Riding the Budd RDC from Sudbury to White River

I was alerted to this excellent video of travelling on Via Rail's RDC in the northern Ontario bush.

Here's a couple of photos of Chapleau Station (here and here) on today's RDC route as my uncle saw it in 1944.

On the mystery of computing area with a balance

My dustcover-less copy of the 1960 classic, The Scientific American Book of Projects for the Amateur Scientist

Imagine that we have drawn a simple closed curve on a sheet of writing paper. (Simple means that the curve does not cross itself.) This curve marks out an area on our paper. How many ways can you think of to find this area?

...

I saw a very clever (and most significant) solution to this problem at a model-airplane meet some years ago. The contest rules required that the models have a fuselage whose cross-sectional area was not less than a certain minimum. This area was easy to check in the good old days when all the models had rectangular cross sections, but with the advent of more streamlined shapes the judges began to have trouble making sure the rules were being followed.

They finally decided to find the required area by first having an accurate drawing of it, and then cutting out the drawing and weighing it. Since the weight per unit area of the paper was known, the area of the cut-out drawing was easy to obtain. Now this solution to the area problem is a splendid example of applied integral calculus. It is a little surprising, then, that people who have actually studied calculus will laugh at the method, or dismiss it as impractical. Yet when an accurate balance or scale is at hand it is the quickest way to determine area.

F. W. Niedenfuhr, Professor of Engineering Mechanics at Ohio State University, from The Pleasures of Mathematics in C. L. Strong's The Scientific American Book of Projects for the Amateur Scientist, 1960. Mr. Strong notes this about Prof. Niedenfuhr's chapter in the table of contents, "The amateur scientist is lured into an encounter with integral calculus." Come for the model airplanes, stay for the integral calculus :-)

Some backyard railroad drama

I took Paul's advice and tried placing the layout up high and shooting up into the sky. I had some backlighting issues, but things are looking better. Clearly more practice is needed.

When exhibit becomes layout

In August 1987 I was to lucky to get to visit the Exploratorium in San Francisco’s Palace of Fine Arts. For a souvenir I bought a copy of the pamphlet, Working Prototypes: Exhibit Design at the Exploratorium. As I was reading the book again I wondered what I might learn if I replaced the word ‘exhibit’ with ‘layout’ in the list of exhibit development principles and characteristics that appears in the conclusion. Here’s what I get:

 

1. Basic research - just plain tinkering around with something for the fun of it - is an essential part of the layout development process.

2. Layouts are designed and developed by people who are interested in the phenomenon to be displayed.

3. To some extent, all layouts are collaborative: many people make suggestions and contribute ideas.

4. The first stage of layout design is the construction of a full-scale working prototype.

5. Layout builders are responsive to comments from visitors and staff, testing layouts at many stages in their development and allowing reactions to shape the layout.

6. Layout builders pay attention to aesthetic nuances, noticing what is fun to do, what is beautiful, what is intriguing.

7. Generally, layout builders try not to restrict a visitor’s choice.

8. Ideally, visitors should be able to see the inner workings of a layout and make discoveries about how the layout works.

9. Most layouts are set up on table tops, so that visitors can gather and use the layout together.

10. Layouts are often constructed of inexpensive materials, scrap, and found objects (or junk).

I can’t say that every item makes sense for a layout, but that’s not the point, which is just to stir the brain up a bit.

I found what seems like an addendum to item 8) noted in K. C. Coles’ 2009 book, Something Incredibly Wonderful Happens: Frank Oppenheimer and the World He Made Up, quite interesting:

Anything involving computers was likely to be rejected out of hand. “There’s nothing a computer can do that I want done,” Frank said. Everything a computer did was a simulation, and therefore not sufficiently transparent - or even “honest” - by Frank’s lights. You couldn’t see what was going on inside the box. Besides, he thought computers were both passive and addictive. And new technology - as he learned at Los Alamos - could all too easily entrap.

