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Getting To Know Me by Elizabeth Guenzler. I was born on February 2nd, 1972 in Vancouver, British Columbia, to Ken and Audrey Davidge, an English couple who had emigrated from England in 1957. I lived in Vancouver but when my father was transferred from the Vancouver store of Henry Birks and Sons Jewellers to the new Victoria store, we moved to Colwood, a few miles west of Victoria. This occurred at the end of January 1974 so I missed my second birthday! The English are... Read More>> |
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Aug 17, 2020 - Introducing Rail Traveler Elizabeth Guenzler! The Ongoing Rail and Other Adventures of Elizabeth Guenzler. Welcome to my website! This is a work in progress and will feature travelogues on train excursions and railfanning adventures from British Columbia, Alberta and many... Read More>> |
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The Canadian Pacific Railway Roundhouse in Victoria, British Columbia: Report & Photos by Elizabeth Guenzler. It was through the Roundhouse Museum Society that I became interested in railways in 1992 and this would morph into a... Read More>> |
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Canadian Pacific's Coquitlam Yard Visits: Report & Photos by Elizabeth Guenzler. Of the four Lower Mainland rail yards, Canadian Pacific's Coquitlam Yard on Oxford Street was the one I most looked forward to visiting. For several years starting in 1996, I was... Read More>> |
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Visits to Wellcox Yard, Nanaimo, British Columbia: Report & Photos by Elizabeth Guenzler. Canadian Pacific Railway was not only a rail company, it had steamship, barge, hotel and air components. In the 1950's, a new steamship, the Princess of Vancouver, was ordered which combined passenger, automobile and... Read More>> |
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Oct 1997 - Chasing E&N Railfreight from Nanaimo to Port Alberni: Report & Photos by Elizabeth Guenzler. E&N Railfreight was an internal Canadian Pacific Railway shortline created in 1996 which served a few industries from Nanaimo south to Victoria and from Parksville west to Port Alberni, site of a pulp mill, the main industry in... Read More>> |
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Canadian National's Thornton Yard Visits: Report & Photos by Elizabeth Guenzler. Port Mann townsite was created in 1911 in the municipality of Surrey, British Columbia. It was to adjoin the new railway yard and roundhouse forming the terminus of the trans-national rail line operated by Canadian Northern Railway. It was... Read More>> |
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New Westminster, British Columbia's BNSF Braid Yard: Report & Photos by Elizabeth Guenzler. The twice-yearly trips to the model railway shows in Burnaby always included visits to the rail yards in the area. On the way to Burnaby is the City of New Westminster and Burlington Northern Santa Fe's New... Read More>> |
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Spirit of Washington Dinner Train ~ 2004, 2005 and 2007: Report & Photos by Elizabeth Guenzler. The Spirit of Washington Dinner Train operated in King County, Washington for fifteen years from 1992 to 2007. Guests enjoyed an excursion through the communities east of Lake Washington from... Read More>> |
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Roberts Bank, Delta, British Columbia Railfanning: Report & Photos by Elizabeth Guenzler. For about ten years from the mid-1990's to the mid-2000's, I attended the twice-yearly model railway shows held at the Cameron Recreation Centre in Burnaby, British Columbia. These were the largest model... Read More>> |
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McCormick-Stillman Railroad Park, Scottsdale, Arizona Visits 2002 to 2012: Report & Photos by Elizabeth Guenzler. My first visit to this unique park was in February 2002 when my friend Bob Alkire took me there. He volunteered there in the mid-1970's for several years, running the Paradise and... Read More>> |
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Jun 24, 2000 - Pacific Wilderness Railway Inaugural Trip June 24th, 2000: Report & Photos by Elizabeth Guenzler. Not only was this the inaugural trip of a new excursion train in Victoria but it was also my first train ride in Canada. Since developing an interest in this hobby in the mid-1990's, the focus of it had... Read More>> |
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Oct 28, 2001 - Port of Tillamook Bay Autumn Colours Excursion: Report & Photos by Elizabeth Guenzler. This trip has the distinction of being my first train trip in the United States. It had been advertised on the Altamont Press website and was an Autumn Colours excursion from Buxton to... Read More>> |
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May 4, 2002 - Canadian Pacific 2816 Excursion on Westcoast Express: Report & Photos by Elizabeth Guenzler. I cannot recall how I learnt of this rare excursion but it may have been through my steam enthusiast friend and colleague Peter Lofthouse. Canadian Pacific 4-6-4 2816 was to lead the Westcoast Express commuter train on a special Saturday trip as... Read More>> |
