DSGR's Maintenance of Way Support Team

• Barrie L. Roberts - Chief Engineer of operations

• Katharina Derksen - Gardener extraordinaire

• Dan Ellis - Train Engineer

Barrie L. Roberts - Chief Engineer of Operations

Born in Vancouver, B.C., Canada - Retired from essential civic services with the City of Calgary after thirty years with both the Police and Fire departments, after a near fatal hit and run vehicle accident resulted in the loss of limb. Barrie’s love of carpentry has served him well over the years as an accomplished finishing carpenter, allowing him to build and renovate his own homes.

Having gained a new appreciation for others who have to deal with life challenges with a disability, he is striving to demonstrate for others less fortunate than himself: - that if there is a will - there is also a way! Utilizing the abilities he has acquired from all of his previous involvements in unrelated business ventures he is now committed to dedicating his remaining years to this latest project. - Learning through first hand experience and experimentation - starting over once again at the school of hard knocks. This is the sixth time in grade one!

Katharina Derksen - Gardener extraordinaire

Personal information confidential.

Katharina was born in Siberia, Russia in the early sixties and immigrated to Canada with her husband and young family after a brief term in Germany. First settling in Manitoba for a period prior to coming to Alberta with all her family members, she enjoyed acreage living and had an amazing garden. She has a strong will and determination wishing to return to acreage living with an opportunity to apply her skills again to the garden, since the passing of her beloved husband She has been employeed in the senior care facilities, as a dietician / general day supervisor which she enjoys immensely. We believe she has found her dream home here in DeWinton and I have since asked her to become my life partner, nuptials are planned for the Fall. Her sons and daughters have since grown and live nearby within the province with their own respective families now and have blessed her with many grandchildren.

Dan Ellis - Train Engineer

E-mail Dan at signalman@shaw.ca
Dan is an avid G-gauge model railroader from Yarmouth, Nova Scotia. He is a retired metal fabricator and welder by trade. Dan has now moved away to their retirement home at Manyberries Alberta, where he has constructed a new indoor G-gauge layout in the lower level which travels outdoors to a large outside circuit. This is something he had lacked when he lived in Calgary and enjoyed running his trains here at the DeWinton Station outdoor tracks. Click here to view pictures of Dan's layouts in Calgary and Manyberries as they become available..