This is a favorite photo from a long-time history as an automobile journalist. I'm including it here because many of my fellow old car enthusiasts share an appreciation of classic railway trains, especially when pulled by steam engines.
The photo was taken in 1961. The Porsche 356B coupe was serving a dual purpose as family transportation during the week and race car on weekends. The train was a steam-enthusiast excursion operated by Canadian National Railways, pulled by a magnificent 4-8-4 Northern not long before being retired to a Quebec museum.
When this event occurred my wife and I were living in the Toronto suburb of Scarborough, Ontario, near the mainline tracks between Toronto and Montreal. I was employed as assistant public relations manager of Volkswagen/Porsche Canada during a period when Porsche could not sustain a marketing presence without such help. I had always loved trains, and in particular steam engines, so when Maggie and learned, with just minutes to spare, that a CN 6100-series would be passing nearby, we jumped into the coupe and moments later parked trackside. No time to line up the perfect shot but how often, I wondered, would a German Porsche be posed with a fast Canadian engine from the steam era?
Incidentally that very engine often pulled CN's International Limited, a daily train connecting Toronto and Chicago, two cities of great similarity. Allowing for border delays and connections, it was then regarded as the fastest scheduled train in North America. Considering Porsche's reputation for speed, they make suitable companions, don't you think?
This would be a fantastic print or desktop wallpaper. Can we get a higher-res version? Great shot…I should try and do something the next time the Royal Hudson steams up here in Squamish, BC.
July 20, 2009 @ 11:44 am