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Jun 7, 2002 - Seattle Waterfront Streetcar: Report & Photos by Elizabeth Guenzler. I had my first opportunity to ride this line in June 2002 and again in May 2004. While I did not take any pictures, my recollection of my rides were they were a lot of fun and gave one a different perspective of the Seattle waterfront than... Read More>> |
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Jul 6, 2002 - Pacific Starlight Dinner Train : Report & Photos by Elizabeth Guenzler. My friend Bob Alkire and I spent Independence Day weekend in Seattle and Vancouver, and I took him railfanning, we saw the musical "Cats" in Vancouver then rode... Read More>> |
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Aug 21, 2002 - 2002 NRHS Convention - Verde Canyon Railroad: Report & Photos by Elizabeth Guenzler. I joined the National Railway Historical Society (NRHS) in 2002 when I learnt that year's convention was going to be held in Williams, Arizona. The Grand Canyon was somewhere I had wanted to visit for a... Read More>> |
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Aug 22, 2002 - 2002 NRHS Convention - Sunset Trip to the Grand Canyon: Report & Photos by Elizabeth Guenzler. The timing of the return to Williams from the Verde Canyon Railroad allowed me to see and photograph the afternoon Grand Canyon Railway train returning. Before that arrived though, I had a... Read More>> |
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Aug 24, 2002 - 2002 NRHS Convention - 3751 Grand Canyon Limited Excursion: Report & Photos by Elizabeth Guenzler. There were no excursions scheduled for August 23rd but I did attend one of the seminars and walked around Williams and visited City Hall where I was given a municipal lapel pin to add to... Read More>> |
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Aug 25, 2002 - 2002 NRHS Convention - 3751 Canyon Limited: Report & Photos by Elizabeth Guenzler. The "outbound" trip of the 2002 convention was a two-day steam event, with the first day from Williams to Parker and the second day from Parker to Los Angeles. I rode the Sunday segment featuring rare... Read More>> |
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Visits to San Francisco in 2003 and 2004: Report & Photos by Elizabeth Guenzler. I have only been to San Francisco twice, once in November 2003 and the other time in May 2004. Both were as part of a larger trip but the cable cars and Bay Area Rapid Transit, MUNI and the Market Street Railways were ridden, albeit very... Read More>> |
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Jul 3, 2004 - Grand Excursion 2004 and a Double-Headed Steam Excursion: Report & Photos by Elizabeth Guenzler. The Grand Excursion was a two-week celebration of the sesquicentennial of the June 1854 promotional voyage by train and steamboat into the Upper Mississippi River valley. It marked the... Read More>> |
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Jul 3, 2004 - Minnesota Zephyr Dinner Train: Report & Photos by Elizabeth Guenzler. What better way to finish a day riding behind a double-headed steam excursion than with a dinner train? The Minnesota Zephyr operated out of Stillwater and served a five-course, white linen dinner on a six-mile route which... Read More>> |
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Southern Railway of British Columbia's Trapp Yard Visits: Report & Photos by Elizabeth Guenzler. Southern Railway of British Columbia (SRY) is a shortline railway based in New Westminster, British Columbia. Originally the B.C. Electric Railway starting in 1897 and then B.C. Hydro Railway in 1961, it operated... Read More>> |
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Jul 8, 2005 - 2005 NRHS Convention -- Brooklyn Roundhouse Tour and Convention Banquet: Report & Photos by Elizabeth Guenzler. Even though it would be a few years until the City of Portland's three famous steam engines would have to find a new home (plans were already in the works)... Read More>> |
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Jul 7, 2005 - 2005 NRHS Convention -- Port of Tillamook Bay Excursion: Report & Photos by Elizabeth Guenzler. Even though I had ridden the Port of Tillamook Bay Railroad four years earlier, I was looking forward to the convention trip from Banks to Enright and return. The Tillamook Branch of the... Read More>> |
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Jul 6, 2005 - 2005 NRHS Convention -- Western Star Steam Excursion: Report & Photos by Elizabeth Guenzler. I was really looking forward to this day's excursion since I would be riding behind two steam engines that were new to me - Southern Pacific 4-8-4 4449 and Spokane, Portland and Seattle 4-8-4 700. Both are... Read More>> |
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Jul 5, 2005 - 2005 NRHS Convention -- Mount Hood Railroad Excursion: Report & Photos by Elizabeth Guenzler. I was overjoyed when I learnt the 2005 National Railway Historical Society convention was going to be held in Portland, Oregon. Living in Victoria, British Columbia, it was an... Read More>> |