Brick Price's Modeling Narrow-Gauge Railroads

MN-GR from 1984 | How to go T&TWM from 1982

A major difficulty in modeling realistic structures from kits is to produce an original design. Most of the dozens of building kits on the market have already appeared in hundreds of photographs in one book or another. It makes no difference how these buildings are placed on a layout or what colors that are painted. If the buildings are from the same kit, they will always look alike unless they are heavily modified. This problem is unique to structures. You expect to see thousands of almost-identical boxcars, but you don't expect to see more than one of Dale's Dingies. Ironically, most model railroaders tend to purchase as many different freight cars as possible, yet they buy the same structures that appear on other model railroads and build them just the way they come out of the box.

Brick Price on Structure Conversions; Modeling Narrow-Gauge  Railroads, 1984.

Being curious about the work of Brick Price recently prompted me to buy a copy of his 1984 book on narrow gauge model railroading. It strikes me as something of an odd book, and it leaves me wondering if it was given a rigorous editing prior to publication. It seems like a book for someone who has a bit of familiarity with model railroading and still has large gaps in their general modelling and model railroading knowledge, but might be interested in taking up narrow gauge model railroading. So, there is a lot of general modeling and model railroading material, which at times leaves me thinking the narrow gauge material is a bit thin.

Although, I particularly liked the somewhat misnamed Cross-Kitting chapter. It's not a chapter on the general techniques of kitbashing, or cross-kitting to use the author's term, but an excellent summary on how to kitbash HO scale narrow gauge rolling stock and locos circa the late '70s and early '80s. Lots of interesting examples are shown, and I think the information is still quite applicable today. I found the Scratchbuilding chapter the oddest as it concentrates on providing very general overviews of woodcarving, making rubber molds, lost wax casting, resin casting, metal die-casting, and vacuum forming plastic, which are all rather advanced, professional level scratchbuilding techniques. There isn't anything in the chapter about traditional hobbyist oriented scratchbuilding methods like building from styrene stock or cardboard. Maybe I shouldn't be surprised as Mr. Price was a professional modeller. 

A modified Revell Engine House; Compare to Jack O'Vall's

Maybe you're wondering, how does David Voice fit into this? Both books are from the same era - Price's was published in 1984 and Voice's in 1982 - and deal with specialist subjects, but Mr. Voice's doesn't drift much beyond his topic and into general model railway subjects, even though some knowledge of them is useful for building a successful tramway layout. The most striking difference is Mr. Price doesn't show example layouts or trackplans, even of his own layout. Narrow gauge layouts, like tramway layouts, are quite different from conventional model railroads, so examples are worthwhile. Mr. Voice has plenty of examples to ground his discussion. 

Yes, I know, my review is around 40 years too late :-) So, what's the big deal? None actually. With these old books I don't look at them as they were intended when they were published. I wouldn't use Modeling Narrow-Gauge Railroads as a guide to building a serious narrow gauge layout today, but look at it as a compendium and record of some of Brick Price's work and thoughts in the area, which are excellent and inspiring, although it would have been nice if the book had some pictures of his layout.

On flying trees, Weatherbreaks, Skybreaks and Skyshields

Assembly team climbing around the Weatherbreak dome

On the Saturday of the Victoria Day long weekend, the traditional kick-off to summer here in Ontario, we were hit by a storm of historic proportions: a so-called ‘derecho’ that blew winds up to 190 km/h, and stretched all the way from Windsor, Ontario in the west to Quebec City in the east, a distance of around 1,200 km. I’ve never experienced such a thing in my life. It turns out we were out in the bush when it hit, and took cover in the back room of a cabin as it blew through. We got through ok, but our vehicle wasn’t so lucky: a healthy 12” diameter, 8’ foot long branch that the winds tore off the top of an 80’ pine tree - one much like the tall HO pines on the Loonar Module - bounced off its windshield and roof. Luckily, our vehicle was repairable, and after nearly 7 weeks in the shop, we’re mobile again.

