A Special Day on the 2816

On September 16th, 1998, we handled a special train across the OVR.  CP had just repatriated the 2816 from the US National Parks Service Steamtown National Historic Site in Scranton Pennsylvania and was moving the old Hudson across the country for a complete restoration in the BC Rail steam shops in Vancouver, B.C.

2816 arrives in North Bay, Ont. - Sept. 16, 1998

As well as the 2816, the train included other heritage equipment and we found it fitting to call one of our "vintage" crews for the trip across the OVR.  Hugh Cubitt and John Farrell skillfully commanded the train over the double sub run from Smiths Falls to North Bay that day.  Although the existence of the train was not publicized, the rail buff network was in high gear and a significant crowd had gathered to greet the train on its arrival into North Bay.

John Farrell and Hugh Cubbitt on the 2816 in North Bay - Sept. 16, 1998

2816 Arrive in Parry Sound - June 5, 2003

Five years later, the 2816 was restored and doing one of its cross Canada tours.  I was invited to ride in the head end for the trip between Parry Sound and Mactier.  CP did some pretty decent things for me in my time on the OVR, but this was certainly a highlight

In the cab at track speed on the Mactier Sub.

that I will always be grateful for.  Riding in a Hudson steam locomotive at track speed on the mainline of the CPR is an experience that doesn't present itself often.  The locomotive was in fine form that day, pulling a good looking consist free from the indignity of an accompanying diesel locomotive.

2816 on the bridge in Parry Sound - June 5, 2003.   James Brown Photo

Arrival in Mactier - June 5, 2003

The 2816 program must cost CP a small fortune.  Whether it indirectly contributes to the company's bottom line and makes sense for shareholders, I'll leave that for others to decide.  But in terms of good will, publicity, community relations, and providing employees and Canadians with a proud connection to the past, the 2816 continues to pull through for CP!

First Timber Train

Shortly after I arrived at the OVR, we were approached by a group who were interested in running a passenger excursion train between Mattawa and Temiscaming.  While these sorts of projects are typically met with much skepticism, we were in the short line business and open to any sort of new revenue.  The group had also involved a knowledgeable, experienced and highly respected railroader which certainly gave the project some legitimacy.  After several meetings, we agreed to operate a proof-of-concept train, to be run on October 5, 1997.  This was essentially the first "Timber Train", using an OVR crew, a couple of RaiLink GP-9's, and six Ontario Northland coaches.  October 5th turned out to be a beautiful fall day and the run was certainly a success.  Although I don't claim to be a photographer, I am quite proud of a few of the pictures that I captured that day.

First Timber Train at Eau Claire on the North Bay Subdivision.

Ex Southern Pacific RaiLink GP-9's on the head end.

Member of Parliament Bob Wood on the first Timber Train

The view of Mattawa from the Timber Train

First Timber Train heading up the Temiscaming Sub. into Quebec

The view from the Timber Train at MP 23

The Ottawa River and beautiful fall colors.

The original Timber Train Crew

The crew on that original train from left to right were Danny Moore, Don Cousineau, Dennis Higgins, and Angie Cerisano.

CN Detours on the OVR

* Photos marked with an asterick courtesy of Raymond Farand

For a brief period in the early days of the Ottawa Valley Railway, we would frequently handle CN detour trains.  At the time, I was the General Manager of the OVR freshly arrived from CN and Daryl Duquette was the Manager of our Rail Traffic Control Center having recently arrived from CP.

Nov. 16, 1997 - CN Train 204 in North Bay

The fellows in CN’s OMC knew me well and Daryl had all the necessary connections in CP, so it didn’t take much for us to get detours set up when a request from CN would come in.  In fact, it was often done so quickly and discreetly that CP’s Network Management Center in Calgary had no idea that we were detouring the competition’s trains over what were essentially CP lines.  Once discovered, I believe CN found

* Nov. 18, 1997 - Another 204 at Deux-Rivieres

this outlet surprisingly convenient, at least until May 14, 1998.  On that date, Fred Green had arranged for CP business car Strathcona to be deadheaded into North Bay to entertain Tembec’s president and other senior Tembec executives.  Tembec was a major CP account at the time and it must have been contract renewal time or something of the like.  I was also invited to join the group, which was a nice gesture on CP’s part.    

