but higher quality models of what though, I mean this year is I think the 40th anniversary year since BR withdrew steam locomotives from operation isnt it.
so you talk about a younger generation talking up the hobby but how are they supposed to connect with a hobby whose prime focus seems stuck in an era that perhaps only their grandparents really have real life experience of anymore, thats the biggest issue that I dont see either manufacturer really addressing properly
Aw
If it's a toll road, it may be called a Tollway, a Thruway, or a Turnpike (an 18th Century British term), as in Pennsylvania and New Jersey.
Canada still has the Canadian Pacific Railway (name resurrected after being abbreviated to "CP Rail" for some years), as well as the Canadian National Railway, officially abbreviated to "CN". Neither operates passenger services in its own right, but they provide crews for VIA intercity trains, and GO commuter trains in the Greater Toronto Area.
CN also owns the Illinois Central Railroad from Chicago to New Orleans, and the Wisconsin Central Railway, through which it also controls EWS in the UK! Proposals to merge CN and CP around 1994, and to merge CN with the Burlington Northern and Santa Fe Railway in 1999 were vetoed by government. CN no longer owns Toronto's CN Tower.
Road-rail level crossings in the US are marked by a crossbuck sign bearing the legend "RAIL ROAD CROSSING". In Canada they used to say "RAIL WAY CROSSING" ("TRAVERSE DE CHEMIN DE FER" in Quebec); these days they are just a reflective white "X" with a red border and no wording.
Perhaps you should look at European modelling - everything that runs on today's tracks is modelled, usually from at least two different manufacturers and about two colour scemes ahead! About 50 years and back isn't so well covered, but Maerklin still has most of it's range from then still in production.
Greg.P. NZ
Perhaps a reflection on the falling standards of literacy in the US?
The US still requires you to read words on signs. Canada uses largely symbolic signs to avoid the complications of having bilingual signs. Some signs they have not developed symbols for are "DO NOT DRIVE ON PAVED SHOULDER", "STOP HERE ON RED LIGHT" (where it's not obvious where to stop when the road is snow covered), "ADVANCED GREEN WHEN FLASHING" (although most flashing green lights have been replaced with filter arrows). The above have their French equivalents.
Don't forget the Canadian National Railway.
You've ignored that semi-colon in Martin's post. Failing literacy skills in elderly New Zealanders, maybe?
Heh heh.
^^^^ Either you mis-typed "yeast" or you were thinking of Bovril.
HTH.
I thought duplication was supposed to be *bad* for the hobby.
MBQ
I and no doubt most people who read on here would be aware of it,maybe some will be aware of the Grand Trunk and its financial problems which led to it becoming the major constituent of the government owned system. Outside of those who have an interest in Railways though I don't think it was that well known outside of North America. The CPR by contrast was in Britain well known .It cropped up in history lessons linked to the cause of keeping Canada within British influence against US domination,the shipping line was well known in its own right and in austere post war Britain we looked on enviously at images of the Coast to Coast Canadian train with its glamorous stock. I had a wooden a jigsaw with it featured when I was 4. In the more recent past we have heard Gordon lightfoot on the Radio occasionally. (Though he actually calls it a railroad in the Trilogy).
G.harman
Yes, the CPR had excellent publicity. It also prided itself on being a complete, multi-modal, and world-spanning transportation company, really the only one that ever existed. It was for example one of the main competitors of Cunard. For a while it carried the slogan "Canadian Pacific Spans the World" on its railroad cars. We came to Canada in 1954 on the Empress of Scotland, a very wobbly ship, even in calm waters. We were astonished at the wonderful Canadian breakfasts served, available in unlimited quantities. I developed a taste for pancakes and maple syrup that has if anything grown stronger over the years. ;-) We rode that glamorous train, The Canadian, from Montreal to Calgary. Wonderful. We even saw a few steam engines!
But despite the glamour, as a railroad the CPR was merely average.
The CN was formed because "friends of the government" were losing their shirts. The debts they couldn't pay were transferred to the new railway, and for decades the CNR had to pay interest on it. The owners of the Canadian Northern, The Grand Trunk, and other smaller lines, came out of it very nicely, of course. If expenditure/income ratio before debt charges is calculated, the CNR was a more efficient railroad than the CPR through most of its history. It is now one of the Big Three in North America, along with BNSF and UP. Unlike those two, CN is a true transcontinental road, linking the Atlantic and the Pacific with the Gulf of Mexico. The CPR through its acquisition of Delaware and Hudson and the Soo Line is also a major player, but is more of a regional road. It moved its corporate headquarters to Calgary, reflecting its mostly western area of service.
I prefer the solid maroon passenger cars of the CPR, a livery it has reused on its Royal Canadian tourist train. I also prefer the old green, black, and gold livery of the CNR, with the maple leaf logo.
HTH
"simon" wrote
LOL - they have a history of being innovative, much of it unsuccessful. I reckon if they'd historically spent a fraction on the railway range of the money spent on things like 'Pound Puppies', Bachmann would never have got a look in. ;-)
John.
It is only in the past 5 years or so that two generations of that slogan painted on a brick wall have finally faded to illegibility on the remaining Rail entrance to Southamptons Eastern Docks.
G.harman
VIA is still using that stainless steel stock (refurbished) on its Toronto-Montreal run, as well as tilting Bombardier LRC coaches built in the early 1980s. The locos are more up-to-date.
For heaven's sake please do not refer to roads in the UK as "Freeways" - this b....y Government will slap a tax on them before you can say "Oops, sorry".
David Costigan
The Canucks tend to translate English expressions into French form. In France a level crossing is: une passage à niveau.
Regards
Not the Canucks, the Quebecois. there is a difference. For that matter, "Canuck" is obsolete here. We call ourselves Canajans, eh?
Well, I keep writing to them for more pre-WWI models, but ...
Greg.P.
seems the choice is go to a mainline station and watch a series of DMU and DMU lookalikes or visit a preserved railway and see a rich variety of steam and diesels. So far tot has visited preserved railways 20 times (and enjoyed every visit) but none to mainline station.
we go to GCR at loughborough, see the 8F, return home and get the hormby 8F out of its box.
Cheers, Simon
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