My Hometown

[cn nutbar]

Hello Everyone---another good day for railfanning.I started at Bayview and was lucky to catch a train leaving Hamilton.



the second unit was an Illinois Central SD-70





I then headed to Lawrence Rd.,Hamilton to check out Canadian Pacific's Kinnear yard---here's what I found

[cn nutbar]

Hello Everyone---another day,another adventure---here's some shots from today's railfanning

[cn nutbar]

Hello again---a few shots of the Hamilton yard taken many years ago

[cn nutbar]

Hello Everyone---I found an arial view taken in the mid 50's looking south-west (unknown photographer---could be Barney Secord :?: ) showing the CNR yard---the roundhouse and the coal trestle were still standing



Here's a present day shot looking north-east --- all the facilities in the earlier photo are long gone

[MartyG]

Great shots nutbar. Here are a couple of pictures of the locos my Dad used to run . The first is a 0-4-0 Porter fireless cooker . From what I understand it was bought new for Canadian Westinghouse .He ran it from new till he was transfered to another plant in town where he then ran the center cab Whitcomb. The photo shows him in the cab of the steamer out in the yard at the west plant in Hamilton. Here is also a link to alittle more omfo on the loco and a few more shots .<!-- m --><a class="postlink" href="http://trainweb.org/oldtimetrains/industrial/steam/westinghouse.htm">http://trainweb.org/oldtimetrains/indus ... ghouse.htm</a><!-- m -->. This will be a scratchbuild I will be doing in the near future . . I was very surprised to find these .Marty.

[MartyG]

I had forgot to mention. When I was younger I had the pleasure of operating the Whitcomb on a weekend that my Dad had to work . He was only in for a few hours and he let me in the yard with him .I sat in the loco looking at everything when he asked if I wanted a try running it .I was about 9 or 10 at the time .He gave me a quick how to of the loco and off we went .With his help I pulled a few cars out of one building and put them into another and did it with a few others . It was really something .I will never forget that day . I still to this day have alot of my Dads old traction papers from when he was on the 0-4-0 or Suzy as he called her . When he was transfered he was given a forthclass stationary engineer certificate that I also have . He loved that old steamer and upon starting work everyday he would sweep her out and keep her cleaner than clean. Like the old steamer hes long gone now having passed away in 83 . The picture of him in the window of Suzy hangs on the wall so I can see and enjoy it . He worked at Westinghouse 37 years and retired in 73 . Gone now but never to be forgotten. My Dad. MartyG

[cn nutbar]

Hello Marty---what a wonderful picture.Thanks for posting the photograph and the story about your memories of your boyhood adventures with your father.Like yourself,my father would often take his 3 sons with him down to the yard.Together with my brothers Jim and Dan,I can fondly remember riding on both steam and diesel locomotives including the E-10 Moguls,O-18 Class 0-6-0 switchers and GP-9's.I'll always remember those days,but one that stands out the most was a day long run to Port Dover and return on E-10-A Mogul ( 2-6-0) #91.
I have a photo from the "Paterson-George Collection" showing a couple of the E-10 moguls heading south towards Hagersville in the early 50's---the crewman leaning out of the lead locomotive is my father

[MartyG]

Great pictures and story nutbar .It goes to show we really are our fathers sons. MartyG

[P5se Camelback]

MartyG ...

Thanks for posting the Fireless Cooker shots! You sparked a memory in me as soon as the top of that photo began to scroll up on my screen. I sat here trying to remember where I had seen one of them and wondering if I had the stamina to take on yet another project (like I really need one more) of looking through ten or eleven metal storage boxes of slides, looking for the several 35mm color slides I took of that little "Fat Boy" just so I can remember where it was that I had seen it!

I have a feeling it might have been in New Hope, PA as the New Hope and Ivyland tourist railroad was there, of course, and the New Hope's primary power is the ex-CN #1533, but the construction/salvage company that bought, saved from scrap and rejuvenated the NH&I RR also managed to acquire a bunch of "odd-ball" railroad equipment from all over the country! Unfortunately, I can't remember the name of that company at this point, either! But I do remember that little 0-4-0 Fireless Cooker was FAT!!

[MartyG]

Hey Camelback. Glad you liked the pictures. If you check out the link it takes you to I think 3 or 4 more pics of the old girl. That loco was retired in 1965 just after my Dad was transfered . It sat on a siding of the TH&B railway until it was hauled down for scrap about 72 .It sat in the scrap yard til 74 as I understand . There was a couple of offers on it but the repairs it needed by then were going to be very costly. Among otherthings wrong with it I belive it had a cracked cylinder .So late 74 she went under the torch and that was that . It is a nice project to build .You can google Porter or fireless cooker and get a few more pics from there .I have a few more pics of old porters I have found .I will look for them and post if you like. MartyG.

[RobertInOntario]

Excellent pics.

I've gone rail-fanning with my sons in the Hamilton Bayview Junction area. One day in June, two years ago IIRC, my youngest son & I had an excellent times watching one train about every 9 minutes. Then, a few months later, we went back again and only saw one train in an hour!

At any rate, I'd like to go back again because it's one of the best rail-fanning locations in Canada.

Rob

[cn nutbar]

[quote="RobertInOntario"]

I've gone rail-fanning with my sons in the Hamilton Bayview Junction area. One day in June, two years ago IIRC, my youngest son & I had an excellent times watching one train about every 9 minutes. Then, a few months later, we went back again and only saw one train in an hour!

At any rate, I'd like to go back again because it's one of the best rail-fanning locations in Canada.

Hello Rob---thanks for your feedback.I think we've all had similar experiences while railfanning---I compare train watching to fishing,sometimes you catch your limit and other days you don't even get a bite
Being from Hamilton,I have become familiar with the scheduled passenger and freight trains routines so I plan my photo sessions during these hours.Usually early mornings during the week (7am to 9am) you will see both GO and VIA passenger trains with a freight train or two and after 4pm the action is pretty good as well.I also have been lucky between 10am till 2pm spotting scheduled freights as well as Canadian Pacific freight trains.I very rarely train watch on the weekends,so I really can't comment on what would be good times for railfanning on Saturdays or Sundays.
The other nice thing about Bayview is that it is located next to the Botanical Gardens in Hamilton,so even if the train action is slow,you're surrounded by beautiful scenery.As well,there always seem to be other railfanners watching trains---I have met a lot of really nice people and exchanged lots of train stories.

Bayview has been a popular spot for a long time,some of my favourite pictures are from the steam era taken at this location.here's a photo by Ted Wickson taken in 1956



This picture is from the same location taken early 80's

[doctorwayne]

Ed, I think that first photo is more likely from 1965, as the "noodle" lettering didn't come into use until 1961. It was certainly a let-down following the classic green & gold. In my mind, they at least partially redeemed themselves with the "zebra stripes", and, naturally, lost it again with the "primer under peeling paint" CN North America logo. Economics nowadays makes for some pretty-lame paint schemes, in my opinion.

Wayne

[cn nutbar]

Thanks for the correction Doc---you're right on,the picture was taken in 1965---and I call myself a CNR fan

I found a picture I thought Marty G. might like.My father took this picture in the cab of CNR diesel #8550 around 1957.From right to left,myself,my brother Jim,my brother Dan and a neighbourhood family friend Luther Hoffentoth.

[Ralph]

Lucky little guys!