The Railway Children Come to Roundhouse Park! - Part 3
Click on the image for a closer look! . In our final news posting about this announcement, we are linking you to a number of sources of news items about this event. Today, Jim Coyle of the Toronto Star, answered the question: . "..... Still, how could it be that a British novel more than a century old, a tale centred on steam engines, would inspire a production to capture the fancy of moderns normally so blasé about transportation technology that we scarcely look up at the comings and goings of the space shuttle?" ..."
Click here to read the article and discover the answer. If you want to read everything you can about the upcoming production, here are links to a number of articles published this past week:
The Railway Children Come to Roundhouse Park! - Part 2
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Continuing our coverage of the coming of the stage production of the Railway hildren to Roudnhouse Park, we turn to the Wikipedia entry for the Railway Children which reports as follows on the most recent stage productions: . "A new stage adaptation written by Mike Kenny and directed by Damian Cruden was staged in 2008 and 2009 at the National Railway Museum, York. The adaptation starred Sarah Quintrell, Colin Tarrant and Marshall Lancaster (2008 only), and featured a Stirling Single steam locomotive (GNR 4-2-2 No.1) which, while not actually in steam, entered the stage on the tracks originally leading into the York Goods Station, in which the 'Station Hall' section of the museum is now situated. The stage was constructed inside the large tent outside the Goods Station, which is usually reserved for some of the working locomotives of the museum. ... This adaptation is currently being performed at the disused Waterloo International railway station. A Toronto production will be mounted at a former railway maintenance shop in 2011." . Here we present two videos about the most recent stage productions in the U.K. . Click here to read Part 3 in this series of news postings. . Posting by Russ Milland .
The Railway Children Come to Roundhouse Park - Part 1
Click on each image for a closer look! . As announced here by Mirvish Productions, the British production of The Railway Children is coming to Roundhouse Park this summer. Marquis Entertainment will erect a one thousand seat tent theatre over our track 39 (see model below) to accommodate the steam train that is part of the show. All the news outlets were present today at a press announcement in front of over four hundred people this morning at Steam Whistle Brewing. . The production is based on the book, The Railway Children by Edith Nesbit. Wikipedia sumamrizes the book's plot as follows:
The story concerns the Waterbury family who move to Three Chimneys, a house near the railway, after the father who works at the Foreign office, is imprisoned as a result of being falsely accused of selling state secrets to the Russians. The three children, Roberta (Bobbie), Peter and Phyllis, find amusement in watching the trains on the nearby railway line and waving to the passengers. They become friendly with Albert Perks, the station porter, and with the Old Gentleman who regularly takes the 9:15 down train. He is eventually able to help prove their father's innocence, and the family is reunited. The family take care of the Russian exile, Mr Szczepansky, who came to England looking for his family (later located) and Jim, the grandson of the Old Gentleman, who suffers a broken leg in a tunnel. . The book itself is out of copyright and therefore is available for free downloading from the open source Gutenberg Project website by clicking here. It is also available as a free downloadable audio book from the open source Librivox Project by clicking here. The book was used to make several successful TV series and a full feature film as well in 1970. In 2005 a stage musical version was first presented at Sevenoaks Playhouse in Kent, U.K. . Click here to read Part 2 of this series of TRHA News postings. . Posting by Russ Milland; Images from the Mirvish Productions Announcement .
Weekend Report: Resuming Restoration on Several Fronts
Click on each image for a closer look! . On Sunday of last weekend, we also had a crew of volunteers tackling several different projects. One group were busy planning how to best wire the F7 Diesel Cab in order to power up the computer equipment and all of the electrical lighting systems. Another team was working on reworking and test fitting the door frame for the rear of the U33C Diesel Cab. Others continued to clean up the many grab irons from the passenger cars and to paint the protective panels on the Jackman passenger car windows. . Posting and Pictures by Russ Milland .
Weekend Report: Resuming Restoration of the TH&B Caboose
Click on each image for a closer look! . This weekend, Jim and I removed the interior of the front, left and rear sides of the van copula to review the condition of the cupola wood structure as shown in the attached photos. The TH&B #70 has been through a lot of seasons since it was re-clad with metal on the sides in the 1950s and unfortunately the wood structure has succumbed to wood rot from the upper window sills all the way down to the floor due to water leakage at the joints and sills. . Today's review confirmed that the cupola roof will need to be shored in place and the volunteers will have to replace all the structural wood columns, beam, and sills, similar to the work that was done on the front end of the caboose last year. Next week, our volunteers will begin the shoring of the roof and will remove the remainder of the left conductor's seat and storage unit to be re-finished elsewhere while the side is prepared to be rebuilt. . Posting by James Rasor; Pictures by James Rasor & Russ Milland .
