Long Distance Voyager
The Moody Blues album “Long Distance Voyager” was my introduction to progressive rock, the start of a long love affair with prog
Hillsborough by Night
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
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
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
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.
Lest We Forget, 2023
I didn’t always have a great relationship with my father, but I respect the hell out of him for his military service.
Riding the Budd Cars – Chapleau to White River
In late September, I rode the VIA Rail Sudbury-White River train service as part of a tour group. This unique and necessary remote passenger service is well worth the trip! In part 1 I covered the segment from Sudbury, Ontario to Chapleau. Let’s finish the trip.
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.
RIP Bruce Chapman
I was very sorry to hear of the passing of Bruce Chapman. I never met him, but I felt I knew him (somewhat) through his many contributions to Branchline magazine.