CPR 1972 in the Official Guide. Includes from Algoma Central to White Pass & Yukon

In this post, many of the railways are illustrated with published photos from this era, or earlier. 

... Some of the large format 'trains of Canada' books which sold in bookstores (such as Coles or WH Smith) for $10-20 in the 1980s offer interesting views of some of the more obscure railways. 

... Known in our household as 'Books by the Pound' these 10 x 12 inch books were about an inch or more thick and often contained public relations department photos which must have been incredibly cheap to use. Photos were often enlarged to span the gutter ... to help pad the book up to the necessary one inch thickness. 

... Often they were printed in Hong Kong or other exotic locations. A little bit of text written by a generalist who knew something about railways was added. Thus you had an affordable book which was suitable as a gift to 'someone who likes trains'. Laypersons understandably believed that train books were train books. 

Not included: Single-railway books (which included rosters or timetables) and which were written by authors who had researched the history of a particular railway in depth would rise above this broad class. Mika, Railfare and Boston Mills-type books would definitely not be defined as 'Books by the Pound'.

To be unusually reasonable with this post, I stopped before illustrating ALL of the Canadian railways listed in the Official Guide pages. I did think that the inclusion of photos might make this post less dry. Hopefully some of the photos will make some readers curious about railway companies (and there are many) which they never saw in operation.

As an example of extinct operations, the Canadian Pacific entry lists many railway and transportation subsidiaries, and facilities, which have since been spun off or shut down. As in the case with the previous CNR 1972 Official Guide post, CPR lists their 10 hotels (and 2 'motor hotels'). 

from: Encyclopedia of North American Railroads; Aaron E Klein; 1985; Bison.

The Canadian at Morant's Curve, undated, but probably late-1950s.

Notice the three stop-gap coaches with clerestories.

from: Great Trains of the World; PB Whitehouse; 1975; Hamlyn.

Dominion Atlantic Railway at Kentville, Nova Scotia, September 1972.

from: Canadian Pacific Railway; Patrick C Dorin; 1974; Superior Publishing.

Undated photo of Esquimalt & Nanaimo Train 1 at Nanaimo.

from: Ribbons of Steel; Ena Schneider; 1989; Detselig Enterprises.

Undated view of Northern Alberta Railways Train 76 near Venice on the Lac la Biche Sub.

In the early days, I believe the NAR was essential in the delivery of the dimensional loads needed to begin bitumen sands mining and upgrading. I think three of those loads are visible in this consist. 

If you sometimes enjoy virtual visits to locations via Google maps, you will find that the Venice Heritage Park has a really interesting school photo from Halloween 1932. Their Heritage Park website (accessible from the map side panel) outlines the development of Venice and neighbouring Hylo.

Going along the tracks to Lac la Biche, you'll find their museum has a 1:48 model of the two-stack Empress of France on display.

from: Algoma Central Railway; OS Nock; 1975; A&C Black.

Undated view of the Algoma Central yard at Sault Ste Marie, with the steel mill in the background.

British professional engineer OS Nock (1905-1994) created quite a number of high-quality books on railway subjects.

He seemed to have a special interest in the railways of Canada.

from: Great Trains of the World; PB Whitehouse; 1975; Hamlyn.

Toronto, Hamilton & Buffalo eastbound freight at Niagara Falls, September 1972.

(This photo has an 'odd presentation' in the book.)

[Page 431 displays US railroads.]

from: The Ontario Northland Railway; Patrick C Dorin; 1987; Superior.

Ontario Northland work extra departing south from Temagami, June 1980.

from: Illustrated Treasury of MLW-Alco to Bombardier Locomotives; James W Kerr; 1983; DPA-LTA.

Builder's photo, 1950, RS2.

from: 150 Years of Canadian Railroads; Bernard Fitzsimons; 1984; Royce.

Undated photo of Cartier Railway unit ore train for Port Cartier.

from: Railways of Canada; OS Nock; 1973; A&C Black.

PGE freight descending 2% grade in Fraser River canyon between Kelly Lake and Lillooet, undated.

[Mexican railways and various US shortlines occupy the intervening pages.]

from: Trains; November 1964; Kalmbach.

Undated photo at Skagway, Alaska.

CNR 1982 Bayview in July

A hot, hazy, humid July day combined the summer smell of warm brakes and creosote with a variety of sightings.

First, a jiggled image foretelling that the road will be quiet ... so we might consider coming back later.
In the foreground, a patrol foreman is probably on the phone for a permit.
A switcher move with a single boxcar is rolling to a stop signal at Hamilton Jct.

Later, we return and find an extra west.
I believe that's a more daring photographer getting a ground-level view on the 'eight foot'.

Through the haze, the freight can be seen approaching Hamilton Yard around the bay.
Notice the position of those CP boxcars at the overpass - for later.

Built in 1957, this unit was off the CN roster by 1991-2.

When the hot weather arrives people risk their lives.
A brief safety seminar is upcoming from the passing caboose.

from: CNR employee timetable, Oct 1967

Here is a map of the area - north is skewed clockwise a bit.
The photographs in this post are from a pedestrian overpass just east of Bayview.
For later reference: notice the CPR and TH&B railways, represented as dashed lines.

from: Atlas of Canada, 1915, Government of Canada

This map shows the 'railway territories' circa 1915.

Using running rights, a CP train rolls through.

This light freight might be engaged in power and van hopping to the west ...

You can see the power turning under the arched bridge at the left edge of the photo.
The train is probably heading for Toronto Hamilton & Buffalo rails and then probably south-east toward Buffalo

Toronto Hamilton & Buffalo Railway Company; employee Timetable 93, Oct 27, 1973. Collection of LCGagnon.

From a 1973 employee timetable, I think you can see the cutoff track leading to the TH&B line north of 'Hamilton'.

The main line of the TH&B leading to Buffalo is shown below, along with passenger and freight trains.

Toronto Hamilton & Buffalo Railway Company; employee Timetable 93, Oct 27, 1973. Collection of LCGagnon.

Above: The train order signal special instruction only explains a simple off/on red light train order signal.

*  *  *

Below: Non-verbal signals - used when voice commands can't be heard, or communicated by radio (eg. for aircraft carrier decks, large cranes, farms, construction equipment, railways) - are often interesting to understand and/or preserve. 

Back in 1973, portable radios were probably not issued to all employees who might be involved with performing either terminal pull-by or running inspections.

Toronto Hamilton & Buffalo Railway Company; employee Timetable 93, Oct 27, 1973. Collection of LCGagnon.