Material Type

Artifact

Other Name

RAILYARD ROUNDHOUSE RADIO ANTENNA

Date Range From

1940

Date Range To

1983

Materials

GALVANIZED STEEL, METAL, RUBBER

No. Pieces

1

Height

137.5

Length

125

Width

125

Description

LENGTH OF GALVANIZED STEEL TUBE, FITTED AT TOP WITH ROUND METAL COLLAR. COLLAR HAS FOUR GOLD-COLOURED POLES RADIATING HORIZONTALLY FROM IT, AND A THICKER GOLD-COLOURED POLE EMERGING VERTICALLY AT CENTRE. A GREY METAL WIRE CURVES OUT OF THE TOP OF THE CENTRAL POLE AND ATTACHES BACK TO THE COLLAR. A METAL CABLE WITH THREADED JACK END AND BLACK RUBBER HOUSING EMERGES FROM THE BOTTOM OF THE GALVANIZED TUBE. TUBE HAS SOME RUST AND WEAR, POLES HAVE MINOR AREAS OF PAINT LOSS. OVERALL VERY GOOD CONDITION.

Subjects

TELECOMMUNICATION T&E

Historical Association

TRANSPORTATION

History

THIS ANTENNA WAS COLLECTED BY THE DONOR, LAURENCE HOYE, A PROFESSOR EMERITUS OF MATH AND FORMER ASSOCIATE VP ACADEMIC AT THE UNIVERSITY OF LETHBRIDGE AND AVID COLLECTOR OF RAILWAY EPHEMERA. ON MAY 28, 2014, COLLECTIONS TECHNICIAN INTERVIEWED HOYE ABOUT HIS COLLECTION, INCLUDING THE FIVE OBJECTS DONATED TO THE GALT MUSEUM. HOYE SAID: “I REMEMBER WHEN WE WERE ON THE FARM AT LLOYDMINSTER [IN THE MID 1930S] THAT I COULD SEE OUT ON THE HORIZON STEAM TRAINS HAULING BOXCARS TO THE ELEVATORS WHERE WE USED TO DELIVER OUR GRAIN… I WAS REALLY IMPRESSED WITH THAT SO MAYBE THAT’S WHEN [MY INTEREST IN COLLECTING RAILWAY MATERIAL] GOT STARTED… I THOUGHT IT WAS KIND OF A NEAT THING TO DO, TO HAVE SOME OF THESE ITEMS AROUND. IT STARTED WITH SMALL THINGS AND THEN OBVIOUSLY GREW TO LARGER THINGS… THERE WAS A LOT OF [RAILWAY COLLECTIBLES] ON THE MARKET IN THE ‘70S… NOWADAYS, IT’S TOUGH TO COME BY.” REGARDING THIS SPECIFIC OBJECT, HOYE SAID: “I WAS QUITE INTRIGUED WITH THE RELOCATION OF THE RAILYARD OUT OF LETHBRIDGE [TO KIPP, IN THE EARLY 1980S]… OFTEN ON SUNDAYS WHILE THE CONSTRUCTION WAS SHUT DOWN I WOULD WALK THE FULL LENGTH OF THE WHOLE THING INCLUDING ALL THE HIGHWAYS AND BRIDGES… THEY DEMOLISHED THE TOWER [AND] A LOT OF THE BUILDINGS… I SAW THEM TEARING DOWN THE ROUNDHOUSE AND I SPOTTED THAT ANTENNA STILL STICKING UP ATTACHED TO THE ROUNDHOUSE… I WALKED OVER TO THE GUY THAT WAS DRIVING THE BACKHOE, AND ASKED WHAT HE WAS GOING TO DO WITH THAT. ‘AH, JUST THROW IT IN THE TRUCK WITH THE REST OF THE STUFF’ [HE SAID]. I SAID, ‘OKAY. I’D LIKE TO MY HANDS ON IT.’… SO HE WENT AND GOT IT, GAVE IT TO ME AND I GAVE HIM TWENTY BUCKS.” SEE PERMANENT FILE FOR FULL INTERVIEW TRANSCRIPT AND BRIEF BIOGRAPHY OF DONOR.

Catalogue Number

P20140016001

Acquisition Date

2014-05

Collection

Museum

Less detail