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Bonjour from Quebec

Started by JmaJeremy, July 16, 2014, 01:08:42 AM

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JmaJeremy

Hi all,

I came to love telephones by way of trains. I am a big fan of trains, especially passenger ones. Unfortunately, the real ones are too big and expensive to collect, and the model ones just don't do it for me. So then I found phones, which represent a similar era for me, have some interesting functionalities, and are much more collectible. The train and telegraph/telephone systems often developed in tandem (at least in North America), so perhaps it's not so strange that the two interests would go together. Each technology had a huge impact on our collective understanding of distance.

I live in the Province of Quebec (Canada), half the year in Montreal, and half the year in Sherbrooke, a smaller city 2 hours southeast. I study international politics and computer science at university, and I have a small web & smartphone app development business. I guess after working with modern finicky computer code all day, I need the release of some more historic and tangible technology.

One thing I like about Canada's phone system, is that about 3/4 of the country still gets their service from Bell Canada, (at least on paper) the same company founded in 1880. I hear of POTSs slowly dying in other countries, but at least here Bell still actively promotes their "Home Phone" service, and includes it in most of their bundles along with TV, Internet and Mobility, so perhaps it will stay around at least for my lifetime.

Anyway, that's me. I'm looking forward to joining in on your forum here.

dsk


BDM

Hi Jeremy and welcome aboard  :D  I'm also a confirmed train nut (steam era mostly)
--Brian--

St Clair Shores, MI

paul-f

Welcome to the group, Jeremy.

We encourage discussion of related areas as well.  Some collectors specialize in telephone equipment used by the the railroads. 

Searching the forum for "railway" will produce some interesting reading, including:

  http://www.classicrotaryphones.com/forum/index.php?topic=9814.msg104419#msg104419

Also, there is some material in the TCI Library:  http://www.telephonecollectors.info/

Search for "railway"
Visit: paul-f.com         WE  500  Design_Line

.

twocvbloke

This is my local preserved railway with some steam trains on the go:

http://www.tanfield-railway.co.uk/

I would like to visit there someday, just cos it's there!! Shame they only operate on weekends, on days the bus I need to get isn't running in that direction... ::)

JmaJeremy

Thanks for the warm welcomes, all!

And twocvbloke, that looks like a great railway. Definitely have to take advantage of those while they're still around. There's one a couple of hours away from me that has been "temporarily suspended" since 2011 for lack of funding for track repairs...we'll see if they ever return.

twocvbloke

Quote from: JmaJeremy on July 17, 2014, 02:48:58 PMAnd twocvbloke, that looks like a great railway. Definitely have to take advantage of those while they're still around. There's one a couple of hours away from me that has been "temporarily suspended" since 2011 for lack of funding for track repairs...we'll see if they ever return.

Thankfully one of the great things about us brits is we get a bit too eccentric about things like preserved railways, there's a lot around the country based on former British Rail track, and the odd one or two built entirely from scratch (such as the short line at the local Beamish open air museum), though my interest mostly lies in what the rails killed off, the canal system, but I do like seeing vintage trains in action, they prove that they were built to last, despite the attempts to kill them off by ol' Doctor Beeching... :)

WesternElectricBen


Contempra

Quote from: JmaJeremy on July 16, 2014, 01:08:42 AM
Hi all,

I came to love telephones by way of trains. I am a big fan of trains, especially passenger ones. Unfortunately, the real ones are too big and expensive to collect, and the model ones just don't do it for me. So then I found phones, which represent a similar era for me, have some interesting functionalities, and are much more collectible. The train and telegraph/telephone systems often developed in tandem (at least in North America), so perhaps it's not so strange that the two interests would go together. Each technology had a huge impact on our collective understanding of distance.

I live in the Province of Quebec (Canada), half the year in Montreal, and half the year in Sherbrooke, a smaller city 2 hours southeast. I study international politics and computer science at university, and I have a small web & smartphone app development business. I guess after working with modern finicky computer code all day, I need the release of some more historic and tangible technology.