Of the many things that have bubbled up in my mind since then was Buckminster Fuller’s Skybreak geodesic dome. The best description I’ve found of the Skybreak concept is Lloyd Steven Sieden’s in his 1989 book, Buckminster Fuller’s Universe: An Appreciation:

The skybreak dwelling … was to cover the complete grounds of a residence rather than simply to enclose a number of rooms as is normally the case. That larger dome was to have transparent sections which could be covered to provide shade or privacy; however, the dome would also provide constant environmental control and protection from rain, snow, wind, and insects as well as temperature. Within that dome, people could build rooms for privacy if they desired, but the entire interior was designed to be filled with trees and plants, so the inhabitants would have the advantages of nature year-round.

There are also a few photos of early Skybreak models and drawings in the 1960 book, The Dymaxion World of Buckminster Fuller.

I started to think about a Skybreak-like dome that wasn’t necessarily sealed off from the elements as a pure Skybreak was, but was somewhat permeable, and simply provided protection from the extremes of nature for a more-or-less conventional house and grounds. The extraordinary strength of a geodesic dome could help defend against flying debris in severe storms - which we’re told we’re likely to experience with greater frequency in the years to come - as well as moderate weather effects. This sort of variation on the Skybreak concept might be better described as a Skyshield.

So, I went on a Google mission to learn more about the Skybreak, and one of the things I found along the way was this fascinating book called Montreal’s Geodesic Dreams: Jeffery Lindsay and the Fuller Research Foundation Canadian Division by Cammie Mcatee, published in 2017 by Dalhousie Architectural Press. 

Skybreak in Los Angeles

It’s a fascinating book because although I’ve known that Buckminster Fuller had a Canadian Division based in Montreal in the late '40s and early '50s, I didn’t realize the crucial role it played in the development of his geodesic domes. It turns out “the first large-span, self-supporting geodesic dome ever built according to Richard Buckminister Fuller’s theories”, the 49’ diameter Weatherbreak dome, was designed and built by the Canadian team in Baie-D'Urfé, Quebec in December 1950. It was the cover story of the August 1951 issue of Architectural Forum, and Fuller described the Weatherbreak in his 1951 patent application for a geodesic construction system. The Canadian Division then built the first Skybreak dome, a smaller 27’ diameter structure, during the summer of 1951, near Lake Saint-Louis, Quebec. The Skybreak had a long life, and surprisingly, it was moved down to Los Angeles where it lead a glamorous existence far from its beginnings in snowy Montreal.

For all the details, get a copy of Montreal’s Geodesic Dreams. The only quibble I have with it is its 8 1/2” square format as that makes for some rather small pictures, and it does contain many excellent photos and illustrations which alone are worth the price of the book. But, a larger book would mean a larger price, so, as I said, this is just a quibble.

Sunroof [alternate]

Military Modelling, September 1976

Sunroof: A clear roof above a layout or diorama that lets the sun shine in. 

Useage: Linda's new building for her layout is to include a sunroof over the prairie section.

Source: The photo-gallery section of the September 1976 issue of Military Modelling notes that:

Modeller Buettner [Mr. W. G. Buettner, ed] with part of his impressive diorama depicting German infantry and armour in a Russian village; the model is situated in a 12' x 9' clear plastic roofed shed which this modeller has constructed in his garden in Ndola, Zambia.

Special precautions need to be taken for rain, snow, and wind dependent upon geographic location.

from The Dictionary of Non-Existent Model Railroad Terms, 2nd ed., 1999.

Shaping light

I'm posting these pictures of scenes from the Loonar Module not necessarily because I think they're great in some way, but because, along with some others (here, here, here, here and here), they record something about the nature of the light I'm trying to capture. Although the trees and shrubbery and rocks are not high fidelity modelling, their colour and structure seem to filter and reflect and shape sunlight in just the right way that reminds me of this sort of forest and lake scenery in this part of the world. 

