STEAM RAIL NEWS at Toronto s Union Station - June 1, Norm Corness Photo

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STEAM RAIL NEWS Rocky Mountain Rail Society www.6060.org Mar./Apr. 2010 Bob Key --- or More History of the 6060 Bob Key a.k.a. Robert Edrich Key Fifty years ago, the 6043 arrived at the CNR s Winnipeg Station with passenger train No.

1 STEAM RAIL NEWS Rocky Mountain Rail Society Mar./Apr Bob Key --- or More History of the 6060 Bob Key a.k.a. Robert Edrich Key Fifty years ago, the 6043 arrived at the CNR s Winnipeg Station with passenger train No. 76 from The Pas, Manitoba It was the year 1960 and the train was ON TIME but it was also the last regular use of a steam locomotive on the Canadian National Railways. This was a very sad event for many of our employees on the CNR and it triggered a series of events. The major one resulted in the successful preservation of 6060 at Jasper AB in May of At that time we would have preferred accepting the 6043, as she had worked out of Jasper in Passenger Service for many, many years between Jasper and Kamloops and also Vancouver and Edmonton, but that is another story. As many of you know, the 6060 was on display in Jasper for 10 years under the care of many CNR Railroad men. Then she was moved back east, backshopped and ran for many years out of Toronto and Montreal. She came back to Alberta under steam for Alberta s 75 th anniversary in She made runs to Camrose, Whitecourt, Calgary, Drumheller, Hanna and back to Edmonton at Toronto s Union Station - June 1, Norm Corness Photo By then, the numbers of machinists and boiler makers who were available for guidance in preservation and maintenance, skilled work and training of our 6060 volunteers were precious few. One of our key mechanical mentors who was always helpful was Bob Key in Jasper. True to his last name, Bob was a key player on our early RMRS mechanical committee and I wish to pay tribute to him today. Sadly, Bob suddenly passed away on 20 May 2009 in his 86 th year. Bob s parents, Archie and Mary Key were pioneers in Jasper. Archie first came to Jasper as a locomotive fireman with the Grand Trunk Pacific Railway around 1911, working with the construction crews, laying steel. He soon became a resident of Jasper and worked many years out of Jasper as a Locomotive Engineer. In October of 1922, Archie took Mary to Lucerne, BC where Bob was born on 9 October 1922 with Dr. Thomas O Hagan in charge. There were no other doctors in the area and it would be eight years before the hospital was constructed in Jasper. Lucerne was about 21 miles west of Jasper and about 5 miles inside BC on the Canadian Northern Railway. It was their Division Point between Blue River BC and Tollerton AB (near Edson). Bob was a lifetime resident of Jasper. He took all of his schooling here. Then he completed his machinist s apprenticeship in Calder at Edmonton, proudly served his country in World War II and then put in his entire railroad career in the Jasper Roundhouse. He commenced as a machinist and then shortly thereafter was promoted to Shop Foreman. During his 38 year career, he became wellknown as a man who always fig-

