Railfanning

[Dan Dubeau]

I'm way too young to remember them as working trains, but have been on this one a couple times.

 

[YotaBota]

I remember seeing the Royal Hudson in Squamish in June or July of 1974. Beautiful mesmerising machine.

File picture.

 

[DPittman]

but the elevator operator had a 10' long pole to move rail cars around as needed, by hand

Yup I've used them they are called car jacks, it is essentially a wedge with a lever you put under the rail car wheel. (I was an elevator operator for a few years).

 

[slow-poke]

I spent my first twenty years in Winnipeg, I recall going for a ride from Winnipeg to Portage La Prairie and back on an old coal fired steam locomotive IIRC it was called the prairie dog express. Not very comfortable compared to Via, hard wooden seats.

Here it is.

Prairie Dog Central Railway - Wikipedia

en.wikipedia.org

 

[pdentrem]

Dad started for CN in 1950, and he seen the transition from steam to diesel. As the diesels got more powerful, the streamers were removed from the mainlines and ended up on smaller runs and yard work. His family homestead land was cut off by the rail line, so as a kid he could walk down to the harbour end of the property to watch the trains go by. His father was B&B - Bridge and Building for CN, for most of his working life. We donated to the local train museum lots of dad’s books etc.
Pierre

 

[historicalarms]

I believe the steam engine still runs out of Stettler Ab in the summer. They have entertaining skits (old west hold-up & shoot out) on the train over the 50 mile run it takes you on. I have never been on it but my folks treated my wife &kids to a trip years ago.
They run a Christmas train daily in the winter but use an old Diesel to pull the 1890 vintage cars.

 

[Ishmael]

Here's What you need to move your boxcars by hand.
I'm still looking for my first boxcar....