Canadian Railroads > Taghum BC, in memory of a friend, John Leeming

Today, I learned of the passing of a friend and former co-worker, John Leeming of Kamloops BC after a lengthy battle with cancer.He was in his early 70's.

John started as an electrician for the CP in Esquimalt BC, and shortly transferred to the running trades (operating crafts), and worked at a variety of locations throughout BC.
He was one of the first engine service brakemen in the BC district. 

By 1976, John was a family man and had a fine house in Nelson BC. He was also a photographer and as I recall used a large format camera and a tripod.

During the summer of 1976, I was working as a trainman in Nelson, and ran into John on the station platform. He was heading out to photograph train 55, aka. CP train 981 the "Hotshot" to the Cominco smelter at Trail BC. He invited me along .

The location is Taghum, where the CP Boundary Subdivision crosses the mouth of Kootenay Lake. Some time earlier, the approaches to the railway bridge had been cleared of brush in preparation for a parallel highway bridge. The bridge was at least five years away due to regional politics.

Anyway, it was a fine September morning, and I became a longtime friend of John.

As traffic dwindled out of Nelson, John relocated to the CP main line, and for several years served as a road foremen of engines (MOP in US terms). He retired from CP in Kamloops, and continued to work as a locomotive engineer for Rocky Mountaineer Railtours.

John was a quiet spoken, considerate man. He will be missed by many.,

Phil Mason



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 09/16/19 09:37 by eminence_grise.

Phil, thanks for advising of John's passing.  I have met him and found him to be a very congenial, quiet and friendly man.  He was the kind of guy who you wanted to know, for the right reasons.  He will be missed, indeed.  A loss for the railfan and railroading community. Please pass on my sincere condolences, to John's family.
Sincerely
Park



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 09/16/19 10:32 by Parkcar.

Well said Phil.  John was a super nice person.  We first met when he came east to help relocate his son David back to the west after he completed a stint working out of London.  The two of them came for a ride on my bus and then they took me out to dinner.  Truly a sad day today.  I mentioned to Deane that it's too bad he missed these nice maroon and gray 7000's by only a day because he would have been all over them with his camera.

Bill Miller
Galt, ON