2 Page 2 STEAM RAIL NEWS Bob Key --- or More History of the 6060 (cont.) ured things out and expected the best from his staff because he always gave his best. He could quickly resolve the operating problems with our steam power, whether it be in the shops or out on the road. Right from 1962 on, when we first received 6060, Bob was a constant source of answers to our many questions about maintenance and preservation of He was as delighted as any of us when we moved the 6060 from Jasper to the Pte. Ste. Charles back-shops in Montreal in 1972 for rehabilitation. He was particularly helpful to me in my new role in 1973 as System Locomotive Engineer Special Duties My responsibility was Maintenance as well as Locomotive Firing and Running. Bob was constantly helpful to me as I had little experience in machinist and boiler maker work. His interest and support continued right up to 20 May On one of our last visits, after answering my questions, Bob said, You know, Railroading is a way of Life. And the with a big smile, he said, I don t know what I would have done if I couldn t have worked on the Railroad. That makes two of us, Bob! Bob and I had chosen different careers on the Canadian National Railways. Bob served an apprenticeship to become a skilled machinist which led to much greater responsibility as Shop Foreman. I also started working in the Shops and then took promotion to a Locomotive Fireman and then Locomotive Engineer. But we had very common and cherished ground in that we both came from railroad homes and both our Fathers were locomotive engineers. Bob s parents were truly pioneers in this area as were mine. Archie and Mary were very early Jasperites around 1911 and my Mom and Dad joined them here when they moved here from Lucerne in 1924 when that Canadian Northern Railway terminal was closed and the Canadian National was being formed. Bob s Dad was one of our best Engineers (just about as good as my Dad!). I ll never forget firing the 6000 for Archie Key on 1 January 1955 from Blue River, BC on Train #2, the Continental Limited. He ran that Locomotive by the sound of the stack, the feel of the engine and the colour of the peephole in the firebox. As a young fireman, it was a profound experience to see a throttle artist at work and I shall never forget it. When I told Bob this story, he knew exactly what I was talking about and was justly proud! Bob and his wife Janet were blessed with two daughters, Barbara (Ron) and Sandra (Don). Bob was predeceased by Janet in 1998, his parents and his brother Jim. He has two treasured grandsons, Todd and Tyler. Summer was a special time for Bob in his flower and vegetable garden and to have visits from his daughters and grandchildren. Bob enjoyed the card games at the Activity Centre and in his home. I always looked forward to our visits on Sunday after the church service at the United Church. It was very important that Bob s tea was properly anointed with cream and sugar and then the cinders began to fly! Even now, almost a year after Bob passed away, it is difficult for so many of us to believe that he is no longer here with us. His support, counsel and advice has been a major factor in our many successes in safely operating and maintaining the The Canadian National Railways was indeed very fortunate to have so gifted and dedicated an employee. He was a fine husband, father and grandfather. On behalf of the Rocky Mountain Rail Society, we wish to join his family and many friends in celebrating his wonderful 86 years of life. Thanks so very much, Bob, for your untiring guidance and advice in preserving the halcyon days of Railroading and the 6060! Respectfully submitted from Jasper AB on 9 March Harry R.J. Home, Locomotive Engineer 6060

3 Mar./Apr Casino The Casino will probably be underway or even finished by the time you read this but I want to put in a thank you to all my fantastic volunteers who help us keep this important event running. In alphabetical order, they are: Carter and Sandie Bilik, Jean Brien, Paul Douglas, Neil Dowdell, Duane Drouillard, Juliet Faraj, Rami Faraj, Russ and Glenda Grycan, Les Hamilton, David Higgins, Anne Hokea, Bob Leinweber, Harry Maekelburger, John McBean, Mark McNair, John and Susan Mitchell, Selwyn Morris, Lyall Nash, David and Mary Page 3 Olson, James Pass, John Pinter, Kevin Quigley, Kenneth Shaw, Don Totten, Holly Totten, John Visser, Pat Vokes, Fred Waine, Clark Whitcomb and Bill Williams. I also want to thank our great advisors (and members) Paul Drebit and David Brodsky. Hope I haven t forgotten anybody. Will have another report next time. John Pinter Casino Chairman. SUPERTRAIN 2010 April 17 & 18, 2010 Canada s largest model train show 9am - 5pm Subway Soccer Centre Street SE Calgary, Alberta FREE PARKING! That's right folks Supertrain will begin April 17 th at the Soccer Centre in Calgary. Come and join the members who have already volunteered to help support our society at Supertrain. Henry Lee is coming down from Northern Alberta and Dave Emmington is coming from B.C. Why? Because it s a great time and a chance to celebrate our love of the steam locomotives and trains. Ernie Beskowiney will be bringing his model of the Ernie's scale model will be an exact working replica of our beloved lady of the rails In addition, John Pinter and Ron Symes, from Stettler, will each be bringing to displays. We can always use volunteers. This year we have been asked to supply volunteers to help support the organizers of the event. So anyone interested in helping please let me know. I can be reached by dtotten@telus.net or on my cell at Have a great Supertrain. Don Totten Part of the RMRS booth at Calgary Supertrain last year at the Calgary Soccer Centre Photo submitted by Russ Grycan

