Photos: International Miniature Railway Meet

A double-header of miniature Canadian Pacific locomotives passed the coaling tower at the Richmond Hill Live Steamers on 11-July-2009

TORONTO, ONTARIO - On 11-July-2009, a consortium of local miniature railway groups in Ontario sponsored an International Meet held at the Richmond Hill Live Steamers facility north of Toronto, Ontario. Highlights featured on this week's photo site update included a visit from a Kingston-based steam locomotive and a double-header and then a triple-header of Canadian Pacific prototypes.

Transport: Triple-Headed Steam

Triple-headed Canadian Pacific steam locomotives--at 1/8th the size of the original prototypes--left the station at the Richmond Hill Live Steamers' International Meet in Richmond Hill, Ontario on 11-July-2009

TORONTO, ONTARIO - In the era of the diesel locomotives, the concept of multiple locomotives at the front of a train is not terribly exciting. As all trailing locomotives can be controlled from the one in the lead, needed traction and physics are about the only factors determining how many locomotives can work at the front of the train, and in certain mountainous portions of North America, six diesels at the front of a train is completely unremarkable.

Back in the steam era, things were different. There was no such thing as "multiple-unit" operation of steam locomotives; each one needed to have its own crew. Double-headers were generally restricted to "helpers" on severe grades, and triple headers were extremely rare. Even in the preservation era, triple-headers are an uncommon event, with the only major example in recent years involving the Milwaukee Road 261 and two Chinese-built steam locomotives combining for a triple-header in September 2006.


The triple-headed live steamers crossed a trestle at the Richmond Hill Live Steamers tracks in Richmond Hill, Ontario on 11-July-2009

I think the last triple-header I personally had seen may have been at Expo '86 in Vancouver, British Columbia as some rearrangement was done after "Steam Parade"--the last until this month, that is. The "International Meet" at the Richmond Hill Live Steamers on 11-July-2009 had brought out three live steamers (these were all one-eighth the size of the original locomotives on which they were based) representing Canadian Pacific steam locomotives. The operators decided it would be a great experience to triple-head the three engines.

Indeed, the sight of the three locomotives working together all around the extensive trackage of the Richmond Hill club was something to see. In any scale, a triple-header of steam locomotives is a memorable sight to behold.

No guarantees of a triple header, but the next scheduled public event at the Richmond Hill Live Steamers is the weekend of 12-13-September-2009; watch their web site for details.


The triple-header headed for another bridge during the Richmond Hill Live Steamers "International Meet" on 11-July-2009

Margin Notes: Refuse, Swearing, Mix, Steam

TORONTO, ONTARIO - The Toronto city workers' strike continues, and the garbage continues to pile up throughout the city. I thought I heard a garbage truck while walking down Jane Street last week, and looked to see what indeed looked like one with "Miller Disposal" on the side. I was immediately suspicious that the mayor, David Miller, was somehow profiteering from private refuse removal. However, minimal research revealed that the Miller Group has been a going concern in Vaughn, Ontario for many years, including a waste removal service, and does not appear to have any connection with the mayor whatsoever.

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With the northern lanes complete, construction had shifted to the southern lanes of Dundas Street West over the Humber River in Toronto, Ontario on 20-July-2009

It isn't just residential garbage that is being collected near the Humber River during the strike. Work continues on the Dundas Street West bridge over the Humber River about two kilometers north of the garbage collection site, creating lots of construction waste. Considering that the second half of the bridge is just starting demolition, much less reconstruction, Dundas Street West is a long time from returning to four lanes over the Humber River.

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Drivers undoubtedly take to swearing in the backups that occur in crossing the Humber River bridge at rush hour with the reduced lanes. Swearing is effectively banned from the airwaves in the United States, but not necessarily in Canada. If someone swears during an interview (and it's not profane in nature), the actual quote will run on the CBC--there were a couple recent examples including on the Sunday Edition. Every time I hear it, I'm pleasantly surprised that Canadians don't feel the need to censor real daily life in this country.

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My recent blog entry on Michael Jackson reminded me of another radio story about Sir Mix-a-Lot. The entertainer had an opportunity to substitute for Dave Ross on a KIRO radio talk show in Seattle right about two years ago. The Seattle left-wing blog on talk radio, Blather Watch, noted that "Mix," an African-American, was attracting a number of African-American callers, and wrote a blog entry entitled "Breaking: Black People on KIRO!" Author Michael Hood even speculated that listeners might think they were listening to Canadians. (Somehow knowing that at the time KIRO had an African-American talk show host in Carl Jeffers just made the whole thing that much more funny.)

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A 1/16th scale steam locomotive passed a 1/8th scale steam locomotive at the Richmond Hill Live Steamers near Richmond Hill, Ontario on 11-July-2009.

They say Carl Jeffers can "turn your radio into molten plastic" but it will be steam of a different kind this coming weekend in Owosso, Michigan. Eight steam locomotives will be the featured attraction at Train Festival 2009. Interestingly, there were actually more steam locomotives gathered in one place in Ontario not long ago--they just weren't full size. The Richmond Hill Live Steamers hosted an "International Meet" on 11-12 July 2009 on their miniature railway track of two different sizes. Further coverage of the International Meet will appear on my photo site in the future.