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Profile Page for Bruce Lowe

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About Bruce Lowe

Bruce Lowe was born on the 24th of July, 1939. He always had a lifelong love of trains, and became a photographer as well. Born in Toronto before settling in Guelph, Bruce was able to shoot trains all over Canada. He and his wife, Audrey (nee Emerson) raised three children; David, Jennifer, and Richard. Bruce is remembered for his career as a teacher of Industrial Arts at Willow Road Public School in Guelph for nearly 30 years. He was a founding member of the Guelph Historical Railway Association in the early 1990s, and remained involved with the group until his death. He also served on the city of Guelph's Restoration Committee of Locomotive 6167. Bruce passed away on August 3rd, 2015. His extensive photo collection was left to the Guelph Historical Railway Association for preservation. Bruce was also a member of the HCEA, Historical Construction Equipment Association of Canada. Railways were Bruce's passion, and he can be seen here working one while watching another. Restoration and researching of these images is being carried out by Bruce's friend and fellow GHRA member, Jacob Patterson.

Bruce Lowe's Railpictures.ca photo upload statistics

Number of images: 32
Total gold: 620
Number of comments recieved : 67
Number of comments posted : 0
Total views: 56444

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Bruce Lowe's 32 photos on Railpictures.ca:

CNR U-1-f "Bullet Nose Betty" 6060 is seen on the point of an excursion run by the NRHS Buffalo Chapter at Whitelaw Road near Guelph; mile 28 of the Fergus Sub. The train would begin it's reverse move shortly to make a runpast at the crossing. Afterwards the train would continue to Guelph and turn on the wye to face westbound. Bill Thomson would shoot <a href=http://www.railpictures.ca/?attachment_id=14342>the train in Guelph.</a>

Name:	Bruce Lowe; Collect…
Railway:	Canadian National
Date:	09/21/1975
Location:	Guelph-Eramosa Tow…
Province:	Ontario

2 Comments | 18 Favourites

A short CP freight, led by RS18u 1864 and C-424 4237 pulls up to the <a href=http://www.okthepk.ca/dataCprSiding/news/2018/images/2018101006b.jpg>Owen Sound station</a> to drop 2 tanks and 3 Indusmin hoppers in the empty yard. Little traffic remains on the Owen Sound sub in 1992, and in just over three years the last train will run on October 31, 1995 and the rails lifted to Orangeville shortly after. The 1947 CPR station survives today as the <a href=http://www.okthepk.ca/dataCprSiding/news/2018/images/2018101006a.jpg>Mudtown Station Restaurant.</a><br><br>CP 1864, built as <a href=http://www.railpictures.ca/?attachment_id=1612>8734</a> at MLW in 1957, would be rebuilt and chopped nosed in 1989 and dealt off to the New Brunswick East Coast Railway in 1998. 2003 would see the unit sent to IRSI shops in Moncton for a rebuild, emerging as Eastern Rail Services demonstrator SFEX 3000, an RS18-3a to be used on the Chemin de Fer de Lanaudière; owned by Quebec's Bell Gaz company. The unit remains in service as <a href=http://www.railpictures.ca/?attachment_id=27430>CFL 3000.</a> CP 4237, MLW 1965, would be retired in 1997 and in 1999 was put on <a href=http://www.railpictures.ca/?attachment_id=11678>display at Exporail.</a>

Name:	Bruce Lowe; Collect…
Railway:	Canadian Pacific
Date:	07/1992
Location:	Owen Sound
Province:	Ontario

1 Comments | 22 Favourites

A pair of ALCO-244 powered units sit behind Lambton Park waiting for a signal to reverse into Lambton Yard. The 4042, an MLW FA-2 built in 1951 would survive until a fire in 1974 sidelined the unit, resulting in scrapping at Angus shops shortly after. The 4404, an MLW FB-1 built in 1950 would be retired in 1977 to be rebuilt into a robot car. After the engine was removed and the unit renumbered AN-24, it would be scrapped before the rebuild was completed.