4 Page 4 Portrait Captures Home s Love of Trains Reprinted from Jasper, AB s, The Fitzhugh newspaper. AMY WILSON-CHAPMAN, REPORTER November 19, 2009 STEAM RAIL NEWS A dedicated engineer, who fought to keep a little piece of railroad history, takes a moment to relax after his passengers and crew have left the scene. While everyone else has gone in for dinner at the community hall in Big Valley, he works away, ensuring all is in tip top condition with the engine. That particular day I remember quite well, explained Harry Home, engineer for the 6060 locomotive that runs from Stettler, AB. When we run, we run from Stettler to Big Valley, 21.2 miles. Then, we run around the train and the passengers all go up to the community hall and they put on a real nifty prairie home cooked style meal, he said. A caring co-worker brings him a plate, so he too can enjoy a well-earned dinner before taking his passengers back to Stettler. Not wanting to leave his valued steam engine, Home pulls out a little chair, sits down beside the engine with his plate on his knee and enjoys his supper. Quite often, I don t go up there (to the hall), because I m the engineer and I know that engine so well, so I quite often stay and keep an eye on things and let my crew go up, like my fireman go up and I stay and do little jobs. I just simply stay... and the guys sometimes come back with a plate of food. Although it wasn t Home s favourite meal that night (which is spaghetti and meatballs), it was still a pretty good feed. Roast beef, a hearty meal for a hard working engineer. I like meatballs and spaghetti, for some reason, but that day was roast beef which is superb. Though just one small moment in time, local film maker David Baker happened to witness the event and has turned that moment into a painting for all to share. I saw that, and I thought it was one of those classic moments when you see a man and his machine, said Baker, who was onsite filming a documentary on the 6060 engine. When I saw the frame of video shot... I thought, that s a moment that Diane would like me to make into a painting. Baker s thoughts took him to a common friend of Baker and Home: Diane Way. I m a fan of the work she does, I like what she does with paint, said Baker. For Home, the painting came as a big surprise. He was particularly thrilled his favourite tin lunch box had made it into the painting. I usually talk too much, I think, but I was overwhelmed and thrilled, said Home. I had an old tin box I carried, I ve still got it, I carried it for forty years I guess on the railroad and she s got that in the picture. Of course, that one moment in time resonates because of the efforts and dedication Home put in to ensure

