Scottish Lord Likes To Run Locomotives, Published 8 January 1949 By Austin Cross Evening Citizen Staff Writer A lord who'd rather sit behind a locomotive throttle than in the House cf Lords a Scottish noble who put an engine out of business by running it from Cornwall to Brockville very fast, and who is paying a visit to Ottawa is Lord Garnock, of Fife, Scotland. Aailway fan, he called on Prime Minister Louis St. Laurent Thursday, and had tea with Rt. Hon. W. L. Mackenzie King in the evening George Fulford, ef Brockville, his host in this part cf the world, accompanied him. Lord Garnock hopes to go back to Scotland and be an operating official but not yet. "I have a good many railways to see yet" he said, and talkd about a visit to the Santa Fe's Super Chief, a trip in the cab cf the Southern Belle, and a quick Iook at the Monon Railways "oosier." Asked about his episode from Cornwall to Brockville, Lord Garbock shied a little, but admitted he ran the International Limited from Cornwall to Brockville at an overall average of 74 MPH. Shopped Engine It may only have been a coincidence, but the Canadian National engine developed a deficiency afterwards and had to be "shopped" for a couple of days. "I don't think the locomotive foreman was altogether pleased" said his lordship, in something of an understatement. This pleasant young lad. who served with young A. B. Purvis, of Montreal, in the Scots Guards, has been taken under the wing of the big eastern railways, in Canada and United States, and already had ridden more railways than most people do in a lifetime. Lord Garnock has hustled the big electric trains out of New York over the Pennsylvania down to Wilmington. Delaware; he has handled Diesels up the big hill around the Horseshoe Curve at Cresson and he has throttled old time Pacific types on "The Pennsy" over the Pittsburgh division. "I travelled some small lines too. in the cab" said his lordship. "I went the entire length of the Montour Railroad. 44.89 miles, and I travelled over the Union, a coal line. Then I was also on the Conemaugh and Black Lick." Lord Gamock chased some of the high class power over the New York Central, and took a train all the way from New York to Buffalo at one time or another. He was not able to find from NYC officials where the famous engine, engine 999, running an Chicago line went 112 miles an hour back In 1893. The Citizen was able to tell him. that it was just east of Buffalo, near Batavia. The Scottish lord said that there were many things he learned here which he thought might well be applied to British railroads. "I think we could learn in Britain from the American railroads" he said. Right now, the Canadian National and Canadian Pacific are looking after the Scottish throttle jerker by turns. "But just before Christmas, they told me for heaven's sake to take a week's holiday or so, till they got over the Christmas and New Year's rush" he recorded with a grin, I guess they wanted me out of the way and out of trouble." Lord Garnock enthused over the Canadian Pacific new types such as the 2300 big Pacifics, and the 1200 class little Pacifics, and he revelled in the big Canadian National 6200 class power. Ahead of him are such delights as the Spiral Tunnels in the Rockies, seeing 30 different trains- at the same time in St. Louis Union Station, a trip in the vista dome of the roof of the Burlington Zephyr. "Then," said. Lord Garnock sadly, "after it is all over, I am going home to Scotland." |