Name:	Bruce Lowe; Collect…
Railway:	Canadian Pacific
Date:	03/1955
Location:	Toronto
Province:	Ontario

1 Comments | 17 Favourites

The equipment for trains 160/161 lays over at CN Guelph Junction in siding XW36 on a cold weekend in January, 1975. 160/161 was a Guelph-Toronto and return passenger train, departing Guelph at 0625h, and returning at 1905h. On this day the train's power is GMD SW1200RS 1240, built by GMD in 1956, would be retired in 1989 and sold to Relco as their 1283, disposition afterwards unknown. The unit was likely painted similar to <a href=http://rrpicturearchives.net/showPicture.aspx?id=5183499>Relco 1282.</a><br><br>Behind the train is the Guelph Twines plant, having been taken over in 1972 after moving to Guelph from Brantford. The company still operates from this building today, receiving hopper cars from CN approximately 4-6 times per year. Prior to 1972, the building was the home of the Prestolite-Leland company; a Divison of Eletra of Canada. The company was a small motor manufacturer from Sarnia, having taken over the business in 1970 from the Wagner-Leland Division of Sangamo company Limited. All companies produced small motors. Earlier occupants of building are unknown.

Name:	Bruce Lowe; Collect…
Railway:	Canadian National
Date:	01/1975
Location:	Guelph
Province:	Ontario

2 Comments | 26 Favourites

Construction is nearing completion on what would be the world's tallest freestanding structure (until 2007). The CN Tower will open a little over a year later in June 1976. Meanwhile far below, locomotives idle on the Spadina engine service tracks including CN 6529, (GMD FP9A, 1957) and an unknown MLW FPB4. At left a pair of GMD cab units, only FP9A 6542 (1958) identifiable, what appears to be the rear of an MLW FPA cab unit at right, and in the distance near the boarded up roundhouse, an ONR FP7A unit.<br><br>The Spadina roundhouse was built by Canadian National Railways in 1928 and was home to various <a href=https://rockontrains.files.wordpress.com/2018/09/cnr-6233-5296-spadina-roundhouse-toronto-ont-9-15-58-credit-ron-wright.jpg?w=848>steam and diesel power</a> off the passenger trains and for local switching duties.<br><br>CN 6529 and 6542 were transferred to VIA Rail April 1, 1978 at the start of national passenger operations. 6542 would continue in service until 1994 when it was sold to General Scrap in Winnipeg. 6529 was rebuilt by Pointe Ste Charles shops in 1984 and renumbered to <a href=http://www.railpictures.ca/?attachment_id=23638>VIA 6311</a>, later modified by in 1997 to replace the steam generator with a head end power generator for use out of Winnipeg on the <a href=http://www.railpictures.ca/?attachment_id=7695>Churchill run</a>. It would later be sold in 2002 to IFE Leasing to work for the Washington and Idaho Railroad (WIR) as <a href=http://www.trainweb.org/oldtimetrains/photos/cnr_diesel/KRLX_6311.jpg>MRLX, later KRLX 6311,</a> wearing the Southern Pacific <a href=https://i.pinimg.com/originals/3b/ba/99/3bba995af8afe0e9d865ac098b13be9b.jpg>2-tone gray 'Lark' scheme,</a> worn by the railroad's Cascade, Lark, and Overland trains. The unit returned to Canada in 2014 as <a href=http://www.railpictures.ca/?attachment_id=34316>RPCX 6311,</a> now residing at the Alberta Railway Museum in Edmonton.

Name:	Bruce Lowe; Collect…
Railway:	Canadian National
Date:	03/1975
Location:	Toronto
Province:	Ontario

