Saturday, February 1, 2014

Wartime in Saskatchewan

Wartime, Saskatchewan is located on CN's Elrose Sub. When I visited on a hot afternoon in 1986, two grain elevators were still standing, lettered for Sask Wheat Pool and Federal. I was touring some grain branches out of Saskatoon, photographing elevators on a route I had selected before heading west. That's my railfan vehicle du jour in the shadow of the tower at left, a Chevrolet Cavalier:

After and before: Charles Bohi shared this photo of Wartime, taken in the 1970s (above). The enclosed wooden water tower, station and elevators, plus the arrow-straight prairie branch line trackage made it a timeless scene. Notice the remaining grain door storage post still standing in front of the pool elevator in my photo (below), with stored wooden grain doors visible in Chuck's photo.
By 1993, the two elevators had been demolished. The water tower still stands. A CN freight passed through Wartime in 2009. Feeling Grieg-arious? The musical score accompanies the narration of a cyclist-shot cycloramic video view of Wartime revealing its Canadian Northern Rwy. name origin at the outbreak of World War I, and a passing rail train with a CN Operation Lifesaver caboose!

Running extra...

Rare mileage: Maybe it looks like just a bus on a street. Earlier this week, high winds closed Bayridge Drive due to drifting snow and reduced visibility. My usual commutes, westbound Kingston Express route 501
and eastbound Kingston Express route 502
operated 'rare mileage' down our street instead, featuring the New Flyer Xcelsior XN40.

For scenic views from the Atlantic coast of Canada, check out Kingston Collegiate graduate Jonathan Soper's blog Travels Over Water. Aboard an oil and chemical tanker whose home port is Saint John, NB. Jonathan has already shared some great photos off PEI, in St John's harbour and aboard his new home-away-from-home, the MT Acadian.

I don't think it's an early April fool's joke, but Morning Sun Books is advertising Penn Central Power in Color, Volume 2. Yes, I said in Color. Check out the book cover to see the Henry Ford-like selection of beautiful full-colour images. Any color (I can't help it...colour) you like as long as it's black. Wait, I forgot...a few units had the scarlet letter in the 'mating worms' logo.

Why is it that the entire world can agree on the PLU (Price Look Up) number that is on those little peelable stickers on fruits and vegetables, but we can't get together and agree to stop war, international conflict, rampant corporate greed and man's inhumanity to man? Fun PLU Fact: 4449 is not only an Southern Pacific 4-8-4 Daylight, it's also a Sunburst Tangerine!

7 comments:

Robert in Port Townsend said...

Greetings from Port Townsend! Interesting posting, begs the question, "What are the blisters atop bus 901?"

Eric said...

Thanks for your comment, Robert. They are fairings to hide the A/C unit on the roof of the XN40. On the earlier XD40 series, some of which Kingston Transit also bought, in 2012, the fairing is much shorter, stopping part way back from the front.

I've been riding the Kingston Express service to work since it was inaugurated on Sept 3, 2013 and I'm a public transit convert! At that time, the Xcelsiors still had that 'new bus smell'!
Ericfault soutemb

Zartok-35 said...

Nice post, Mr. Gagnon. That historical video is great! I can't say I've ever made it to Wartime myself, which is odd, because I have allot of family in those parts.

Eric said...

Thanks, Elijah. That Youtuber has a series of such videos. I haven't started watching them for two reasons...I might forget to sleep and eat, plus there is a certain amount of 'what's not there anymore' as the Wartime video illustrates.

I'm just hoping no-one thinks that war has broken out, based on the post title! Battle of the Battlefords, perhaps?
Eric

Allison said...

OK…so if 4449 is a 4-8-4 as well as a tangerine…what is 4011 besides being a banana?

Eric said...

Well, since you asked...

Union Pacific's Big Boys were among the largest steam locomotives in the world, a typically American but accurate claim. Articulated and unusual, a disproportionately large number, eight, were preserved. UP 4012 (close as I could get) is preserved in Scranton, Pa.

Interestingly, UP 4014 is on its way back to restoration and active service, being moved from Los Angeles to Cheyenne, WY, where UP 4004 also resides.

You asked...call this a PLU: Preserved Locomotive Update.

Eric

Allison said...

Very cool…!
..but I guess 4011 is reserved for bananas then…!