One thing I like about Canada's phone system, is that about 3/4 of the country still gets their service from Bell Canada, (at least on paper) the same company founded in 1880. I hear of POTSs slowly dying in other countries, but at least here Bell still actively promotes their "Home Phone" service, and includes it in most of their bundles along with TV, Internet and Mobility, so perhaps it will stay around at least for my lifetime.

Anyway, that's me. I'm looking forward to joining in on your forum here.


Bonjour.. Donc tu parles français comme je le parle. C'est un peu plus facile pour moi qui apprend l'anglais depuis presque 3 ans sauf que je n'ai pas 20 ans et c'est plus difficile lol lol... quoique je me débrouille assez bien avec des fautes bien sûre !.. moi je suis juste en face de toi, enfin de Sherbrooke de l'autre côté du fleuve.. je ne viens plus aussi souvent sur ce forum car j,ai quand meme un group en anglais sur face book concernant la télévision antique et moderne mais que pour les CRT. Donc pas de television lcd, led ou a projection moderne ;)..

Fabius

#9
Bienvenue!

If you love trains but don't have room or money for your own Royal Hudson steam engine check out the railroad motor cars, known as speeders. The North American Railcar Operators Association is a club of people who own and operate speeders. I have taken mine to the Ontario Northland Railway with the club rode the rails in our speeders from North Bay to Swastika and back.

http://www.narcoa.org/

Tom Vaughn
La Porte, Indiana
ATCA Past President
ATCA #765
C*NET 1+ 821-9905

twocvbloke

Quote from: Fabius on July 19, 2014, 11:19:31 AMI have taken mine to the Ontario Northland Railway and the club rode the rails in our speeders from North Bay to Swastika and back.

http://www.narcoa.org/

Just avoid North Bay at the moment, it's shadfly season there right now... :P

JmaJeremy

Quote from: Contempra on July 19, 2014, 10:53:30 AM
Bonjour.. Donc tu parles français comme je le parle. C'est un peu plus facile pour moi qui apprend l'anglais depuis presque 3 ans sauf que je n'ai pas 20 ans et c'est plus difficile lol lol... quoique je me débrouille assez bien avec des fautes bien sûre !.. moi je suis juste en face de toi, enfin de Sherbrooke de l'autre côté du fleuve.. je ne viens plus aussi souvent sur ce forum car j,ai quand meme un group en anglais sur face book concernant la télévision antique et moderne mais que pour les CRT. Donc pas de television lcd, led ou a projection moderne ;)..

Oui, je parle français! L'anglais c'est quand même ma langue maternelle, mais je parle la langue de Molière assez bien aussi. Je suis né à l'Ouest-de-l'Île de Montréal où c'est principalememt anglophone (et maintenant j'habite à Lennoxville, une autre enclave anglaise!), mais j'apprends le français depuis environ 15 ans et je l'utilise bien sûr au travail.

Quote from: Fabius on July 19, 2014, 11:19:31 AM
Bienvenue!

If you love trains but don't have room or money for your own Royal Hudson steam engine check out the railroad motor cars, known as speeders. The North American Railcar Operators Association is a club of people who own and operate speeders. I have taken mine to the Ontario Northland Railway with the club rode the rails in our speeders from North Bay to Swastika and back.

http://www.narcoa.org/

Hm, I've never seen those before, but it definitely looks cool! I'm guessing the hard part would be getting permission to use the tracks, but I guess that's why you do group excursions...

Contempra

Parfait Jeremy :D. pas de problèmes.

Fabius

#13
Quote from: JmaJeremy on July 29, 2014, 06:49:41 PM
Hm, I've never seen those before, but it definitely looks cool! I'm guessing the hard part would be getting permission to use the tracks, but I guess that's why you do group excursions...

There are many railroads that allow the club to ride their rails. Through the club we buy insurance. Also you have to pass a written safety test.
Tom Vaughn
La Porte, Indiana
ATCA Past President
ATCA #765
C*NET 1+ 821-9905