Hillsborough by Night

Train and station by night with sign HILLSBORO

I had some time on my hands at the end of a work visit to Moncton, New Brunswick, so I headed down to Hillsborough to the New Brunswick Railway Museum. The museum was closed, of course, it being out of season and also late Sunday night. I dug my tripod out and started taking photos. … Read more

1970s CN Power

Old CN diesel locomotive #7179 in Winnipeg

Here are a few slides I’ve purchased recently off an online auction site. All of them depict CN diesel electric locomotives and were taken in the 1970s. I don’t know who any of the photographers were, unfortunately. The lead photo shows CN 7179 in Winnipeg, Manitoba, on July 19, 1976. 7179 was one of 34 … Read more

Fredericton’s Forgotten Rails

Railway track buried under leaves and fallen trees

There hasn’t been a train in Fredericton, New Brunswick since the spring of 1995. Both CN and CP lifted their rails from the city and today there are only a few traces of the railway left. The York Street train station is the most visible reminder that trains once ran in the City of Stately Elms, but there are one or two other traces if you know where to look.

The Musical Time Machine

Fish shaped mandolin

The power of music is incredible. One song can change a bad moment into a good one. One song can speak for a generation. And, for me at least, a song can be a time machine, bringing me back to a particular moment in the past.

Riding the Budd Cars – Sudbury to Chapleau

I had the opportunity to experience the VIA Rail service between Sudbury and White River, Ontario recently. This isolated and remote passenger trip uses two or three Rail Diesel Cars (RDCs) to serve remote areas between the two end points. It’s a little bit of an oddball service, but it has persisted to this day.

Review: Dominion Atlantic Railway

The book “Dominion Atlantic Railway” by Gary Ness is a must-read for anyone interested in Nova Scotia railway history, or indeed Canadian railway history. Gary’s extensive research shines through in this lavishly illustrated book.