steve

I'm a photographer who specializes in trains and grain elevators. I like to tell stories.

Soo Line Timetables

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Author Terry Gainer recently published The Soo Line’s Famous Trains to Canada and shared a few Soo Line timetables from his research. I’m happy to be able to share them here for reference.

HMCS Athabaskan

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Book cover featuring a navy ship and the words Unlucky Lady

I was browsing a used bookstore recently and came across a copy of “Unlucky Lady” by Len Barrow and Emile Beaudoin. This is the story of the first HMCS Athabaskan, which had a short service life in World War 2 before it was lost in action. I bought the book and thoroughly enjoyed it. At … Read more

Traveling in the USSR

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Airplane on a Soviet flag

One way to overcome the boredom of living in the USSR was to go on vacations. It wasn’t easy. There were restrictions on travel outside of Moscow, and you had to file a trip plan and get approval before you were allowed to go.

Remnants of the Dartmouth Sub

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At one time, rails reached Musquodoboit, Nova Scotia. They ran over a pretty circuitous route from Windsor Junction to Dartmouth, through Shearwater, Lawrencetown, Three Fathom Harbour, Petain, Chezzetcook, and into Musquodoboit and even a little beyond. This timetable from June 1, 1919 shows a lot of stations that don’t exist on a map today. Back … Read more

Go East, Old Man

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Train crossing a bridge, reflected in the river below

When does one actually become “old”, anyway? I’m almost 56 and I don’t feel old. I guess I’m not “there” yet, although it’s quite a stretch to call me middle-aged.

Memory Art

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Ferry boat crossing Halifax harbour at sunset

I’m reading the book “An Anthropologist on Mars” by neurologist Oliver Sacks. He presents seven unusual cases, including the “Memory Artist”, Franco Magnani. Franco has the unusual combination of an almost eidetic memory, an artistic talent, and an obsession with the town of Pontito, Italy. He spent most of his childhood there, until his father … Read more

GOIng Home

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GO Transit locomotive in Toronto's Union Station

I was in the Kitchener-Waterloo area recently, spending a few days with my son and his wife. I had hoped to take the train to Kitchener when I arrived at Pearson, but Air Canada made sure we landed too late for that to work. Fortunately the return Kitchener-to-Pearson trip was successful.

CPR 1238 for the Waterloo Central

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The Waterloo Central Railway just announced that they have reached an agreement to purchase ex Canadian Pacific Railway steam engine #1238. This “Pacific” type steam locomotive operated on tourist railways in the USA for years, and has been resting in Winnipeg since 2015 at the Prairie Dog Central.