Rock on Trains History: My Train Recollections

Today, I offer you a brief narrative of my own infatuation with trains. I hope you enjoy this blast from my past!

A very young Tom Rock and the Detroit Zoo train

My interest in trains began at a very early age, probably when I was 5 or 6 years old. My father would often take me to Sarnia, Ontario, to visit my great-grandfather, an engineer for Canadian National Railways. His job involved moving electric freight trains from Sarnia to Port Huron, Michigan. Canadian National rules would not allow me to stay on board the train during these movements, but grandfather made sure I boarded once the engine was parked near the roundhouse. At this time, Canadian National was still running steam, so it was quite an experience for a 6-yr. old to grasp the size of one of those coal-fired giants.

When I was 10 years old, my father accepted a job in California. On the way out west, we stayed in Cheyenne, Wyoming. My father noted my fascination with trains, so he took me to the Union Pacific station in Cheyenne for a closer look. There I saw a diesel locomotive up close for the very first time. When the engineer offered a tour of the cab, I backed away and refused to board. After a little encouragement from my father, I finally climbed the ladder and got into the cab. The engineer tried to show me the entire working components of the engine, but I wanted no part of it. I grew up around steam engines, but the sounds that this new type of locomotive produced frightened me. With that, I gracefully exited the engine.

Back in the 50’s, Chrysler produced locomotives to be used at the Detroit Zoo. These scaled-down versions of steam engines would carry patrons around the entire zoo complex. One day while I visited the zoo, my father took a photo of me studying one of the engines before it departed. I had convinced myself at this age that a railroad life was for me, but like all dreams, some come true and some do not.

Upon my high school graduation, I took a drafting job. This lasted 43 years until my retirement came in 2006. During those 43 years, I worked with many notable NASA illustrators that taught me the art of painting with acrylics.

I had to trade my railroading dream for painting, which flourished into railroad nostalgic scenes. Evidence of this dream can be seen on this blog or at my website, Rock on Trains.

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Rock on Trains © 2020, Tom Rock + T.D.R. Productions. All rights reserved. Unauthorized use and/or duplication of this material without express and written permission from Tom Rock is strictly prohibited.

Canadian Corner: Great Lakes Car Ferries Chronology

DETROIT – US 201607
296’x 64’1x 18.1′ – Built: Great Lakes Engineering Works 1904, Hull #2 – 2,220 GRT – Engines: Four fore and aft compound 24”x 48”x 33 – 3600 HP – Each engine drove propellers – 2 forward and 2 aft.
Boilers – Two double ended and two single ended scotch boilers built by Lake Erie Boiler Works. As Built (for NYC) three tracks, 24 cars. Rebuilt for Wabash – Four tracks, 32 cars. Disposition – Scrapped LaSalle, Ontario in the last five years after sitting at Nicholsons in Detroit in ½ sunk condition for about 10 years.

Detroit approaching dock 1900’s (Credit: Detroit Publishing Co.)

Detroit crossing the Detroit River 1900’s (Credit: Detroit Publishing Co.)

Detroit being scrapped in LaSalle Ontario

LANSDOWNE – C88629
294’x 41.3’x 13′ – Built: Jenkins Brothers, Walkerville, Ontario 1873, Iron Hull – 1,222 GRT – Engines: 2 x horizontal low pressure 50”x 108”- 1360 HP – Built by E.E. Gilbert & Sons Montreal, Quebec. Capacity – 2 tracks, 16 cars. Disposition – converted to barge to carry containers, then converted to a restaurant beside Cobo Hall in Detroit. Scrapped in Buffalo three years ago. Photos of engine attached prior to the scrapping.

Lansdowne crossing the Detroit River 1900’s (Credit: Detroit Publishing Co.)

Lansdowne Buffalo Engine Side Profile (Credit: Mr. Chris Wiley – Sarnia Ont.)

Lansdowne Buffalo Engine Side Detail (Credit: Mr. Chris Wiley – Sarnia Ont.)

