Volume 13 Number 4 March 9, 1983

There is a gleam in Cameron King's eye and excitement in his voice when he talks about his paintings, like the finely-detailed view of CP's G2 "The Pacific" (OKthePK Joint Bar Editor:  Is the writer referring to the 1886-1911 "Pacific Express" or the 4-6-2 "Pacific" type locomotive?) coming into Perth-Andover or the equally impressive CP 5934 thundering through the rookies.

His other favorites include D4s and D1Os. "They were little tea kettles, not particularly beautiful, but they would work like the very devil," he said.

A civil engineering graduate from the University of New Brunswick, Cameron joined CP Rail in March, 1946, and worked for the Chief Engineer's Office at Windsor Station.

He retired 29 years later as senior engineer for special track work on the system and moved to the quieter surroundings of Fredericton, New Brunswick.

His retirement, however, was short lived as Cameron joined the province's department of natural resources. He retired from there in 1980 and has embarked on a new career, art.

"Sometimes my wife wonders when I'm really going to retire," Cameron said with a chuckle. "But I've always had an interest in art for as far back as I can remember."

Cameron has taken part in a number of mixed art shows and has had four or five solo exhibitions in the past three years. He is also a member of the Fredericton Society of Artists.

The striking detail of his locomotives is what sets his work apart. "I create a perspective that I want, sometimes I use a background I know, or create one based on what I know," he adds.

"Steam locomotives have always been an interest to me.

Cameron has also done a series of side-elevations of locomotives which are painstakingly detailed. Painting them requires the study of engineering drawings and countless documents and pictures to ensure the equipment is authentically portrayed.

"The elevations are as authentic as they can possibly be," he said, adding 30 of the drawings are complete and two others are on the drawing board.

"I'm keeping these as a collection in the hope a museum will be interested in buying them as a set," he said.