As background, shortly after I had taken my position with the OVR, RaiLink purchased several MLW M-420's and Bombardier HR-412’s from CN.  Three of them ended up on our roster in North Bay.

3509 in North Bay Yard

On the same evening that we were entertaining the Tembec executives in the Strathcona, the 3509, still looking very much like a CN locomotive, was busy switching the yard.  Also, on the same day, it just so happened that we were handling CN detour trains.  As we sat in the back of the business car enjoying drinks and hors-d’oeuvres , I sensed that Fred Green was getting irritated by what appeared to be a CN engine switching the yard.  Then, with classic timing, CN's train 104 appeared from the west off the Cartier Subdivision, a long and solid double stack led by impressive new locomotives.  Although he kept quiet, the look on Fred’s face said it all, “What the hell is going on here”!!  It also didn’t help matters when one of the Tembec executives asked, “Weren’t those CN locomotives on that train”?  I explained to the group that we were detouring CN trains due to a derailment on their Bala Subdivision, but Fred Green didn’t seem overly impressed.  When he got back to Calgary, he must have asked some questions because in no time we received a call from CP’s NMC asking us about these detour trains!  They made it very clear that the NMC was to be involved in any future detour arrangements, and from that point forward, the CN detours pretty much dried up.  When CN sold their Beachburg Subdivision to the Ottawa Central, it made the possiblity of future detours even more remote.  The OCR didn’t have enough crews to handle extra trains so interchanging the trains in Pembroke was no longer an option.  Despite the barriers, on November 23, 1999, a CN freight train hit a tractor trailer on a farm crossing on the Kingston Subdivision and derailed.  An opposite direction VIA train then slammed into the freight train and derailed.  It was a mess and over the following two days, we handled what would be the last CN detours across the Ottawa Valley Railway, bridging the trains over the entire route between Smiths Falls and Sudbury.

* Nov. 25, 1999 - Last Detour, CN Train 104

I always regretted the end of the detours.  When we were handling those trains it showed the true potential of the Ottawa Valley as a co-production route.  It was an exciting period, watching the trains of both railways using the most direct route between Montreal and Western Canada.  When it was finished, it just seemed like an opportunity lost.

As an aside, following the evening with the Tembec officials, CP asked if we could store the Strathcona in North Bay until its next assignment.

CP Business Car Strathcona in N.Bay Yard

We accepted without hesitation, said it would be in good hands, and took possession of the keys.  Although I was not so bold as to use the car for an inspection trip across the OVR, it sure did make for a nice setting for an OVR staff meeting!!

Ride the Rails Package

From 1991 to 1993 I was Track Engineer on CN's Saskatchewan District.  Track Engineers at the time were assigned hi-rail vehicles to encourage us to get out of the office and into the field with our employees.  Not a bad way to make a living, as long as the trains stayed on the track!  In 1992, I was assigned one of CN's first hi-rail equipped Ford Explorers .  It was a nice compact vehicle, at least in comparison to the Suburban that had preceded it, and the 4x4 really made it a good smaller inspection vehicle for two people and gear.

Before or after inspection trips, I would often take the vehicle home and have it parked in our driveway.  Our neighbours in Saskatoon were a couple of Yuppies who had everything.  Fancy home, nice clothes, European cars.  We certainly couldn't keep up with them, nor did I have any desire to try.  But despite the fact that Lisa drove a Saab, she was always commenting about that fancy Ford Explorer with the "Ride the Rails" package, and jealous that she couldn't have one.

Here are a couple of shots from one of my inspection trips with the Ford Explorer.  It is April 1992 and we are on the Rivers Subdivision in the signaled siding at Wattsview, Manitoba.  #2 is scooping us at 70 mph.

World Trade Center Remembered

Through this past weekend's coverage of the 10th anniversary of 9/11, I couldn't help but remember a trip that my wife and I made to New York City in 1992.  It was a beautiful October weekend and we spent three glorious days exploring the amazing city of New York, mostly on foot.  We were typical tourists, and one of the highlights of the trip was our visit to the "Top of the World Observation Deck" in the south tower of the World Trade Center.  That particular day was not unlike 9/11.  Clear blue skies, no wind, pleasant temperatures.  One couldn't ask for better conditions to take in the view of Manhatten and the surrounding area from the best vantage point in town.  I've included a few shots of the view from the top.