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Aug 21, 2005 - Empire Builder Re-launch and Amtrak Cascades Expansion: Report & Photos by Elizabeth Guenzler. There have been several events at King Street Station that I attended since becoming a rail enthusiast, and this travelogue will cover the first two, namely the 75th Anniversary of the Empire Builder and... Read More>> |
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Sep 3, 2005 - Labour Day Weekend Trip to Calgary and Stettler, Alberta: Report & Photos by Elizabeth Guenzler. Calgary, the venue for the 1988 Winter Olympic Games and home to the famous Calgary Stampede, among several other distinctions, beckoned in late summer 2005 when Bob and I decided to make our first journey to the neighbouring province to British Columbia. Heritage Park, Calgary Tower, the light rail were all on our itinerary, but the main reason for our visit was to ride the Rocky Mountain Rail Society's Alberta Prairie Railway, home to Canadian National 4-8-2 6060. We flew from Victoria to Calgary on WestJet on September 2nd, rented a car and stayed in down town Calgary overnight... Read More>> |
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Sep 4, 2005 - Labour Day Weekend Trip on the Alberta Prairie Railway: Report & Photos by Elizabeth Guenzler. Little did I realize that before the end of the day, I would have my first steam engine cab ride! Although the trip did not start until 11:00, Bob and I arrived at the station early to look around and take... Read More>> |
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Sep 5, 2005 - Labour Day Weekend Trip to Heritage Park in Calgary, Alberta: Report & Photos by Elizabeth Guenzler. My (late) friend, Richard Isles, had long recommended Heritage Park as a worthwhile attraction to visit when in Calgary. This unique Park's attractions and exhibits span Western Canadian history... Read More>> |
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Sep 24, 2005 - Kamloops Heritage Railway's Armstrong Explorer: Report & Photos by Elizabeth Guenzler. The chance to ride behind the restored Canadian National Railway 2-8-0 2141, the last Canadian National steam engine to work on Vancouver Island, occurred late September 2005. The Kamloops... Read More>> |
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Nov 26, 2005 - The Polar Express -- Pere Marquette 1225: Report & Photos by Elizabeth Guenzler. Before 2004, when it was made into an Oscar-nominated film, I had never heard of Chris van Allsburg's 1985 children's story. However, upon learning how central Pere Marquette 2-8-4 1225 was to the story, it made me want to see and ride behind this now-famous Lima Locomotive Works steam engine. The opportunity came in late November 2005 and was my first train trip in snow. Bob and I spent Thanksgiving in Arizona with his family then flew to Detroit Thanksgiving night, rented a car and stayed near the airport. The next day, we drove to Durand and found our way to Union Station, although it was not well sign-posted. Durand Union Station History. The Village of Vernon Center (now Durand) was... Read More>> |
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May 1, 2006 - Whistler Mountaineer Inaugural Trip: Report & Photos by Elizabeth Guenzler. Rocky Mountaineer Vacations, formerly Great Canadian Railtour Company, initiated the Whistler Mountaineer in 2006. Running north and south each day on the 73.4 mile British Columbia Railway line, the nine-car, two-class train departed North Vancouver at... Read More>> |
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Jun 6, 2006 - Southern Appalachia Railway Museum Charter on Port of Tillamook Bay Railroad: Report & Photos by Elizabeth Guenzler. Of the numerous excursions and opportunities to be part of special trains that I have had since becoming immersed in this hobby, there are six events that were seminal. The three... Read More>> |
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Jun 7, 2006 - Southern Appalachia Railway Museum Charter on Chehalis-Centralia Railroad: Report & Photos by Elizabeth Guenzler. This was the second of three photo charters sponsored by the Southern Appalachia Railway Museum and organized by Dr. Barton (Bart) Jennings, part of the six seminal events in my... Read More>> |
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Jun 8, 2006 - Southern Appalachia Railway Museum Charter on Mount Rainier Scenic Railroad: Report & Photos by Elizabeth Guenzler. The third of the three-day Southern Appalachia Railway Museum-sponsored photo charters organized by Dr. Barton (Bart) Jennings was yet another first for me as I had not... Read More>> |
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Jun 9, 2006 - Camp 6 Logging Museum Train and More: Report & Photos by Elizabeth Guenzler. After three days of rare mileage trips (described in the previous three travelogues), I wondered how this week could get any better. Chris Guenzler had invited me to join him, Chris Parker, Bob Riskie and Jim Nowell and others for their visit to the Camp 6 Logging Museum in... Read More>> |
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Jun 24, 2006 - Milwaukee Road 261 to Wisconsin Dells "Route of the Hiawathas": Report & Photos by Elizabeth Guenzler. This trip was originally going to be my first steam excursion chase but it became my second time riding behind Milwaukee Road 261. Rather than fly from Victoria to Seattle, I decided this time to take the... Read More>> |