Historic Note: 1st Train on New Elevated Toronto Viaduct - Jan 21, 1930
Click on each image for a closer look! . Derek Boles, TRHA's historian, publishes a daily posting on the Toronto Railway Heritage Yahoo Group List. These postings document major railway oriented events that happened on that day of the year. One of today's items is as follows:
January 21, 1930: . Regular train service begins along the new elevated Toronto viaduct. The first eastbound arrival was Canadian National No.208 from Stratford hauled by 4-8-4 #6121. The first westbound arrival was Canadian Pacific No. 601 from Peterborough hauled by 4-8-4 #3100. Both trains simultaneously approached the station from each direction and entered the trainshed at 10:30 AM where they were greeted by officials including Toronto Mayor Bert Wemp. The first departures were CNR No. 33 with Pacific #5610 en route to Sarnia at 12:55 and CPR no. 38 at 1:40 PM with Pacific #2237 to Ottawa. . These four trains were the only trains scheduled on two tracks that day; the remaining four tracks were put into service over the next several days. The southern portion of the viaduct structure, along with the remaining six tracks, were still under construction and completed on December 15, 1930. - Derek Boles . At the above left, we see CPR #3100 hauling that first train. At the above right, we feature a photo of both the CNR and the CPR trains where they came to meet just west of the Bush trainshed on that day. . If you wish to read the daily postings from Derek, simply join the Toronto Railway Heritage Yahoo Group List by clicking here. . Posting by Russ Milland; Photos from the City of Toronto Archives
Click on each image for a closer look! . We posted here an earlier series of posts on night photography of railways (click here to view that series). Just before Christmas last year, Lance Gleich, one of our volunteers, took these dramatic shots of Roundhouse Park in the snow! . Enjoy! . Posting by Russ Milland; Images by Lance Gleich .
Weekend Report: Progress on the U33C Cab & the Passenger Cars
Click on each image for a closer look! . This past Sunday, a small crew of volunteers turned out to work on the U33C Cab and to clean the grab irons which had been removed from the passenger cars. When the roofs of the passenger cars had been tarred, many of the grab irons had been tarred too. The cleaning of these grab irons is a lengthy task and many tools were tried to find the most productive way of doing it. . On the U33C Cab, we completed the fitting of the window frames and the rubber seals and then tackled the fitting of a "sacrificial" plexiglass window made up of two 1/8" plexiglass sheets. We use the window as a template which we test fitted into each of the three unfinished windows in the U33C. As we wrapped up the work session, we couldn't resist popping the sacrificial window sheets into the front window frames so we could peer through them! . Posting by Russ Milland; Pictures by Michael Guy, Dave Fleming & Russ Milland .
Weekend Report: Progress on the F7 Cab & the TH&B Caboose
Click on each image for a closer look! . This Saturday, our volunteers were hard at work again on the F7 Cab and the TH&B Caboose restorations. The F7 cab crew worked on the laying of a linoleum tile in the cab, did some remedial work on the wall of the cab and prepared to start pulling electrical wire to provide interior lighting. The caboose crew began to remove the rotted wood in the cupola area of the caboose which had not as yet been tackled. . The remaining images capture parts of Roundhouse Park and our #4803 at rest in snowy winter conditions. . Posting by Russ Milland; Images by Michael Guy, Stephen Gardiner and Russ Milland .
Click on each image for a closer look! . As reported in earlier posts here and here, we have spent the last month removing parts from sister LRC locomotive number #6919, which was damaged in a sideswipe accident several years ago. This locomotive was owned by RB Railway Group in Lachine. RB Railway Group president Gerry Rosen generously gave us unfettered access to #6919 to take whatever parts we needed for the restoration of #6917. Locomotive mechanics Chris Fox (from Bombardier) and Rocky Panacci (from VIA) have been extremely helpful in telling us what parts to remove from #6919, and the whole crew at VIA's Toronto Maintenance Centre (TMC) have been very supportive of our efforts. Ownership of #6919 was transferred first to TRHA Board Member Jason Shron and then to Attar Metals of Mississauga. Attar Metals scrapped #6919 on Friday 14 January. . Tax receipts to donors to our "Save the LRC" campaign will be sent out by the first week of February, and they will be packaged with VIA gift cards and/or model LRC coaches for qualifying donors. We don't yet have the hats or badges. They will be ready later in the year. . Over the next few months we will be working with VIA mechanics on their days off to fully restore #6917 to operating condition. More information will be posted on the TRHA News blog as well as the Save the LRC webpage in the coming months. Click here to access these pages. . Note that donations to our campaign are still welcome as we must continue to raise funds to make the LRC operational. Click on the "Save the LRC" banner on this page to invest in the future of the LRC. . Posting by Jason Shron; Pictures by Dan Garcia . .