1 Comments | 20 Favourites

The hogger on extra 4566 opens the throttle to get his train up to track speed after clearing the Teeswater River bridge at Paisley on the Southampton sub. Easy load for the geep with about 9 cars and the van, including a 12-axle depressed centre flatcar returning empty from Bruce Nuclear just ahead of the van.<br><br>While originally planned in 1856, the Southampton sub would not be completed until December, 1872. During the railway boom of the 19th century, the Canada North-West Railway (C.N.W.Ry.) was incorporated in May, 1856 to build a line from Toronto to Southampton. The line was surveyed by Sanford Fleming (who also surveyed the majority of both the Intercolonial Railway and Canadian Pacific Railway), but no work was completed due to lack of funds and the charter expired in 1861. In 1864 another attempt was made, now under the name of the Wellington, Grey & Bruce Railway with the intent of building from the Great Western Railway at Guelph (today CN Guelph Junction) north west to Southampton. Construction of the Provincial gauge line began in June, 1867 from Fergus, working west to Elora and north west to Alma. 1869 saw the Great Western Railway take over the physical operations of the W.G.& B. Ry. continuing construction south to Guelph in 1870 and north towards Palmerston. The G.W.R. sought an amendment to the original charter in 1870 to change the line from the Provincial gauge of 5ft - 6in to standard gauge, and to allow future lease of the line to the G.W.R. This was granted and construction continued under the new gauge and lease.<br><br>1871 saw the line open for service to Palmerston and Harriston while crews worked northward. <a href=http://www.deeprootstalltrees.com/PaisleyAlbum/graphics/TrainSchedule.jpg>Paisley</a> was ready for service by June, 1872 and finally Southampton in December of that year. Starting in December, 1871, crews were working south west from Palmerston on a branch line to Kincardine via Listowel; eventually part of the CNR Newton Sub, and the Kincardine Sub. This portion would be ready for service in November, 1873, but would see no trains until December, 1874 due to costs owing to the contractor. Though there were further plans for expansion to Owen Sound and Durham, the lack of funds kept the line from pressing on, and the fact that other companies (Toronto, Grey & Bruce Rwy.) were building that way. Great Western Railway would take over operation of the trains in 1873, which soon after was merged with the Grand Trunk in 1882. Official amalgamation of the W.G.& B. into G.T.R. would take place in 1893, eliminating the Wellington, Grey & Bruce name entirely. 1923 saw the bankruptcy of the Grand Trunk and the creation of Canadian National Railways, who would operate the lines in the 1980's and early '90's. Passenger service ended November 1, 1970, one year after Paisley's station closed on October 24, 1969. Passengers would purchase their tickets onboard the Dayliner for that final year. 1970 saw the beginning of slightly increased freight service on the line with saw the construction of the 11.4 mile Douglas Point spur from Port Elgin south to the Heavy Water Plant at the Bruce nuclear Generating Station. The spur was used for <a href=http://www.deeprootstalltrees.com/PaisleyAlbum/graphics/TrainOil.jpg>unit trains</a> of bunker C oil from Montreal (briefly) and later Sarnia allowing the plant to create steam for the early CANDU reactors. The requirement of these trains of 60 cars or so led to the Fergus, Owen Sound (Palmerston - Harriston), Newton, and Southampton subs receiving numerous upgrades in 1969 to rail and ties for the heavier trains. After about a decade the market for the CANDU reactors never took off and a generator was able to provide the reactors with enough heavy water, leading to the heavy water plant being shut down in 1984. With the lifeblood of the line gone, CNR applied to abandon the Southampton sub from Harriston to Douglas Point in 1988 (Port Elgin to Southampton had been abandoned in 1983.) The request was granted, and the line was removed during 1989.<br><br>CN GP9 4566 was built by GMD in 1957 and rebuilt to <a href=http://www.railpictures.ca/?attachment_id=39435>CN 7049</a> in 1991. The unit would be off the CN roster in 2009.

Name:	Bruce Lowe; Collect…
Railway:	Canadian National
Date:	08/1985
Location:	Paisley
Province:	Ontario

