5.0 out of 5 stars
Moving tribute to Canadian Pacific, June 2, 2010
Canadian Pacific is one of those legendary names in transportation, a company with an impressive history, which, at the height of its influence billed itself "The World's Greatest Travel System". Prolific author Greg McDonnell delivers a tasteful tribute to this historic company that, in an era of bland mega-railroads, has not been afraid to celebrate its employees and its history. The "Craigellachie" in the book's title refers to the location where, in 1885, CPR official Donald Smith drove the ceremonial last spike that symbolically uniting eastern and western Canada. The name came from a place in Scotland that had historical significance to Mr. Smith and his cousin, then-CPR president George Stephen.
It might help to say what this book is not: it's not a comprehensive history of the entire Canadian Pacific Railway, although the volume contains historical content including many excellent photos from the post WW2 era. Nor, despite the title of the first chapter, is it an overview of the entire Travel System, as the ships, airline and hotels are only briefly mentioned. Rather, the book is a salute to a company that has survived for over 120 years, adapting to the changing transportation market while remaining conscious of its heritage. In fact, CPR is one of only two "class 1" North American railway systems to have an active steam program.
The book is divided into seven major chapters. Before Chapter 1 there is a brief Foreword by CP's President and CEO Robert Ritchie, a Preface by CPR employee Stan Small and the author's dedications.
Chapter 1 starts with some autobiographical recollections by the author, with first person recollections of the decline and fall of CP passenger service and the revival of same in the form of the Royal Canadian Pacific. Following this narrative, we are treated to a series of historic photos, with a few of the Royal Canadian Pacific thrown in for good measure. There are many good subjects here; the reviewer's personal favorites are the color views of the late steam and early diesel era.
Chapter 2 covers and little-known CP subsidiary: the electrified Grand River Railway. Prior to reading this book, the reviewer had no clue that this photogenic operation existed. The highlight of this chapter is another Robert Sandusky color photo showing an interurban passenger train passing the Mount Pleasant station. Of course, with the passage of time, the former 70-mile electric line is now an 11-mile spur and we see photographs of the more prosaic SW1200RS units that currently serve the line's freight customers.
Chapter 3, "Stand Fast, Craigellachie!" stands as a salute to the spirit of CP and its employees. After an introduction that describes that last spike ceremony of 1885, there is a large selection of photos, ranging from views of employees at work to scenic and moody photos of the trains. A favorite in this chapter is on page 99, where an approaching AC4400CW is framed perfectly by Winnipeg's Red River Bridge. Also, on pages 116 and 117, there are excellent photos of modern power leading freight trains in scenic British Columbia.
"Sweating the Assets", the title of Chapter 4, refers to the railway's practice of getting the maximum return out of its locomotives, and this chapter's photos are the highlight of the book. Although the phrase is attributed to Mr. Ritchie in reference to new AC4400CW locomotives from GE, the author expands upon the concept, relating it to steam and early diesels. And, once again there's a superb selection of photographs to look at, and wish that some of the subjects were still around to photograph. We see things like the final batch of FM/CLC cab units and Train Masters, Alco/MLW FAs and M630s, and lots of steam. The photo selection also includes plenty of employees at work, contributing to the human interest.
Chapter 5 is devoted to the restoration and return to service of 4-6-4 2619. It's an inspiring story: major railroad company repatriates surplus steam locomotive from south of the border and spends the big bucks to do a class restoration. Attractive steam locomotive barnstorms the country entertaining young and old alike. The reviewer wishes a certain other major North American railroad that abandoned its steam program had Mr. Ritchie's vision. Furthermore, the reviewer hopes that 2816 will remain active long after Mr. Ritchie retires.
The next chapter, "Lest We Forget" features the railroad's community involvement, with coverage of CP's annual holiday trains. The author also mentions the manner in which CP commemorates those lost their lives in war. In 1999 CEO Ritchie started a Remembrance Day/Veteran's Day tradition wherein all CP trains stop at 1100 on November 11 to observe a moment of silence followed by a horn blast in tribute. It's this type of observance that puts a human face on what otherwise would be a large faceless corporation, the exact opposite impression than that given by certain large railroads based in the eastern USA.
A somewhat ETTS chapter 7, "Not Fade Away" tells the story of the Wood Mountain Sub, a branch line whose fortunes rose and fell with the economics of hauling grain. This is somewhat of a bittersweet way to end the book considering the larger amount of images showing soon to close branch lines and grain operations.
The photography in this book is excellent, and the landscape format allows for good presentation while avoiding the "gutter" effect that has ruined so many otherwise excellent photo books over the years. A Robert Sandusky photo of CP FP7 1400 leading the Royal Canadian Pacific out of Crowsnest is a case in point. The well-lit, well-composed photograph is neatly centered on the page, with just a caption and no distracting clutter or smaller photos to ruin the appearance. Indeed, photos are generally one or two to a page, which makes for an agreeable layout. The reviewer can therefore recommend this book to any fan that wants to get an idea of what makes this major railway tick. It's quite a volume.
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