5 Mar./Apr Portrait (cont.) Page 5 the 6060 train did not become a wasted entity. Made back in Oct it was the last order of steam engines for the Canadian National Railway (CN). There were only 20 engines made, and it s now the largest operating steam engine in Canada. For Home, who has worked on the railroad since 1949, when the last steam engine was taken away from Jasper, it was crucial that this piece of Canadian history was commemorated. After two years of negotiating, they gave us the 6060, he said, so it sat in Jasper for ten years. However, due to the prime condition in which Home maintained it, the engine disappeared to the east coast in 1972 where it would run through Ontario and Quebec, and down to the US. But, not without further assistance from Home. That was a great honour to me, he noted. They suddenly realized that nobody knew how to fire it, because it was an oil burner and they didn t have them there so I was picked by the CN to be a system locomotive special duties. After being used for several years, the trips through the East Coast eventually stopped and the condition faded. Once again, due to Home s lobbying of the Alberta government and the dedication of a variety of Jasperites, Home brought the engine back to Jasper to be restored in time for the province s 75th Anniversary. The historic engine sat in Jasper from Jan. 18 to May 29, where the tireless commitment of Home and his crew, including many hours of volunteered time from locals, saw the engine roll out of the station in time for the Steam Expo held in Vancouver in It s a testimonial to the skills of our own people. There s a lot of people walking around that have got some great skills and there is a lot of skills that we ve learned that I hope we can pass on. After sitting in North Vancouver for three years, the engine was taken to Stettler in 1989 where it remains today offering a unique journey in the Alberta Prairies throughout the summer. Over the years, Home s dedication and love for the engine have not dwindled, as he continues to travel to Stettler several times a year, where he can spend up to a week working on the engine and ensuring its maintained at the highest condition. My wife s getting pretty annoyed at me because I put in a lot of time down there, said Home. I m in charge of the engine and all the maintenance, he explained. In the winter we have a lot of work to do simply to protect the integrity of the boiler and the functioning of the machinery... these engines are not designed to sit around, that s our biggest enemy when they sit around. As testament to his character, while working tirelessly in his beloved engine the Jasperite has also had a personal battle and was diagnosed with prostate cancer in It s damn scary when you re told you ve got cancer, he said, because everyone s afraid of it and there s a lot of it around. Way is also a cancer survivor, which is why all the money raised from the prints will be donated directly to a program at the Cross Cancer Clinic in Edmonton called Arts in Medicine, where Way teaches as well. At the time I commissioned Diane to do the painting for me she was going through a battle of cancer, explained Baker. She said to me that doing the painting actually was very good for her self esteem at a time when she felt really low and not confident to do much.

6 Page 6 MEMBERS NEEDED - - SIGN-UP NOW STEAM RAIL NEWS This year will be a busy one for RMRS members as 6060 will be operating twelve trips this year with Alberta Prairie Steam Tours. This will be an excellent opportunity for members to volunteer and work with the light-up crew or the hand out of 6060 cards on the train or to help with special events such as Canada Day Celebrations or Railfan Weekend. Both of which will be held at Big Valley this coming summer. At this year s special events, we plan to have our speeder running again. We will need members to help us maintain the safe operation of this very popular activity. Pick a date you can come and help out. Give me a call at home or send me an dtotten@telus.net. I am including an example of our work schedule for the first two days of operation in ROCKY MOUNTAIN RAIL SOCIETY CREW RESPONSIBILITIES 2010 JULY 1st 2010 ENGINEER: Harry Home FIREMAN: Don Totten LIGHT UP: Al Watch, SUPPORT CREW: Bob Leinweber CARDS: JULY 2, 2010 ENGINEER: Harry Home FIREMAN: Don Totten LIGHT UP: Al Watch SUPPORT CREW: Bob Leinweber Our dates of operation are : July 3,4, 15,16,17, 18 August 1,2, 12, 13, 14, 15 Volunteer support will also be important prior to and after each operational day to help with any maintenance tasks that will arise. There will be a few limited spots available to help the Light-Up crew. These tasks will be determined prior to the operational runs by the mechanical committee. Working with the Light-Up Crew is an important step as it will provide training that can help in the learning of skills that will be necessary to become certified with Alberta Prairie Steam Tours and Alberta Boilers Safety Association. If there are any questions please give me a call. Hope to see many of you at Supertrain All the best. Don Totten STUDENT: SPEEDER: KEVIN QUIGLEY, RUSS GRYCAN, 6060 and Alberta Prairie Steam Tour s engine 41 at Big Valley Heritage Railway Station Photo Submitted by Russ Grycan

