Totally agree, lot of disappointment they didn't get the E&N back up, it was a spectacular ride. They haven't pulled the track yet, but not much hope. I'm just a few blocks from the Wellcox yard... I just clicked on the reply for my last post and at the same time received a rare email from someone I intended to ask about the train order offices. Very odd how often that happens. I'll post the reply.
Here's the response, from a guy modelling the E&N in N Scale, 1969: "Re train order offices, it depends on the date. Before 1972, I believe they were in Victoria, after that either in the station or at the yard office at Wellcox. It is also possible in was in Vancouver."
Wonderful thread, your photos and info of Nanaimo are sorely needed. I deal with Nanaimo daily from the Lower Mainland and always wonder about the action over there, finding info was almost impossible until you arrived. I have quite a few pics of the Seattle operations in the late 90s, like Kurt Moose said earlier above they used three MoPac hacks and one on the UP side; over on the BN it was idler flats but that was done by the time I arrived in town, the flats were still around though and I think still are.
Sounds to me as though we have a bit of confusion between us. A train order office is a point out along the line in conversation. Victoria or Vancouver would have been the dispatchers offices. In my collection I have examples copied at (receiving) offices: Chemainus, BC. Courtenay, BC. Duncan, BC. Ladysmith, BC. Lake Cowichan, BC. Nanaimo, BC. Parksville, BC. Port Alberni, BC. Victoria, BC. Wellcox, Nanaimo, BC. Wellington, BC.
Sorry, don't have anything further. Maybe Canadian Railroad Historical Association, Esquimalt and Nanaimo Division might know.
This is really cool and gives me some rail barge ideas. I got into the idea of incorporating one when I saw Jim Younkins Mud Bay & Southern's rail barge, used for taking cars off and putting them back onto the layout, a clever way to get them to and from staging.
Very nice. One thing I've noticed with most carfloat models is they look like they're for protected waters, with low freeboard, i.e. deck is closer to the water. woo woo woo&S's looks more like those in Georgia Strait and I imagine Puget Sound, with more freeboard. Check out the Georgia Strait Towing Ltd. barge on page 144: http://www.exporail.org/can_rail/Canadian Rail_no210_1969.pdf
https://www.timescolonist.com/news/...8UWAx_fMf9XfFjgfn0F2-vUdVDBF6fHIGPzB6wHrdHnU4 It is to dream...