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Sep 3, 2006 - Midwest Central Railway and Midwest Electric Railway: Report & Photos by Elizabeth Guenzler. Labour Day is one of the few holidays that Canada and the United States celebrate together. For the five days ending on Labour Day, the City of Mount Pleasant, Iowa hosts the Midwest Old Threshers Reunion. When... Read More>> |
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Sep 5, 2006 - A Visit to Fort Madison, Iowa ~ Labour Day Weekend 2006: Report & Photos by Elizabeth Guenzler. Based in Fort Madison, trips were made to Mount Pleasant and Keokuk, as well as a day trip to Chicago for a Cubs vs. Pirates baseball game. Tuesday, September 5th was spent in and around Fort Madison itself... Read More>> |
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Sep 5, 2006 - A Visit to Keokuk, Iowa: Report & Photos by Elizabeth Guenzler. While most of this day was spent in Fort Madison (travelogue can be found at A Visit to Fort Madison, Iowa), a side trip was taken to the City of Keokuk, the county seat of Lee County. It is the state's southernmost city and is... Read More>> |
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Apr 15, 2007 - Celebrating White Rock's 50th Anniversary with Royal Hudson 2860: Report & Photos by Elizabeth Guenzler. West Coast Rail Tours, a division of the West Coast Railway Association, advertised a White Rock Rail Excursion from Vancouver to White Rock, which was the signature event to celebrate the... Read More>> |
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May 18, 2007 - Puget Sound Steam Special - Friday Shipper's Special Chase: Report & Photos by Elizabeth Guenzler. The Union Pacific Steam Program announced that 4-8-4 844 would be travelling through the Northwest in May 2007. I had never ridden behind, or seen, this steam engine before and was therefore... Read More>> |
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May 19, 2007 - Puget Sound Steam Special - Tacoma to Everett Round Trip: Report & Photos by Elizabeth Guenzler. After seeing Southern Pacific 4449 and Union Pacific 844 yesterday (Puget Sound Steam Special - Friday Shipper's Special Chase), I was completely ready and excited to ride behind... Read More>> |
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May 20, 2007 - Mount Rainier Scenic Railfan Trip: Report & Photos by Elizabeth Guenzler. The Mount Rainier Scenic Railroad advertised a Railfan Trip set for May 20th, the day after the Southern Pacific 4449 and Union Pacific 844 doubleheader. I learnt about it first on... Read More>> |
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Aug 4, 2007 - The Lake Whatcom Railway: Report & Photos by Elizabeth Guenzler. The first Monday of August is a statutory holiday in five provinces of Canada, including British Columbia. In 2007, this coincided very nicely with a trip that Chris Guenzler made to... Read More>> |
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Oct 20, 2007 - Photo Freight Charter with SOO Line 2-8-2 1003: Report & Photos by Elizabeth Guenzler. Historic Transport Preservation, dba Steam Specials, sent out an e-mail announcement about a two-day photo freight charter on the Wisconsin and Southern Railroad with SOO Line 2-8-2 1003... Read More>> |
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Oct 18, 2008 - Iowa Interstate Rail Ride for Flood Relief: Report & Photos by Elizabeth Guenzler. In August 2008, Iowa Interstate Railroad announced a weekend's worth of special events for the benefit of The Salvation Army's efforts to assist communities throughout its territory impacted by... Read More>> |
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Oct 19, 2008 - Rock Island to Iowa City Double-Headed Steam Excursion: Report & Photos by Elizabeth Guenzler. Since Iowa Interstate's QJs were based in Iowa City and had been in Rock Island for the Rail Ride for Flood Relief trips the day before (see previous travelogue), the railway decided to sell tickets for a... Read More>> |
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Jul 23-26, 2009 - Train Festival 2009: Report & Photos by Elizabeth Guenzler. For four days in late July, the Steam Railroading Institute in Owosso, Michigan hosted Train Festival 2009. It was organized by Jason Johnson with many partnering organizations and started out as... Read More>> |
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Jul 25-26, 2009 - Train Festival 2009 - Owosso to Alma Excursions: Report & Photos by Elizabeth Guenzler. Today was the first of two all-day trips from Owosso to Alma, Michigan. The plan had been for Pere Marquette 1225 was going to pull the Saturday excursion with Nickel Plate 765 doing the... Read More>> |
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Jul 27, 2009 - Crossroads Village and the Huckleberry Railroad: Report & Photos by Elizabeth Guenzler. After a fantastic weekend at Train Festival 2009, there was one more place to visit before the drive back to Chicago and the flight home to Seattle, namely Crossroads Village and the Huckleberry Railroad in... Read More>> |
