FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
MEDIA RELEASE
TORONTO RAILWAY MUSEUM (TRM) TO HOST VIRTUAL LECTURE EVENT, “THROUGH THE WINDOW OF A TRAIN: HILARIOUS, HAZARDOUS, AND HISTORICAL MEMORIES FROM THE STEAM ERA”
On October 20, reminisce with stories from the steam era
October 6, 2021 (TORONTO, ON): Toronto Railway Museum (TRM), a non-profit organization located in the iconic Roundhouse Park across from the CN Tower, debuts the theme of its seventh lecture in the 2021 Virtual Lecture Series, Railway Ties: “Through the Window of a Train: Hilarious, Hazardous, and Historical Memories from the Steam Era”. The event takes place on Wednesday, October 20 at 8:00pm EST/7:00 pm CST, and will be presented by author and rail fan Barbara Lange.
“We are thrilled to partner with Barbara for this lecture. This presentation explores the ways that the railways connect us all, and attendees will be able to draw on their own unique experiences with rail travel. These experiences and stories open the conversation for connection to the bygone steam era.” says Museum Manager & Curator Kelly Burwash. “We’re looking forward to sharing the hilarious, hazardous, historical, and romantic moments that happen on the rails.”
For presenter Barbara Lange, the idea of collecting railway memories was never far from her mind. She interviewed people whenever she and husband, Larry Lange, a CN carman from the Transcona Repair and Maintenance Shops, travelled across Canada by train. In collaboration with 30 other writers, Through the Window of a Train: A Canadian Railway Anthology (Borealis Press) was published. Soon after its release in 2010, VIA Rail Canada included it in their souvenir selection, thus realizing Barbara’s dream for the book as a travel companion.
Proceeds from ticket sales will go towards future programming and support the collection, preservation, restoration of Canadian rail artifacts and important historical interpretation at the TRM.
Tickets are now on sale and can be purchased on TRM’s website here. Tickets are $15 (plus HST and fees) and will allow attendees to access a Zoom meeting with our presenter. They will participate in a live Q&A session and have a chance to win great prizes. Each ticket purchase will also give visitors 1 adult admission to the Toronto Railway Museum (valid until 12/31/2022).
Interviews with Barbara Lange and TRM spokespersons, as well as railway imagery, are available upon request.
Subscribe to the TRM monthly newsletter here and follow along on Facebook, Instagram or Twitter to stay up-to-date on the schedule and themes of the next topics in the series.
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CONTACT
Kelly Burwash
Museum Manager & Curator
manager@trha.ca
416-214-9229
Barbara Lange grew up in a railway family in England. Her father worked for British Railways. Train trips meant visits to relatives and friends, discovering new destinations, travelling to school, or a way to reach her office job in London. Most treasured memories were annual family holidays by train to England’s beaches.
After immigration to Canada, her curiosity about life surrounding Canada’s railways piqued, especially when she landed in Toronto in 1978 and stepped on board VIA’s flagship train ‘The Canadian’ to complete her journey to Winnipeg.
Train travel does not feature in daily life for most Winnipeggers as distances are too great. To help fill the void that she felt, Barbara became a member of the Winnipeg Railway Museum where she loves to breathe in that familiar “railway” smell. She also enjoys riding The Vintage Locomotive Society’s historic tourist train ‘The Prairie Dog Central’.
After retiring from the University of Manitoba (Faculty of Human Ecology) she began interviewing people for their railway–related memories. In 2010, in collaboration with 30 other writers Through the Window of a Train: A Canadian Railway Anthology (Borealis Press) was published.
In 2019, Canadian National celebrated CN100 for its 100th anniversary, and published 100 Years of Building a Legacy Together featuring memories, photographs, drawings, and historical material from a wide selection of sources. Several quotes from Through the Window of a Train: A Canadian Railway Anthology and Barbara’s second book Memories of the Moonlight Special and Grand Beach Train Era are included.
Another exciting CN100 event was CN’s Moving Celebration tour, a large-scale “showstopper” train which stopped in Quebec City, Halifax, Calgary, Edmonton, Vancouver, Winnipeg, Regina in 2019, and New Orleans, Memphis, Chicago, Ottawa, Moncton, Toronto and Montreal in 2020. Barbara was thrilled to discover both her books in the “book box container” display.
Located in Roundhouse Park, in the heart of downtown Toronto shares stories of Toronto’s railway history. The museum’s exhibits include the original, fully restored and operational 120-foot-long locomotive turntable and a carefully chosen collection of full size railway equipment. The museum also operates a miniature railway and other outdoor exhibits illustrating Toronto’s railway heritage. Exhibits include the original 60,000-gallon water tower, the 650-ton concrete locomotive coaling tower and a collection of historic buildings, including Don Station and Cabin D.
ABOUT TORONTO RAILWAY HISTORICAL ASSOCIATION (TRHA)
Established in 2001 to work with the City of Toronto to establish a railway museum at the John Street Roundhouse. The TRHA is incorporated and is a Federally registered charity. Its primary purpose is to promote the development of the TRM
