Caption: We saw photos of the demise of the St. Thomas & Eastern last winter, one of the 3 lines that made up the Trillium Rwy group. Here is a scene from better times, the very start-up of the Port Colborne Harbour Railway, which was the oldest of the shorts that became known as Trillium.
The day of ceremonies was July 2, 1997, a blistering hot day wherein the locals forsook their coffee shops and backyard gardening in order to hear Prez Wayne Ettinger preach the promise of a new railroad in town. It is he in the cap and suit; no one else would be caught dead in a get-up such as that on a day that was in the 30C+ range. We are downtown, the old CN Port station is behind me and the canal is background to this photo. I might add there are a couple of "RPca'ers in the photo as well. You know who you are. :o)
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The man himself. He was nice of enough to give me a tour of the PCHR one grey day back in December 2012.
Is it still operating?
Amazing enough that he made the bizarre career change from being a strawberry farmer to running a railroad. He IS a rather nice guy. Definitely not the “stuffy” that many of these fellers are. A Tour must have made your visit there well worth the drive.
CTP: Yes, the PCHR, under the blanket name Trillium, is very much alive.
I’m surprised we were the only ones there. I don’t see any other familiar faces. That 6101 sure has had a colourful career, its now on the DL. Dare I ask what you were standing on THIS time?
Yeah, Smith: Looking around, there was no elevated area, so I elected to scamper onto the roof of the vehicle I came in. Looks higher than it is. )
Nice shot, Railpace had an article on this day years ago. I miss the old C425. Nice colour change to today’s mainly black units.
Yes it was very much worth the drive!!
Marcus: You have a good memory. That was my article.