Train Tracks

Some minor adjustments or perhaps some maintenance required to the mechanism for opening and shutting the train crossing warning lights. Commuter GO trains cross this Main Street many times a day, so traffic safety is a concern. 

Waverley Station

This pic borrowed from Waverley Station web site.

Gosh, Waverley Station is huge! I traveled to Scotland by train, which was a wonderful journey, and when I arrived in Edinburgh, I couldn't find my way out of the station.

Waverley Station opened in 1846 and was rebuilt between 1892 and 1902. It lies in the valley between the old town and modern Edinburgh, adjacent to Princes Street, Edinburgh Castle and the Princes Street Gardens.

There's a huge shopping mall at the station Thank goodness for the covered escalators to get from the station level to Princes Street, it's a huge hill, I would hate to try and carry luggage up all the steps.

Here's a video of the Sation:

... and if you need to go to the Ladies Loo, it costs 30p, and you better have the right change.

Train Talk

Santa delivered a train table to Isaac's house for Christmas.

Callum (who loves to tell everyone what to do and how to play with toys): Don't forget when you are driving a train you have a daily duty to load and unload the train, it's your daily duty. Everyone has a daily duty!
Isaac (who doesn't want to be told what to do by his cousin): Sorry, today is my day off!

All Aboard!

I was biking in the right place at the right time yesterday to catch unusual activity at the train station. It’s normally quiet all day as the only trains running are morning and evening GO commuter trains.

York Durham Heritage Railway had brought this veteran engine, DL 4068, from their yard in Uxbridge, Ontario, just a few miles up the line from Stouffville.
DL 4068 is an Alco RS-3 dating from the 1950s.


She (are trains female?? like ships?) had been stored in YDHR’s yard and was being picked up by CN to be delivered to Delaware and Lackawanna main yards at Batavia, NY for restoration. She will be restored to the original Delaware & Hudson black and yellow scheme, with D-L lettering. She was originally Lamoille Valley Railroad 7801.

CN 4114 arrived as scheduled to collect the engine.

Uncoupling from YDHR's engine.

She's finally coupled up to CN, and will soon be on her way to Toronto, and then on to Batavia for a bit of much needed TLC.

There's another pic of 4068 here in her original Delaware and Hudson colours.

And another one here.

On her way, down the line towards Toronto.

Somehow, I always feel a tinge of sadness at the sight of the back end of a train disappearing down the track.

YDHR engine 3612 on her way back to Uxbridge after a morning of hard work.

3612 is an RS-ll built by Alco (American Locomotive Company) in 1956.

The YDHR is run completely by enthusiastic volunteers, most of them are former railway employees.

I suppose once a railwayman, always a railwayman!

Y is for York Durham Heritage Railway

Pardon me boy, is that the Chattanooga Choo-choo? No, actually it's the York Durham Heritage Railway!

The York Durham Heritage Railway opened for business on September 14 1996 and runs between Uxbridge and Stouffville on an old CNR track, and has been running on summer weekends since then. The opening ceremonies were held on the 125th anniversary of the grand opening of the Toronto and Nipissing Railway in 1871. The Uxbridge Railway Station was built in 1904 and is one of the few remaining "Witches Hat" stations in Ontario.

Caboose (Van) #434908 Built by Canadian Pacific Railway in 1953, used in regular service on YDHR.

Rules Car #15041. This car contains a classroom for instructing railway personnel on the correct & safe methods of operating a railway. And originally contained living quarters for the travelling instructor. This coach was built for Canadian National Railways by Canadian Car & Foundry in 1930 as a Solarium and Lounge coach. Each time C.N.R. modified this car they moved walls and blanked out windows.

There are 3 locomotives in use:

RS-3 #1310 Built by Montreal Locomotive Works (MLW) in Nov. 1951

RS-3 #22 Built by Montreal Locomotive Works (MLW) in April 1955

RS-11 #3612 Built by American Locomotive Co. (ALCO) in Sept. 1956

Need to know more? Take a look here.

See you on the train!!