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Aug 22, 2009 - Oregon Coast Crawler Featuring Curtiss Lumber Heisler 2: Report & Photos by Elizabeth Guenzler. Amtrak advertised that on August 20th, they would be signing their 2,000,000th Guest Rewards Member and offered part of those rewards to anyone who travelled that day. Rails Northwest was... Read More>> |
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Oct 3, 2009 - Nickel Plate 765 and Pere Marquette 1225 Steam Excursion Alma to Cadillac: Report & Photos by Elizabeth Guenzler. It was announced in July that as Pere Marquette 2-8-4 1225 had been sidelined with a flue problem during Train Festival 2009, it and Nickel Plate 2-8-4 765 would lead a double-headed steam... Read More>> |
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Oct 4, 2009 - Henry Ford Museum, Greenfield VIllage and the Weiser Railroad: Report & Photos by Elizabeth Guenzler. The Henry Ford Museum and Greenfield Village in Dearborn, Michigan, was the destination for this day. I knew next to nothing about Henry Ford prior to this visit but came to admire and respect his life's work and was amazed at the breadth of his collection and vision.... Read More>> |
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Oct 20, 2009 - Riding in Style From Spokane to Portland: Report & Photos by Elizabeth Guenzler. After a very successful trip from Portland, Oregon to Owosso, Michigan for Train Festival 2009 and its participation in the four-day event, Southern Pacific 4-8-4 4449 had to... Read More>> |
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Dec 5, 2009 - Oregon Rail Heritage Foundation's Holiday Express Train with SP&S 700: Report & Photos by Elizabeth Guenzler. The Oregon Rail Heritage Foundation started an annual event in 2005 as the major fundraiser of the year for this non-profit, volunteer-run organization that takes care of the three steam... Read More>> |
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Dec 31, 2009 - Jan 4, 2010 - New Year's Eve 2009 and a Trip to La Plata, Missouri : Report & Photos by Elizabeth Guenzler. The year 2009 had been very eventful, not only from a personal angle (moving from Canada to the United States) but featured several special train trips and excursions, which I have described in... Read More>> |
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Jan 3, 2010 - A Visit to Kansas City Union Station : Report & Photos by Elizabeth Guenzler. On the way back to Washington State after spending the New Year at the Depot Inn and Suites in La Plata, Missouri, part of the day was spent exploring Kansas City Union Station. Built in 1914 by by architect Jarvis Hunt, it replaced a... Read More>> |
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Feb 6-7, 2010 - Conventional and Modern Streetcars in Lynnwood, Seattle and Vancouver: Report & Photos by Elizabeth Guenzler. West Coast Rail Tours advertised the "Bite of the Rock" Winter Festival Special Steam Excursion featuring Canadian Pacific Royal Hudson 2860 which would take place a few... Read More>> |
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Feb 8, 2010 - Royal Hudson Excursion from Vancouver to White Rock: Report & Photos by Elizabeth Guenzler. I was really looking forward to the Royal Hudson steam excursion from Vancouver to White Rock today. However, as that was not occurring until the afternoon, the morning was free to do some... Read More>> |
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Apr 30 & May 1, 2010 - Santa Fe 3751 Chase and Orange County Highlights: Report & Photos by Elizabeth Guenzler. It was announced that Santa Fe 4-8-4 3751 would lead an excursion southbound from Los Angeles to San Diego on May 1st and return northbound on May 2nd. As I had not ridden behind this... Read More>> |
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May 2, 2010 - Santa Fe 3751 Excursion from San Diego to Los Angeles: Report & Photos by Elizabeth Guenzler. Yesterday's chase, visits to former stations and riding the Sprinter had really whetted my appetite for today's ride behind Santa Fe 3751, a joint effort between the Central Coast Railway Club, the... Read More>> |
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May 3, 2010 - Metrolink to San Bernardino and Los Angeles; Angels Flight Railway: Report & Photos by Elizabeth Guenzler. After yesterday's steam excursion, I was ready for more train riding. Today, a triangle trip on Metrolink from Santa Ana to San Bernardino, then San Bernardino to Riverside, Riverside to... Read More>> |
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Sep 4, 2010 - Topic: Report & Photos by Elizabeth Guenzler. The West Coast Railway Association in Squamish had long been a museum that I wanted to visit, especially as I had participated in a couple of train trips through their West Coast Rail Tours arm. In addition, the model railway show held each... Read More>> |
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Jun 19, 2011 - Yakima Valley Trolley and Track 29: Report & Photos by Elizabeth Guenzler. The 2011 National Railway Historical Society convention was planned for late June in Tacoma, Washington. Tacoma was just forty-five minutes south of where I lived in Lynnwood so there was no hesitation about... Read More>> |
