Saturday, July 15, 2006

In Which Trevyn and Adina Go Railroading

This is my older son Trevyn, age 21, and his girlfriend Adina.

















One sunny July day, Trevyn and Adina went to the Canadian Railway Museum at St. Constant, PQ. While there, they decided it would be nice to go visit Adina's family in British Columbia.

First they tried taking the Museum's "Golden Chariot".....
"Trevyn, this trolley is really fancy and all, but I don't think it goes as far as Squamish!"

So they went looking for something else to get them there......




"Look, if we just pick this sucker up and stick it on that track over there....."












"Hey -- this one's got a chain drive, just like our bicycles!.......Only lots bigger"














VIA Rail was offering some kind of Student Super-Saver-Ultra-Micro-Fare deal. What they don't tell you is that "Coach Class" means it includes a coach to show you how to make the thing go.....









"OK, which way to Squamish? We don't want to end up in like, Galesburg instead"








Looks like they managed to get an upgrade, to something that's at least self-propelled.....still doesn't keep the rain off, though!









"OK, this is better....but I don't think anyone sells coal along the line any more...and geez, look at all those valves!"








Finally, they find their way to the cab of this big old F-unit. Looks like they're ready to hit the mainline.....

Monday, July 10, 2006

Workin' On The Railroad

Ever have a day like the guy in For Better Or For Worse, where each job you set out to do turns out to require some other task to be completed first?

Tuesday, July 04, 2006

Railroading, Rural Cambodian Style

Cambodia's bamboo railway -- improvised railcars constructed by villagers, running on the country's little used meter-gauge right-of-way. Google turns up a number of additional hits, with pictures (note: you may have to search down for "bamboo railway" in some of those pages).