There is nothing that I can say or write about 9/11 that hasn't been said before.  For my part, I will always remember the two towers that dominated the Manhatten skyline, and the day that brought them down.  I was glad to see that a beautiful and fitting memorial has finally been opened where the towers once stood.  We will visit there one day.

Jethro Tull

I first saw Jethro Tull in Maple Leaf Gardens in 1977.  Even though the group was five years beyond the height of their success, they were still a very popular band selling out arena shows worldwide.  When the 1977 Toronto concert was announced, one of my classmates suggested that we should get tickets.  It didn’t take much convincing.  I had been a huge Jethro Tull fan through the early 1970’s and this would be a great opportunity to finally see them.  When the night of the concert

Jethro Tull - 1977

arrived, it was nothing short of an experience.  I can still remember the impact of Ian Anderson and his flute, this skilled musician and showman performing like a crazed madman belting out what are now classic Jethro Tull tunes. 

Jethro Tull has always had a distinctive sound.  Ian Anderson is probably one of the best performing artists that rock has produced.  Stand Up, Benefit, Aqualung, Crest of a Knave . . .  all terrific albums that are still on my favourite list.  Last Sunday, my son and I caught Jethro Tull at the Centre for the Performing Arts in Vancouver.  As a

Jethro Tull in Vancouver - 2011

father, I wanted my son to see Jethro Tull.  Though I knew the experience would be a far cry from an arena show of the 70's, at least he would get a taste of the old minstrel and his band.  Life's a long song, and I am happy to report that this was a great Father's Day event forty years after the release of their masterpiece album Aqualung.

SS Rotterdam

On September 13, 1958 Queen Juliana of the Netherlands christened the SS Rotterdam, a magnificent new ocean liner built for the Holland America Line.  At 748 feet and 38,650 tons, she was a large ship, but more significant was her modern new look.

Absent from the Rotterdam was the traditional funnel, replaced by a deckhouse mid-ship and twin uptake pipes above her machinery located aft.  Her modern design was groundbreaking and set the stage for many ship designs to come, but combined with this new look remained the gracious lines of a classic ocean liner.

The Rotterdam was designed for both transatlantic service and ocean cruising.  The transatlantic business dried up in 1969, but she continued on as a hugely successful cruise ship remaining in the service of Holland America Line for over 38 years.   Renowned for her annual round the world cruises she became known as “the Grande Dame” of the seas.  However by the mid 1990’s her days were numbered with the impending new SOLAS regulations and Holland America wanting to upgrade their fleet.  In September of 1997 she was sold to Premier Cruises.  Renamed the SS Rembrandt, the ship continued cruising for three more years until the end came abruptly in September of 2000 when Premier Cruises suddenly went bankrupt.  At that time the former Rotterdam was ingloriously impounded in Halifax harbour.

The Rotterdam in Hoboken, N.J 1960

In 1960, my father snapped this photo of the Rotterdam as we arrived in New York City on a cruise from Bermuda.  She was a brand new ship at the time and very much lived up to the promotional slogan, “The ship of tomorrow, today”.  As I grew up, this picture continued to intrigue me and I resolved that someday I would be a passenger on the Rotterdam.  That opportunity finally came in September of 1994 when the much older Rotterdam was scheduled to do a three day cruise out of Vancouver up the Straight of Georgia into the far reaches of Bute Inlet, down to Seattle, then back to Vancouver.  Bonnie-Rae and I were living in Vernon at the time, so the logistics and cost

Early morning stroll on the promenade deck

of the cruise were very manageable.  As it turned out, it was a spectacular three days and the Rotterdam certainly lived up to all of our expectations.  Her elegant interiors, rich fittings and wonderful artwork remained largely intact

Bute Inlet from the bow of the Rotterdam

and she was a pleasure to cruise on.  Adding to the enjoyment of the ship was the pristine beauty of Bute Inlet and gorgeous September weather.  Bute Inlet is widely considered one of the grandest fjords in the world and is surrounded by rugged

Bute Inlet

coastal mountains that rise out of the emerald waters to heights of nearly 10,000 feet.  We sailed right to the north end of the Inlet, apparently one of the first large cruise ships to do so.  One couldn’t find a better setting for a cruise on the Rotterdam. 

