14

Listen to Ed speak of how his family lived in section houses with no electricity. His mother would throw scalding water to fight the bears off. The hobos in the 1930s, looking for food, were a threat to families living in isolation. Ed tells a story of a hobo running around the outside of the house with a knife and his mother learning to use the rifle after that.

15

"Mother had to do a lot of stuff, fight the bears . . . "
3 November 2011
Business Car #4, Revelstoke Railway Museum, Revelstoke, British Columbia, Canada

Credits:
Coffee Club members: Bill Belton, John (Jack) Carten, Edward Jaatteenmaki and Ernie Ottewell
Filmed by Michelle Cole

16

"In those days we were tough." Hear Ed tell of picking huckleberries and riding freight trains.

17

"In those days we were tough . . . "
15 March 2012
Business Car #4, Revelstoke Railway Museum, Revelstoke, British Columbia, Canada

Credits:
Speaker: Edward Jaatteenmaki
Coffee Club members: Bill Bilton, Clarence (Clancy) L. Boettger, W. L. Handley and James V. Walford
Filmed by Michelle Cole

18

"The Arrowhead Subdivision - mixed train with baggage car and coach . . . "
Circa 1950s
Arrowhead Subdivision, British Columbia, Canada

Credits:
Photo by Ernie Ottewell
Thanks to the Ernie Ottewell Collection

19

Supplying the line went beyond operation and survival essentials. Ed remembers his father being asked to supply Christmas trees for the superintendent and the president in Montreal in 1947. Later in Revelstoke Christmas trees were delivered by the boxcar load "on company service" (OCS) - labeled as tie plates. Imagine your Christmas tree coming by train.

20

"On company service . . . "
8 December 2011
Business Car #4, Revelstoke Railway Museum, Revelstoke, British Columbia, Canada

Credits:
Speaker: Edward Jaatteenmaki and Douglas El(Roy) Mitchell
Coffee Club members: Bill Belton, Clarence (Clancy) L. Boettger and W. L. Handley
Interviewed by Michelle Cole
Filmed by Michelle Cole

21

Community access can be a challenge in the mountains. At time of flooding or extreme weather communities can be cut off from supplies and even train crews are stuck. Stranded in Golden, Les tells of a three and half day trip during the flooding in 1948. Learn how the train crew found a source of food.

22

"Golden was basically cut off . . . "
1 December 2011
Business Car #4, Revelstoke Railway Museum, Revelstoke, British Columbia, Canada

Credits:
Speaker: W. L. Handley
Coffee Club members: Bill Belton and Edward Jaatteenmaki
Filmed by Michelle Cole

23

Retired railroaders share coffee and remember . . .
16 February 2012
Business Car #4, Revelstoke Railway Museum, Revelstoke, British Columbia, Canada

Credits:
Coffee Club members: Edward Jaatteenmaki, Bill Belton, Ernie Ottewell, James V. Walford and Clarence (Clancy) L. Boettger (left to right)
Photo by Jennifer Dunkerson

24

Called out in the big winter of 1970-71, Clancy recalls being given the task of opening the line from Revelstoke to Field. Prepared with extra supplies for crews stuck in the snow, Clancy's crew cleared the line by digging out and thawing the switches. Can you imagine doing this cold hard work?

25

"Called out on a snow plow to open up the tracks . . . "
15 December 2011
Business Car #4, Revelstoke Railway Museum, Revelstoke, British Columbia, Canada

Credits:
Speaker: Clarence (Clancy) L. Boettger
Coffee Club members: Bill Belton, Hugh Chase, W. L. Handley and Edward Jaatteenmaki
Filmed by Michelle Cole

26

Wedge plow #400884 pushed by diesel engine.
Circa 1950s-1960s
Unknown
TEXT ATTACHMENT


Credits:
Revelstoke Railway Museum Collection

27

The access provided by the transportation link occasionally held a surprise or two. Clancy speaks of a few special passengers who arrived without purchasing tickets.