Comments on: As with the irrepressible Young Mr. Host, I hereby submit image number 500 to the RP.ca site.:o) Sure, it is only a station view, but it holds many memories. I had showed up for the northbound Canadian, and agent Jimmie Bell was such the gracious host that I ended up once again yakking with him well after dark. A southbound with CP 6022 leading was 5 minutes out; it was the eastbound Toronto section of the Canadian VERY late, and I decided to wander out and shoot a night image while waiting to see what other power would be on the train. (CP 6022, VIA 6636,6622; so the VIA leader had crapped out somewhere) Although in 1986 this scene was commonplace (that is, if you could find a station), now it looks like a front in a museum. The only ‘modern’ improvement was the replacement of the old chalkboard announcing train times. You can see the outline on that cheap, phoney railroad “brick”. The station, having been empty for a number of years after the agent was pulled, survived vagrants and druggies and eventually began life anew as an Art Gallery and Gift Shop. (Incidentally, initially I was going to call it quits after 400 submissions to this site but it is like trying to quit trainwatching. It just doesn’t happen)

By: awmooney

awmooney — Wed, 04 Nov 2015 13:01:27 +0000

Thanks for all the positive comments, guys (even you, snake)It has been a ‘slice’. 499 film shots and 1 digital. Mr. Cdn photographer, yeah, insul-brick is the name.You could peel it back and see into the buildings thru the cracks. No wonder those places were so hard to heat. And Todd, yes, we could talk stations into the night. Hopefully one of these days we will do so. I’ve a lot of questions as to dates of dismantling and all the rest of it. So many places, so few remaining.

By: Cdntrainphotog

Cdntrainphotog — Wed, 04 Nov 2015 01:17:21 +0000

500! That’s an impressive number of photos posted Mr.M. I thought, at first glance, it was a museum shot but the VIA train board told that it wasn’t. Wasn’t the “cheap, phoney railroad brick” called INSUL-BRICK and used to hold some of the heat in the station buildings?

By: Peter Newman

Peter Newman — Tue, 03 Nov 2015 23:47:05 +0000

In your honour, Arnold, I ordered a cake. It says “Happy 500″. The girl behind the counter asked, “…isn’t that too old to be eating dessert?” Nice image Sir… I can’t wait to see the next 500!

By: Todd Steinman

Todd Steinman — Tue, 03 Nov 2015 23:32:44 +0000

Congratulations on your 500th! Fabulous photo. I hear you are a man I should talk train stations with….

By: awmooney

awmooney — Tue, 03 Nov 2015 22:46:07 +0000

Awh, shucks, Bill. (sniff)

By: Bill Purdy

Bill Purdy — Tue, 03 Nov 2015 22:36:35 +0000

Congrats on 500 my friend. Always a pleasure seeing your fine work.

By: Dave Brook

Dave Brook — Tue, 03 Nov 2015 16:14:38 +0000

I too spent hours in that station chatting with the agents hoping for news on something coming down the pike. Those were great times when railroading still had a human side, and someone standing by the tracks was not a threat to national security. We really have lost something……..

By: snake

snake — Tue, 03 Nov 2015 15:30:55 +0000

You’re my hero… Arnold

By: Stephen C. Host

Stephen C. Host — Tue, 03 Nov 2015 15:18:28 +0000

Congrats on #500 Arnold!