My Dad ~ Thanks For The Memories

Here is a Post I made today on my Main Blog. I thought I'd share it here.

Today I am thinking of my Dad, it is 26 years ago that he passed away on this date and I am being swept away in a Euphoria of Memories of him. I am not mourning him, missing him or wishing he was still here, but rejoicing in what a wonderful Dad and Human Being he was.

I am remembering going fishing with him and he letting me reel in his trout he caught. I am remembering Dad stopping the car at a Railway Crossing somehow knowing that a train was soon to come by. Going to Town on Saturday Morning with allowance in hand to do the shopping with him. Mum would have the Grocery List made up the Night Before. But somehow Dad would find time to stop so as we could get a Bottle of Pop for the trip home, which he'd pay for so as we could keep our allowance for the Matinee later on at the Capitol.

The little errands I'd do with him, like helping to change the Licence Plates on the Car when the new ones came in the mail. Putting the banking up around the house to keep it warm in Winter. Sitting on his lap watching Petticoat Junction when it came on TV on Monday Nights.

Years later I came to appreciate Dad for the Kind Soul he was and how he'd help someone in need. How he visit the neighbours and tend to there flowers and plants to keep the nasty wee critter away. The wry joke he'd tell from life experiences (which I think I got a part of), the way he could look you in the eye and say something that if you knew him you'd smile as he was having a bit of fun with you. My Dad if he liked you would tease you. Once you had Dad as a friend, it was a friendship for life.

Dad had a wonderful Sense of Humour, I remember Dad telling me about the time when he met the Local Undertaker Downtown. Vince looked as Dad and asked "Jimmy how are you feeling"? to which my Dad replied, "Don't get too excited, I never felt better".

Dad taught me how to drive, to this day I feel as if he is still sitting in the Passenger Seat telling me when to put my blinker on, or to watch the car in front as I may be getting too close for his liking. Even when I am Driving my Bus in my days work, I know he is there. He always wanted to move back to the West. I sometimes wonder if I was meant to live his dream by moving to Alberta. Who knows, he may be my Bus Companion keeping watch over me.

I remember after Dad was gone, as well as Mum, and friends coming up to me and saying how they wished that their folks were more like our Mum and Dad. I just thought Mum and Dad were just any ordinary Mum and Dad. Now as the years go by I can see they were more.

Thanks Dad for letting me have a peaceful day with you. No I am not missing you and feeling loss, I did that when the Lord called you home in 1983. I just taking a day to remember you. Tell Mum I said Hi and give her a Hug for me.


Till the next time.

All Aboard

"The Old Fart"

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Timetables From The Past ~ When Travelling By Train Was The Way

Robert from Oil Electric every once in awhile asks when I will be posting next to this blog. I have more pictures already scanned ready to share but I need to do a bit of research on them first before sharing.

Recently the Author of Oil Electric posted some old excerpts from some Time Tables from years ago. I decided that where Dad did save some of the Time Tables from the past, never to be duplicated again, I share the Maritime Portions here.

Looking at the schedules here one can see that the Ocean Limited and the Scotian left Halifax about 20 minutes apart but where the Scotian stopped at more stations by the time they both arrived in Montreal there was a time span of over 90 minutes. The Ocean Limited at this time was a true Limited Train with Sleeping Cars only.

Further Perusal of the time tables one found that the Ocean Limited also had Sleeping Cars from the Sydneys added at Truro, Nova Scotia and from Charlottetown added at Moncton, New Brunswick. There is a wealth of information here and this isn't even including the Trans Continental Trains and the Trains in the Montreal ~ Toronto Corridor.

The Time Tables and Equipment Lists is from 1952, the Coach, Sleeping Car and Parlor Car fares are from 1954.

Halifax to Mont Joli - 1952

Mont Joli to Montreal - 1952

Halifax - Sydney Trains - 1952

Nova Scotia

Nova Scotia

New Brunswick

New Brunswick

Prince Edward Island

Prince Edward Island

Equipment Maritimes and Montreal Trains - 1952

Fares - Coach, Sleeping Car and Parlor Car - 1954

Fares - Coach, Sleeping Car and Parlor Car - 1954



Till the next time.

All Aboard

"The Old Fart"

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Various Photos Of Trains #18 and #19

Recently I made a new friend on the Internet who has graciously emailed me more pictures of Trains #18 and #19 to share here. These pictures are fantastic and you are about to see them here. With Thanks to David and Pat Othen from "Canadian Train Photographs". I have just started to surf this website and it is worth the visit and there is now a link on this blog for it. "Dr John" this site is for you, can I suggest you make it your link of the day?

