Both my great grandfather the first Bill Duncan, and grandfather, the second Bill Duncan both worked for the railroads in southern Ontario.
My great grandfather (the first Bill Duncan) was a conductor with the Pere Marquette. He ran trains down the former Canada Southern route which ran years ago through downtown Welland. He worked until around 1946 and later passed away a few years later in 1950 or 1951. My dad said he used to also work for the TH&B. As noted on his card shown below, he must have also been a signal maintainer.
My grandfather was William George Duncan. He also went by the name Bill. He worked in a section gang for both the New York Central and CN, back in the 1930's and 1940's.
My grandfather worked for CN in the 1930's out of St. Thomas, Ontario. He travel the CN Cayuga Subdivision repairing track to such places as Moulton Station.
He began teaching in Ingersoll. He then decided to move with my grandmother Helen. They settled down in the Niagara Region in Fenwick for less than a year and then relocated to Welland.
At the time, the tern 'Niagara Region' didn't exist in the early 1940's. It was known as just Welland County. It wasn't until I believe 1971 when the Niagara Region was created from several counties in the immediate area.
Around 1945, my grandfather began to work occasionally for the New York Central office at the King Street location as a track worker with the MOW.
He worked with them for little over a year as I heard, because he was well into teaching at Welland High and Vocational, as a math teacher. He retired in 1976 with 37 years of teaching experience.
In 1995 he passed away at the age of 84 after a heart attack.
If by chance, you live in the Niagara Region and know of a Bill Duncan, you probably have the wrong Bill! There used to be two of them who worked for the railway. I believe I met the other one years ago who used to work for CP Rail out of Welland yard in Wainfleet, ON.
Here are some photographs from 'way back when'....
On my own, I have located the place of origin of each photo in the second table. I received these photos after the death of my grandfather. The last two photos in the second row are taken just west of where Prince Charles Drive was later built. The left one may have been taken east of WX Tower, near the present Canal bypass. Not quite sure though.
The other two I just mentioned are of the TH&B Jct. area west of Bridge 15. That is the East Main St. bridge in Welland. The other one is a few feet west in the same location.
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 (1909) |
 (1930's) |
 (1931) |
 (1935) |
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 (1945) |
 (1945) |
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