A Railcar with a Different Purpose

A RAIL CAR with a DIFFERENT PURPOSE:

BACKGROUND: This photo is of my loving, creative, capable Father, Norman Arthur Elliott (born in British Columbia and has since passed)

Father was from a dysfunctional family and found solace in his sailing endeavours on board his sailboat, *Melodie.  This photo was taken the month before he joined the War II effort and served his country in Great Britain.

He returned to Canada with his bride, Frances Evelyn (Bent) Faulkenham of the Annapolis Valley and  within days of their return to their homeland, they began to build the "family home" in Bridgewater, Nova Scotia.

NORMAN  ARTHUR  ELLIOTT'S  INGENUITY (from the mind of a true genius)
For those who recall the mid 1950's, the subjects of the "Cold War" and the "Bay of Pigs" seemed to be the substance of all news reports.  During the week it was never mentioned in our home however I sensed it presented as a dark cloud always looming.

My Dad worked as a manufacturer's agent and was away from the home setting throughout the work-week days.  When Dad was at home,  it was obvious the looming cloud had caught his eye and had gave a lot of thought to these two matters.

"NORM HAD A PLAN" - words of his dear friend, Alex.

     Father was looking into submerging an empty rail car in the back of the property of the family home.  It would serve to provide safety and shelter (a "fallout" shelter) for his family should warfare activities - nuclear or other.  His plans were to remove wheels and the undercarriage of a rail car.  His first task was to ensure he had enough space for such a,  never to been seen, endeavour. 

     I so recall his pages of blueprint-style sketches of the adaptions within the rail car.  After inspecting a chosen rail car  with an individual well informed on the proprieties of the shelter's potential mainframe,  the rail car choice would become Dad's focus.

     Dad's third step was to consult with a person (who we would now label as an environmental engineer) to determine the effects on the property and community.  The need for additional room became quite evident and Father, with suggestions from those who had become mentors --- the family home property became another 10 yards wide.  This purchase caused many neighbourhood families to scratch their heads as to what Norm / Dad was up to.  Dad had wanted to keep his plans as private as he could -- that was until the rail car would be placed in this gigantic hole....so much for our croquet games and/or the dream of a swimming pool.

     Father had experienced his first heart attack just one-year prior to this project which was yet another reason to keep the project under the carpet.  Curious visitors would be wearing .and distracting.

     Dad did share his project with his very dear friend Alex and together they spent hours, many hours discussing the options of necessities.

     He set his priorities and the first (in random order) were light, water, sewage,  heat,  food, body requirements of minerals, trace minerals, communication, first aid issues and much more.

He researched what was available in the form of dehydrated foods and ended up with plans to dehydrate and store his own.  I recall the blueprints of the dehydrator - very small - not much bigger than two microwaves stacked on top of one another.  He was insistent that the wood shavings be cherry, maple or apple wood.  He started by drying salmon, beef,  fruit, etc.

I don't recall what his plans for light were however his heating plans were a bit before his time (or so I thought).  He had planned to dig a small deep (very deep) whole in the ground and use heat from the earth's core.

On a personal level, I was in character  as being the anxiety queen - driven by the reason for Dad's  activity in providing a shelter.  I would go to bed every night and before I would allow myself sleep I would - in my head - list my worries and try and get them into perspective.  The rail car was on the hot top for about 1  1/2 years. 

Moving on:  When I heard that Kennedy had been assassinated I was sure that that event would give us reason to take to the underground rail car.

In the Moment:  Unfortunately the stacks of blue-prints that Dad had made did not surface when the family home was sold.  Blueprnts and large parchment documents were kept in a large flat stack of drawers under a stairwell and I suspect someone just thought they were too old -- deteriorating pages of newsprint and parchment.

Yes, My Dad was an amazing man !! a man of many mysteries, gifts and talents.

....... Nightingale  (please excuse spelling and grammar errors - author is visually impaired)

* It is of no coincidence that one of Dad's twin daughters was named Melodie....Dad's sailboat, Melodie,  was the love of his early adult years and my twin Melodie was also a love of Dad's deepest heart as he moved into the role of Fatherhood.  There is no question that they had a bond of a humble difference.