New Year's resolution is to bring forth a newly-created book! This one will be called Trackside with VIA: Research and Recollections. As the title suggests, this will be chock-full of some digging into VIA's past - plus some personal observations and reflections on VIA from on board and from trackside. You can expect a high degree of 'retro' but also updating from my previous books (the last was 2012, after all - come one!) for the VIAphiles of today. As part of my resolution, I pledge photos, a colour section, and good value. This is one resolution I plan to keep! The timeline is a bit elastic, but I'm aiming for spring, when hope (and new books) spring eternal!
Good stuff!
ReplyDeleteThanks, Chris! One just can't miss with good material, and VIA keeps supplying just that on their FB page. Really though, first-world problems: each time VIA posts one of these cheery, sometimes hipsterish 'let's-get-on-the-train-isn't-it-fun' photos every disgruntled passenger, and even some gruntled passengers, start throwing down the comments and why they're never gonna take the train. Occasionally there will be a positive comment, and those names I generally recognize as pro-VIA folks from Yahoo or FB! Well, at least they're positive. Of that I'm positive.
ReplyDeleteHappy New Year!
Eric
Love the one of the hipster getting his selfie on the Prestige car. Laugh of the day!
ReplyDeleteThis reminds me of the old series of photos which ran in Trains magazine from time to time. "David P. who?"
Indeed, Jeffrey - George Drury's captions did inspire this series. Click the links in the first paragraph to see more. Instead of David P who, it's Jason [Shron] who? these days.
ReplyDeleteThanks for your kind comments,
Eric