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     Paul Tomkowicz: Street Railway Switchman is a remarkable 1953 NFB short that documents the work of Paul Tomkowicz, a Polish immigrant to Winnipeg who worked as a street railway switchman for 23 years. Paul's main job was to keep the rails and switches of Winnipeg's streetcar system clear, and in the winter that meant sweeping them clear of ice and snow! It's narrated by Paul Tomkowicz himself, and it has some wonderful views of Winnipeg and its streetcar system in the early 50's.

    Be sure to watch the nine minute film to the very end, when he has a typical 1950's North End breakfast in a North End diner, which consists of six hard boiled eggs, a pile of sausages and a stack of rye bread!

   To view this video, click here.

 
    Railroaders is a 22 minute documentary about winter railroading in the Canadian Rockies, and the men who keep the lines clear. The film focuses on the stretch of the CP line between Revelstoke and Field, British Columbia, which is a snow-choked threat to communications. The film shows the work of section hands, maintenance men, train crews and telegraph operators. For diesel lovers, this 1958 film has some great shots of classic CP F units and rolling stock, plus some nostalgic views of life and work in small Canadian mountain towns like Revelstoke from over 50 years ago.

   To view this film,  go to https://www.nfb.ca/film/railroaders

   WMRC Vice President Dave Downie found another great NFB video! This one is titled Trans Canada Express, and it documents the important contributions Canada's railways made for the war effort during World War 2.

   The 1944 film also gives us a brief history of the making of the Canadian Pacific rail line through the Rockies (complete with a poem), some classic clips from Buster Keaton's "The General", and a rousing finale that takes us from coast to coast (complete with a song)!

   Best of all, this 19 minute video gives us some great views of railroading in the 1940's when steam was king, and some breathtaking views of Canada's scenery (albeit in black and white). To view Trans Canada Express, click here.

   Another film that WMRC Vice President Dave Downie found in the NFB archives was Railroad Town, a 29 minute documentary about life in Melville, Saskatchewan in 1956, when railroad was king.

   As most prairie rail fans know, Melville is still very much a railroad town. It's right on the CN mainline, and they even has their own railway museum to celebrate that heritage. But as busy as it is today, it's nothing compared to the activity of almost 60 years ago! Best of all, there's steam, steam and more steam!

    The documentary is narrated by the CBC's Fred Davis, host of  Front Page Challenge, who visited various railway workers and learned all about the operation of one of the most vital stations on the CN mainline which kept all of their trains running smoothly.

    To see this remarkable film, go to: https://www.nfb.ca/film/railroad_town