Creator

Eichorn family

Physical Description

85 cm of textual records; over 1,200 photos

History Biographical

JAMES WAS BORN TO FREDA AND JACOB EICHORN NOVEMBER 11, 1929 IN ESTUARY, SASKATCHEWAN. JAMES' FATHER JACOB WAS A C.P.R. SECTIONMAN/FOREMAN FOR JUST UNDER 50 YEARS. JAMES' BROTHERS BILL, ROBERT, AND SISTER ELSIE'S HUSBAND, WALTER BRUNNER (STILL A RESIDENT OF LETHBRIDGE) ALL WORKED FOR THE RAILWAY IN ONE CAPACITY OR ANOTHER THROUGHOUT THE YEARS, AS DID DONOR'S MOTHER'S FAMILY AROUND THE MEDICINE HAT AREA (PROSKY FAMILY). JAMES STARTED HIS CAREER AS A SECTIONMAN IN IRVINE, ALBERTA IN 1945. HE MOVED TO MEDICINE HAT IN 1949 AND WORKED AS A TRAINMAN ON RUNS FROM MEDICINE HAT EAST TO MOOSE JAW, SASK. AND ALSO FROM MEDICINE HAT TO CALGARY. JAMES MARRIED MARION SUSAN PROSKY IN MEDICINE HAT ON JULY 26, 1952. THEY MOVED TO LETHBRIDGE IN 1962 AND JAMES CONTINUED HIS CAREER AS A TRAINMAN, SHORTLY THEREAFTER BEING PROMOTED TO CONDUCTOR, WHOM WAS RESPONSIBLE FOR THE OPERATION OF THE TRAIN AND RODE IN THE CABOOSE. DONOR REMEMBERS THAT FROM THIS POINT FORWARD HIS FATHER STARTED HIS COLLECTION OF RAILWAY ARTIFACTS AND ANTIQUES AS THE WORLD OF RAILWAY WAS QUICKLY EVOLVING FROM STEAM POWER TO DIESEL POWER AND ALL THAT WENT WITH THAT CHANGE. JAMES' RUNS AT THIS TIME WERE FROM LETHBRIDGE TO COUTTS . . .MEDICINE HAT. . . AND CARDSTON. IN THE LATTER YEARS HE WAS ON A WEEKLY RUN FROM LETHBRIDGE TO VAL MARIE AND SHAUNAVON, SASK. - THIS WAS A MONDAY TO FRIDAY JOB. JAMES ALSO HAD A SMALL MODEL RAILROAD COLLECTION JAMES' LIFE WAS TAKEN IN A TRAIN/TRUCK ACCIDENT AT THE STIRLING ALBERTA HIGHWAY CROSSING ON FEBRUARY 10, 1978, WHICH MADE HEADLINE NEWS IN THE LETHBRIDGE HERALD. Please see Artifact Collection P20000074020

Scope and Content

The records are largely comprised of materials collected by James Eichorn related to railways and trains: newspaper clippings, photographs, rosters of locomotives, lists of railway personnel, train operation manuals, patern list, record books, materials related to Brotherhood of Railroad Trainmen, seniority lists, siding maps (Alberta South Division 1974), register of arrival and departures, ticket book, daily duty roster (1981), timetables, train order forms, model railroad plans, crew call book (1956-61), etc. 2000.1079/058 Portfolio of Canadian Pacific Steam Locomotives. 10 Multi-color Hand Prints for Framing by Mika Studio (Belleville, ON) 2000.1079/059 Portfolio of Historic Canadian Steam Locomotives. 10 Multi-color Hand Prints for Framing by Mika Studio (Belleville, ON) 2000.1079/067 Blueprints - 2 Stencil Location Plans, CPR Safeload for Slings, CPR Water Supply Piping Diagram, List of Carmens Guages 2000.1079/081 Wantonoit Club Certificate (Canyon Church Camp) for Ryan Eichorn (1965); Scouts Canada Appreciation Certificate - Helen Eichorn (1987) Photographs include the following subjects: trains, locomotives, train wrecks, snow plows, family vacation photos, non-operating railway employees on legal strike (032)

Accession No.

20001079

Collection

Archive

Less detail