2 Comments | 27 Favourites

A quiet day at Blackwater Junction finds Bruce and family (in car) making a quick stop by the CNR station, out of use by this time. The line at right is the Uxbridge sub, mile 18.69, and at left the Coboconk Sub, mile 0. At left is the section crew's shed for their speeders, both of which are sitting on the station platform. One older model; open with only front windshield, and one newer enclosed model. The original station, built by the Toronto and Nipissing Railway in 1871 was named Wick and would be replaced by this structure in 1874 once the Port Whitby & Port Perry Railway reached Wick Junction. Both merged into the Midland Railway in 1882 before the Grand Trunk would take over in 1884 and eventually Canadian National in 1923. With the end of passenger service, the station was closed in the early 1960's and demolished about a decade later.<br><br>Rails through this area began as the narrow gauge Toronto & Nipissing Railway in 1868 headed by George Laidlaw (also in charge of the narrow gauge Toronto, Grey & Bruce Railway), opening from Scarboro Junction; mile 60.56 Uxbridge sub, mile 325.05 Oshawa Sub, to Uxbridge at mile 28.43 in 1871. The railway would continue building via Wick to Coboconk (mile 36.39 Coboconk sub) halting construction in 1872. The narrow gauge locomotives powering the line would be constructed by the Avonside Locomotive Works of Bristol, England and shipped across the Atlantic, as well as a small handful built by the Canadian Engine & Machinery Company in Kingston. Their most unique locomotive was a double-ended 0-6-6-0 wood burner named <a href=http://www.trha.ca/trha/wp-content/uploads/2019/11/TNSheddenScarborough1878-768x642.jpg>"Shedden"</a> after the late railway president, John Shedden. The T&N would further expand with a line from Stouffville to Sutton on Lake Simcoe (reaching Lake Nipissing in North Bay no longer was an achievable goal). This line opened in 1877 under the name of Lake Simcoe Junction Railway, operated by the T&N to Sutton and Jackson's Point, eventually becoming the CNR's Sutton sub. The 27-mile Sutton sub would be abandoned by 1930 with only 8.9 miles remaining from the Bala Sub connection at Zephyr to Sutton. This spur would be lifted in 1981. In 1882 the T&N, as well as the Port Whitby & Port Perry Railway (PW&PP), Grand Junction Railway of Canada, Belleville & North Hastings Railway, and the Victoria Railway would all be merged into the successful Midland Railway, eventually becoming part of the Grand Trunk in 1884.<br><br>Mile 0 to 18.69 (Lindsay to Wick/Blackwater Jct) of the Uxbridge sub was completed by the Port Whitby & Port Perry Railway in 1874. Chartered in 1868, the PW&PP would build north from Whitby to either Port Perry, Port Albert, or Manchester. Ultimately Port Perry won out with it's location on Lake Scugog and access to the Trent-Severn waterway. The line was begun in 1869 in the Provincial Broad Gauge of 5 feet, 6 inches to qualify for a premium from the government as avoiding the American standard gauge of 4 feet 8.5 inches kept American railroads at bay, however after a brief bankruptcy and reorganization, the line was converted to standard gauge and finally completed to Port Perry in 1872. As the railway passed to new owners they felt the need to press north to increase revenues. Lindsay was selected as the destination; also being served by the Midland Railway (Port Hope-Peterborough-Lindsay-Beaverton) and the Victoria Railway which was under construction as an extension of the Midland Railway from Lindsay to Haliburton. Extra income from interchange was the PW&PP's goal. With construction starting to Lindsay the railway changed it's name, first to the Whitby & Port Perry Extension Railway, and finally the Whitby, Port Perry & Lindsay Railway, which would arrive in Lindsay from Port Perry via Manilla in 1877. From Manilla, a spur was built to Wick to connect with the narrow gauge T&N for more interchange traffic in 1874. After declining traffic levels, the Whitby, Port Perry & Lindsay Railway would be merged into the Midland Railway along with the few mentioned above in 1882.<br><br>Today virtually all these branches are history, save for a portion of the Uxbridge Sub used by GO Transit from Scarborough to Lincolnville, and the <a href=https://ydhr.ca/>York Durham Heritage Railway</a> from Stouffville to Uxbridge. This scene at Blackwater is no more. The last passenger trains ran in late 1961/early 1962; last listed in the October, 1961 timetable. The Coboconk sub was shortened to Woodville (mile 12.14) in 1965 before being removed in 1986. The Uxbridge sub continued in service until 1991 when all track north of Uxbridge was lifted. Today the line to Lindsay is part of the Trans-Canada Trail while the Coboconk sub is the Beaver River Wetland Trail.<br><br>More at Blackwater:<br>Blackwater station on Coboconk Sub side in the <a href=http://www.trha.ca/trha/wp-content/uploads/2019/02/Blackwater1950s.jpg>1950's.</a><br>Blackwater Junction in 1958; one train to Lindsay, one train to Coboconk: by <a href=http://www.trha.ca/trha/wp-content/uploads/2019/06/BlackwaterJct1958.jpg>Bob Sandusky.</a><br>Uxbridge Sub side of Blackwater; <a href=http://www.trha.ca/trha/wp-content/uploads/2019/06/BlackwaterJct1958_2.jpg>bob Sandusky, 1958.</a><br>**Note difference in order boards between both sides of station.<br>Remains of Blackwater with station demolished, <a href=http://www.railpictures.ca/?attachment_id=28558>Arnold Mooney, 1977.</a><br>CN gas electric <a href=https://midlandrailwayblog.files.wordpress.com/2016/05/cn-15832-at-blackwater-early-1950s-0001.jpg?w=676>bound for Coboconk.</a>