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Jun 19, 2011 - Northern Pacific Railway Museum, Toppenish, Washington: Report & Photos by Elizabeth Guenzler. Between riding the Yakima Valley Trolley and photographing Track 29, a side trip to the Northern Pacific Railway Museum in Toppenuish was made with Chris Guenzler. I had not... Read More>> |
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Jun 22, 2011 - 2011 NRHS Convention - Northwest Railway Museum: Report & Photos by Elizabeth Guenzler. I did not have much holiday time in 2011, as I had only been at my new job less than a year, and would be taking a few days off the following month for Train Festival 2011. As such, the first... Read More>> |
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Jun 22, 2011 - Tolt River Railroad and Other Local Attractions: Report & Photos by Elizabeth Guenzler. After a very enjoyable NRHS convention trip aboard the Northwest Railway Museum, Chris Guenzler and I stopped at Remlinger Farms in Carnation to ride the Tolt River Railroad. I had never been here before so... Read More>> |
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Jun 23, 2011 - A Visit to Cashmere With Surprises Before and After: Report & Photos by Elizabeth Guenzler. The NRHS convention events today were the Mount Rainier Scenic Railroad and Tacoma Rail. As we had visited both of these places in prior years, plans were made to explore and railfan along State Route 2 to... Read More>> |
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Jun 24, 2011 - British Columbia Electric Interurbans and Burnaby Central Railway: Report & Photos by Elizabeth Guenzler. The NRHS convention continued today with seminars but the British Columbia Electric Railway's interurbans in Surrey and Burnaby were the focus and destination for today. Little did I know at that time how involved I was to become with... Read More>> |
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Jun 25, 2011 - 2011 NRHS Convention -- Stampede Pass Trip: Report & Photos by Elizabeth Guenzler. I was really anticipating today's rare mileage excursion from Tacoma to Easton over Stampede Pass which, for me, was the highlight of the National Railway Historical Society convention. Stampede Pass (elevation 3,672 feet) goes through the... Read More>> |
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Jun 26, 2011 - Oregon Electric Railway Museum: Report & Photos by Elizabeth Guenzler. Today was the last day of the NRHS convention and featured Southern Pacific 4449 leading an excursion from Tacoma to Portland. Chris was going to ride this and Bob and I would do a bit of chasing, meet him in Portland then drive out to... Read More>> |
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Jul 17-19, 2011 - Train Festival 2011 -- The Journey to Rock Island, Illinois, Part 1: Report & Photos by Elizabeth Guenzler. Train Festival 2011 was a celebration of railroading held in Rock Island, Illinois over four days from July 21st to 24th and organized by Jason Johnson, who had, with various partnerships... Read More>> |
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Jul 20, 2011 - Train Festival 2011 -- The Journey to Rock Island, Illinois, Part 2: Report & Photos by Elizabeth Guenzler. Today was the rest of the journey to Rock Island for Train Festival 2011, which started the next day. After an excellent night's sleep at the Depot Inn and Suites, we were all ready for the railfanning adventure that... Read More>> |
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Jul 21, 2011 - Train Festival 2011 Day 1: Report & Photos by Elizabeth Guenzler. Today was the beginning of Train Festival 2011, where everyone attending would immerse themselves steam and diesel railways, both large and small, and enjoy the first excursion of the event. After breakfast, we dropped Chris off at the... Read More>> |
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Jul 22, 2011 - Train Festival 2011 Day 2: Report & Photos by Elizabeth Guenzler. Today we would chase the Nickel Plate 765 excursion, known as the Bureau Rail Express. Nathan and Gene were going to ride this steam trip from Rock Island to Bureau Junction. After breakfast at IHOP, we drove over to the... Read More>> |
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Jul 23, 2011 - Train Festival 2011 Day 3 - Excursion to Iowa City: Report & Photos by Elizabeth Guenzler. Today was the much-anticipated all-day steam excursion to Iowa City and beyond to the Homestead Wye. After breakfast at Denny's, we drove once again to the Train Festival grounds in Rock Island and queued up to... Read More>> |
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Jul 23, 2011 - Train Festival 2011 Day 3 -- Celebration Belle River Cruise: Report & Photos by Elizabeth Guenzler. What better way to end the penultimate day of Train Festival 2011 than with a river cruise aboard the Celebration Belle. This was a Festival event so once we detrained from the all-day... Read More>> |
