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From left to right: switchlock; baggageman's hat; and engineer's manual. A switch was the section of track used to divert trains from one track to another, and the switchlock was what unlocked these
'signings' so that they could be swiveled between rails. The railway track consisted of two categories-- the "line" and the "yard," where the signings were located. Traffic control was provided by a block, a length of track to which entrance was governed by signal indicators.
One of the trains on which the Kensington baggage handlers would be
busiest was #39 to the Borden ferry via Emerald Juction, which carried
the passengers bound for the mainland and points beyond. While most
of the rules and regulations for the engineer were well spelled out
in his manual, tracks on the Island demanded that he learn to improvise. Up to a third of the Island line was comprised of bends,
and then the spring brought frost heaves, making unpredictability the only predictable part of Island railroading.
(Railway Heritage Association, photo by Tom MacDonald) |
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