|
This Month's Feature:
“Canadian National Railways Diesel Locomotives Volume One” by Kevin J.
Holland and Ken Goslett is a must have for any CN railfan and for anyone
interested in learning about the history of how and when CN dieselized,
going back to its first railcars and experimental diesels in the 1920s and
1930s. The second volume is expected in Spring 2013, though the release date
for the first volume was pushed back by about 6-7 months, so this must be
treated as an approximate date. This book is divided into six chapters and
covers all diesels purchased by CN up until 1960, with the exception of most
roadswitchers (i.e. SW1200RS’, GP9’s, etc.), which are covered in the
upcoming second volume. Photographs are in both colour and black and white,
with approximately 70% of the photos being in black and white. Most are
detailed roster shots, which makes this book a great addition for those
modelling CN in its early diesel phase, as well there are colour photos
showing the evolution and variations of paint schemes. Some steam
locomotives are seen alongside diesels. This books makes a great companion
piece to the unfortunately out of print book “Canadian Pacific Diesel
Locomotives” written by Murray W. Dean and David B. Hanna and published by
Railfare in 1981, which has a wealth of details on CP’s dieselization.
Among
the interesting facts that one learns from this book:
-
Pioneering CN diesel
#9000 was fitted with a 1350 horsepower EMD 567A engine in 1943
-
On top of
running AlCO PA’s as demonstrators, CN had also considered purchasing
E8’s
-
CN had hoped MLW could build 70-ton locomotives for their PEI
dieselization program. MLW said they had no space to construct them and the
contract went to GE
-
CN at one point considered replacing steam engines with
gas-turbine locomotives
-
CLC’s diesels were not only unreliable and more
expensive to run than the competition, but in bidding they were also more
expensive per unit than competing GMD and MLW cab units most of the time.
The
book is extremely detailed and well annotated, with numerous footnotes
ending each chapter. The renumbering and reclassing of the CN diesels
treated in this book is detailed. I can say that I am eagerly anticipating
the second volume.
For future review suggestions or comments … Email me at:
Michael Berry
mberry7@ videotron .ca
“The Canadian Pacific Railway: The E&N Steam Years 1905-1949” by
Robert D Turner and the late Don MacLachlan went to press on Monday
July 23rd. The proofs have been corrected and the printer says it
will be done by August 31, then shipped to Sono Nis Press in Winlaw
BC, so it ought to start appearing in retail outlets by
mid-September. It's over 300 pages, in the same format as Turner's
Boundary book. Hard cover will sell for $CA 49.95 and softbound for
ten dollars less. A second book, “The Canadian Pacific Railway:
The E&N Diesel Years” is hoped to follow next spring. It will be
about 275 pages, pricing same as the Steam book and mostly color,
where the steam book is black and white with about ten color
shots. Finally, MacLachlan's 1986 volume "The Esquimalt &
Nanaimo Railway: The Dunsmuir Years" is being reprinted in softcover
by SonoNis, should be out about the same time as the E&N steam book,
and will retail for $CA 29.95.
COMING NEXT MONTH:
Michael will review George Pitarys' book "Seasons Of Trains" |
