He was workin’ on the railroad

“British Columbia’s Gentle Cycle” [Aug. 24], your article about the Kettle Valley Railroad, brought back memories from 1957. I, as a newly married English immigrant to Canada, worked in the division engineer’s office in the division headquarters in Penticton and traveled throughout the division.

One of my duties took me to the many timber trestles spanning Myra Canyon and adjacent canyons during the summer of 1958. We were rebuilding the trestles, piece by piece, [so] that we did not interfere with the running of the trains -- a difficult and enjoyable job.

In those days, before the environmental concerns, the heavy timbers that were replaced by the new timbers were just dropped into the canyons. One could see a huge pile of timbers accumulated beneath each bridge, as the trestles were rebuilt every 10 or 12 years.

The mosquitoes were fierce at night when we tried to sleep in the work trains.

Unfortunately, the division was closed by the Canadian Pacific Railway a few years after I left Penticton. But luckily the heritage they have left is commemorated by the conversion of the railway right-of-way to trails for the enjoyment of all who wish to use them.

Peter Ball

Oak View