Design Summit: CP Rail yards- Winnipeg

The Winnipeg Free Press , is offering an opportunity for the people of the city to have their say in how they would like the CP Rail yards to develop into the future.

Mike Deal/Winnipeg Free Press 

Tuesday

July 31

at 7:00 pm

at the Winnipeg Free Press News Cafe

How would you transform the CP Rail yards? 

Boris Minkevich/ Winnipeg Free Press

An enticing question for anyone familiar with the capital of Manitoba . 


An aching question for those watching the demise of the railroad age.


An exciting question for those with vision for the future of the largest piece of land situated in the heart of the city.


What kind of question is it for you?


The Free Press offers this site with all the resources and points of view to help plan  ahead...prior to the Summit.


I know railways buffs and fans out there will be interested in following this one. 

Caboose Coffee

There can never be enough talk and tales for railway readers and fans. A visit from this blogger led me to his blog. Caboose Coffee

 I like the fact that this is 'one mans story' . It is not officious or over taxing. Just one voice. His views,opinions and stories.  All adding to the picture of what everyday life is like for rail people.

Do stop by for a visit. I intend following this one.

This is such an interesting and informative site. I am learning a lot. These two posts are of particular interest to me at the moment:


The Classic Railroad Pocket Watch


Railway Clothing

Railways and Forest Fires

In the days of steam , railways were the path of human contact through tinder dry forests . The sparks of dragging wheels , hot cinders blown from the stack and hotboxes on fire caused many forest fires .

vasmokeybear.blogspot

1908 LongLake West fire
www.nysforestranger.com

Looking for Railfires
USDA Forest Service

If the intense heat of severe drought can cause this...

Severe Drought and intense heat waves hit Russia
taco.assoc-web.com

... then what will the current fire near Kirkland Lake , Ontario leave behind for this high rail crew.

Kirkland Lake Fire ,May 2012
photo from Willy Renaud

Now why would a maintenance-of-way crew be out on the tracks with a fire raging toward them by the look of the flames?

The most they could do would be to return when its all come and gone, to assess damage.

However , one suggestion was that perhaps they dropped a fire fighting crew in the area and are waiting to evacuate them when needed. That sounds sensible since everyone who can is helping out on this fire . And the railway is the only way in to some areas where roads are few.

What do you think?

  

Railroad Spike Knife

This is recycling at it's best. When the first railways were built 'smithies' designed and churned out spikes . The Industrial Revolution was in full swing and foundries could mass produce spikes for the CPR push west.

Tension Builds

This song during the 60's as a teenager living in the CPR section house had a big impact on me. It captured the fear and panic of chaos at home and away.

I lived a lot of my life in fear , as I was a timid child in the a small world . Like most teenagers , I played the all-knowing role more for survival than in actual knowledge and experience. As long as others thought you knew something of life , there was no real challenge to your personal security. That behaviour got me through some personally scary times .