When I look at the layout through the camera in July sunlight I'm starting to see what I'm after, which I only see in rough approximations indoors. I'm thinking lighting is one of the most neglected aspects of layout construction, but it has the potential to improvement a layout far beyond what more detail might do. 

I've got aways to go lighting wise, but I feel I'm heading in the right direction for the character I want to capture.

Abandonment - Part 10 - Final Instalment

I'm glad you're here. What took you so long? Ed's about to leave and wrap things up. Let's watch:

Seeing the Austin disturbed me. I felt like I was being watched. I felt paranoid. I felt an itch to get away PDQ. 

I closed the window, 

drew the curtains, 

shaved,

showered, 

dressed,

combed my hair, 

brushed my teeth,

put meds in my pocket,

found my old leather driving gloves and put them on, 

peaked out the window,

saw the Austin was gone,

held one of the papers over a light bulb,

saw some printing,

packed up the papers,

snuck out the back way, 

looked over my shoulder,

scuttled to the drugstore to buy an envelope and stamps,

looked over my shoulder,

got papers ready to mail,

looked over my shoulder,

bought snacks, 

ate snacks, 

looked over my shoulder,

rode streetcar halfway to Leslie's, 

got off streetcar,

looked over my shoulder,

found some out-of-the-way mailbox and dropped the package in, 

removed old leather driving gloves,

tossed gloves in trash can,

looked over my shoulder,

got back on streetcar,

rode to Leslie's stop, 

got off streetcar, 

looked over my shoulder,

bought some decent non-snack food at grocery, 

walked to Leslie's carrying groceries,

looked over my shoulder,

pushed Leslie's doorbell with my nose,

didn't drop groceries,

Leslie opened the door, took a grocery bag, and let me in.

I followed Leslie into the kitchen. We placed the bags on the counter. She started to unpack them. I saw the coffee brewing on the far counter and asked, "May I have some coffee?" I quickly remembered some manners and followed up with, "Would you like some?"

"No, I'm fine," replied Leslie and then added, "The mugs are in the cupboard over the coffee maker."

I walked over to the machine, found a mug, and poured some coffee,

Leslie turned momentarily to give me a look and continued, "I was talking to Mary on the phone and she said Markie used to belong to The Lone Trainmen."

"When was that?"

"She quit maybe a year ago. Mary said Markie was having arguments with people in the group and left."

"She's got a big layout in her basement. Maybe the lab didn't have what she wanted?"

"Maybe."

"Did Mary have any idea why Markie was parked outside my place this morning?"

"No."

Leslie was putting stuff away and it looked like she was getting some things ready for a meal. It was well passed lunch, but far from dinner, so maybe this was lunner ?

I wandered with my coffee into the living room. It had all the usual things: couch, two Queen Anne chairs, coffee table, tv. And something that wasn't usual: Adams. He was sitting in one of the chairs, but wasn't looking relaxed in its overstuffed magnificence. He was talking to a wall, but I couldn't hear what he was saying. And then there were his eyes. He didn't have any. His face had deep black empty holes where his eyes should have been. I put my mug down on the coffee table, sat on the couch, scrunched into a corner, and stared at him. I called Leslie to come see this.

Leslie came in, looked around, and then at me, "What's up?"

"You don't see him?"

"No," was her reply. She put her hand on my shoulder and continued, "Maybe you haven't had enough sleep?"

Before I could answer, her eyes were on the chair and she continued, "I see him now. He's talking to the wall. God."

She lifted her hand from my shoulder. "He's gone." She put her hand back. "He's back." She lifted her hand again. "I see what's happening."

Leslie walked around the coffee table and sat close beside me on the couch so that our sides and legs touched. I took a little risk and put my arm around her shoulder. Leslie moved in a little closer, then stared at the chair and said, "He's still talking to the corner, but I don't hear anything."

"Me neither."

"He doesn't have any eyes."

"That's new. He had 'em all those other times."

We sat there looking at him. He sat there talking to the wall. All was quiet.

Then he stopped.

And slowly turned to face us.

