At the outset, I want to express appreciation to all those whose hard work and time make Branchline Canada's leading rail newsmagazine. That small group deserves the wholehearted support of the membership and other readers.

I also want to heartily endorse Branchline's continued orientation towards being a lasting historical record and reference. With that role, however, comes a particular responsibility to be accurate. In that regard, two items come to mind:

the correct name of CP's flagship train is "The Canadian", not "the Canadian" or "Canadian" without the article, as in "the celebrated Canadian". The name properly consists of two words, capitalized and inseparable. I presume that this applies to VIA's trains as well.

  "COLLECTION TO BE DISBURSED" (p. 23, June issue, repeated twice in the July issue) is incorrect. "Disbursed" refers to the allocation or issuance of funds; the correct term is "dispersed", which means to break up or scatter.

Such lapses are self-defeating and can be avoided, perhaps as simply as by bringing in extra people with complementary skills. As with most things, the key to remaining first-rate is to be constantly self-critical and not afraid to change established practices. The results will be well worth it.

Dennis ... Thank you for your letter. Since CP's flagship "The Canadian" was taken over by VIA Rail, the name has appeared in public timetables as "Canadian" ...your Managing Editor will admit to a mental lapse re disbursed versus dispersed (accounting is in my blood!). The editors appreciate your comments, and are constantly striving to make Branchline as accurate as possible.
 

Bytown Railway Society,  Branchline, October 1993, page 20.