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"On the I&R, a short line between Point Tupper and Inverness. It was an awful railway down there, all bridges broken down. This hot day about 90 degrees, this train, engine I think with some cars ( I don't know how many). It had a derailment on the I&R. The Conductor was called out to get the train ready for the I&R called the auxiliary.

Anyway the first conductor out was elected to go so they started getting ready. Oh there'd be a car rail's here and a car wheel here and a car tie here, shunting it back and forward getting it ready. Everything squeeking like an old trolley, you know squeek squack. Another thing they had to do was get the Cafeteria Car, they had to get that ready. Go to the store and get that all stocked up because they'd be down there 2 to 3 days.

Anyway it all took time, a couple of hours dragged by and they were still old squeek and a squawking trying to get it all together. Finally about 3 hours went by and an old Operator was working there in the station. He Hollered to the conductor "when's that thing gonna be ready". Oh the conductor never answered him, he was ignorant you know and snarly. A little while later it was pretty well ready to go and the old Operator came out again and says"Are you ready to go, what in the hell do you think this is a circus train? "Yes" says the conductor, we're short one clown jump on!"
- Neil MacLean

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Neil MacLean's story #6
3 May 2005
Orangedale, Cape Breton

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"The old steam engines were going by and there were all these sparks flying, you know. Set fire to the grass, set fire to the ties. One day they went by the station here, there were wooden shingles on the roof. The roof caught on fire and the sectionmen happen to be around.

They got this long ladder up, always a long ladder at the station here. One of the men (John MacDonald), a big guy went up on this ladder with a bucket of water. Got the fire out and he burnt his coveralls, brand new pair of coveralls. He asked some official after that if they could buy him some new coveralls, they said "no there's nothing in the budget for that". Save the station but couldn't buy him new coveralls".
- Neil MacLean

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Neil MacLean's story #7
3 May 2005
Orangedale, Cape Breton

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"He was a conductor coming east and of course they always made sure that the person they knew who wanted to get off got off. This fella said "you be sure now you let me off at Port Hawkesbury, don't miss it. By golly he went to sleep and they forgot him at Port Hawkesbury. And you know the smell of rotten eggs, anyway after they got by Port Hawkesbury this woman started to change her baby. He looked up, "Port Hawkesbury!" he shouted.
- Neil MacLean

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Jessie MacLean, Orangedale resident
3 May 2005
Orangedale, Cape Breton

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Jessie MacLean shares the stories of her adventures with Orangedale Station and travelling to school by train.

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Jessie MacLean's story #2
3 May 2005
Orangedale, Cape Breton

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"In the 50's, mid 50's, this friend of mine ( she was quite a bit younger than I was) and I decided to go to Sydney on the train to the circus. So I said one friday evening after school we'll get ready to go, we'll get all ready. I was staying up at the Garnet Smith's up here ( in Orangedale) so she came over and stayed with me. The night before we got all ready, clothes all arranged ( what we were going to wear) everything was here and there. The necklace, the earrings, all this stuff ( we were quite young then). So the time came, we set the alarm for the morning and I don't know if it went off or what. Well you know what woke me, the train coming around the track near the Garnet's there. We jumped up, "get yourself up as fast as you can" I can see her again, she was taller than I was. We started running towards the station, we grabbed our purses and our clothes as I knew she'd be so disappointed if she missed the circus. "Come on Irene", I was killing myself laughing and almost in fits because her belt was trailing you know. I tried to catch her when we got down to the crossing here, the train was just almost across. He made the sign for us to go and we got across, we started running up the siding and we ran into a dam old crank of a conductor of some kind. Oh he was really nasty to us you know and of course Irene fell and that would make me giddy. I was trying to keep up to her, we were just near the station when there was another one. A brakeman, oh he was a really nice one. "Never mind girls you just get on the train, we had no ticket (we'd intended on being at the station early). "No dear you go on we'll see that you get your tickets, we landed in Sydney - to the circus!
- Jessie MacLean

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Jessie MacLean and others
3 May 2005
Canso Causeway, Cape Breton

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Talking about the Scotia ferry and going to school by train.

"I can remember 4-5 hours on the Canso Straight waiting, we couldn't land because of the ice. A big thing I remember was taking our coats it was so cold out on the boat, we'd put our coats on or share them to keep warm. I remember one time it was 5 hours that'd be in 15-3 in the winter of '52. It must of been a bad one, quite a thing but we didn't think anything of it. Some had guitars and carried on, time went.

It wouldn't freeze right over there'd just be big bits of ice that it would push. As there was no causeway all the ice would come in from the north. All the cars would be on the Ferry but the Engine wouldn't be, everything would be on it except the Engine" - Jessie.

"They served breakfast on the Dining Car, no 7 which was going to Sydney"- Carmy.

"Around 1921 or 22 they started carrying the students from Bras D'Or and all the way up. The students used to come on the morning train and go to school in Iona and come back on the evening train at supper time. That went from 1921 to when the school buses started in 1955/ 56, 35 years that they carried students on the train. They went to highschool in Iona, 5 to 8 in the morning at Barrachois just in time to get into school"- Martin.

"We used to have tickets that were good for a month they were about $2"- Carmy

"The first year that I went to school in Glace bay I worked at a canteen every weekend to make a little money for myself. I went and the S & L from the station in Glace Bay to Mira (the place I'd get off) thats how I travelled back and forward on that ol' train"- Jessie.

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Martin Boston, Retired Station Operator
3 May 2005
Orangedale, Cape Breton

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Martin Boston gives us an insight into life working in operation of the railway station.

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Martin Boston's story #4
3 May 2005
Orangedale, Cape Breton