Rolly Martin Country: CNR 1972 In the Official Guide

A few photos from a 1980 trip we took to the Maritimes are included to provide a little of the flavour of the era.

This Official Guide entry for Canadian National Railways shows a crown corporation which still operates trains in all 10 provinces. I don't know if they were loved by the freight department, but this was the era of the celebrated Rapido passenger trains of reliable conventional equipment and the intermittently in service and since idealized Turbo.

Overnight trains between Montreal and Toronto (and via Napanee, CN Smiths Falls, to/from Ottawa) offered sleeping accommodation - with stimulating knuckle and steam connection metal-on-metal action in the wee hours at Belleville.

In addition, you'll notice Cybernetic Services, and business units to handle mail, express and piggyback. A list of ten CNR hotels and the station listing (freight service only) for the Central Vermont are also included in this entry.

Above and below: On 21 October 1980, we are at Charlottetown, Prince Edward Island watching and recording the yard switcher. Nearby, was an open warehouse half-filled with potatoes. The station building still exists and today serves as the central office for the province's Workers Compensation Board.

This series: On the afternoon of 20 October 1980, we are somewhere near Amherst, Nova Scotia. The 2030, 2014, 2042 and 3841's consist begins with hoppers loaded with ballast and designated to rehabilitate a branch line somewhere.