March 5, 2021
Hi HAHCLUB FOLKS
Yes we are still out here hunkered down trying to behave and waiting to get back to doing what we love to do so much. Create and fix our antiques. Meanwhile things are still happening . Yes this is some good news. President Earl has just received a donation for the AMC.
Complete set service manuals for all makes from beginning to 1970s tractors.
Available for lending to those that need some help in repairing old tractors.This is pretty neat as most of us would like to have some help.
One of our friends, sent me this article that I thought some of you might find interesting.
From Keith Jones keithjones1@sympatico.ca
Whitney and Opeongo Railway
Barry: I’m not a member of your club but I do get your news letters and notices and follow your club activities closely. I don’t have the restoration skills and knowledge of some of your members but I enjoy seeing, via your photos, the new life your members give to old farm items. I grew up on a farm. My only tangible connection remains that John Deere 212 garden tractor that I am “picking “ away at in restoring it at my home in Oshawa. It’s the closest thing I could get to having a tractor that would fit into our Oshawa urban location.
But I think you will find the information behind the photo of considerable interest. For close to 30 years a group of us have been booking two sessions in Algonquin Park each winter. We stay in the yurts at Mew Lake Algonquin Park and ski the wonderful Algonquin trails and snow shoe the back country portages. We are all retired and our oldest participant is 93…see photo.
So here’s the kicker…..Old John, age 90 when that photo was taken is standing on the old railway right of way of the Whitney-Opeongo railway. This was a railway line that ran approximately 22 km’s between Whitney and Lake Opeongo and was dedicated strictly to forest harvesting activities . One of the owners of this short line railway was a Mr. Tudhope . Tudhope was an MPP from Orillia and after whom Tudhope Park in Orillia is named and where the annual Mariposa Folk Festival is held. Mr Tudhope owned a foundry in Orillia and this foundry made toys and FARM MACHINERY! You likely know that there is an abundance of old cast iron TUDHOPE ANDERSON farm implements throughout our farm communities. So when our group made its annual journey to Algonquin two years ago I wanted to find this old railway line . Old buddy John was keen. So he and I snowshoed in on a long portage to Little McCauley Lake in the east end of the park amd found the old and now grown over railway line so there stands old buddy John on that historic railway line . And that line, as I previously mentioned, has a connection to an old farm machinery company. My stated historic details may need some minor “adjustments” in detail given that I’m relaying details strictly from memory. But a quick Google search would correct any minor details. Incredible who so many things are interconnected.
Keith Jones
Oshawa
Cell. 613 474 2719
Old John, age 90
Tudhope-Anderson Company | MyCompanies Wiki | Fandom
https://mycompanies.fandom.com/wiki/Tudhope-Anderson_Company
Whitney and Opeongo Railway – Wikipedia
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Whitney_and_Opeongo_Railway
Last bit of good news is!!!!
We are planning to hold our fall OPEN HOUSE, September 25.
OK OK, we are hoping that we can hold this, but we are watching our health regulations and Vaccination process.
As I always say. “With out a plan you cannot screw any thing up”. So we got a plan. Keep your fingers crossed.
Till then, stay healthy and happy. We will see you all soon.
The Bare