Mid-week Report #1: Many visitors as the tent comes down!
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We continue to have solid visitor traffic to the park as the main tent structure finally came down earlier this week. In the attached images, we find the last of the tent beams being brought to earth.
As this all happened, our TRHA volunteers ranks were expanded with the addition of student volunteers Eric and Cameron who can be seen standing with the crossing gates which they helped us to relocate to their original location. Work also proceeded on decking the flat car with new wood planks and on clearing dirt and construction debris from our miniature railway track.
Posting by Russ Milland; Images by Michael Guy and Jay Larkin
Weekend Report - More visitors and more costumed fans!
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Sunday was cool and cloudy at first but it perked up nicely after lunch. The park was very busy with "tent people" dismantling the theatre tent inside a construction fence but it was also very busy with park visitors. By mid-day, lots of family groups were coming out to visit the playground and ride the miniature railway. Later in the afternoon, a mix of visitors appeared from both the Blue Jays game and from Fan Expo Canada 2011 being held at the Metro Convention Centre. Many of the latter were in elaborate costume and lots of photos were taken by our intrepid volunteers. A selection of those photos are shown here.
While other TRHA volunteers tended to a host of maintenance tasks on the miniature railway, several of our volunteers also moved the two 4,800 lb (each) sandstone "wheel sets" (i.e. 19th century wooden wheel assembly jigs) to a new location away from their somewhat remote location in the west corner of the property. They now form a portal of sorts to the miniature train platform.
Posting by Russ Milland; Images by Bob Dickson, Jay Larkin and Mark Pompeo
Weekend Report - Fanexpo overflows into Roundhouse Park!
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Fan Expo Canada 2011 made it’s annual appearance this year at the Metro Convention Centre beginning last Friday and running through the weekend. As in past years, fans inevitably found their way to Roundhouse park and used park and its rolling stock as a photo back drop for their pictures. Many also had rides on the mini-train. Great fun was had by both our volunteers and the fans.
Work also continued in the machine shop with continued progress on the rolling stock signage and the TH&B caboose. Note also in the images that rapid progress is being made on restoring the park to its original condition with the end of the Railway Children production. The tent covering has not been removed with the frame removal being the next step in that process.
Posting by Russ Milland; Images by Bob Dickson and James Rasor
On Sunday, we started as usual around noon with the mini-Whitcomb locomotive doing duty pulling passengers but we were operating under threatening skies. We also offered turntable and handcar rides. Our Sweet Creek steam engine made an appearance for a while until the thunderstorm and deluge that appeared at 3:00 p.m. sent everyone scurrying into Don Station for cover. After the skies cleared we restarted our operations again and continued until quitting time at 5:20 p.m. The volume of riders was down from Saturday but it was still quite a successful day.
In the pictures above, we find a train order signal system similar to that described in our last TRHA News posting mounted on a mast beside the miniature railway tracks on the approach into Don Station. Below we find work continuing on the restoration of the TH&B caboose. Finally, below we find one of the new plaques which we have assembled for each of our engines and pieces of rolling stock mounted on the full size CLC Whitcomb locomotive.
This past weekend was our first weekend since the Railway Children production ended and, as expected, the crowds were thinner than in previous weeks. However, we had a fantastic volunteer turnout on Saturday, the best since last spring. Despite the thinner crowds, we had several hundred train riders, many of whom also rode the turntable and our handcar. All in all, it was a very successful transition back to normal operations.
Given the surge in volunteerson Saturday, there was also a team of volunteers also working in the three stalls on the caboose, the two steel benches, and storage boxes for storage of pieces of the air compressor pieces we reported on last week. Photos above show the wood restoration being done on the caboose where the existing structure unfortunately has wood rotThe rotted wood is being cut out and new wood measured, cut, detailed, and spliced in place. The photos also show the two new storage boxes. These storage boxes were used equipment boxes given to us by Steam Whistle Brewery which we were delighted to recycle to meet our needs.
One of the features of Don Station that we have wanted to replicate for a while now is the “train order signal system” that was used to control train movements beyond the station in either direction. The photos above show the signals in use at Don Station. The black and white photo from the Toronto City Archives is from 1910. The colour photos above are provided by John Mellow, one of our TRHA Board members, who also managed Don Station many years ago. They clearly show the two aspect system in operation. Click here to see John at work in Don Station years ago.
John offers the following explanation as to how the train order signal system operated:
“When the blade is upright and the aspect displays green, this indication tells the train it may proceed without restrictions and there are no train orders for the train. When the blade is in the horizontal position and the aspect is displaying red, this indication tells the train it must stop as there is a restriction for the movement for that train and it must pick up train orders and be governed accordingly before proceeding. At stations that had the ability to display a three aspect signal, red, yellow and green, the yellow indication advised the train that there were restrictions for that train, but not at this station. The train was still required to pick up orders and could therefore proceed without stopping. This really helped when running up hill with a heavy train (as in the Don valley), but more importantly gave the train a better chance to stay on time, which was really important when meeting other trains.
At stations with only a two aspect blade, the yellow indication was supplemented by use of a yellow flag by day, and a yellow flag and lantern at night. This is what we did at Don station when required. I have attached a night shot showing this and a daytime shot without this.”
Below we see a replica train order system which John has constructed to begin rebuilding the train order signals used at Don Station. The blade and holder mounted on the train order signal is one that came from the Walmsley collection. The lantern portion is from the TRHA collection. John borrowed metal hardware from a friend who has his own train order signal and we had these parts duplicated (cast). When it is finally assembled on the roof with bell cranks and proper steel rods, it will operate in the same manner as the original did for about seventy years by pulling on handles to align the blade in the appropriate position to display the correct signal.