He spoke.

"Hello Ed. Hello Leslie." His Vaderian voice was gone. He sounded hollow and echoing like he was speaking from deep in a cave. "I think this is the last time we will be meeting. I feel I will be going on a journey."

I was frozen. My mind was blank. "Did you accomplish what you had to?"

"Yes, thank you for your help. I have done what I could."

Think. Think. Think. "Can you tell us anything? Why were you with Markie?"

"She followed you. I do not know why, but she might be troublesome." He paused for a moment and then continued, "Do not do what I did. Try to make things better if you can. We have limited powers and limited time. At least do not make things worse."

Leslie asked, "Where are you going?"

"I do not know."

Adams looked all around the room like he was searching for something. His unblinking eye holes were scanning everything. His gaze finally landed on Leslie.

She asked, "Will you be back?", to see if he had changed his mind.

"I do not know."

A few seconds after answering Adams disappeared.

Leslie and I continued to stare at his chair. We didn't move. He didn't reappear.

Leslie turned to me and asked,"Can you stay?"

"Yes."

THE END 

(or just abandoned?)

Abandonment was the fate of many, maybe most, streetcar and various types of electrified interurban light rail systems in Canada and the US in the 20th century. Basically, the onslaught of the automobile and sharp business practices did them in. It'll be interesting to see what happens to the various streetcar revivals that are happening in several cities. Things aren't looking good for Ottawa's new light rail system, what with the ongoing provincial inquiry and all. As this article in The Narwhal  states, "It's becoming a running joke in Canada's capital city: come rain or snow, the Ottawa Light Rail Transit (LRT) system won't run smoothly  - or at all." (A good summary of all the Ottawa LRT's woes are presented in this TVO article, Ottawa's colossal LRT debacle: A brief-ish history). As I've written before, the Ottawa LRT is basically a streetcar system in disguise, so maybe abandonment or a 21st century equivalent is in its future too .

This mini-series was called Abandonment as that's what I had felt I was about to do with the bigger series and its characters. Maybe they've run their course, maybe not, and if not, they need to seek new horizons. The series abandons Adams and the OSI, but if anything is in store for Ed and Leslie, well, time will tell. I don't believe that simply mailing incriminating documents to a high placed ally in an organization like the OSI could solve much of anything in the real world, so Ed and Leslie could still be entangled with OSI if they so choose. I don't think they will, but as I said, only time will tell.

P.S.: If by some odd chance you dropped in here out of the blue and are wondering what the heck is going on, you can find part 1 to Abandonment here.

Abandonment - Part 9

Still groggy from last night? Can't remember why you're wearing pink rubber gloves? Friend, you need to review the last instalment. Now that you know why, let's dig in:

I heard ringing. Loud, nasty, incessant ringing.

It was the phone.

I stumbled off the couch and over to the telephone table. I picked up the receiver with my still pink gloved left hand.

"Hello?"

"Hello." It was Leslie. "How are you this morning?"

"I'm ok thanks. My head was aching a little, so I took one of those prescriptions I picked up on my way home. They pack quite a punch. Hang on. I need to open a window."

I carried the phone over to the window and set it on the floor while I pushed up the sash. City noises rushed in, but so did a refreshing breeze. I took a few deep breaths and started to feel better. I sat on the floor under the window and picked up the receiver.

"Adams was here last night."

"He was?"

"He told me the papers are blank because they're printed with invisible ink."

"Invisible ink? You've got to be kidding."

"That's what I said."

"Is it true?"

"He said if I took a page and held it over a hot light bulb I'd see some faint printing. I haven't tried it yet. I just woke up. Hang on. I'm going to stand in front of the window so the breeze blows over me."

"Are you dressed?"

"Yes, I fell asleep in my clothes."

I struggled up and stood facing the open window. Full breeze contact was great. The view, not so much. A faded blue Austin ElectraBeam with its ragtop duct taped down was parked on the street below. Adams was in the passenger seat. 

He waved to me. I waved back.

