Page 29 - November December 2014

journey had a great build-up to the Rockies, whereas on the return journey we were in the Rockies soon after we left Van- couver for Jasper on the first day. This meant I was very popular for the rest of the trip. Due to a freight train breaking down ahead of us in one part of the journey we were late getting into Toronto, which gave me the opportunity to do an extra workshop.
We spent one night in Toronto before boarding the corridor train to Montreal the following day. Some of our fellow passen- gers from VIA #2 were also on the same train. In Montreal we only had a couple of hours before boarding “The Ocean” once again. As this train leaves at night-time, I was unable to do a workshop that night but spent the following day entertaining the passengers.
We arrived back in Halifax the following evening after a wonderful trip. The meals were fantastic, the accommodation great and the VIA Rail staff extremely friendly and helpful. It had been the trip of a lifetime, and one we shall remember for many years to come. We met people from Australia, Canada, Europe, Japan, Mauritius, the Cayman Islands, the USA and the UK – all with an interest in trains. I had the chance to promote the hobby to everyone showing an interest, and hopefully encouraged others to scratchbuild and perhaps even start building a layout.
The journey was tiring, interesting, rewarding and most of all very enjoyable, and I would like to thank VIA Rail for giving me the opportunity to do something I love doing, on the best kind of transport – a train.
We arrived in Vancouver early and spent 24 hours there (in a bed that didn’t move) before returning to the station on Sunday evening to board VIA Train #2 back to Toronto. Because we only spent one night in Vancouver we had the same crew on the homeward journey, and by this time we all felt like old friends.
The return journey to Toronto was very enjoyable too; having done the outward trip, we were getting used to being on the train. We were entertaining a completely new set of passengers so each session was different and very interesting. The outward
A “crafty” end for
an uncoupling skewerJohn Levesley
Recently, at a Bearwood Group meeting, I had been wielding a long bamboo skewer to uncouple Kaydees. Very practical but easy to put down and lose them and not always the easiest thing to grip with precision. I have seen old biro tubes used as grips, practical but not exactly stylish.
A few days later, in my retirement role as chauffeur/porter to the memsahib, I found myself in trail to my good lady at a local craft fair. As usual there was a local wood turner with his goods on display and for sale. In a bowl was a collection of turned wood cord- pulls, which of course feature a shaft right through the middle. For £4, I bought two that, on arriving home, proved to be an excellent match to a skewer. Once the skewers have a minuscule flat sanded on one side of the point, and a coating of shellac for protection, it’s all systems go.
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