For my assignment, I chose to interview my STREAM Teacher, Mr. Mietzker.

I chose Mietzker because me & him both share a hobby of trains.

We both adopted this hobby in a similar way, “there were a lot of trains in Ontario,” he told me.

I adopted the interest because of the nearby set of tracks. (CP Cascade Subdivision & Yard) Which is similar to how he adopted the hobby.

We both operate model trains. He uses N Scale (1:160) while I use HO Scale (1:87)

His favourite Locomotive is the GMD SD40-2, a classic workhorse for CP.

For this assignment, I asked him the following questions:

 

• Can you explain your roles and responsibilities with your current position?

 

• What obstacles have you faced to get you where you are today?

 

• What advice would you pass on to someone interested in what you are doing?

 

• Why are you passionate about your job or role?

 

• What are your opinions on Canadian Pacific acquiring Kansas City Southern?

 

• What is a trackside spot that you would recommend to myself & other Railfans?

Here was his answer in quote:

“Hi Aiden,

 

My role as a teacher is very complex, I am very much a parent to my students. I have to teach a subject, I need to ensure students are safe, and I need to be able to council students.

 

The obstacles of becoming a teacher are training and experience. To be a technology teacher you need to be able actually do the job in the real world, this means you need to attend a college or university and complete a program. Then you need to complete a teaching degree. Cost, time and successfully completing each are the difficulties.

 

If you plan on being a teacher I highly recommend complete a degree or diploma program in a field you think you would like, work in that field for a couple of years to get a real feel for it. Then go back to school to become the teacher.

 

When I was a cabinet maker/boat builder I was training apprentices on how we do things. I like the teaching part because its not doing the same thing every day, the content changes over your semester. I can also change many assignments to explore different subjects.

 

I find that all the acquisitions by large companies concerning, but at the same time I see benefits to streamlining transportation routes for supplies. At some point the US firms will push back. I do know that I have seen plenty of KC freight in the local yard on CN or CP manifests over the years, this indicates a working relationship with KCS by CP and CN.

 

Trackside viewing would depend on your overall goal, if you wish to see various freight cars then setting up by the cp container yard at kennedy rd is good or at the Harris rd west coast exp station. You will see everything going in or out of the yards. For locomotives only, the bridge crossing cp yard. If you want to add BNSF, set up somewhere in New Westminster. A view of the rail bridge in New west over the Fraser will include BNSF, CP, CN, Surrey line, UP, Via, Amtrak and anything else connected with these rails.  Somewhere near the Brunette BNSF station would also work, as CP and CN share track there. Just depends on how close you need to be. Walking on front street or parking there is sketchy, so you may need to be higher up on Columbia. Tougher for close ups.”

I would definitely agree with him saying that “trackside viewing would depend on your overall goal” as the trains you get will depend on where you set up, i.e., Speed limits, nearby yards, junctions, & more.

 

 

Visuals: