The item is an audio recording of an interview with Alex Matkoski in 1974.
T0537:0001: Alex Matkoski describes the differences in the ride of steam and diesel locomotives. Gives an evaluation of Climax, Shay and Heisler locomotives. Maintenance procedure on a GM locomotive. Maintenance procedure on a steam engine. Interview was recorded on diesel engine #302 on the Canadian Forest Products Railway.

RECORDED: Lillooet (B.C.), 1986 SUMMARY: Alexander Elesko joined the PGE in 1926, at the age of 14. He has worked in the kitchens, on the tracks, and on the trains. He retired from the position of locomotive engineer in 1972 and settled in L;illooet.;

RECORDED: [location unknown], 1965-10-30 SUMMARY: Andy Gray recalls in detail his career on the CPR. Born in Scotland, he came to Canada in 1890 and then to Vancouver 1892. He began work on the CPR in 1906 as a "wiper", then a fireman, and by 1911 as an engineer. He discusses his experience working with the trains in Revelstoke from 1909 to 1915; the Rogers Pass Slide of 1910 with the only survivor, Bill LaChance; train recollections throughout the province; Kootenay Central; and "Cranbrook Ed," who was one of the escaped elephants from a visiting circus at Cranbrook.

RECORDED: Lillooet (B.C.), 1986 SUMMARY: Arnold Malm: A third generation PGE-er, Arnold took control of his first engine in 1959 at the age of 19. When he retired, in 1986, he was road foreman of engines, based in Lillooet.;

CALL NUMBER: T3355:0001 RECORDED: Ladysmith (B.C.), 1979-01-16 SUMMARY: TRACK 1: Spike Carson discusses his background and how he got into railroading: born in Port Alberni in 1913; quit school at 14; worked as a carpenter's helper, then at a sawmill, learned to drive a truck; 1930 he began working for E&N Railway; worked all over the Island for E&N; at first, he was just a 'wiper'; first fast ride on a locomotive; went to APL to do braking in 1938- then 'firing', then running; stories about his running days (running engines); biggest train he ever handled; working on spurs; describes the locomotives; story about Hap Murray; anecdote about meeting someone who had never seen a locomotive before; oil vs. coal in the running of locomotives; log dump for the APL line. TRACK 2: Spike Carson: night shift and day shift tasks; further description of engines; Pacific Coast shay; after Port Alberni was finished he decided to drive trucks; driving trucks down by Franklin River; hurting his leg and having to stop work; helping with a steam engine up in Nanaimo; more on grades of lines; anecdotes about running a train in the mid-twentieth century.

CALL NUMBER: T3355:0002 RECORDED: Ladysmith (B.C.), 1979-01-16 SUMMARY: TRACK 1: Spike Carson discusses: bridging loads of lumber out of the mill; machinery used in railroading at this time; many scares when he was firing; handling trains on slippery grades; used to hills because of his work in coastal B.C. [TRACK 2: blank; end of interview.]

RECORDED: Squamish (B.C.), 1976-06-19 SUMMARY: Bert Mills describes his experiences as an engineer on the Pacific Great Eastern Railway, 1954-1969;

RECORDED: [location unknown], [197-?] SUMMARY: An oral history interview with Charlie Midnight, who worked for 52 years on the PGE as an engine driver. He talks about having Princess Margaret as a passenger in 1958 (including RCMP security), steam engines, snowslides, derailments, Prince George arrival, parties and whisky.

RECORDED: Tsawwassen (B.C.), 1986 SUMMARY: Ed Wilcox retired last year after one of the more varied careers with the railway. He started with steam and retired as general road foreman of engines.;

RECORDED: [location unknown], 1964-11-10 SUMMARY: TRACK 1: Mr. G.H. Williamson recalls his 40 year career with the CPR. Born in Toronto, he moved to Donald, B.C., in 1892 and started with the railways. By 1900 he was working as an engineer. He discusses the community of Donald, the town, and the CPR facilities. He provides descriptions of railway equipment, engines, train mechanics, rails and grades. This portion of the tape concludes with descriptions of the Rogers Pass rail service and snow slides.

TRACK 2: Mr. Williamson continues with recollections of his railway career, the Rogers Pass area, the destruction of the original Roger's Pass Station and facilities in an 1898 slide, the Rogers Pass Slide of 1910, the construction of the railway tunnels in the Field area, railway accidents and the dismantling of the Donald CPR shop which was moved to Revelstoke.

The item consists of an audio recording of an interview with Gordon Fulkerson. In it, he describes his experiences firing and driving locomotives on the CPR's Kettle Valley Railway, 1916-1947.

The item is an audio recording of an interview with Horace Hinton in 1975.
T0500:0001 track 1: Mr. Hinton discusses early logging experience: move to Nimpkish Valley from Washington State, 1919; description of English Logging Company Camp #1; railroad personnel; aspects of railway logging; problems of isolation; logging camp life; life in Englewood, ca. 1926.
T0500:0001 track 2: Mr. Hinton comments on Shay and Climax engines; Japanese mill workers at Englewood; life in the logging camps during the 1930s; railway logging in Nimpkish Valley, 1930-70; railway maintenance and accidents, 1930-70.

T0500:0002 track 1: Mr. Hinton discusses Japanese mill workers at Englewood, 1920-40; Chinese mill workers at Nimpkish Lake; floating camps (description and conditions); repairing logging equipment particularly steam locomotives. T0500:0002 track 2: Mr. Hinton discusses repairing locomotives (cont'd); working hours of locomotive engineers, 1920-40; the change from steam to diesel locomotives, 1951-52; registration of locomotives at Nimpkish; farms in the Nimpkish River area, 1920s; recreation and holidays from the camp, 1920s; travel on the union steamship line along the B.C. coast, 1930-40; description of company personnel, Frank Coleman and Russell Mills.

T0500:0003 track 1: Mr. Hinton discusses company personnel (cont'd); Eli Tibiff, 1920s; mechanical training of Hinton, 1930s; description of William "Bill" McMahon.

RECORDED: Tumbler Ridge (B.C.), 1986 SUMMARY: Jack Bryan started out with the PGE as a hostler helper in 1956. At the time of the interview (1986), he was working as an engineman based in Tumbler Ridge.;

RECORDED: [location unknown], 1978-11-08 SUMMARY: In an interview with Robert Turner, Jim Wolverton discusses his experiences in railroading: started in 1913 at 16 years of age; started firing on a 23 ton, then a 40 ton shay for the Puget Sound Northern Timber Company; burned coal in those days; became an engineer when his supervisor retired; no exams in logging in those days; paid $110 a month as an engineer in the beginning; long and tiring hours; stayed at Port Angeles from 1913 to 1920. [Remainder of interview not transcribed.]

The item is an audio recording of an interview with John Kloss in 1974.
T0540:0001 track 1: Mr. Kloss discusses his experiences on logging railroads. First worked in the woods, 1927; various woods jobs; working on steam locomotives for various coastal logging companies; work and wages; unionism and strikes in the 1930s, including the formation of the I.W.A.; 1934 strike at Alberni-Pacific Logging Co.
T0540:0001 track 2: Mr. Kloss discusses the 1934 forest industry strike (cont'd); logging camp life on the coast, 1927-1946; Canadian Forest Products' Englewood camp. Mr. Kloss provides details about logging locomotive operation, including: the end of steam locomotives and the advent of diesel electric locomotives.

T0540:0002 track 1: Mr. Kloss describes the differences between steam locomotives and diesel electric locomotives. Movement of rail operation from Englewood to Beaver Cove and Woss run, 1957. Life in various Nimpkish Valley camps: Nimpkish and Woss. Minor railroad accidents described. Problems of union organization at Salmon River and other logging camps. Summary remarks.

RECORDED: [location unknown], 1986 (and 1982?) SUMMARY: Lew Liwiski tried his hand at running the engines in the late 1940s, but decided it wasn't for him. Today he works as a trainman in Fort St. John.;

CALL NUMBER: T2611:0001 PERIOD COVERED: 1920-1973 RECORDED: Lillooet (B.C.), 1976-06-17 SUMMARY: Stan Malm, PGE locomotive foreman (1923-1973), Lillooet, BC, and Leo Cahill, PGE locomotive engineer (1920-1961) describe their experiences working for the Pacific Great Eastern Railway.;

CALL NUMBER: T2611:0002 - 0003 PERIOD COVERED: 1920-1973 RECORDED: Lillooet (B.C.), 1977 SUMMARY: Stan Malm, PGE locomotive foreman (1923-1973), Lillooet, BC, and Leo Cahill, PGE locomotive engineer (1920-1961) describe their experiences working for the Pacific Great Eastern Railway.;

CALL NUMBER: T3809:0001 RECORDED: North Vancouver (B.C.), 1980-01-24 SUMMARY: TRACK 1: In an interview with Robert Turner, retired CPR locomotive engineer and fireman W.F. Huffman discusses: wiping and firing out of Grand Forks; learning the trade and operating during the Depression years. TRACK 2: W.F. Huffman discusses: coal firing a locomotive; move to Revelstoke to operate oil burners; operations out of Revelstoke; company pensioners; bidding for jobs; engineering exams and requirements.

CALL NUMBER: T3809:0002 SUPPLIED TITLE OF TAPE(S): Railroading in B.C. : W.F. Huffman RECORDED: North Vancouver (B.C.), 1980-01-24 SUMMARY: TRACK 1: W.F. Huffman discusses: operations on Arrowhead branch; helpers out of Beavermouth; comments on 5900s, 2800s, and other power differences with the coming of diesels. (End of interview)

RECORDED: [location unknown], 1980-01-17 SUMMARY: In an interview with Robert Turner, W.G. Mellon discusses his background in railroading: first got a job railroading through a friend's father who was foreman at Port Mann; started off 'pushing waste' and cleaning engines; by 1927, he was firing; in Depression he had a job in a garage; back to railroading by 1939 -- Saskatchewan, Calgary; an engineer out in B.C. by 1945, running a couple of years later; everything in railroading business is done on a seniority basis; worked in the yards in Vancouver and Port Mann in the early '40s; anecdote about big snow of 1950 in the Fraser Canyon; never received overtime; in 1948, they were tied up for a whole month because the road at Matsqui was washed out. [Remainder of interview not transcribed.]