Hi

[wbishop60]

Hi,

I worked on the DAR during the summers of 1979 - 1982. It paid my university tuition at Acadia. My Dad, Bob Bishop, worked on the DAR for 39 years, mostly as a Carman. My brother, my Dad's two brothers, my cousin, my grandfather and my great- grandfather all worked on the DAR.

I was hired to work summers as a Laborer during the vacation season. I remember my first day on the job, one of the very few day shifts I ever worked, especially during the week. To my surprise I was told I had to learn how to drive a train. I was surprised because I thought I would just be cleaning the shops, sweeping out box cars, drying sand, cleaning engine rooms which leaked a lot of oil - all the usual "joe" jobs that did not require much skill. But since I would be working a lot of evening and night shifts, sometimes alone, I had to be able to get the engines ready for their runs - start them up, fill them with sand, get them outside and full of fuel. And my "big" trips would be down to the round house (not really a house as it was all open to the outdoors) to turn the engine if it had to face the other way. So, yes, I had to learn how to drive a train which was super cool - especially when I was a young child (perhaps 8 years old) my Dad would let me sort of "drive" the Dayliner out of the shop om Christmas morning when he was working the 12 to 8 shift.

Coincidentally I just rode the Via train from Ottawa to Toronto and back again last weekend - my first train ride since the summer of 1982 when I used to ride the Dayliner to Yarmouth on Friday evenings, work on it all night, and ride it back to Kentville, all for 2 days pay.

[stem]

That's a neat story. I imagine your eyes were wide open when they told you that you had to learn how to drive the locos! So in 1972 they still had all 10 SW1200s plus 2 Dayliners. I bet you wished you'd taken a few photos back then. Did you also drive the Dayliners too?

And sorry this took so long to get posted. It got lost in the post section that required moderation which are few an far between.

[DARDayliner]

I wondered if I should post here, then decided to carry on. I was not an employee of the DAR, but dearly wanted to be. I was rejected because I wore glasses. A railroad employee could get glasses while in the employe of the railroad, but nobody would be a new-hire with glasses.

That didn't stop me from pursuing my love of the railroad in Wolfville NS. I used to walk to the yard on summer mornings and watch the crews switch cars, fuel tankers to the Acadia steam plant, Gasoline to the Whidden siding, boxcars and flatcars into the Rafuse lumber yard. Eventually the crews took me under their wing and taught me how to connect air hoses, and to 'big-hole' a string of cars, and even to do flying switches. It got to the point where I would ride the van up to the yard limit by the steam plant, and 'close the gate' as the local headed west to Kentville after the morning's shunt. Those guys would have gotten in big trouble if their bosses knew what was happening in Wolfville those summer mornings of 1965-1966.

The DAR held a special place in my life. I found this forum while random-searching pictures of the two RDC-1's that plied the DAR line. I was amazed to find such a large 'closet' community of DAR historians.

So there's my little snippet of history. I also remember seeing steam engines in Kingsport, Canning, Sheffield Mills, and Somerset as a very young boy.

[asbell]

i also worked for DAR on b&b gang later 70's. worked for bc rail before that, class 1a machine operator and section forman.

[downeastrailfan]

Wow, I'm glad that DAR employees are sharing their stories. Thanks all!

[stem]

I am sure am glad you guys came on board to share some real rail time with us. I hope that you are finding the wiki full of good stuff and fine memories.

If something you see on the wiki or here on the forum triggers any good memories or if you have anything to add, please sing out. We're all ears and eager to add detail for the benefit of all.