From the Dome Car: Train 7 Track 2 (June-July 1997)



 










Remember a world before cell phones? If they had been invented in 1997, Morgan never would have been left behind at a convention—or the bus would have turned around to get him. In this Dome Car, he shares about that experience. 

Ever had the feeling of total isolation? The very uncomfortable sensation of being left behind in the middle of nowhere? 

Picture this. You're on the prototype tour segment of a train convention with several fellow modellers. You spot a piece of rolling stock out in the yard of the place you're at and figure it's worth a photo. So you escape the crowd and go get the shot. But when you round the end of the building to get back on the bus to go to the next site—it's gone! 

It happened to me when I attended the Great Plains Express '97 meet in Regina, Saskatchewan on the Victoria Day long weekend. Those on the tour boarded a school bus and two minivans and headed for our first stop, General Electric's Car Repair Shops, located about 10 miles west of Regina. It's a very large complex where rolling stock is repaired from top to bottom. 

The structure houses sand blasting and paint facilities and, when we were in one of the 'blasting' rooms, I looked out a window and spotted a Cargill Foods tank car sitting just outside the window. Having not seen one before, a photograph was in order. So, as the tour made its way to the other end of the building, I slipped out the main entrance and made my way 'out back'. (Keep in mind that it's a long weekend and the place was completely deserted; there was only one employee working—our tour guide.) 

I got the photo (it's on Page 24 of Proto Photos) and headed back toward the parking lot. As I rounded the end of the building and stepped onto the paved portion of the parking lot, it was totally void of any vehicles, let alone a big yellow school bus! 

To make a long story short, our tour guide was still on the property and offered to chase down the bus in his Ranger pick-up. By this time, my fellow modellers were already back on the highway and headed for our next tour: CP's Moose Jaw facility. At break-neck speed, we finally caught the bus and flagged it over. I boarded the bus, to the delightful clapping and cheering of my fellow traveller, and sat down in my original, and still empty, seat. "We thought you were in one of the vans," they said. 

Needless to say, it was a memorable experience for all concerned and a heartfelt thanks goes out to our tour guide who chased down the bus for me. Another couple of minutes and I would have been hitch-hiking back to Regina! 

In the next issue readers will notice another new feature that we are about to start called 'Canadian Railway Flashback. The prototype for this feature was one done by AI Crisp in Train 6 Track 2 called 'View from the Bathurst Street Bridge' where AI used his power of observation and personal experience to assist us in 'seeing' a selection of steam and transition era photographs. 

His article was so popular that we've lined up two prominent Canadian modellers to continue with the series using the same types of photos; look for Fred Headon and Stafford Swains' personal glimpses into our Canadian railway past through the use of some great old-time Canadian railway photographs.

Well, here we are at the end of another issue, which means the next one can't be far behind. Enjoy the delightful weather and have a safe, enjoyable summer.



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