Name:	Bruce Lowe; Collect…
Railway:	Canadian National
Date:	09/1966
Location:	Blackwater
Province:	Ontario

2 Comments | 15 Favourites

An oddity to find on Canadian rails. Sitting at the Glace Bay, Nova Scotia Railway station (seen above the locomotive's cab) is Southern Railway (England) 926: Repton, with a British coach and two Canadian coaches, ready to depart for Port Morien, NS. The train is operating as the Cape Breton Steam Railway; a tourist railway operating over the former Sydney & Louisburg Railway line from 1973 until 1979.<br><br>The Repton is a 4-4-0, built in 1934 at Eastleigh Locomotive Works, was part of the Southern Railway's V class, better known as the School's Class as all 40 locomotives were named after English public schools. The locomotive was renumbered to 30926 in 1948 when the Southern Railway was merged into British Railways, and would continue in service until retirement on December 30, 1962. Now in private hands, Repton returned to Eastleigh in 1966 for restoration to Southern 926 before being donated to Steamtown, USA in Bellows Falls, Vermont. In 1974, Steamtown loaned the Repton to the Cape Breton Steam Railway, where it operated alongside Sydney & Louisburg 2-6-0 42. Repton was sold again in 1989 and returned to the UK for restoration to full Southern Railway colours and operation on the North Yorkshire Moors Railway, where she can still be found running today.

Name:	Bruce Lowe; Collect…
Railway:	Preservation
Date:	07/1974
Location:	Glace Bay
Province:	Nova Scotia

Comments | 8 Favourites

Nearing the end of a late winter's day, CP 8160 pauses during switching assignments at the west end of Galt Yard. 8160, along with two other GMD SW1200 units; 8161, 8162, were the regularly assigned power on the Grand River Railway/Lake Erie & Northern lines of Canadian Pacific, based out of the 1907 Preston Shops. Note the striped plywood covering affixed to the front handrails, protection against snow entering the radiator shutters. The 8160 would wear the Multimark paint scheme until 1989, when it would receive a new coat of Action Red sans Multimark. The unit never made it into the 1200-series rebuild program, having suffered an electrical fire in 1992, it would be scrapped in 1993.

Name:	Bruce Lowe; Collect…
Railway:	Canadian Pacific
Date:	03/11/1986
Location:	Galt
Province:	Ontario

Comments | 14 Favourites

Algoma Central Railway GP7 164, built by GMDD in 1951, idles away at the Hawk Junction station on the head end of what is believed to be train number 2 (based off a 1974 timetable and approximate sun angle). The southbound passenger train is bound for the Sault some 164 miles away.

Name:	Bruce Lowe; Collect…
Railway:	Algoma Central
Date:	08/1973
Location:	Hawk Junction
Province:	Ontario

Comments | 15 Favourites

A CN local returns North to Guelph after working on the southern portion of the Fergus Sub in Cambridge.

Name:	Bruce Lowe; Collect…
Railway:	Canadian National
Date:	05/1991
Location:	Guelph-Eramosa Tow…
Province:	Ontario

3 Comments | 23 Favourites

With railfans and townsfolk below, CNR 6218 blasts over the "London Bridge" atop Trout Creek, making it's runpast towards the station at St. Mary's Ontario during an excursion trip. Now on display at Fort Erie, the 6218 has been receiving long overdue restoration efforts from the city, with plans to eventually erect a cover over the locomotive and caboose.

Name:	Bruce Lowe; Collect…
Railway:	Canadian National
Date:	Late 1960's
Location:	St. Mary's
Province:	Ontario

3 Comments | 28 Favourites

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Bruce Lowe's Map:

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