Village Squire, 1979-10, Page 27Book Review
The railways
may have stopped
but the fascination
continues
It may be hard for the generation now
growing up to understand the fascination
their elders have in railways.
The drab remains of the once essential
rail service that held this country together
aren't likely to bring the sense of wonder to
today's children that trains did for those of
us who grew up with them. There was a
sense of awe at the power of the huge black
machines. There was a sense of romance in
those days before far-flung travelling
became commonplace in the knowledge
that that engine rolling down those twin
strips of steel could go anywhere on the
continent simply by throwing a few
switches.
Perhaps the railway wasn't really all that
it is cracked up to be in our memories.
Writers like Elizabeth A. Willmot in her
book Faces and Places Along the Railway
talk about the smells that permeated a
railway station waiting room in fond
remembrance today. 1 wonder in those
days if we might have called it a stink
instead.
Never mind, really or simply remember-
ed the joys of railroading are a special part
of our nostalgia these days. The leading
proponent of railway nostalgia in eastern
Canada at least seems to be Elizabeth
Willmot. For years she's driven down
dusty back roads and explored old rail
yards looking for pictures and stories of the
railway years. Her earlier book Meet Me
At The Station proved a popular item at
many bookstores. This new book too will
likely find an honoured place in the home
of those who remember the railways' glory
days.
Faces and Places Along the Railway is
not as unttted as the earlier book. It gives
the impression of being made up of,
leftovers from earlier research. The book is
part history, part picture book, part trivia
collection. In all though it will bring back
many memories for many.
Western Ontario is well represented in
the book. There is the story of the
long -gone Londesborough station and the
old London Huron and Bruce Railway.
better known as Butter and Egg Special in
its heyday between 1875 and 1941.
The fascinating story of Clinton native
Fred Sloman and his railway school is also
told. Mr. Sloman from 1926 until 1964
operated a railway car renovated as a
school to serve the students of isolated
places along the railway line through
northern Ontario. His family lived in one
part of the car while the classroom was in
another. The car would be parked at a
siding in one section of the north for a few
days and children would appear as if out of
nowhere to take lessons. Then, leaving
plenty of homework behind, the car would
be hitched onto a train and hauled to a new
siding and a new group of eagerly awaiting
children. The Slomans also provided a
break in the social life for many people who
lived in the isolated spots throughout the
north. More than 1000 students graduated
from the school over the years, many going
on to practice law or medicine or teach. The
experiment was so successful that several
other railway school cars were added.
While people like Pierre Berton devote
their time to the history of grand projects
like the Canadian Pacific, Ms. Willmot
delights in digging up the histories of some
of the lesser known railways of the
province. Often these prove even more
fascinating than the famous railways.
There is for instance the Tillsonburg, Lake
Erie and Pacific Railway that began at Port
Burwell and was destined for the Pacific
ocean. It got as far as Tillsonburg just 16
miles from its beginning point before the
money ran out. Financial troubles are the
most repeated story in the book as the little
railway lines ran into higher expense than
expected and were lucky to be built at all. It
helps us understand why the railways later
became amalgamated into two giant
companies and one of them government
owned.
There are some fascinating stories to be
told, like the lengthy Hog Bay Trestle
which was built entirely of wood across
Hog Bay some 2141 feet long to bring
CPR's grain trains from the west to the
new lake port they constructed at Port
McNichol. The new port, in turn brought
an end to the prosperity at Owen Sound
which ceased to be a major port.
Or how about the tunnel built to carry
the railway under the very centre of
Brockville back in the 1850's. It would have
been cheaper to go around the town but
everyone was fascinated with the idea of
the tunnel so the 1712.3 foot tunnel was
built though it nearly bankrupt the railway
company. Then there's the Thousand
Island Railway that ran a total of only six
miles. It ran so slowly that a passenger
could almost walk the route faster than the
train could travel it. Yet the railway made a
profit for most of its history.
There are pictures in the book of one of
the worst winters for old railway men. Back
in 1944 some seven locomotives were used
to try to force the snowplow through the
deep snow at Teeswater. There are
photographs of Oliver "Happy" Ingle last
station agent at the Petersburg station that
now has a new home at the Doon Pioneer
Village, Kitchener and of T.B. Williams,
last station agent at Seaforth station.
There's a photograph of the station itself
which was demolished several years ago.
There's a photograph of the waiting room
bench of the now destroyed Clinton station
and of the old Blyth C.P.R. station which
was recently moved to a mile south of the
village.
It's the kind of book that will bring back
a lot of memories for those who remember
the railroads and may make a few people
want to push for the return of the trains.
--reviewed by Keith Roulston
FACES AND PLACES ALONG THE
RAILWAY by Elizabeth A. Willmot,
Gage Publishing Limited. $17.95
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October 1979, Village Squire 25