Following the wilderness portion of our cruise, we sailed down to Seattle for a marked change of pace.  We enjoyed the big city, exploring Pike Place Market and other local attractions, again in

gorgeous September weather.  While docked in Seattle, I took this picture of the Rotterdam which is still one of my favourites of the ship.  Amazingly, the SS Rotterdam has avoided the breaker’s torch on the beach in Alang, India where so many liners of her era have been scrapped.  The ship now serves as a museum, hotel, and school for vocational training in the port of Rotterdam.

Cold Weather Slow Order

February is a cold month on the prairies.  It is a month that tends to drag people down with winter still maintaining a firm grip over the land.  In our family, one event that would help break the monotony of February was my Grandfather’s annual birthday

Edmund Peters and daughter Marion Bailey

party in Saskatoon, Saskatchewan.  He loved his birthdays and he had a lot of them, 104 to be exact.  Each year, his offspring and friends would gather to celebrate the occasion and he would relish every moment.

Peter's Farm - Hanley, Saskatchewan

As background, Edmund Peters emigrated from Wisconsin and in 1917 homesteaded near Hanley, Saskatchewan.  Together with his wife, they successfully farmed and raised a family through the ravages of the depression.  He continued to work on the farm well into his 80’s.

Back in February 1989, Grandpa Peters turned 100.  I was living in Montreal at the time, my fiancé in Thunder Bay, and my brother in Denver, but we all made plans to attend his birthday party in Saskatoon as this was an event not to be missed.  We decided we would all fly to Winnipeg and from there take the Super Continental to Saskatoon, just as we had done so many times before while growing up in Winnipeg.  This turned out to be my last trip on the “Super”, and unfortunately it wasn’t the train’s finest hour.

After meeting at the Station in Winnipeg, we boarded the train late in the evening of February 16th for what was to be an on time departure.  If I recall correctly, the Super Continental originated

Gary Morris Photo (Railpixs.com)

in Winnipeg at the time, so it no longer truly lived up to its "Continental" name.  It was a bitterly cold night and a huge arctic air mass had settled over the prairies.  Despite the cold, the steam heat had the sleeping cars comfortably warm and we settled into our berths shortly after entraining.  I remember having trouble getting to sleep that night and several hours passed before we departed Winnipeg.  While trying to get to sleep, I could hear the activity of carman working on the train in the bitter cold.  Then came a late night power change.  These were all ominous signs of a bad trip to come.  Once en route, I woke up at several points through the night and lifted the blind to check our progress.  It was slow going and you could just tell it was one of those nights when the railway wasn’t running well.  We had a long delay in Rivers, Manitoba, and then again in St. Lazare.  When we got up in the morning we hadn’t even arrived in Melville yet.  Saskatoon is 191 miles from Melville, and with the 40 mph blanket cold weather slow order that was in place across the entire prairies, a quick calculation indicated that we weren’t going to make Saskatoon in time for the afternoon party.  We mulled over our options, but there was really little we could do.

I had spent a good deal of time working on CN’s Prairie Region and still knew many of the Track Supervisors across the Prairies.  When we finally arrived in Melville, I headed straight to the Track Supervisor’s office.  Fortunately my old friend Tony Chartier was there.  He was surprised to see me and wondered what I was doing in town.  I explained that I was heading to my Grandfather’s 100th birthday party in Saskatoon, and that we were worried we weren’t going to make the party.  I said “Tony, you’ve got to do something about that cold weather slow.  We’ll never make Saskatoon at this pace.”  He looked at me and said, “It’s policy, I can’t lift that slow order, it’s 38 below”.  I couldn’t argue much, being CN’s Planning Engineer at the time, but I could tell by the look in Tony’s eyes that he was thinking about it.

When we got back on the train, the “Super” pulled out of Melville and was travelling at a snail’s pace on this former Grand Trunk Pacific mainline that was designed for speed.  After about 10 minutes, we settled back into our seats relegated to the fact that we weren’t going to make my Grandfather’s 100th birthday party when all of a sudden we heard the sound of the F-40PH’s notching up.  With a puff of black exhaust we were at 80 mph in no time.  Just afterwards we overheard the conductor talking on the radio expressing his surprise that the cold weather slow had been lifted.  It seems to me there was a cynical comment, something to the effect of “CN management finally waking up”.  Little did he know!!

Anyway, thanks to the removal of the slow order, we ended up making the final hour of my grandfather’s party.  As it turns out it wasn’t his last birthday, but it was my last trip on the Super Continental.  When it came time to take the train home, VIA had to put us all on a bus to Winnipeg because the “Super” was trapped behind a derailment in the Rockies!  The following winter, on January 14th, 1990, the Super Continental left in each direction from Winnipeg and Vancouver for the last time.