Enjoy the pictures ~ Thank you Pat and David for allowing me to share them.

Train #18 ~ Truro Yard ~ August 1975

Train #18 is skirting Truro yard just after leaving Truro, Nova Scotia. Stops at Stellarton, New Glasgow, Antigonish, Harve Boucher, Port Hawkesbury, Orangedale (flag stop), Sydney Mines (flag stop), North Sydney and Sydney.

Train #18 ~ Truro, Nova Scotia ~ May 1978

Train #18 ready to leave Truro for Sydney, Train #14 The Ocean has already left for the last 60 miles to Halifax leaving Montreal the Evening before.

Train #19 ~ Truro Yard ~ July 1979

Train #19 is threading it's way through the Truro yard on it's way to Bible Hill to back down into the Truro Station to wait for Train #11 The Scotian from Halifax. The last three cars in Train #19 will be switched out and be marshaled into Train #11 to continue onto Montreal.

Train #11 - Train #19 ~ Truro Station ~ July 1979

Train #19 has already backed down from Bible Hill into Truro Station and three cars on right are about to be placed in the consist of Train #11 The Scotian from Halifax to continue onto Montreal.

Train #18 ~ New Glasgow, Nova Scotia ~ July 1973

Train #18 is arriving at the New Glasgow station. 10 minutes after it left Stellarton station. When Train #18 leaves New Glasgow for Antigonish and beyond to Sydney, the Conductor will lift the tickets from Passengers who boarded at both Stellarton and New Glasgow.

Train #18 ~ New Glasgow, Nova Scotia ~ July 1973

Train #18 is just leaving New Glasgow and in about 20 minutes will meet Train #19 at Edgerton or Piedmont. Visit "Cab Ride" to see Train #18 meeting Train #19.

Train #19 ~ Antigonish, Nova Scotia ~ May 1973

Train #19 ready to leave Antigonish with stops in New Glasgow, Stellarton and Truro. Train #19 met Train #18 at either Edgerton or Piedmont.

Train #18 ~ Antigonish, Nova Scotia ~ October 1975

This picture is just east of the station, Train #18 would have just left Antigonish bound for Sydney. Next stop for Train #18 would be Havre Boucher, last stop before crossing the Canso Strait and into Cape Breton.

Harve Boucher was a Divisional Point and the engine crew would change here with a new crew taking Train #18 onto Sydney. This locomotive crew would have taken Train #19 from Sydney earlier in the day. The Conductor and Trainman would travel the entire distance between Truro, Nova Scotia and Sydney, Nova Scotia.

Train #19 ~ Sydney, Nova Scotia ~ October 1975

Train #19 is ready to leave Sydney for Truro with connections with Train #11 The Scotian for Montreal and Train #12 The Scotian for Halifax. The folks in the last three cars of Train #19 were marshaled into the Consist of Train #11 and only had a 35 minute stay in Truro. Folks traveling onto Halifax had a 2 hour 40 minute stay in truro.

Train #19 ~ Grand Narrows Bridge ~ Iona Side of Barra Strait - October 1975

Train #19 has just crossed the Barra Strait on the Grand Narrows Bridge. This side of the bridge is Victoria County, across the strait is Cape Breton County at Grand Narrows. The Train is about to pass through the village of Iona. I can only imagine how cool it was this day the picture was taken standing next to the Bras d'or Lake with the fog rolling off the lake. To see a clearer picture of the area visit "Sydney Trip" ~ a trip Dad and I made in 1977.

Train #19 ~ Iona, Nova Scotia ~ October 1975

Train #19 has just crossed the Barra Strait of the Bras d'or Lake over the Grand Narrows Bridge and is continuing it's journey with possible flag stop at Orangedale. The car on the end appears to be a CNR Officials Business Car. No doubt someone from the Regional Head Quarters in Moncton, New Brunswick made a trip to Sydney and is heading back to Moncton. The official may have actually came out of Montreal.

Another theory it may have been a special charter and someone rented a business car from the CNR for this purpose. It they came for the Fall colors they won't see much with the fog. If anyone reading this post ever rode Train #18 or Train #19 will know that the most beautiful part of the trip was along the Bras d'or Lake, either on the Victoria County or the Cape Breton County side of the lake.

Till the next time.

All Aboard

"The Old Fart"

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