Coast to Coast

I listed some of the destinations to which my book has been delivered in my July 5 post. Now I'm able to add the final Canadian province...Prince Edward Island. VIA didn't run trains in PEI, so above is a photo I took of CN 1751 at the ferry dock in Borden in 1982.

Fellow blogger Chris Mears picked up his copy this past weekend. As many customers tell me, Chris mentioned that the book looks great, and that he needs more time to digest it further. I completely understand why. There's so much information in the book that even if a customer wanted to read it cover-to-cover, sleep and meal breaks would get in the way.

So now, Trackside with VIA: The First 35 Years has truly gone coast-to-coast, sort of like the classic 1965 National Film Board short comedy The Railrodder.

Highball!

Errata

Now that I've initiated another printing of my book, it's time to correct a few errors. As always, errors creep in despite best efforts. These will be corrected by Bryan at Allan Graphics in the new printing. If you already have your copy, here are five items listed by page number that you may wish to correct:

1. Page 56: May 18/84 1929 W Consist

-6798 should read 6789 (first locomotive)

2. Page 56: Sept 27/84 1500 W Consist:

-add "5" between Endeavour and Vice-Regal car 1

3. Page 85: June 15/10 Toronto Union Consist

-add "Manor" to "Douglas" so it reads "Douglas Manor"

4. Page 102: Club Galley section (car 654)

-change "St. James's Club" to "Saint James's Club"

5. Page 104 Sceneramic Dome section, (car 2703):

-change "Frazer" to "Fraser"

Let me know if you've come across other errors that may need correcting. My email address is listed in the Ordering Information in the sidebar.

Highball!

Welcome CRO Readers

If you're reading this, you're interested in Canadian railroading. Thanks to editor Will Baird of Canadian Railway Observations, Trackside with VIA: The First 35 Years, there's now a banner ad on CRO's main page, just under the photo of the June 2011 edition advertising my book, which will also interest you.

CRO is a must-read. Period. OK, you might say "I'm only interested in railroading of yesteryear, not of today". My favourite links in each issue are the Vignettes, where classic photos of Canadian railroading in each section can be enjoyed while wallowing in nostalgia. There's something for everyone: CN, CP, VIA, Shortlines, Modellers' Corner and much more.

Thanks Will, for advertising my book and also for working with your team of contributors each month to provide online news and features. CRO is one of many excellent websites, magazines and books on Canadian railroading that allow us to get informed, stay in touch and use information to further our modelling, knowledge and enjoyment of Canada's railways.

Highball!

VIA down under

Another customer order fulfilled - down under in Australia. The farthest by far - Andreas Keller, VIAphile and model builder. In fact, Andreas built the LRC pictured above in 1987. The model was part of the 1989 RPM meet in Troy NY, and was featured in Canadian Railway Modeller magazine in 1995. Andreas, your copy is on its way, and thanks for reminding me about the spectacular train voyages of Australia: the Indian Pacific, the Ghan, the Sunlander and Spirit of the Outback.

What's next, a customer in Antarctica? So far, my only experience down under was photographing this LRC under me on a rocky outcrop at Kingston Mills. Oh, and hearing about Jason Shron and Dan Garcia crawling under various VIA equipment taking measurements for future Rapido Trains models.

Highball!

Via Air Mail

Remember those red-and-blue striped air mail envelopes that used to say Via Air Mail - Par Avion? It's doubtful there's any mail on the ex-CP baggage car sandwiched between a VIA-painted CN business car and a VIA1 LRC car, shown above.

Now that book orders are flowing in after the forgettable Canada Post lockout, copies of my book have found their way to Canadian provinces: British Columbia, Alberta, Saskatchewan, Manitoba, Ontario, Quebec, New Brunswick, Nova Scotia, Prince Edward Island and Newfoundland; US states: New Jersey, Illinois, Ohio, California, Pennsylvania, Massachusetts, Michigan, Minnesota, Maine, New York, Texas, Virginia and Vermont.

Thanks to the easy-to-use Western Union funds transfer, my first international customer in Hungary is about to receive his copy. Now that's what I call VIA air mail.

Highball!