The Roxboro Bullet

Pictures courtesy of Raymond Farand

From 1988 until 1991 I did a stint at CN Headquarters in Montreal.  Shortly after moving there, I purchased a townhouse in Pierrefonds, not far from the A-Ma-Baie train stop on the Deux-Montanges commuter rail line.  To all of us Anglo's who worked at CN Headquarters, the train was commonly known as the "Roxboro Bullet".  The commuter rail line ran from Deux-Montanges into Montreal through the old Canadian Northern Mt. Royal tunnel and was still using the original electric locomotives and coaches that had inaugurated the service back in 1918.  It was reliable and handy , but far from modern or fancy.

My wife and I can tell many stories from our two and a half years of commuting on the "Bullet".  With no air conditioning, it was hot on the train in the summertime, and at the end of the day commuters would be in various states of consciousness.  Many would be slumped over in the cramped old seats, ties loosened, mouths open, sweating, many snoring.  I remember talking to one passenger who told me that he had been riding the train almost every day of his life, through day care, elementary school, high school, university, and now during his working life. He explained that he couldn't remember a single change through all of those years and he calculated that he had spent well over one year of his lifetime riding on that train.  Another day, I distinctly recall taking my seat on the train in Central Station.  The bench seats at each end of the coaches had quickly filled up and there was one small space left between two people on the bench across from my wife and I, perhaps 10 inches wide.  A lady then boarded the train with a derriere that was considerably larger than the gap and eyed up her opportunity to take a seat.  I'll never forget the incredulous look on everyone's faces as that lady shoe-horned herself into that gap.  I guess when you want to sit, you want to sit!!  But our most memorable moment came one cold morning standing on the platform at A-Ma-Baie.  It was a typical Montreal winter day, not unlike any other, until "low and behold" the train came around the curve pulling a string ex VIA daynighter cars.  The change in equipment had been totally unannounced and unexpected, and for the commuters who had been riding the "cattle cars" for years, you would think they were staring at a mirage.  Once on board, it was like kids in a candy shop.  Settling in to those 35 year old daynighter seats was like winning a lottery when you hadn't even bought a ticket.  It made for a very pleasant ride into Montreal

that day and in the days and months to follow.  Through the entire two and a half years of riding the Bullet, we had the same conductor.  To this day, I can still hear him calling, "A-Ma-Baie Suivant"!

Life's Simple Pleasures #2

For ten years, between 1997 and 2007 our waterfront home on Trout Lake provided a wonderful environment for raising our son Douglas.  The obvious advantages of living on the water are the accessibility to swimming and other water sports in the summer, and, if your father cares to expend the necessary energy, a neighbourhood skating rink in the winter.  But then one mustn't forget about fishing.  Though it takes a bit more patience and is often overshadowed by the instant

gratification of swimming, Douglas and I periodically tested our luck with the rod and reel.  We were lucky that smallmouth bass were there for the taking right off our dock so we didn't have far to go.  Catching your first fish is a big moment, and it happened for Douglas on August 10th, 2000.  The shear pleasure of the occasion is written all over his face as he proudly displays his first smallmouth.

Edmonton Oilers Fan

Ever since my son Douglas began following hockey, he has been an avid Edmonton Oilers fan.  His choice of teams is slightly odd considering that he grew up in North Bay, Ontario, which is a long way from Alberta.  But I guess periodic visits to his grandparents in Edmonton and the fact that the Leafs never were much of an option all had some influence on his choice of teams.  Despite the Oilers less than stellar record in recent years, Douglas

Pre-Game Warm-Up

has remained a fan, even with our move to Vancouver three years ago.  Every season we try to attend at least one Oilers game and last night was our annual opportunity to watch them face off against the Vancouver Canucks at the Rogers Arena.  The Oilers played a very good game in

Another Disappointing Loss

the first two periods, and it was great to see their new young talent.  But the Canucks came on strong in the third and finished them off with 20 seconds left in the game, providing Douglas another huge disappointment having now attended ten live Oilers games but only seeing them win twice.

