About Me

Hi, and welcome to my site about the Port Arthur, Duluth and Western Railway. I thought I would put this page in to tell you a little about myself and my interest in the PD (or PeeDee) Railway.

My name is Dave Battistel, and I am a history teacher, instructional leader and football coach at St. Patrick High School in Thunder Bay, Ontario . I am also the president of the Silver Mountain and Area Historical Society , an organization committed to preserving the history of the PAD&W among other things.

My particular interest in the railway began in 1990, and really took root in the spring of 1994. After many hundreds of hours spent in libraries and museums researching, or hot sweaty days following the rail line, I have developed quite a fascination with this small railway. This site contains a small amount of information that I have collected over the years. My quest for information has led me to many unique and interesting places; the Archives of Ontario in Toronto, the Cook County Museum in Grand Marais, Minnesota and the wilderness southwest of Thunder Bay . With this vast amount of knowledge I have compiled, I hope to someday publish a book about the railway. Unfortunately, that is sometime away, as my work and schedule do not leave me much time to devote to writing. However, you can read my blog , visit the Facebook page or if you have any questions, you can email here. In the meantime, you can check out the following books:

Thunder Bay to Gunflint

Elinor Barr Thunder Bay Historical Museum Society 1999

Pioneers in the Wilderness

Willis Raff Cook County Historical Society 1981