Fred often went home from Toronto to the Banting farm, by train. Someone from the farm would pick him up at the Alliston train station, by horse and buggy or sleigh. There is an uphill slope to the farm from the Boyne River. The train, when leaving the station also had a fair grade to climb to get going again. These tracks are still just west of the Banting Homestead. The farm horse was doing a far better job as the train was spinning its wheels.
“It occurred to me when we were puffing up the hill and the train was speeding away below that the engine with all its power could not go up that
slushy, soft, snowy road as fast as we could. Power is useless unless directed in the proper channel. People have different powers and the big question in life must be – Are we on the right road for travel? We will certainly not get far in our given time unless we have chosen the road that is fitted to our particular locomotive”.