There were better times for the Edmonton Oilers, and it wasn't just during the dynasty of the 80's.  During the 2005/2006 season, the Oilers squeaked their way into the playoffs with an eighth place finish in the standings.  Then, much to everyone's

North Bay Oilers Fans

amazement they battled their way right to the seventh game of the Stanley Cup final.  It seemed to Bonnie-Rae and I that Douglas had almost willed it to happen.  He had enlisted all of his friends in North Bay as fellow fans, he had chased the Oilers for signatures when we went to Denver to see them play that

Douglas meets Chris Pronger in Denver

season, and he had collected every piece of Oilers paraphernalia he could possibly get his hands on.  Before each game he would meticulously surround himself with his Oilers collection as he prepared to watch the game on TV. 

Douglas focused on a playoff game

The seventh game of the Stanley Cup final against Carolina that year was a cliffhanger.  Carolina had established a 2-0 lead early on in the game, but Fernando Pisani brought the Oilers back to life by scoring on a rebound to make it 2-1 in the third.  We all sat on the edge of our seats in the final minutes as I prayed for a win for the sake of my young son.  But it wasn't to be and Carolina scored on an empty net in the last minute of the game, ending an amazing run for the Oilers that had been completely unexpected.  Although it was a major disappointment for Douglas, the Oilers had provided the best springtime of hockey that a fan could ever hope for, and Douglas has remained loyal to the team to this day.

CP Holiday Train

Last night Bonnie-Rae and I ventured out to catch the CP Holiday Train on its arrival into Maple Ridge.  The skies were clear and the train drew a huge crowd to the West Coast Express Port Haney station.  This was the final night of a three week cross

country odyssey that started on November 27th in Beaconsfield, Quebec with the final stop 68 communities later in Port Moody, British Columbia.  The goal of the Holiday Train is to collect food and money for local food banks and to raise awareness

in the fight against hunger. The train is highly decorated, and at each stop, it provides a box car stage, a line up of musicians, entertainers, and a CP corporate contribution to the local food bank. The communities, in turn, are encouraged to donate food and funds, all of which stays in the local communities.  The holiday train provides a very special and unique family event, particularly in the smaller and sometimes remote communities where it visits.  Running this train is a big undertaking and I am sure that it comes at no small cost to Canadian Pacific.  Kudos must go out to CP for continuing to run this program which has raised over $4.8 million dollars and 2.3 million pounds of food for the less advantaged in the twelve years it has been operating.

For me, last night brought back memories of Holiday Train 2002, when in cooperation with CP, we ran the train across the OVR, drawing huge crowds in each of the historic Ottawa Valley communities where we stopped.  Thanks to the efforts of our Trainmaster Bob Jackson, CP was convinced to leave the train in

our hands on December 8th, 2002 handing it over to us in Smiths Falls, Ontario.  We promptly applied our smartly decorated RaiLink GP-38's to the head end of the consist and headed west with the train early that morning.  It was a bitterly cold day and if memory serves me correctly we made stops in Arnprior, Renfrew, Pembroke, Petawawa, Chalk River, Mattawa, Bonfield, and North Bay.  The crowds at each stop surpassed our wildest imaginations.  Obviously these towns needed some entertainment and there was a terrific line up on the 

Holiday Train that year including Tom Jackson, Beverly Mahood, Duane Steele, and Amanda Stott.  Some of the shows were done from the stage car, others were shorter shows done from the back of CP business car Van Horne.  I can’t verify this fact but I have been told that this was and continues to be a record for the most entertainment stops in one day for the

CP Holiday Train.  We also had our Santa, veteran CP and OVR locomotive engineer Hugh Cubitt.  I can still remember Hugh as he relished his ride in the Van Horne, heading out onto the vestibule to wave at onlookers as we made our way through the Ottawa Valley.  A ride in the Van Horne was a most fitting tribute for this old hogger.  After all, how many tons of freight had he hauled through the Valley for CPR during his long railroad career?

In 2002, set up of the stage car was nowhere near as refined as it is now, and I can remember the feeling of relief when we completed the last show in North Bay on time and successfully.  It was a tough and stressful day, opening and closing that

boxcar door in the freezing cold temperatures, setting up the speakers, trying to keep the sound system working, and keeping the train on time.  Watching last night’s polished and organized set up and take down made the show look like a cakewalk, a far cry from 2002. 

I still have my Holiday Train CD from that year, signed by all of the entertainers who participated.  It is still, by far, our family’s favourite holiday CD.