Hospital Train on the Manitoba & Minnesota Sub.

Sept. 19, 1992 CP Rail hospital train

Eric Gagnon of Trackside Treasure posted an interesting article about a September 19, 1992 CP Rail "hospital train"--a movement of old locomotives and rolling stock in  poor condition from Montreal to western Canada.

The train was made up of units and cars destined for museums, for repair or for scrapping, including CPR P3k 2-8-2 #5468 (on its way to the Revelstoke, B.C. Railway Museum).

In a second post, Eric provided additional photos of #5468, which was waylaid for nine months in White River, Ont. due to an overheating axle before continuing its way west.

CP Rail M & M Sub. hospital train

Reading Eric's posts made me realize that I could run my own hospital train on the M & M Sub. Since I don't tend to acquire a lot of stuff I don't need or can't use, it was a bit of a challenge making up the train. But, like most model railroaders, there's always something hanging around!

Like the private owner's train which makes periodic visits to the M & M Sub. so railfans can rack up rare miles, the hospital train makes for an interesting and unique addition to the mix of trains on the layout--and gives me a reason to check out the used bins in hobby shops for more items to add to the train.

Also see my follow-up post with more photos of the hospital train in action. To see a video of my hospital train, click here.

To see a real hospital train in action, check out this video of the February 10, 2011 move of antiquated equpment from the Brooklyn Roundhouse to new storage space in Portland, OR.

The hospital train included an SDP40F, F40PHR, several passenger cars and an FA-1 and more.

Switching In Fort Frances: Lucky I Had My Camera!

You know the old adage about railfanning: Never leave home without your camera. (If you do, you are sure to miss that unique or special or once-in-a lifetime shot.)

I just happened to be driving past the yard in Fort Frances on the CP Rail M & M Sub. when a switcher pulled a cut of cars to switch the local yardside industries. Nothing special, but I did have my camera with me, and got the following shots.

(You might wonder how I was able to get so close to the action; I happen to know the yardmaster!)

Toronto Model Railroad Club Closes: "With Brave Faces, They Did Their Final Runs."

"With brave faces, they did their final runs, then symbolically, they cut the mainline."

That's how a CBC reporter chronicled the end of the Toronto Model Railroad Club in a March 2 episode of Only in Canada.

The segment, which you can view here, shows a club member taking a dremel tool to the track to cut the first gap. It brought to an end to the O scale layout, which has been in operation in the same location since 1946.

Called the Central Ontario Railway, the Club was forced to move when the old factory it called home was purchased to make way for a new condo development.

Fortunately, they have found a new location, although the downside is that it is only two-thirds the size of their former 40 by 120 foot home.On the upside, they will be able to upgrade the wiring and make it more accessible--the members aren't getting any younger!

Rebuilding the layout will take at least two years.

Photos from CBC (top) and Torontist, where you can find more photos and a video cab ride along the line.

CBC Toronto also did a piece about the club's move, with text and video. Click here to read and view it.

More photos and information can also be found in my October 31, 2012 post. The layout is also featured in the April, 2013 Railroad Model Craftsman.

Model Railroading as Art, or Art as Model Railroading?

Some think that model railroading is an art. Others think that art is model railroading. Kim Adams is in the latter camp.

Born in Edmonton in 1951, Adams is considered one of Canada's leading contemporary artists. His installation art has been exhibited throughout Canada and internationally since the late 1970s.

To make his art, he uses commonplace objects such as auto parts, household objects, toys and, yes, model trains to create sculptures that, according to the Art Gallery of Ontario (AGO), “resemble fictional worlds and imaginary landscapes.”

Reading that, I had to think: That sounds like most model railroaders I know.

Like Adams, we are forever finding ways to use ordinary items on our layouts—mostly because we are cheap and want to save money.

Like Adams, we also strive to create fictional worlds and landscapes.

Like Adams, we also employ “a careful, laborious approach,” as the AGO describes his artistic method.

Like Adams, some of us also populate our layouts “with scores of people engaged in a dizzying variety of activities.”

Unlike Adams, however, nobody gives us  awards and money for our “art.” For his efforts, Adams was awarded the $50,000 Gershon Iskowitz Prize from the AGO.

Also unlike Adams, we don’t use rolling stock like he does—piling them on top of each other and filling hopper cars with dirt and turning them into gardens. That’s what he did for Artist's Colony (Gardens), currently on display at the AGO. (See photos this page.)

But I’m not complaining; my hat's off to Adams for doing what he does and winning the big prize.

All I have to say is that if an art critic is reading this blog post, feel free to send me a note. I’ll be happy to put my layout on display.

If it helps, I might even glue some rolling stock on top of each other.

For more information and photos of Adams’s work, click here.

A novel way to use hopper cars . . . .

A new way to think of a "stack" train.

Railway Timetables, or What Would You Save if a Fire Broke Out?

Every Saturday, the Winnipeg Free Press (my hometown newspaper) has a feature about collectors called My Stuff. 

Today's article (March 2) featured my friend and fellow model railroader Brian Schuff who, in addition to having a fine model railroad, collects railway timetables.

In the article, Brian is asked: "If your house was on fire, heaven forbid, what's the one item you would try to take with you?"

For Brian, the answer is easy.

"First, I'd grab my mom and dad's photo albums," he said. "Then I'd go back in for my railroad stuff, even though I'd probably die trying to salvage everything."

One of the things he'd go back for is his collection of railway timetables--of which he estimates he has thousands. Some came from his father, while others were collected when he was a teenager hanging out at the local train station.

Today he finds them in flea markets and antique stores.

Pass signed by Van Horne, former President of the CPR.

The most valuable artifact in his collection isn't a timetable at all; it's an 1890 railway pass signed by William Cornelius Van Horne, who supervised the construction of the CPR in the late 19th century.

"I feel obligated to save it [his collection] from the dumpster," he says. "Some people probably think, 'Oh, it's paper, it's worthless,' but to me each item is a little piece of history."

Click here to read the full article in the Winnipeg Free Press.