MICHIGAN CENTRAL – US91652
263.3’x 45.6’x 15.3′- Built: Detroit Dry Dock Company 1884 – Iron Hull #65 – Two horizontal condensing engines – two cylinders each 28”x 48”- 1,200 HP – Four fire box boilers – 75 psi – Three tracks, 21 cars. Once the tunnel across the Detroit River was completed the NYC ferries were surplus. Sold to Kelly Island Lime and Transport Co. Resold August 1923 to TL Durocher and reduced to barge. Foundered near Cockburn Island October 27, 1926.

Ferry Michigan Central approaching dock in Detroit – 1900’s (Credit: Detroit Publishing Co.)

TRANSPORT – US145211
Built: Detroit Dry Dock Company 1880 – Iron Hull #34 – Two horizontal condensing engines – two cylinders each 28”x 48”- 575 HP – Four fire box boilers – 65 psi – Three tracks 21 cars. Sold to Wabash Rwy 1912 – same name in service. Sold to John Rosen Steamship Co., reduced to barge in 1933. Foundered September 22, 1942 near Eagle Harbor, Michigan.

Ferry Transport approaching dock in Detroit – 1900’s (Credit: Detroit Publishing Co.)

History courtesy of “The Great Lakes Car Ferries” by Hilton.

All photos courtesy of Shorpy.com.

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Rock on Trains © 2019, Tom Rock + T.D.R. Productions. All rights reserved. Unauthorized use and/or duplication of this material without express and written permission from Tom Rock is strictly prohibited.

Canadian Corner: Canadian National Railway Steam Locomotives

Featured subjects on this April’s Canadian Corner post are Canadian National Railway steam locomotives in various Nova Scotia and Ontario locations:

• CNR #1135 – Oxford Junction, NS – 6/20/55
• CNR #5031 – Spadina St Roundhouse, Toronto, ON – 1952
• CNR #3505 – Clarkson, ON – 1957
• CNR #3422 – Sarnia, ON – 12/58
• CNR #3466 & #3459 – Stratford, ON – 1958
• CNR #3518 – Toronto, ON – 1959

CNR #1135 – Oxford Junction, NS – 6/20/55 (Credit: Julian Bernard)

CNR #5031 @ Spadina St Roundhouse – Toronto, ON – 1952 (Credit: Bill Thomson)

CNR #3505 – Clarkson, ON – 1957 (Credit: Bill Thomson)

CNR #3422 – Sarnia, ON – 12/58 (Credit: Bill Thomson)

CNR #3466 & #3459 – Stratford, ON – 1958 (Credit: Bill Thomson)

CNR #3518 – Toronto, ON – 1959 (Credit: Bill Thomson)

All photos courtesy of Railpictures.ca.

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Rock on Trains © 2017, Tom Rock + T.D.R. Productions. All rights reserved. Unauthorized use and/or duplication of this material without express and written permission from Tom Rock is strictly prohibited.

 

Canadian Corner: Great Lakes Car Ferries Chronology

DETROIT – US 201607
296’x 64’1x 18.1′ – Built: Great Lakes Engineering Works 1904, Hull #2 – 2,220 GRT – Engines: Four fore and aft compound 24”x 48”x 33 – 3600 HP – Each engine drove propellers – 2 forward and 2 aft.
Boilers – Two double ended and two single ended scotch boilers built by Lake Erie Boiler Works. As Built (for NYC) three tracks, 24 cars. Rebuilt for Wabash – Four tracks, 32 cars. Disposition – Scrapped LaSalle, Ontario in the last five years after sitting at Nicholsons in Detroit in ½ sunk condition for about 10 years.

Detroit approaching dock 1900’s (Credit: Detroit Publishing Co.)

Detroit crossing the Detroit River 1900’s (Credit: Detroit Publishing Co.)

Detroit being scrapped in LaSalle Ontario

LANSDOWNE – C88629
294’x 41.3’x 13′ – Built: Jenkins Brothers, Walkerville, Ontario 1873, Iron Hull – 1,222 GRT – Engines: 2 x horizontal low pressure 50”x 108”- 1360 HP – Built by E.E. Gilbert & Sons Montreal, Quebec. Capacity – 2 tracks, 16 cars. Disposition – converted to barge to carry containers, then converted to a restaurant beside Cobo Hall in Detroit. Scrapped in Buffalo three years ago. Photos of engine attached prior to the scrapping.

