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Taras Grescoe 🚇
@taras-grescoe.com

This year I pledged to ride every passenger train in Canada, from the White Pass & Yukon out of Carcross to The Ocean, calling at Halifax. I'm about 60% of the way there! But the research money is about to run out. A thread on how you can help me reach the end of steel 🧵🚆

11 reposts43 likes

Taras Grescoe 🚇
@taras-grescoe.com

Why do it? I'm writing a book for House of Anansi, tentatively subtitled "Twelve Trains that Explain Canada." The more I ride, the more I see how railways shaped this country: its frontiers, its art, its character, and lately, the survival of remote First Nations communities.

Chris Begley
@chris-begley.bsky.social

Just because it would interest you, my G-G- Grandfather is in the last spike photo - he was a dining car chef and was the chef on (Van Horne's? Not sure who) personal train out.

Chris Begley
@chris-begley.bsky.social

I would classify this as family lore which may or may not be apocryphal. But my grandfather died before I was born, so the authoritative source was never there (the train chef part is true as is the fact he was there)

Taras Grescoe 🚇
@taras-grescoe.com

Still ahead: the Tshiuetin to Schefferville, Via Rail's train from Winnipeg to Churchill, the Algoma Central out of Sault Ste. Marie, and more. But my book advance barely covers two months of living expenses. And this is an awfully big country…