Trip Report: The East Lancashire Railway, North-West England
Click on each picture for a closer look! . In 1987, the East Lancashire Railway (a preserved tourist railway) was opened along a stretch of former British Rail line in the north-western county of Lancashire. The line is now 12 miles long and operates between the towns of Heywood and Rawtenstall. It is a very enjoyable journey through the Irwell Valley. . The main station on the line is Bury Bolton Street, right in Bury town centre. From the platform, you can also see much of the railway’s yard facilities. Across the road is the Bury Transport Museum, which features displays of both road and rail equipment used in Lancashire over the past 150 years. . Thanks to a rail connection with the national rail network, the railway has a wide variety of stock and different locomotives often visit the line. It operates both diesel and steam trains throughout the year. With an inexpensive rover ticket, it is possible to ride up and down the line all day, visiting the various communities along the route. . Most stations on the line feature shops catering to railway enthusiasts as well as cafes, restaurants and pubs. . The photos show:
“Black 5” locomotive 44871 sitting at Bury Bolton Street, preparing to depart for Heywood.
A pair of Diesel Multiple Units (DMUs) arrive at Summerseat station with the first train of the morning.
The DMUs make a stop at Ramsbottom station as the sun begins to set behind the hills.
44871, running tender-first, approaches the end of the line at Rawtenstall. The unseasonably cold weather in the UK has made for spectacular clouds of steam.
The level crossing barriers at Ramsbottom station are operated from the signal box (left of image). The signalman turns a wheel and, through a series of gears, the gates are opened or closed.
The fireman tends to 44871’s fire during a stop at Rawtenstall.
The East Lancashire Railway is accessible by bus, road or the Manchester Metrolink tram network. For more information, click here. . We are finally above freezing here and the snow has melted. It is currently sunny without a cloud in the sky. Happy New Year! . Posting and pictures by Thomas Blampied .
Click on each image for a closer look! . Work continues on the restoration of the passenger car roofs by Tom Murison and his crew. In the image at the upper left, we find the new (painted red) wooden roof beams installed on the Cape. In the other two images, we see the new plywood layer on top of the original tongue and groove plank roofing and one of the new rubber membranes in process of being installed. . Posting and pictures by Michael Guy
Royal Canadian Mint Commemorates Canada's First Railway!
Click on each image for a closer look! . On January 5th, 2011, the Royal Canadian Mint announced its first series of gold coins. Here is their announcement of one of these coins ..... . "2011 $100 GOLD COIN – 175TH ANNIVERSARY OF CANADA'S FIRST RAILWAY
The first of many public railroads which would eventually link Canadians from coast to coast saw the light of day when the Dorchester locomotive engine entered service in 1836 on the new Champlain and St. Lawrence Rail Road. This technological leap forward, linking the St. Lawrence Valley with Lake Champlain and shortened travel between Montreal and New York City, was the brainchild of ambitious Montreal entrepreneurs led by famous brewer John Molson. The railroad's first engine, the Dorchester, graces the Mint's newest 14-Karat $100 gold coin and honours one of Canada's most influential industries. . The Mint's talented engravers carefully adapted a painting of the Dorchester by late Canadian artist J.D. Kelly (1862-1958) to the reverse design of this coin, which is limited to a mintage of 3,000 and retails for $639.95 CDN." . Exporail, Canada's National Railway Museum, features the Dorchester as you enter their main museum building as shown image at the upper right. In the images below we see a collection of drawings and paintings of this first train as displayed on a plaque at Exporail. . Exporail’s plaque says: . “On July 1st, 1836, after many years of lobbying, the Champlain and St. Lawrence Rail Road launched a British-built engine; the Dorchester finally made it onto Canadian tracks, After several failed attempts, it left Laprairie and reached Saint-Jean-sur-Richelieu in less than an hour. The Dorchester was the first engine to travel on British North America soil. It pulled passengers, freight and mail. It was even used to carry troops and supplies during the 1837-38 Rebellions. In spite of its fame, the Dorchester remains a mystery: no plans were ever found. Creative souls attempting to reconstruct it have produced models, sketches, plans and drawings. Amongst the many submitted hypotheses, which is correct?” . Posting by Russ Milland .
Click on the image for a closer look!
