Ted Rafuse has held an interest in railways for many years. At the age of five an uncle began to send Christmas presents of Lionel model trains and equipment. As he grew older he learned that a deceased grandfather had been roundhouse foreman at Point Tupper, Nova Scotia and this knowledge led to family research into the realm of real railroading. As an adult, he graduated from Bishop's University with an honours degree in history and commenced teaching history in Cobourg. With several colleagues a local history course was developed and he discovered then the rich local railway history of the area.

A chance visit to a colleague's home opened the realm of HO model railroading to Ted and he quickly became enchanted and enthused about this hobby. Several learning layouts were developed but none were fulfilling. Discussing this with his model railroading buddies, he decided to tear out what was and model a historical, but long abandoned, local railway. While at work on his version of the Cobourg & Peterborough Railway set in the early to mid 20th century, he sought information about the railway car ferries that crossed Lake Ontario in the early part of that century. A connection with his model C&PRy and the historical Ontario Car Ferry Company ferries he reasoned would make for an interesting model scene.

At this point modelling and researching fused. Quickly he learned that there were few local historical resources available to aid in the knowledge of the car ferry service that had once existed from Cobourg. Undeterred Ted travelled to the National Archives in Ottawa where he discovered the corporate records of the Ontario Car Ferry Company. Perusing a pay list he recognized the names of local men who had once worked on the boats. Contacting them and listening to their experiences on board led to the thought of writing an article and submitting it to CNLines, a periodical whose focus is Canadian National Railways and its predecessors lines. Once that was completed Ted believed there was more to be told. The final story in the saga was the inspiration to write and publish a book on the subject. Coal to Canada: A History of the Ontario Car Ferry Company became his personal millenium project and was published in March 2000. Further information on this book can be found elsewhere on this site.

Ted continued his interest in research and writing local railway history and several years later, early in 2005, published Wooden Cars on Steel Rails: A History of the Crossen Car Companies of Cobourg, Ontario. This volume continues his research into local railway history and chronicles the history of Canada's largest independent manufacturer of wooden railway passenger and freight cars during the period 1867 through 1915. Further information on this book can be found elsewhere on this site.

Also published in 2005 A Railway to the Isle: A History of the Strait of Canso Railway Car Ferries 1890-1955 relates the history of the railway ferry service between the mainland of Nova Scotia and Cape Breton Island. As a youngster visiting his grandmother in Port Hawkesbury in the 1950s Ted witnessed the operation of the Scotia I and Scotia II from the hill above the Point Tupper railway yard as well as the construction of the Causeway from the hill above Port Hastings. When the Canso Causeway was opened in 1955 it created a permanent land link eliminating the need for the railway ferry service. This book is a history of the Canso railway car ferry service. Further information on this book can be found elsewhere on this site.

Meanwhile on the modelling front progress continued on the Cobourg & Peterboro' Railway home HO layout. Two towns, Summit and Keene are essentially complete. Work continues at the communities of Cobourg, Harwood and Peterboro. At Cobourg, the harbour area is complete save for a partial mockup of the ferry. Modelling ships is a different form of modelling from railway models! Nonetheless the mock-up provides interesting railway challenges to layout operators. Peterborough and Harwood have some of their terrain and buildings modelled but they remain largely incomplete.

Two other modelling projects are currently underway. A portable 4 by 6 foot layout depicting the Cobourg & Peterborough Railway bridge across Rice Lake in the 1850s on one side and the Cobourg Peterborough & Marmora Railway & Mining Company ore loading trestle at Cobourg harbour in the early 1880s will be featured on the opposite side. A second project will involve constructing a 2 x 8 foot HO model layout in a desk for one of the grandsons.

The Canadian Association of Model Railroaders also provides an opportunity for a writing focus. For their journal, The Canadian, Ted created a series of articles, with illustrations, highlighting the writings of other Canadian Railway history authors. The same journal featuring a number of his layout articles spotlighting the modelling talents of others. Future contributions are in the works for this journal and others. Canadian Railway Modeller has printed several articles featuring Ted's work in issues printed in 2005. Ted contributes to CNLines as an assistant editor and occasional article contributor. CP Tracks has printed material written by Ted as well. All of these organizations will welcome material submitted by others interested in facets of Canadian railway history or modelling. Contact the editor of the magazine concerned.

Click here for other writing by Ted Refuse