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Jul 24, 2011 - Train Festival 2011 Day 4: Report & Photos by Elizabeth Guenzler. This final day of Train Festival 2011 dawned very wet so the plans to visit Rockfort, South Elgin and Freeport had to be changed. None of us had planned to ride the excursions today; rather we would do some chasing. So our first... Read More>> |
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Jul 25 & 26, 2011 - The Trip Home From Train Festival 2011: Report & Photos by Elizabeth Guenzler. With Train Festival 2011 now complete, today was the start of the journey home. But as usual on such trips, there were several stops on the way of interest to us railfans. Once everything was packed, we... Read More>> |
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May 26, 2012 - The Start of Memorial Day Weekend 2012 in Los Angeles - Railways and Musical Theatre: Report & Photos by Elizabeth Guenzler. 2012 was the year I turned forty and while my birthday was in February, attending a special theatrical event in Los Angeles in May was the main way I celebrated. This occurred... Read More>> |
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May 27, 2012 - Orange Empire Railway Museum: Report & Photos by Elizabeth Guenzler. The day started with a Pacific Surfliner trip from Los Angeles to Santa Ana, where Chris and a friend of his, Adam, were waiting for us. We set off for Perris and soon immersed ourselves in everything that the museum had to offer... Read More>> |
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May 28 & 29, 2012 - Los Angeles Union Passenger Terminal, Fullerton and Pasadena: Report & Photos by Elizabeth Guenzler. With the memories of the fantastic time at Orange Empire Railway Museum and me seeing the musical "Follies" for the second day in a row still very much in mind, the penultimate day of... Read More>> |
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Jul 13, 2012 - Union Pacific's 150th Anniversary Train Visits Portland: Report & Photos by Elizabeth Guenzler. The Union Pacific Railroad was created by President Abraham Lincoln on July 1st, 1862 upon his signing the Pacific Railway Act. One hundred and fifty years later, Union Pacific celebrated that anniversary with a special train that travelled to various communities in Washington, Oregon and Idaho in the Pacific Northwest segment of the UP 150 Express Tour. A day trip to Portland was definitely in order... Read More>> |
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Sep 22, 2012 - Oregon Rail Heritage Centre Grand Opening: Report & Photos by Elizabeth Guenzler. The opening of the Oregon Rail Heritage Centre was a natural to attend and it coincided with the opening of the Portland Streetcar Central Loop line. Since the Amtrak Cascades schedule did not fit with the... Read More>> |
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Mar 8-9, 2013 - The Trip to Winterail in Stockton, California: Report & Photos by Elizabeth Guenzler. Winterail, the annual memorabelia and multi-media photography event held in Stockton until 2016, was an event that I had known about for many years. I had only attended one previously, in... Read More>> |
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Mar 11, 2013 - Post-Winterail Photographer's Special on the Niles Canyon Railway: Report & Photos by Elizabeth Guenzler. For several years during Winterail's Stockton years, either the Niles Canyon Railway or the Sierra Railway hosted a Post-Winterail Photographer's Special event. 2013 was no exception and... Read More>> |
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Apr 24, 2013 - King Street Station Restoration Dedication Ceremony: Report & Photos by Elizabeth Guenzler. King Street Station in Seattle, Washington underwent a $50 million restoration and renovation from 2008 to 2013. In my numerous visits to the station during this time, I had seen its progress and marvelled at what... Read More>> |
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May 10, 2013 - The Trip to Indiana for Bart Jennings' Rare Mileage Trips: Report & Photos by Elizabeth Guenzler. This year's rare mileage trips, organized by Dr. Barton Jennings, were to be in Indiana, Michigan and Ohio. With the fantastic experiences I had had on my previous set of rare mileage trips in 2006, it was a... Read More>> |
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May 11, 2013 - A Visit to Porter and Hesston, Indiana: Report & Photos by Elizabeth Guenzler. Before the afternoon's visit and ride at the Hoosier Valley Railroad Museum in North Judson, there were two places of note to visit in the morning. I met Chris in the lobby and after breakfast, we did not drive far for... Read More>> |
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May 11, 2013 - Hoosier Valley Railroad Museum Rare Mileage Trip: Report & Photos by Elizabeth Guenzler. This was the first of the 2013 Bart Jennings' rare mileage trips, sponsored by the Southern Appalachia Railway Museum. I was really looking forward to visiting this museum and there was... Read More>> |
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May 12, 2013 - Coopersville and Marne Railway Rare Mileage Excursion: Report & Photos by Elizabeth Guenzler. This was the second of the May 2013 series of rare mileage excursions, organized by Bart Jennings and sponsored by the Southern Appalachia Railway Museum. But first, the drive from Grand Haven to... Read More>> |
