Oh, let's see, this is probably a freight because three refrigerator cars would be really heavy headend traffic for a passenger train. It seems to be displaying signals as an extra or as a section. Notice the low 'sweat line' from the cold water in the tender. As you'll observe, both postcards depict oil-burners. Oil burning was adopted to reduce the risk of coal embers causing fires in the forests out west. Other possible sources of fire: sparks from steel brake shoes and journal box fires.
I was 'kind of' able to extract the road number of the engine from over the headlight.
And the image is also handy for confirming that you are not a robot!
The message sides of these cards are quite plain.
* * *
As the double-headed power brings the eastbound passenger train into the tunnel, the stacks look to be appropriately clean - given that there may be open windows or vents in the consist. The grade in the tunnel descends to the east.
Squinting at my original scans on a big monitor:
The switch points are normalled at the crossover switch and also at the short stub track (closest to the camera) which I believe was used mainly for spotting oil cars ... to fuel the tunnel ventilation plant.
It seems likely we are at the ABS period of traffic control history. The eastbound blade on the south track is absolute. The westbound blade on the south track is permissive.
And notice the little yard - handy in case tonnage needs to be adjusted enroute or freights need to be doubled.
* * *
The photo below shows a westbound with a smaller, older engine at the east portal and it is not a postcard.
It seems to show two 'unusual' conditions when compared to the newer images above.
(My own guesses are below.)
[intentional blank space]
1. It shows 'right-hand running'.
Left-hand running was generally used in the Tunnel ... so the engineers could be cheered up by the proverbial light at the end of the tunnel ... and also so they could observe opposing traffic, or signals given by other railroaders inside the tunnel (trackwalkers, maintenance of way, train crew members who were out flagging their train, etc).
2. The stack seems to have a spark arrestor (a metal mesh cap), indicating the fuel is probably coal.
* * *
Using the usual calculation for inflation, it seems unlikely that they could build this tunnel for $132 million in 2023! (It would be unfair to compare the high costs of particular urban public transit tunnel projects today ... but it might be fun.) Historical accounts suggest there were significant monetary incentives for contractors to complete the work quickly ... and that worker safety kind of got lost in the shuffle ... There was a big war going on at the same time, too.
* * *
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| from: Atlas of Canada; Dr Henry Castner; 1981; Reader's Digest Association. |
On the 1981 map above, the Connaught Tunnel is bracketed between the Glacier National Park labels.
The railway line is represented by a grey line.
The place Glacier marks the beginning of the Tunnel tangent - which runs north-east from there.
* * *
The Wild Card ...
* * *
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| from: 1928 Handy Railroad Atlas of the United States; Rand McNally & Co (Kalmbach reprint). |
In the reprinted 1928 railroad atlas above, you can see Columbus in the middle of the state.
One thing which is historically significant on the map above is the extensive network of electric interurban railways (dashed lines).
... First, came the miracles of urban electrification, telephones and streetcars. The countryside was next to receive its own copper networks.
Rural electrification replaced human muscle power with electric motors to perform demanding repetitive tasks such as pumping water, and running compressors to mechanize dairy cow milking. The ability to have flameless nighttime illumination using electric lightbulbs greatly improved safety in wooden barns filled with hay, and using straw for animal bedding.
Interurban electric railways significantly enhanced business and travel between small towns and rural areas ... and the larger cities. Their light tracks and overhead wires were relatively cheap to build. They were often faster than animal-powered transportation. They generally offered more frequent service than conventional passenger trains in the same rural areas.
However, the development of all-weather public roads and widespread ownership of automobiles ensured that most interurban lines only existed (profitably) for a couple of decades.
* * *
On the use of electric beacons in aviation ...
Section 655, below, elaborates on the system of beacons used to guide American pilots at night in the 1940s.
Although the Great Depression held back the development and acquisition of new military aircraft in many western countries, the increasing certainty of another European war renewed interest in strengthening national air forces as the 1930s came to an end.
In the North American used book market, one can find numerous well-written books from the late 1930s and 1940s intended to interest and train young people in aviation. The excerpt below comes from an 830-page book. On the title page, 'for High Schools' is added to the official title.
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| from: Science of Pre-Flight Aeronautics; Aviation Education Research Group, Columbia University; 1942-44; Macmillan. |
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| from: Science of Pre-Flight Aeronautics; Aviation Education Research Group, Columbia University; 1942-44; Macmillan. |
On the internet, there are a number of examples of US electric aviation beacons in various states of restoration. As well, some efforts are being made to preserve the few remaining concrete arrows.
Canada's early beacon system was fashioned after that used in the US. Given the sparse population in some areas and the vast distances, electrification was often not a feasible option. Instead, Canada's beacons - generally spaced at intervals of about 10 miles - were often powered by acetylene. (source: Voyageurs of the Air; JRK Main; 1967; Government of Canada. > A number of unique and valuable Canadian history books were written for Canada's Centennial of Confederation.)