I glanced over to the couch. Maybe he was coming back. He wasn't there. I looked back at the Austin. He wasn't there either now.

"Hello, Ed, are you there?" I didn't realize I hadn't said anything for awhile."Ed?"

"I'm here. Markie's Austin is parked outside. For a second there I thought I saw Adams in the passenger seat. He's gone now." I glanced back at the couch, and then back to the window just to make sure.

Leslie sounded concerned and said, "That car can't be a coincidence. Maybe you should get away. Can you come over to my place? But, mail those papers first. You need to get rid of them."

"Ok. I'll need to buy a new envelope because our finger prints are all over this one." I glanced over at the kitchen table. The envelope and papers were right where I left them last night. The papers were probably ok, but the envelope was likely covered with our prints. 

"Get changed too."

She was right. Yesterday's clothes that I'd slept in, accessorized with pink rubber gloves, didn't make for a fetching ensemble.

"Ok, I'll see you later."

Part 10, the final instalment, can be found here.

Build your own Loonar Module!

The Loonar Module took me 10 months to build, but now you can make your own in a matter of minutes by following these 6 easy steps:

1. Download

2. Print

3. Cut

4. Score

5. Fold

6. Glue

Voila!

Loony Cube: Exact scale model of Loonar Module

Abandonment - Part 8

Blank stares. Blank slate. Blankety-blank! In our last episode it turned out all those files that Adams asked Ed to get were blank. If you've been up all night waiting to find out why, wait no more! Go get some coffee, then let me fill you in:

It was still light when we got back downtown. I asked Leslie if she wanted to come to my place for dinner and a talk. She said no and caught a streetcar out to the west end. Just as well, my head was starting to ache. I figured I should take some of those meds the doctor prescribed and get some rest. I didn't want to risk a brain blow-out.

After Jess and I divorced I had a little money left over for an apartment, so I moved out of the suburbs to get away from my old life. My place was small, but at least it was mine.

When I got in I plopped the envelope on the kitchen table, got a glass of water, sat at the table, and washed down two pills. Arrrrgh. I got up and rummaged around under the kitchen sink looking for some rubber gloves. I didn't want my fingerprints on the papers. I found them.

I sat back down at the table with my hands suitably ensconced in pink rubber, opened the envelope, and spread out the papers. I looked at each in detail hoping to find something. They were blanker than blank. 

I could feel my eye lids drooping. The meds were starting to kick-in. I went over to the couch to lie down. I couldn't fully stretch out because Adams was sitting at one end.

I babbled as I adjusted my head on a throw pillow, "They're blank. I found blank pieces of paper for you. I could have made life easy on myself and just bought some at a store."

"They are not blank."

"I know, you're dead, and your eyes don't work like they used to, but trust me, they're blank."

"They are not blank. They are written in invisible ink."

"Oh brother! Invisible ink? Is this some Hardy Boys meets Nancy Drew meets Encyclopedia Brown afterlife prank you're playing on me?" I could barely stay awake and was in no mood for jokes.

"I photographed the originals and printed the copies with invisible dyes. I never stole documents from government files. I am not disloyal. I just photographed them. Hold one of the pages over a light and the heat will make the image faintly visible. Mail the papers to Douglas. He will know what to do."

Not disloyal? Invisible ink? Where're the negatives? Scarboro streetcar layout? My head was spinning. I had to lie down and sleep. I kicked at Adams to get him out of the way. He didn't feel anything because he was gone.

Part 9 is here.

That's all the canoes they gave me

Abandonment - Part 7

In our last episode Leslie and Ed's pleasant streetcar ride to Scarboro was interrupted by Adams' ghost deciding to come along for the ride. Luckily they arrived at their destination without an ectoplasmic incident. Dim the lights as we watch Ed and Leslie visit with Markie.

I rang the door bell. 