7 Mar./Apr Bill s Notes Page 7 All members are invited to attend our board of directors meetings generally held the 2 nd Tuesday of every month. Please call me for a meeting location. I write these notes as we prepare for the 2010 running season and ask you to note Don Totten s request for help in the running of 6060, starting at the July 1 st weekend and also further into the summer. I am also asking you as members of Rocky Mountain Rail Society to be prepared to participate more fully in the organization. We have over 200 members but only about 20 active members. I realize that many of you live far away from the action but we are still asking for your input and ideas to help us move forward and grow even as our membership ages (this especially includes the board of directors!). We do have a couple of members as young as seven years of age and we need more of those plus a lot more in the middle age bracket to carry the torch forward. If you think you re too old to participate, buy memberships for your children and grandchildren to help them develop a perspective in heritage railway preservation. We also have membership across organizational lines to help us work in conjunction with their efforts and not at crosspurposes. These include the West Coast Railway Association in Squamish BC, East Central Alberta Heritage Society in Stettler, the Alberta Railway Museum near Edmonton, Iron Horse Park in Airdrie as well as Heritage Park in Calgary and many others in Canada as well as the Association of Railway Museums (a North American organization), all with the aim of historical and heritage railway preservation. The Mongoose never quits until he wins I can t change the direction of the wind, but I can adjust my sails to always reach my destination W.E. (Bill) Williams, CTB billwill@telusplanet.net or Telephone (Direct) or Fax BIG VALLEY CANADIAN NORTHERN RAILWAY STATION OPEN HOUSE Alberta Prairie Railway Excursions and the Canadian Northern Society held an open house at the Big Valley Heritage Railway station on Saturday March 27, The open house featured a new community meeting room facility that has been recently developed in the former express room of the depot. As a result of this upgrade, the community at large will have an excellent alternative to hold business meetings within a historical setting, and the room will also continue to be used for interpretive displays. The upgrades to the station have incorporated some new displays of railroadiana, art, and photography that will be of interest to the many visitors who visit the Big Valley station each year aboard Alberta Prairie Railway Excursion trains. This event provided a great opportunity to take guided tours through the entire station, and to learn more about Big Valley's railway heritage and the continued preservation efforts of this splendid example of a Canadian Northern Railway "Standard Second Class" station - built in Refreshments were served by Don Gillespie and his Alberta Prairie Railway crew who have done a wonderful job in making this project happen. An afternoon of insight, fun and fellowship was held at the Big Valley station. Rocky Mountain Rail Society was represented by John Pinter and Kevin Quigley.

PO Box 81076 6060, BPO Calgary, Alberta T2J 7C9 www.6060.org RMRS Board of Directors: President, W.E. (Bill) Williams 403-803-6805 billwill@telusplanet.

com Past President, Joe Cernak 403-285-7758 Directors, Harry Home 780-852-5818 hehome@shaw.ca Larry Buchan 403-601-2859 lbuchan@nucleus.com Ron Switzer 403-288-5327 olympiaeng@telus.

8 PO Box , BPO Calgary, Alberta T2J 7C9 RMRS Board of Directors: President, W.E. (Bill) Williams Vice-President, Don Totten Treasurer, Russ Grycan Secretary, Kevin Quigley Past President, Joe Cernak Directors, Harry Home Larry Buchan Ron Switzer Al Watch Casino Chairman, John Pinter Monthly Meetings All members are invited to Board of Directors meetings each month. Contact W.E. (Bill) Williams, RMRS President, for time and Donations RMRS would like to thank the following person for their gracious donation to our society in the resent weeks. Gary Meed Joe Cernak Checks Out IHP s AC member and retired railway engineer Joe Cernak was going shopping but got side tracked and ended up at Iron Horse Park in Airdrie, AB. Photo shows him driving the AC4400 with Iron Horse Park s youngest member, Joshua, as brakeman, there to give assistance if needed. According to Joe it was not quite as difficult to run as the real thing!! Submitted by Dave Judd

STEAM RAIL NEWS. Canada Day Celebration and Runs for Rocky Mountain Rail Society July/August 2010

STEAM RAIL NEWS. Canada Day Celebration and Runs for Rocky Mountain Rail Society July/August 2010 STEAM RAIL NEWS Rocky Mountain Rail Society www.6060.org July/August 2010 Canada Day Celebration and Runs for 6060 RMRS provided 6060 to APSE for three runs on July 1 st, 2 nd and 3 rd, 2010 from Stettler