Canadian Railroads > My Family Day Weekend.

Here in Ontario the third Monday of February is "Family Day". My wife and her daughter decided to spend the holiday on the warm sunny beaches of Cuba leaving me in the cold, grey landscape of Ontario. Lucky for me the past weekend was also North East Association of Trolley Operator's 2018 Winterfest. This year's host was the Halton County Radial Railway located just southeast of Guelph, ON. I will celebrate the weekend with my other "family". This family arrived for the festivities from ME, CT, NJ, NY, PA, Il, CA and well as other parts of Canada.

Photo 1:

The car I'm involved with is OCT 696 built in 1917 by the Ottawa Car Company for the Ottawa Electric Railway as No.633.

Photo 2:

VIA 43 arriving on time at Fallowfield.

Photo 3:

Next, a quick ride to Pearson on the UP Express to pick-up my rental car.

Gerry Gaugl
Ottawa ON

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Photo 3:

TTC S-37 waiting for the next snow fall...this sweeper was built for the East Massachusetts Street Railway by Russell in 1920. Acquired by the Third Avenue Railway then sold to the TTC in 1948.

Photo 4:

The interior of S-37. The motor and the controller on the left wall operate one of the brooms.

Photo 5:

The rest of the night was spent operating the small Witt 2894. The Peter Witt was also built by the Ottawa Car Company for the TTC in 1923 and served the people of Toronto until 1963.

Gerry Gaugl
Ottawa ON



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 02/20/18 06:22 by moonliter.

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Photo 7:

Still looking for snow! S-37 heads down the line.

Photo 8:

My favourite car in the fleet is London & Port Stanley No.8. This car was built by Jewett Car Company in 1915.

Photo 9:

W-30 is a rail grinder converted from a PCC car that was built in 1946 for the Cleveland Railway as NO.4206. Bought by the TTC in 1954 and renumbered to 4631 until it was rebuilt as a rail grinder in the TTC shops in 1974-75.

Gerry Gaugl
Ottawa ON



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 02/19/18 22:22 by moonliter.

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Photo 10:

Another piece of equipment not usually seen operating is TP-11. This plow was built by NSC in 1945 for the TTC and like S-37, is searching for some snow.

Photo 11:

Waiting for the Large Peter Witt to clear. 2424 was built by the Canadian Car & Foundry in 1921.

Gerry Gaugl
Ottawa ON



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 02/19/18 22:34 by moonliter.

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Photo 12:

The next morning (Sunday February 18, 2018) the group was given a tour of new Leslie Street Car Barn.

Photo 13:

Heavy lift area for things like changing out trucks. Anything on a "Flexity" can be changed out in under two hours. This shop's main goal is to remove the broken part, replace it and have the car back on the street.

Photo 14:

Service and inspection bays.

Gerry Gaugl
Ottawa ON

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Photo 16:

Inspection bays are double-level. Here is where the components on the roof are inspected. Because the cars are low-floor more things are in the roof.

Photo 17:

Three Canadian icons, the CN Tower, Canadian Tire store and CLRV, the fourth is a cup of "Timmy's" which was provide to us all earlier in the morning.

Photo 18:

When I was young, I was always happy to find a scrap line behind the shops. In those days this may have been the first time one would have caught a glimpse that they had seen before. Now seeing these CLRVs waiting to be delivered to the "Great Car Barn in the Sky" saddens me, hey wasn't just a few years ago that they were new and shiny!

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Our group, our car posed for a family photo. Many thanks to the TTC for being great host. Retired PATH operator "Subway AL" gives the weekend a big thumbs up from the controls of Flexity car 4457.

Gerry Gaugl
Ottawa ON

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Thanks for sharing these. My favorites are the ones from the Halton County Radial Railway. I was there nearly thirty years ago. It has certainly changed since then!
Bob

Great Pictures Gerry
Thanks for sharing.
Bob

What a treat! Thank you from the heart of the last Topeka Railway fans. wag216