Norseman on Railway Tracks

[Antique Pilot]

Here is an OCA Norseman at the OCA maintenance base at Redditt Ont in the mid 1960's after going off the runway. The runway was parallel to the CPR main line tracks. Bill Tonita is in the dark jacket with his back to the camera. on his right is Jim Cousineau.

[Liquid Charlie]

Those were the days my friend -- I might just take a drive to Reddit -- I'm sure it has changed somewhat --

[Antique Pilot]

I flew by Redditt last August on my way to CYXL for my annual visit to AO on Abram Lake. Redditt still looks the same. Some derelict airplanes laying around. The roundhouse is still there.
AP

[tcraft]

Legion is still there!

[NWONT]

There's got to be a story behind this picture. In my years with OCA I never saw a Norseman fly on wheels. There were no runways up north, only Big Trout and Sandy as I recall and not economical for a Norseman to go there. We put the wheels on at changeover time to push the planes around on the ground. I see no paint chips, dirt or grease on the plane. The only time a Norseman prop stops throwing grease is when it needs greasing. I'm thinking it just came out of the paint shop area of the hanger/roundhouse. I see every one is wearing light jackets and there is no snow on the ground yet the plane has a winter front and winter stack. So I'm thinking it got some heavy maintenance and is getting ready to go on skis for the winter. Did someone try to taxi it, the brakes probably weren't connected so couldn't steer and ran onto the tracks? Don't know....just me talking again.

[Liquid Charlie]

Damn -- I'll be showing my age here -- -- in the spring they would put the wheels on in Red Lake and wrap a chain around the tail ski and we would take off on the ice and land in Redditt -- by the time I did it the standing rule was to fly both directions of the tracks to check for trains -- then land -- the maintenance crew would be standing on each side of the runway about the place where they figured the tail would stop flying -- no breaks so the idea was the chain on the tail ski would slow you down somewhat -- the crew would grab the struts and one guy would jump on the tail flying wires and steer the airplane with his feet on the ski -- stand nordyne procedure -- haha -- same for the rest as well -- 180-185 and beaver -- then we went to the legion and after that in Kenora to hide from Barney and Rex and party until either loaded on an airplane or escorted to the bus -- lmfaoooooooo


PS there was more than one trip across the tracks but no damage or injury ever done ----

[NWONT]

Well I've seen planes that flew off the ice all winter and they sure don't look like that one. Sure looks like a freshly painted airplane to me.

[Antique Pilot]

Damn -- I'll be showing my age here -- -- in the spring they would put the wheels on in Red Lake and wrap a chain around the tail ski and we would take off on the ice and land in Redditt -- by the time I did it the standing rule was to fly both directions of the tracks to check for trains -- then land -- the maintenance crew would be standing on each side of the runway about the place where they figured the tail would stop flying -- no breaks so the idea was the chain on the tail ski would slow you down somewhat -- the crew would grab the struts and one guy would jump on the tail flying wires and steer the airplane with his feet on the ski -- stand nordyne procedure -- haha -- same for the rest as well -- 180-185 and beaver -- then we went to the legion and after that in Kenora to hide from Barney and Rex and party until either loaded on an airplane or escorted to the bus -- lmfaoooooooo


PS there was more than one trip across the tracks but no damage or injury ever done ----

LC,

Thanks for that colorful explanation! I was sure it was in the spring when there was still ice at Red Lake and the aircraft were put on wheels to be ferried to Redditt. There is some question about the identity of the gentleman on the extreme right of the photo. LG says it is not Jim Cousineau. But he does say it was CF-BHU on the tracks.

AP

[Liquid Charlie]

It's hard to tell -- that would have been a cpl years before my time with OCA -- but wheel departure in the spring off red was standard - there would be no snow on the runway in redditt by that time -- cinders suck up the heat -- and you could never get off corn lake if you landed on skis - it would be rotten anyway by the time we pulled out of red --

Well I've seen planes that flew off the ice all winter and they sure don't look like that one. Sure looks like a freshly painted airplane to me.