Lansdowne crossing the Detroit River 1900’s (Credit: Detroit Publishing Co.)

Lansdowne Buffalo Engine Side Profile (Credit: Mr. Chris Wiley – Sarnia Ont.)

Lansdowne Buffalo Engine Side Detail (Credit: Mr. Chris Wiley – Sarnia Ont.)

MICHIGAN CENTRAL – US91652
263.3’x 45.6’x 15.3′- Built: Detroit Dry Dock Company 1884 – Iron Hull #65 – Two horizontal condensing engines – two cylinders each 28”x 48”- 1,200 HP – Four fire box boilers – 75 psi – Three tracks, 21 cars. Once the tunnel across the Detroit River was completed the NYC ferries were surplus. Sold to Kelly Island Lime and Transport Co. Resold August 1923 to TL Durocher and reduced to barge. Foundered near Cockburn Island October 27, 1926.

Ferry Michigan Central approaching dock in Detroit – 1900’s (Credit: Detroit Publishing Co.)

TRANSPORT – US145211
Built: Detroit Dry Dock Company 1880 – Iron Hull #34 – Two horizontal condensing engines – two cylinders each 28”x 48”- 575 HP – Four fire box boilers – 65 psi – Three tracks 21 cars. Sold to Wabash Rwy 1912 – same name in service. Sold to John Rosen Steamship Co., reduced to barge in 1933. Foundered September 22, 1942 near Eagle Harbor, Michigan.

Ferry Transport approaching dock in Detroit – 1900’s (Credit: Detroit Publishing Co.)

The information on all Great Lakes Car Ferries is straight from “The Great Lakes Car Ferries” by Hilton.

(Credit: Mr. Chris Wiley – Sarnia, Ontario)

All photos courtesy of www.shorpy.com.

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Rock on Trains © 2016, Tom Rock + T.D.R. Productions. All rights reserved. Unauthorized use and/or duplication of this material without express and written permission from Tom Rock is strictly prohibited.

Rock on Trains history: My Train Recollections

Today, I offer you a brief narrative of my own infatuation with trains. I hope you enjoy this blast from my past!

A very young Tom Rock and the Detroit Zoo train

My interest in trains began at a very early age, probably when I was 5 or 6 years old. My father would often take me to Sarnia, Ontario, to visit my great-grandfather, an engineer for Canadian National Railways. His job involved moving electric freight trains from Sarnia to Port Huron, Michigan. Canadian National rules would not allow me to stay on board the train during these movements, but grandfather made sure I boarded once the engine was parked near the roundhouse. At this time, Canadian National was still running steam, so it was quite an experience for a 6-yr. old to grasp the size of one of those coal-fired giants.

When I was 10 years old, my father accepted a job in California. On the way out west, we stayed in Cheyenne, Wyoming. My father noted my fascination with trains, so he took me to the Union Pacific station in Cheyenne for a closer look. There I saw a diesel locomotive up close for the very first time. When the engineer offered a tour of the cab, I backed away and refused to board. After a little encouragement from my father, I finally climbed the ladder and got into the cab. The engineer tried to show me the entire working components of the engine, but I wanted no part of it. I grew up around steam engines, but the sounds that this new type of locomotive produced frightened me. With that, I gracefully exited the engine.

Back in the 50’s, Chrysler produced locomotives to be used at the Detroit Zoo. These scaled-down versions of steam engines would carry patrons around the entire zoo complex. One day while I visited the zoo, my father took a photo of me studying one of the engines before it departed. I had convinced myself at this age that a railroad life was for me, but like all dreams, some come true and some do not.

Upon my high school graduation, I took a drafting job. This lasted 43 years until my retirement came in 2006. During those 43 years, I worked with many notable NASA illustrators that taught me the art of painting with acrylics.

I had to trade my railroading dream for painting, which flourished into railroad nostalgic scenes. Evidence of this dream can be seen on this blog or at my website, www.TDRProductions.us.

---

Rock on Trains © 2014, Tom Rock + T.D.R. Productions. All rights reserved. Unauthorized use and/or duplication of this material without express and written permission from Tom Rock is strictly prohibited.