A dog barked somewhere deep within the house. It was a modest post-war brick bungalow faced with cut stone. A ratty outer aluminum screen-door protected a beautiful inner wooden front door. The mailbox was stuffed with flyers. A hockey stick was leaning against the shrubs. There was an old faded blue Austin ElectraBeam with a torn ragtop parked in the driveway.

I heard some shuffling feet and the barking got nearer. 

The wooden door swung open. A tiny dog jumped up and down behind the aluminum screen-door and barked its lungs out. A woman tried to shoo the dog away. 

"Quiet Samson!"

Samson quieted, gave me a menacing glare, and then scuttled off into the house. The woman unlatched the screen-door and opened it a crack to better hear what I had to say.

"Hello Ms. Lawrence. I'm Ed Bryce. I called earlier. I think your cousin might have called about me."

The woman smiled and said brightly, "I'm Markie. Please come in."

Markie opened the screen-door and motioned me inside. I entered and mumbled a thanks.

"Your friend can come in too." Markie waved at Leslie who was admiring the ElectraBeam.

Leslie thought it was better if she stayed outside in case something went wrong. No point having both of us in a pickle if Markie Lawrence turned out to be a garden variety psychopath. She could get help if Markie decided to stretch me out on a rack or something.

Leslie waved back to us, and I said, "She's ok."

"Ok. The genealogy files are in the basement. Why don't you follow me."

I bent over to take my shoes off and add them to the pile near the door.

"That's ok. Leave 'em on. The basement floor's cold."

She turned and marched off into her house. I followed.

A narrow door lead to some steep, rickety stairs that took us down to the basement. At the bottom Markie pulled a chain and lights came on.

And lo, the light revealed a basement filling model railroad mazed with narrow aisles. It wasn't quite a plywood-plains setup, but it was close. Clearly, operations were its raison d'être. Markie walked through the aisles to a far wall, ducked below the layout, and called, "They're over here!"

I followed the aisle to where Markie was crawling around under the layout. There was a long row of cardboard cartons, some double stacked, pushed up against the basement wall.

"I haven't sorted through these yet."

Markie started to open a box at one end of the row and asked, "What're you looking for?"

"Some sort of file labeled Smith. Can I help you look?" I ducked under the layout and started to open a box at the other end of the row.

"Ok."

We sat on the cold floor, systematically opening boxes and looking for anything Smith. I tried to make casual conversation. Not my forte at the best of times, but the mood of basement's dusty silence and cold floor seemed to need lightening. "Your model railroad's impressive."

"Thanks. It's mainly traction. Mostly Scarboro streetcar routes."

"Nice. Have you seen the big streetcar layout they've got downtown at U of NT ?"

"Yes, a long time ago. A friend told me…" Markie stopped mid-sentence and pulled a brown inter-office envelope out of a box. "Is this it?"

She passed me the envelope. Smith was handprinted in a corner in neat little letters. Although I was dying to open it, I didn't. I didn't want Markie to see its contents and start a discussion. "Yes, that's it." Then I lied and added, "There's supposed to be another. Can we keep looking?"

We did. We crawled along the row of boxes checking each in silence. My attempt at casual conversation had fizzled. 

There were no more Smiths to be found.

We got up, dusted ourselves off, and snaked our way back through the aisle to the stairs. I clutched the Smith envelope. 

Before we climbed the stairs I tried again to be cordial. "Thanks for all your help in finding this." I gave the envelope a little shake.

"No problem. Glad I could help."

We exchanged pleasantries and casual promises to someday get together to run the layout and look at it in more detail, but the tone of the conversation said we'd never meet again.

I was back on the driveway two minutes later.

Leslie was leaning against the car and asked the obvious, "Did you find it?"

I waggled the envelope at her and replied, "Yeap."

We walked down the driveway and headed to the streetcar stop. I offered Leslie the envelope. She opened her shoulder bag, took out a pair of elegant driving gloves, and put them on. She then took the envelope, unwound the looped string keeping it closed, and slid out a sheaf of papers. She examined them with a deepening frown.

"They're all blank."

Part 8 is here.