In those days the planes were kept pretty clean - even the red lake based ones -- -- that was BG days -- before Gimli --

[NWONT]

Weeellll, if you say so. I worked on the ice in Red Lake and Pickle lake....a lot.........never....ever saw one shine like that after a winter......maybe I just wasn't that much into hygene.......just me talking again.........

[tcraft]

Liquid Charlie`s right, skis off ,wheels on ,no brakes. I once saw Wings Aviation`s Otter (HKA?) flown by Clyde Coons land from the west ,instead of hitting the tracks, ground looped to the north and hit a parked Dornier DO 28.

[NWONT]

I'm not suggesting it wasn't done but that one is so pristine after a winters work. Here's a picture of one in Pickle Lake in 1976

[NWONT]

Went to Redditt today. Just a ghost area. Most of the roundhouse is gone. Many old cowls, engine parts, etc laying around and in sheds. Poked my head in the old parts dept, very dark and damp. Didn't have a flashlight but could see all the little cardboard AN stock boxes still lined up on the shelves. There sure was an eeriness about the place.

[NWONT]

Back wall of the round house

[NWONT]

This is where memories are made. For those who don't know, Whitey Hostetler passed away at the age of 94. Very prominent engineer in this area. Memorial will be at the Red Lake Legion on June 2.

[Skidoo62]

First time posting lots of history there. In the middle of changing my airplane over to floats in reddit right now. Just waiting for my prop to come back from getting repitched. My AME still has some work to do but should be ready to go in a week or so.

[Antique Pilot]

Went to Redditt today. Just a ghost area. Most of the roundhouse is gone. Many old cowls, engine parts, etc laying around and in sheds. Poked my head in the old parts dept, very dark and damp. Didn't have a flashlight but could see all the little cardboard AN stock boxes still lined up on the shelves. There sure was an eeriness about the place.

Thanks for those pics. Is the runway still useable?

AP

[NWONT]

Didn't really look it over AP, lot's of old cars and junk around. Skidoo, saw your plane there. Think I did some work on that one in Gimli about 40 years ago. Think it was owned by a Kenora Lawyer back then who did some work for Barney. If my memory serves me right he bought a C185 from Barney, C-FPEG. I see it sitting at Kuby's. I flew it about back then. It had a smaller engine, 265hp I think

[NWONT]

This is the runway facing east. I think it's usable. Think there's lot's of room between the nose of this fine bird and the rails.

[tcraft]

AAh the Redditt Legion. Quite a few aircraft got flown in there. Sometimes you can still find Ken Race in there.

[R2800]

I worked in Redditt when Rollie operated an AMO there Redditt Aviation. Rebuilding B-18's mostly and looking out to a bunch of A/C for operators with fish camps. Is there anybody working out of the hanger out there now? Learned alot there, it was either sink or swim. Rollie was good to me and we had a lot of fun working our asses off. Rollie still around?

[oldtimer]

I was sent to Kenora in 1968 or 9 from Flin Flon with a Norseman to the help Parsons Airways with the moose hunting season. Next door to Parsons was OCA's dock and they had some Norseman docked there so I went to have a peek and those old birds were the most pristine Norsemans I have ever seen. Shined like a new penny.
Isn't KVB the Norseman mounted on a pylon in front of the aviation museum at the old City Center airport on Kingsway Ave in Edmonton.

[Antique Pilot]

I was sent to Kenora in 1968 or 9 from Flin Flon with a Norseman to the help Parsons Airways with the moose hunting season. Next door to Parsons was OCA's dock and they had some Norseman docked there so I went to have a peek and those old birds were the most pristine Norsemans I have ever seen. Shined like a new penny.
Isn't KVB the Norseman mounted on a pylon in front of the aviation museum at the old City Center airport on Kingsway Ave in Edmonton.

KVB was sold by OCA to a new owner in Florida in 1979. This gent then donated it to the USAF Museum in Dayton, Ohio. It is displayed as USAAF-70534 in Alaska Air Transport colours.

The museum at downtown Edmonton have CF-EIH. I don't know if it is displayed outside.

AP