From the Dome Car: Train 12 Track 6 (Nov.-Dec. 2003)

 

I started second layout, the CP Rail Manitoba & Minnesota Sub., in 1994. It was set in what was then the present day: The early to mid-1990s, with most of the motive power being SD40-2 units. Now that seems like ancient history! Speaking of history, that’s what Morgan writes about in this Dome Car—and how it can so easily be lost to something like fire. As Joni Mitchell sang: “Don't it always seem to go, you don't know what you've got ‘till it's gone.” Like all those SD40-2 units that once were so ubiquitous on CP Rail, and on my old layout, but which now are (mostly) gone. 

Destroyed by fire! The phrase is becoming all too common lately for railways in Canada. During the summer, forest fires destroyed a total of 18 bridges and trestles along with property on the old Kettle Valley Railway in British Columbia. Then, in early October, Minaki Lodge in northwestern Ontario was razed to the ground by fire. Both places were designated as Canadian Historic Sites. 

And, on the same day as the Minaki fire, the ex-Canadian National locomotive repair shops in Stratford, Ontario, which stretched for a full city block beside CN' s main line, were also destroyed by fire. 

The structures that were eradicated on the KVR are to be replaced, but if you never saw Minaki Lodge, which was once owned by the CNR, you'll have to be content with looking at pictures; it likely will never be replaced. 

Here is a bit of history on Minaki Lodge. It was built during the height of the 'tourist train' era, when most folks boarded a train to get to their summer destinations or weekend jaunts. Resort destinations in far-off remote places were very popular, and the area around Kenora in northwestern Ontario was great cottage county. 

Surrounded by crystal-clear lakes and lush vegetation, the Grand Trunk Pacific Railway built the first hotel there in 1914 as a tourist destination. Canadian National acquired it in 1919 and, after a fire destroyed most of the original building in 1925, the railway rebuilt it as a luxury, first class resort that opened in 1927. It was built to the same design as Jasper Park Lodge in Alberta and, in fact, the two resorts sometimes shared employees; they would spend the summer months at Minaki and winters at Jasper. 

In 1955 CN sold the resort, and it has since had several owners and many facelifts. But the original massive log and stone structure, in all its magnificence, basically remained the same, with the centre piece being a huge majestic fire place laid by Scottish stonemasons. 

One could walk to the lakeside resort from CN's railway station at Minaki which is about 50 kilometres (32 miles) north of Kenora. In fact, the Dugald train wreck, which occurred in 1947 on the 'Camper's Special', had passengers onboard that were picked up at Minaki and on their way home to Winnipeg. If you have ever been to Minaki Lodge, you have a memory to cherish. 

On another, more personal front, we wish to report the loss of a member of our model railway community who did a great deal to make our hobby what it is today in Canada. Hans Madsen, owner and founder of H&D Hobby Distributing in Calgary, Alberta, and former owner of Chinook Hobby West, passed away on September 20 at the age of 60 years. 

Hans started H&D in 1981 with his main goal to make it easier for Canadian retail hobby shops to gain access to U.S. products. It grew and developed into much more than that; Hans developed his H&D's Own and Trains Canada lines of model railroad products, which grew to include custom-run freight and passenger cars, lines of clothing and souvenirs, and Mainline Decals and Prairie Rail Publishing, the latter of which publishes books that are directly related to the Canadian prototype scene. We offer condolences on behalf of our readers to the family, who have vowed to continue on with H&D. I have no doubt that Hans would have it no other way. 

And so brings the end to another issue. We're back on standard time again, which means we have more time to spend modelling in the basement. So get that project underway and, before you know it, it'll be spring once more!