Friday, June 24, 2011 saw the Waterloo Central Railway host the second Steel Rail Sessions. Everything that could roll was pressed into service to provide a series of moving galleries. Every car held another surprise. As Darin White of Makebright put it:
Steel Rails is the coolest homegrown cirque-du-soleil cross-disciplinary surreal mash-up good time going.
General Manager and engineer for the evening Peter McGough and conductor Brian Craus has spent several spotting sessions making up the train. Any time the train was not moving, the event crew descended on the train to install yet another something. Car 15000 ‘Lord Elgin’ was transformed into a performance space on Wednesday, the silent auction work was hung with care on Thursday, the physics experiment was built in Diner 60504 on Friday morning. Everything else was packed aboard Friday after noon, and then the final push was on at 5:00 to load everything else. Meanwhile, the shop crew was busy clearing the decks for the intermission in St. Jacobs.
The first surprise of the evening came from this conversation while volunteers waited to board passengers:
Participant: Can I get out the other side?
Volunteer: We’d prefer if you got out on the platform.
Participant: I think I lost my snake out the other side. Can we go look for him?
Volunteer: Snake??
When the train arrived back in Waterloo, burlesque dancers greeted disembarking passengers with cotton candy, popcorn and donuts. Ostrich feathers and sequins abounded.
The best recap came from RQ Magazine, the main sponsors, hosts and creative drive behind the event.
With thanks to the volunteer crew who made it possible:
Neal Moogk-Soulis, On Board Service Manager and Steel Rail Liaison
Peter McGough, Engineer
Brian Craus, Conductor, Trainman and Jack of all trades
Ron Manske, On Board Safety
Bruce Storer, On Board Safety
Thomas Storer, On Board Safety
Jesse McLaughlin, On Board Safety and Videographer
Chris Walker, On Board Safety
Danny Allen, On Board Safety
Victor Menhennet, On Board Safety
Barbara Erdman, On Board Safety
Don Broadbear, Shop Crew
Roy Broadbear, Shop Crew
