Finally got the CP 6644 leading a train, here it is on the point of CP 474 at Harpers Ferry, IA at sunset. October 17, 2021 Video— Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
From 09/03/2021 at Belton, SC, Greenville & Western's "River Falls". It was previously owned by South Carolina's Lancaster & Chester and was originally the Rock Island's 638 Golden Tower, a Sleeper built by P-S in 1954 for the Chicago <=> Los Angles Golden State.
OK, am I the only 80s nerd here would laugh so hard if units 867 were lashed up to 5309, shown in your wye shots?
It's a small independently owned common (freight) carrier. I'm not sure how they use the car, but it probably makes a fine meeting space. It appears to be well maintained and suitable for service.
The depot in Burlington, Iowa looks like it was built in the 50s or 60s. That's the roof of the platform cover in the foreground. This was parked across the tracks from it. Durn reflections in the glass kind of mess the image up a bit.
I looked it up and was surprised that the Burlington depot was built in 1944. It sure has the great mid-century architecture, though. Doug
Canadian National's Central Station in Montreal was opened in 1943. It also has that strict utilitarian, blocklike look (though on a larger scale). The first time I saw a photo of the main concourse I thought it was a school gym or something. Take a look at https://garecentrale.ca/en/. The building it replaced, Bonaventure Station, had that luxurious, Victorian, hand-carved look in the general waiting room, which looks more like a cathedral's insides. That was class!
I can understand how planners might opt for a less costly design, than such as earlier "Victorian" styles. But those utilitarian looks sometimes just come across as cheap. And I sometimes wonder if such a visual impression didn't have a minor part in the downfall of many passenger operations. As they cut costs wherever possible, it certainly sped the curtailing of rail passenger travel.
Those are precious. I look at such images and wonder what the future brought for these children. It was an era with so much promise. I never knew that Fred Harvey established restaurants on any roads other than the Santa Fe.