For more information on railway signalling systems, Wikipedia is always a good place to start. Click here to read more about the history of railway signals.
Notice that we have only been able to build and install one of the two train order aspect signals which was used in Don Station. We continue to search for a second one. If you have any information on where we might find a second two aspect train order signal, please contact us.
Historic Note: CLC Whitcomb Delivered to the Toronto Railway Heritage Centre
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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:
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"August 20, 2007
The Toronto Railway Heritage Centre receives its first piece of new equipment and the first newly acquired rail artifact to enter what is now Roundhouse Park in almost two decades. The Whitcomb 50 ton diesel-electric industrial switcher was built by the Canadian Locomotive Company in 1950 and used in various aggregate industries northeast of the city. In 1994, it was leased to the York-Durham Heritage Railway for work train service rebuilding the track between Stouffville and Uxbr idge. Later, it was moved to Trenton, Ontario and remained there until it was acquired by the TRHC.
The unit was chosen for acquisition because it was powerful enough to move 6213 and still fit on the turntable with the steam locomotive and its tender. The Whitcomb was delivered by road and unloaded by crane and is one of only three believed to exist in Ontario, the last in original condition and therefore of some historic interest in its own right. The locomotive is double-ended, h as two engines, two traction generators and two traction motors powering the two trucks, all arranged symmetrically about the centre cab. TRHA volunteers then began a program of cosmetic restoration followed by mechanical and electrical systems overhaul. It was decided to repaint the unit in the Toronto, Hamilton & Buffalo Ry. paint scheme to honour this fallen flag, whose engines were frequently serviced at John Street."
If you wish to read the daily postings from Derek and learn from the discussions that result, simply join the Toronto Railway Heritage Yahoo Group List by clicking here.
Above, we see our CLC Whitcomb being delivered on that day to Roundhouse Park.
Posting by Russ Milland; Pictures by Michael Guy, TRHA
Heritage Train images as the Railway Children production draws to a close!
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As the Railway Children production closed on Sunday afternoon after the 115th performance, several of our volunteers took the opportunity to capture some photos of the Heritage Train setup on the turntable in Roundhouse Park. At the above left, Michael Guy captures the T3 Steam Engine in the evening light. In the other images, Stephen Gardiner has captured night images of the train set, turntable and tent during one of the last evening performances.
Click here to read the next TRHA News post about the Railway Children production
Posting by Russ Milland; Images by Michael Guy & Stephen Gardiner
This past weekend, our volunteers continued to operate attractions in Roundhouse Park with many visitors enjoying miniature train rides, hand car rides and tours of the Roundhouse and the Park.
Inside the renovation area in the roundhouse, another team of volunteers continued to work to restore the TH&B Caboose with progress being made on replacing significant amounts of rotted wood in the cupola area as shown in these images.
Posting by Russ Milland; Images by Stephen Gardiner
Traintalk.TV - A web resource for all railfans and modellers
One of our volunteers, Bob Dickson, brought to our attention a great resource for train lovers everywhere - www.traintalk.tv. The web-based resource is produced out of Calgary, Alberta by Neil Enock. As it says on their website:
"Train Talk is a project of Neil Enock, a long-time train buff. Neil started in HO when he was a kid and has been a modeler in various gauges since them. Past President of the Alberta Model Engineering Society, a live steam group in Airdrie, Alberta, Neil is currently a fan of … well… All Things Train, and it just seemed like a good idea."
He provides us with a wealth of information through many different media channels including weekly newsletters, videos and podcasts. Visit their website by clicking here.
Below is one of his recent video podcasts featuring CP's Royal Hudson #2816 starting out on this summer's tour of Western Canada.
Field Trip: West Coast Railway Heritage Park – Part 6
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Continuing our field trip to the West Coast Railway Heritage Centre in Squamish, B.C. to learn from what other railway museums have accomplished, we now focus on the the building where a visitor first enters the museum proper. This is their Mac Norris station. Here is what the museum says about the station on its website:
"In 1915, the Pacific Great Eastern Railway had grand plans for Squamish. This was to become the railway's home base, and a large railway station was designed for the town. Unfortunately, all of the grand plans would not make it to fruition, as construction costs far outstripped the resources available.The railway ultimately was rescued by the Province of British Columbia and was completed to Quesnel. But the planned major station for Squamish was among the projects never completed. Until year 2000, that is. In 1999 construction started on the station building 85 years after it was designed, and on August 19, 2000, the station opened as the centrepiece of the Town Centre at the West Coast Railway Heritage Park! The drawings were discovered as the Heritage Park worked with BC Rail, today's major railway through the centre of the province that grew from the Pacific Great Eastern. The station design was perfect for the Heritage Park in both size and room space."
The station houses office for the museum as well as fine gift shop. As shown in the images above, they have done a fine job of creating the station operator's area as well. When special excursion trains leave from the park, they do so from the track directly in front of the station.
Nearby is the Brightbill Heritage House as shown at the left below. This is a historic structure which is the first of a number of planned structural additions to the Park intended to build a small historic community around their facility. This serves their plan to build the park as an attraction to everyone in families visiting the park. Here is what they say about this structure:
"Located on Railway Avenue in the Heritage Park's Town Centre, the Brightbill Heritage House takes you back to another era. As you look into the living room and listen to news stories and music from the 30's and 40's, you will enter the era of Harry Brightbill, a PGE conductor who owned the house in those days. The kitchen and pantry are stocked with a great collection, from the icebox and stove to the appliances and trimmings. The bedroom and den feature wonderful antiques. Upstairs the child's room and attic bring memories and delights of years past."
Finally we see a "beanery" building where snacks and drinks are sold to visitors and a small station that they built at one of the end points of their miniature railway.
Click here to read the next TRHA News post in this series!
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