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May 13, 2013 - Charlotte Southern Rare Mileage Excursion: Report & Photos by Elizabeth Guenzler. After a good night's sleep, I was ready for today's rare mileage trips, the third and fourth of the weekend, organized by Bart Jennings and sponsored by the Southern Appalachian Railway Museum. I met... Read More>> |
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May 13, 2013 - Southern Michigan Railroad Society Rare Mileage Excursion: Report & Photos by Elizabeth Guenzler. Chris and I arrived in Clinton for the second of today's rare mileage excursions, organized by Bart Jennings and sponsored by the Southern Appalachia Railway Museum. I was excited to... Read More>> |
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May 13, 2013 - Adrian and Blissfield Rare Mileage Excursion: Report & Photos by Elizabeth Guenzler. This was the penultimate rail excursion of the May 2013 trips organized by Bart Jennings and sponsored by the Southern Appalachia Railway Museum. After the excellent experiences aboard the... Read More>> |
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Jun 29, 2013 - A Day at Mount Rainier Scenic Railroad: Report & Photos by Elizabeth Guenzler. It had been six eyars since I had last visited the Mount Rainier Scenic Railway and during that time, the group had made great progress in restoring Santa Cruz Portland Cement 0-4-0T 2 (nicknamed "The Chiggen")... Read More>> |
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Sep 14, 2013 - 2013 NRHS Convention -- Riverboat Discovery in Fairbanks, Alaska: Report & Photos by Elizabeth Guenzler. When it was announced that the 2013 National Railway Historical Society convention would take place in Anchorage, Alaska, my first thought was what a fantastic opportunity to... Read More>> |
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Sep 14, 2013 - 2013 NRHS Convention -- Tanana Valley Railroad and Salmon Bake at Pioneer Park, Fairbanks: Report & Photos by Elizabeth Guenzler. The motorcoaches transported all the National Railway Historical Society conventioneers from the Riverboat Discovery {the previous travleogue} to... Read More>> |
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Sep 15, 2013 - 2013 NRHS Convention -- Fairbanks to North Pole and Public Trips to Saulich: Report & Photos by Elizabeth Guenzler. Today was my first introduction to the Alaska Railroad and the start of five days' worth of early mornings since I was a car host on all but the first trip. I wanted to ride the trip to... Read More>> |
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Sep 16 & 17, 2013 - 2013 NRHS Convention -- Fairbanks to Denali and Denali to Anchorage: Report & Photos by Elizabeth Guenzler. Today was the first of a two-day journey on the Alaska Railroad from Fairbanks to Denali, where we would be overnighting at the McKinley Chalet Resort before the rest of the... Read More>> |
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Sep 18, 2013 - 2013 NRHS Convention -- Glacier Tour, Wildlife Conservation Centre and Alyeska Tramway: Report & Photos by Elizabeth Guenzler. This first full day in Anchorage was set aside for the business meetings. There were two limited capacity tours offered - a shop tour of the Alaska Railroad and... Read More>> |
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Sep 19, 2013 - 2013 NRHS Convention -- Anchorage to Seward Excursion: Report & Photos by Elizabeth Guenzler. The previous days of this convention had traversed through some very scenic areas of Alaska but today's excursion from Anchorage to Seward was touted as the most scenic. This was most... Read More>> |
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Sep 20, 2013 - 2013 NRHS Convention -- Alaska Railroad Excursion to Palmer, Anchorage Airport and Potter: Report & Photos by Elizabeth Guenzler. The penultimate day of the convention featured more rare mileage as it was designed to offer a complete look at the railroad's Anchorage-area operations and... Read More>> |
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Sep 21, 2013 - 2013 NRHS Convention -- Anchorage to Whittier and Spencer Excursion: Report & Photos by Elizabeth Guenzler. This last train trip of the convention dawned cool and damp but it did not deter any of the National Railway Historical Society members. After the regular routine of an early... Read More>> |
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2014 to 2019 - My "Local" Foray Into Volunteering, Great Northern and Cascade Railway in Skykomish, Washington: Report & Photos by Elizabeth Guenzler. Skykomish, Washington, the small King County town on Highway 2, forty-five minutes east of Monroe and just before the Cascade Tunnel, was where I could be found on several weekends between... Read More>> |
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Apr 13, 2014 - Santa Fe 3751 San Bernardino to Los Angeles Aboard "Tioga Pass": Report & Photos by Elizabeth Guenzler. This was the second year in a row that Santa Fe 4-8-4 3751 participated in San Bernardino Railroad Days and led an excursion from Los Angeles to San Bernardino and... Read More>> |
