On Saturday, while Jenn crammed for her upcoming French exams, I spent the afternoon at the Canadian Railway Museum, just south of the city. It was a highly informative and interesting visit, with very knowledgeable guides (whom I had mainly to myself), and I learned a lot about railway history in Canada.
They had a lot of 'firsts' - this replica of the very first train in Canada, the first steam engine built in Canada, the first diesel-electric engine in Canada, etc.
I love the classic old streamlined diesel locomotives!
This steam engine pulled the royal train across Canada during King George VI's visit in 1939, and I've gone on a trip from Vancouver to Squamish on a train pulled by another one just like it - see? I'm in good company!
This beautiful old Buick was converted to be able to ride on the rails, and used as an inspection vehicle in 1947. It had a jack in the middle of the car, to raise itself up off the rails, and spin it around to go the opposite way.
Among the special types of rail cars was this mail car. As the train rolled through a station (without stopping), they would toss out a bag of mail for that town, and grab another bag of outgoing mail, sorting it as they traveled to the next place. Pretty slick and efficient!
There was also a school car - they would drop the car off on a siding near an isolated community (which didn't have a school), and kids would go to school for a week, before the car moved on to another community. It would make a circuit between 5 communities, and the kids would be expected to do homework before the school-car came back a month or two later.
Today, we had a more unusual museum experience - Maison Saint-Gabriel Museum, which was a farm run by the french nuns in 1653. We had a guided tour (again, very personalized - must be low season for museum visits), and saw lots of stuff we planned to come back to after the tour (and planned to sneak some photos, which we'd been asked not to take). Well, once the (very educational) tour was over, we asked if we were free to wander around, and were told 'no'. So, after being ushered out the door, we stood outside, taking as many pictures of the outside as we could stand, keeping an eye out for security or vicious dogs or angry nuns. Somewhat disappointed at the lack of response to that clear provocation, we sauntered off. What kind of museum puts that much work into the place, and then expects us to pay a fairly high price, and be satisfied with a whirlwind 45 minute tour!?!?!? Now where's that comment box...
5 comments:
maybe i'll do the track conversion on my caddy?!! Jim (who else)
I was so thinking of you, and wondering what this car would look like if they'd chop, slam, and bag it, maybe scraping the rails a bit to send off a trail of sparks.
The question is: how much DID you pay for Maison Saint-Gabriel Museum?
Sheri-Lee
$10. Each. For a 45 minute run-through.
I would be so disappointed if I couldn't wander around there at my own pace - I love taking my time in museums, especially since most of the time I am chasing small children through one. It's nice to go back on my own and actually see stuff.
Love the mail car and the school car! And funny how I'm kinda disappointed when things are only from 1947...that doesn't seem old to me. I love that the nun house was from 1653! Now THAT'S old!!
Sio.
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