Email From Franz Telegraphers
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----- Original Message
----- From: <Gmcgrathcp@aol.com> To:
<dleblanc@telus.net> Sent: Tuesday, January 30, 2001 6:59 PM Subject:
The Franz Swing
Dave
Just wanted to drop you a line and say I enjoyed the Franz Swing
and have
passed it on to those on my mailing list. Been a while since we
have both
enjoyed/endured the wilderness known as Franz. Surprised to see
you still had
your travel pass. Your home page is equally interesting. Say
hello for me to
brother Allan, the fastest drums in Schreiber, next time you are
talking to
him.
Gerard McGrath
Calgary
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Gerard McGrath currently is a Rail Traffic Controller on the Nipigon-Heron Bay Subs.
I first worked with Gerard in Schreiber, when I was an entry-level rookie. Two years later, Gerard worked the Franz Swing while I relieved the Agent.
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----- Original Message ----- From: Mark Bourrie To: dleblanc@telus.net Sent: Thursday, December 28, 2000 5:08 AM Subject: They took our job, put it in a job museum. and charged all the people
a dollar and a half just to see it! Greetings from Ottawa Canada, Sucking Central, the second-coldest capital city on earth, after Ulan Bator, Mongolia
My sister sent me the link to the Franz Swing web page. Great text. The photos are wonderful, too. I had been in Chapleau six years ago and wanted to go to Franz, but I couldn't bring myself to do it after my sister told me the station, watertower and operator's house were destroyed. I wonder if they tore down the old church, too, and chucked that old organ? When people ask me if I would ever go back to my old job on the railway, I say yes, but the job is extinct and they carted off the station to made it into a museum. Ah, well, I'm sure life is good in lotus land. Lots of fresh seafood, real Beachcombers kind of life.
Anyway, thanks for the web page.
Write soon, pleeze. Mark
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Mark and I worked in most train order stations in the Schreiber Divison.
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Hi Dave..remember me?? I am Pauline Woodruff (Bourrie) Mark's sister. I must admit I did get scheduled for the Franz Swing and didn't go. I think you were sent in my place. Are you still angry?? Anyway, I did go for a visit and spent a night in the bunkhouse with my brother. The dispatcher didn't stop No 1 to pick me up after calling more than twice to remind them!! Clatey!!!!! Anyway, I got to take the ACR to Hawk Junction, then wait about 8 hrs for the Greyhound bus to White River. I was supposed to work the 4-12 shift and was 2 hours late. I got a blast from Claude Desbiens for that one because he had to work extra. Anyway, that was my adventure at Franz with you and Mark. I finished with CPR in 1992 and graduated from the Travel and Tourism program. I have been a Travel Counsellor for 5 years. I guess I can't get transportation out of my system. Instead of White River, Chapleau, Franz and Cartier I now have been to Barbados, Cuba, St Thomas, St Martin, Las Vegas etc etc. Life is tough...regards Pauline
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Pauline was promoted to dispatcher and later married to "Woody" Woodruff, another telegrapher from the Schreiber Division.
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I received your message about artifacts from Franz Station. I managed to get the old phone and a alot of the stationery supplies out of the place before they closed the doors in l991.I have the last train order hoop and the last train order I took there on March 31st, l991 along with a line-up of both CP and ACR trains. I spent l5 years there from l976 to l991 and knew all the people that you mentioned in you note to me. I sure got an education in railroading! around that place after had been working for 11 year previous at Terminal at the S00 and Hawk Junction. l9-Y and bye for now.
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Reg was the day operator at Hawk Jct while I was at Franz. He was the fastest reader of orders I had heard. We often repeated the same orders. Hawk had no signal, but he still copied alot of orders on a daily basis.
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Hi Dave
Remember Me? I'm Claude Desbiens and like you and everybody else I did my time in Franz. Not only did I have to work the swing but I also got stuck on the regular job when Jimmy Frame and his wife went on holiday to Mexico for 6 weeks.
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Like others, Claude and I often repeated the same orders. Glad to hear from you, Claude!
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In 1961 I has a
summer job as a "Junior Forest Ranger" with the Ontario
Department of Lands and Forests. This program was operated
by the government across Ontario during the summer to provide
work experience for 16 year old high school students. In my
case I joined 30 others at a camp near Dubriellville,
halfway between Wawa and White River, where the primary work was
to build a bush road to Franz. Attached are a few pictures
that survived the years that you might want to include in your
Franz portion on your site. I realize they may not be
suitable but you are welcome to share them with anybody else that
might be interested in them. I know there is a Railway site
that also has some Franz photos - which if I can find it again I
will also send them the pictures.
These show the railway station
in it's original location and provides
Regards
Mike Curtin - Manotick
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