Canadian Railroads > Who was Andrew Merrilees?

In September I purchased at auction this velocipede that belonged to Andrew Merrilees. From what I can find out using Google is Merrilees was a well known Canadian railfan who also owned a railway supply company. He died back in 1979, but for some reason his collection was only put up for auction this year.

The wood work design is rather unique and is unlike any velocipede we have come across. The basket on the rear has extra supports and the pull handle has one set of handles instead of the standard two that most other velocipedes had. We are trying to figure out who built the hand car and what railroad might have owned it. We are leaning that this might be all original as it appears to have some wear on the wood components, but we can't be sure as it could have been rebuilt.

We are hoping that maybe someone could identify if this particular style of handcar had been used by a particular Canadian Railroad. Some railroads had manufacturers build equipment from their designs. In the US some examples are Nortfolk Western and Pennsylvania.

Todd Clark
Canyon Country, CA
Trainorders.com

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This reminds me of a rhyme we used to say years ago:
and I hope I don't offend anyone.

If a velocipede a pint,
And a Centinpede a quart,
How much would a precipice?

Don;t show this to Hunter Harrison or soon some poor smuck will be rolling thru the spiral tunnels on one inspecting track!

Mike Bannon
St Catharines, ON

Merilees was a determined collector. His photo and paper collection was huge and is in the Public Archives of Canada. He wrote an interesting manuscript on the history of Canada's freight and passenger car builders. It has never been published.

Theoretically his company still exists and continues to lease small diesel locomotives to industrial customers.

KG

Merrilees' company's property at West Toronto was one of the bonuses of watching trains at the Junction.

Used to go by there regularly as a boy. I can recall seeing various critters and oddball railcars there. Some that I can remember include some former FDDM+S units, as well as his PV the Sir James, and an old Mattagami RR Gas-Electric.

Here's a shot from Feb 1967 thanks to my trusty Instamatic.

- Paul

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I wonder if that's the same unit at Saskpotash in Sussex N.B.

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Those two pictures look like they have the same critter.

Todd Clark
Canyon Country, CA
Trainorders.com

More info can be found in the book:

From Wood to Steel - Classic Canadian Railway Passenger Cars from 1860 to 1920
ISBN 10: 0973312602 / ISBN 13: 9780973312607
by McQuade, Richard

2003, 1st Edition. Hardcover. 199pp. B/W photos and sketch drawings. All drawings of passenger cars are done by Andrew Merrilees. Jacket illustration by Andrew Merrilees.

This book must be quite rare; used copies start at $110 at http://www.abebooks.com/Wood-Steel-Classic-Canadian-Railway-Passenger/5463701441/bd

IIRC, Merrilees died before the book could be published, based on his research. He documented many passenger & baggage car types that are long gone. He also owned a ex-CPR(?) business car for many years.

- Doug Debs

DWDebs/2472 Wrote:
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> More info can be found in the book:
>
> From Wood to Steel - Classic Canadian Railway
> Passenger Cars from 1860 to 1920
> ISBN 10: 0973312602 / ISBN 13: 9780973312607
> by McQuade, Richard
>
>

Does he have a photo or drawing of his velocipede in that book?

Todd Clark
Canyon Country, CA
Trainorders.com

Had a great steam builders plate collection too.