Robert Swanson



Robert Swanson (1905–1994) was a Canadian logger, safety inspector, and inventor. He is credited with the invention of the first five and six-chime air horns for use on locomotives. He was also a prolific poet, known to his admirers as the "Bard of the Woods".

Life
Swanson, the son of Alfred Swanson, was a qualified locomotive engineer, stationary engineer, professional mechanical engineer as well as chief inspector for the BC provincial department of railways.

Swanson worked as the chief engineer of a company called Victoria Lumber Manufacturing in the 1920s, when he developed a hobby for making steam whistles for locomotives. Eventually, Swanson designed and built a large steam whistle for the mill where he worked. He also built the Heritage Horns that were on the old BC Hydro building that play the first four chords of "O Canada" at noon every day. The horns are now on the roof of the Pan Pacific hotel at Canada Place.

Later, Swanson worked as the chief inspector of railroads for the Province of British Columbia. It was here he met his future partner, Don Challenger, who operated a logging company. The two knew each other through the logging industry, which relied heavily on rail transportation at the time.

As chief inspector, he wrote the provincial "Boiler Code" in 1948, and he required that all locomotives running on British Columbia provincially-regulated railways be equipped with a five-note whistle, rather than the three-note whistle requirement for federally regulated railway locomotives.

Swanson was the driving force behind the restoration of the Royal Hudson.

Before his death he was an active member of the Ladysmith Railway Society. Many artifacts this society acquired were the direct result of his enthusiasm. Vancouver Island, and in particular Nanaimo and Ladysmith were his particular areas of activity. His whistle test station was on Nanaimo Lakes Road where he serenaded neighbours for miles around.

Writing
Swanson published four books, including Whistle Punks and Widow Makers. He supplemented his university education selling books called Rhymes of a Western Logger that he sold from a wheelbarrow that he pushed down Granville Street.

During his forestry career he went to every logging camp and mill operation on the coast, "and spent long evenings bull slinging with the legends of logging". He began writing down their stories and ballads in the 1930s, and by publishing them became one of British Columbia's bestselling poets.

Recognition
A new edition of his collected bunkhouse ballads, Rhymes of a Western Logger, was published in 1992.