Little to report as the dull winter rambles on. It is one of the quieter winters we have had for birds, so we have mainly been out just for exercise!
I have been rambling around locally. Some redpolls are here and there. A walk at Wilkesport a few days ago revealed a couple.
I have been to Reid CA a couple of times and it certainly was not for birds! Hardly any. I happened to notice a flicker sitting very quietly in a tree. Unfortunately the usual weather was at hand so lighting was horrible.
The pair of Pileated Woodpeckers is still there, always nice to see. However they do not want to be photographed.
Yesterday morning was a rare day (for more than two months) where we had clear skies! The afternoon clouded up though, so it was too good to be true.
I have had quite a few Pine Siskins coming to the yard lately.
The nuthatches also take advantage of the feeders.
With not much to cover lately, I will divert to some local history....again!
I have
an interest in railroads and railroad history.
Recent events led me to look into the story of a steam locomotive (CNR
7470) that once worked in Wallaceburg. I
just realized that it is 100 years old this year! It is close to my heart as I remember this
engine sitting in Wallaceburg on the old Canada and Dominion Sugar Company
property in April 1966. I was
only three years old (!) when my father took photos of it with me at his side. The top of my head in the lower left corner,
cut off. I still have the original
negative which does shows my face!
It was sold to a couple of different owners and eventually moved to Sarnia where it sat for about two years. Nothing ever transpired though, until it was sold to Dwight Smith the spring of 1968.
Dwight Smith, who eventually formed the Conway Scenic Railway with partners in New Hampshire, made preparations for transport. As the photo shows, a man was dismantling the engine in prep for travel in 1966. I suspect my father knew it was leaving Wallaceburg and wanted to get a photo.
My
initial interest in the engine was back in 2012, when I was looking at the old
photos my father took. I thought about
it and wondered what ever happened to this engine. I went to the internet and simply typed in
“steam locomotive 7470”. Instantly,
several things came up showing that it still existed and was working as a
tourist attraction with the Conway Scenic Railway in New Hampshire. I could not believe it!
I wrote
to Conway Scenic and sent the photos.
Paul Hallett, Operations Manager, responded and was quite pleased to
receive the photos and said operating 7470 was “the BEST part of my job”. At the time, 7470 was still in running condition,
but he said if I ever made it that way, he would personally take me into the
roundhouse to see the engine.
Not long after 2012, the 7470 went into the shop for restoration. It came back out in 2019 to steam again!
The 7470 has a storied history starting with its construction in Montreal in 1921. It was built as a “switcher”, a smaller type of locomotive that is used in yards for switching or moving rail cars. It worked all over Ontario, and eventually spent its last years in Wallaceburg shuffling coal or sugar beet cars at the sugar factory.
Recently,
I was referred to a story of 7470, well worth reading. Here
is the link:
https://issuu.com/wiseguycreative/docs/mwv-vibe-fall19/s/161701
It covers the history of 7470 very well and provides a nice colour photo of it at Wallaceburg (the exact same location as the B & W photo above).
Interestingly, after Smith bought it, plans were to go to the
east coast via the States. It was sent
over to Michigan, but things changed and it went back to Sarnia then across
Ontario on its way to the east coast of the US, ending up in Maine.
One can find several YouTube videos on the internet of 7470 operating on the Conway Scenic. What a thrill to see it in action!
Here is
one:
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