CP 1834

Railway locomotives

I love images like this. There are so many little details. The white extra flags on the distant unit. The little red box on the crewman’s belt – what’s that for? The switch stand – electrically locked? The whistle sign indicating a nearby crossing. The line of telegraph poles with a new cable strung across … Read more

Blame the Cat

Streaks of light from locomotive headlights at night

It’s the cat’s fault.
I had every intention of sleeping on Saturday morning, but my annoying cat Felix walked into our bedroom in the middle of the night and meowed at me, repeatedly. Apparently his food dish was empty and he wasn’t happy.

A Computer Geek: Computer Magazines

Old computer magazine covers

The late 1970s and early 1980s were the golden age of computer magazines. There was Creative Computing, Popular Computing, Info World, Compute!, BYTE, and many more. These were the primary ways that people learned about new computers, new programs and technical details of the computers. You couldn’t look this stuff up on the Internet yet!

Leapfrogging Home

CN locomotive rounding a curve

After the CP cornucopia of cargo trains, I went south to the CN main line to see some more trains. I decided to head to Nattress on the east side of the Assiniboine River.

Hot Times on the CPR

Train passing the Richardson plant in Portage la Prairie Manitoba

Around Winnipeg, CN runs a lot more trains than CP does. I’d say you can see three times as many trains on CN west of the city. However, the ratio was a little more even on June 20, 2021.

Calendar – Night Trains 2023

Train streaking through the night

Do you like trains? At night? Here’s a 2023 train calendar for you. Twelve months of trains at night, featuring available light photos of CN and CP trains across the prairie and in Ontario.

Between the Buildings

Locomotive crossing a street at night

During our planning for my trip to Waterloo, Ontario, my son Nick suggested that we should try to catch the CN local running down the Elmira spur through town. It’s a really interesting operation. One highlight on the route is where it runs between two buildings in downtown Waterloo en route to Elmira.

Book Review: Trains of Newfoundland

Trains of Newfoundland book cover

I had high expectations for Trains of Newfoundland, the fourth book by Kenneth G. Pieroway on railways in Newfoundland. I’m happy to say that my expectations were met and exceeded. This beautiful 122 page book features a foreword by Robert J. Sandusky, a preface, a map and a condensed timeline, but the vast majority of … Read more