Item AAAB4226 - Reid Johnston interview

SUPPLIED TITLE OF TAPE(S): Railroading in B.C. : Reid Johnston RECORDED: [location unknown], 1980-01-23 SUMMARY: TRACK 1: In an interview with Robert Turner, Reid Johnston discusses his memories of railroading: background -- born 1893 in Washington state; spent much of his early life in California; became office boy at Nakusp for the CPR at age 16; after a year, he became a station agent at Halcyon Hot Springs for 8 years; then worked in telegraph agency in Kelowna, then Penticton; becoming a brake man; returning to being dispatcher at a number of different stations; retiring in Summerland; becoming magistrate; became president of CPR pioneers association; describes operation at Nakusp, Hotsprings, Penticton braking experience, job at Nicola, night shift in Merritt; his love of telegraphing; living in a box car at Beaverdell; anecdote about mixed-up caskets in Summerland. TRACK 2: Mr. Johnston discusses: working at Coalmont; disaster at Coalmont after he left were 13 men were killed; working at Summerland -- Japanese community, large amounts of fruit being shipped, mostly handled passenger traffic; he had 1200 employees under his jurisdiction at one point; union politics; jobs in railroading dropped severely in later years; opinion of CPR as employer; later life; sale of property; story of a robbery of a safe in Summerland. (End of interview)