Garden Railroading

Happy Canada Day

Today as we celebrate the birth of our nation we recognize the beauty of this country.

I have traveled across Canada from Ottawa to the east coast via "The Ocean" and from Toronto to the west coast via "The Canadian".

We are blessed to live in such a rich and rewarding nation. I'll share images mostly from both coasts with a few in between ones scattered about. No, this is not a garden railroad blog...just a fun look at two specific areas which help to frame our country...images from Nova Scotia and from British Columbia.

One summer we took "The Ocean" to Nova Scotia to visit relatives on Lisa's side of the family in Wolfville.

Remember to click on any image to enlarge and click outside any image to return to the default look of the page.

I had read in the local rag about a gentlemen who ran a locomotive around his vast property an hour or so down the road on the way to Digby.

So I had to check it out. Here he is! A quick phone call was made and our family was invited to come over for a visit.

Inside the cab.

Pretty cool!

I'm in the conductor's seat.

We are proud to fly our Canadian flag and we always will be.

The provincial flag of Nova Scotia.

A look out over the property from up at the house.

A look up to the house from down on the property. Pete, you may know of this wonderful property. The gentleman is a jazz musician and he has hosted many a musical event here.

A little speeder car.

A spur full of wheel sets.

A turnout.

The Bear River Trestle just outside of Digby...sorry for the out of focus shot!

Cape Blomidon as seen near Wolfville.

A lovely mural with steam train painted on a wall in Digby.

The Digby wharf.

Sisters and cousins.

A typical establishment in the Maritimes with cedar shakes.

The old Wolfville train station.

I'm down in Hantsport on the old Windsor and Hantsport line a 56 mile run where trains carry gypsum.

One of the gypsum cars. Huge ocean going ships have to wait for the tide to rise before they can get into the port to pick up the gypsum and they have only a few hours to do so and get out before the tide lowers again!

Units found in Windsor on the day I visited.

A nicely painted caboose.

Another look at the locomotives in use.

A mural found nearby.

Let's head out west aboard "The Canadian" shall we! Here is the board in the departure lounge showing the make-up of our consist for our run across the country. I wasn't able to get the entire train in, but rest assured, it was a "Long Train Running"!!!

Somewhere in Northern Ontario...

...refuelling.

We meet our opposing train, "The Canadian" eastbound at a passing siding somewhere in Northern Ontario.

The tail end with markers.

In blueberry country still in the northern sector of Ontario.

Following a great sleep we find ourselves in the prairies with those amazing grain elevators still dotting the landscape!

Arriving Edmonton...

...I find a variety of CN equipment.

Washing the window for our venture into the Rockies.

Our Club Car "Waterton Park".

Arriving Jasper.

We switch out a locomotive which was having issues.

A trio up front.

Our engineer...I recall his name to this day...Dennis. He was a very friendly chap.

Once again, washing the dome windows for our trip through the mountains.

Look what's behind the station.

A beautiful Canadian National steam locomotive.

My favourite shot of the journey, the Rocky Mountaineer sandwiched between The Canadian and this CN freight entering the yard. Better still, the scene painted on the second locomotive of the Rocky Mountaineer appears to be the same scene above and beyond...the Rocky Mountains!

Some of the vistas to be seen outside the passenger car window.

Pyramid Falls just before dusk was about to take away the sun!

In Vancouver, we spot other modes of transportation.

It's a beautiful day to snap a picture of a famous bridge.

Yet another ocean going vessel entering the harbour about to travel beneath the bridge.

Another famous trestle off in the distance, the Cameron Lake Trestle.

A diesel painted in the old BC Rail colours.

Our rail diesel car which took us from Victoria to Nanaimo.

I'm in the cab with the engine man.

He stops the train for me to take a few images of the lovely trestles...a nice gesture in my books.

An artsy shot of our Rail Diesel car in shadow atop the trestle.

The following year, there were two RDC's making up the train. The previous year, there had been a road crossing incident with a dump truck...thus a single car...thus me partaking in standing room only...in the cab with the engineer!

A visit to an old logging line.

This engine was still running!

She's a real beauty!

An old steam donkey found on Vancouver Island.

We are in Port Alberni.

An old skeleton car.

We take a cruise down the Port Alberni sound on a lovely freighter. We will end up in Bamfield where the large underwater cables arrive North America from Asia.

It was amazing to watch this freighter deliver goods to the folks who live along the sound.

The captain steers the large vessel right alongside the small docks...we think we are going to crash into the cliffside each time!

A coast guard vessel found in Bamfield.

I take a little hike to snap a few pics of the vessel.

She's a beauty!

No, they haven't left without me...the captain is simply heading over to another nearby wharf and will return for the passengers.

Posing for a pic on a cool afternoon!

It's a beautiful cruise.

The captain and Mike!

Leaving Port Alberni.

Back in Victoria I find yet other modes of transport. Hey Doug...we'll have to make an O-scale carriage and paint it white being pulled by a ghost horse of the same colour!

A very recognizable structure.

On a walk around town near where Marty lives we stumble across this magnificent railroad.

It is located right alongside the sidewalk.

Pretty cool in my books!

In Victoria we find the houseboat living neighbourhood.

I'm not sure if it is still in existence due to possible waste disposal issues but it sure was interesting to check out!

On Vancouver Island everyone has spectacular gardens!

Victoria at night.

I shared this image at OVAR recently. Marty and Mary Phillips hosted us on the island. Here is Marty dressed in the same colours as those Mars Martin water bombers in the background at Sproat Lake.

In Tofino, Lisa and I treat Marty and Mary to a plane ride in a Dehavilland Beaver, the same type of aircraft Lisa and I flew in regularly when I taught up near the Labrador for the first eight years of my teaching career. We also flew in the Otters as well and many a helicopter ride to boot!

We had intended to head out over the ocean to do some whale watching, but our pilot friend indicated that he had just been out with another group of sightseers and there were no whales to be seen on this day. Rather, he suggested, I'll take you to a very special place.

His special place was this mountaintop lake where he used to date his wife who he was married to for some 50 years.

We actually landed on the lake, stepped out onto the floats of the plane and the little opening you see in the distance led to a lovely waterfall that drained the lake. We would take off in that direction.