CANADIAN PACIFIC
CP NEWS
Again this year, the Canadian Pacific Railway will operate two Holiday trains in Canada and the US and have assigned AC4400CW's 9815 and 9824, the same pair as last year. The train will visit over 140 communities across CP's network. Since the program's inception in 1999, more than 4.8 million in cash and over 2.3 million pounds of food has been collected in Canada and the United States for our less fortunate. This year promises to be another great year, with musical acts and of course the awesome sight of seeing these trains at night, decorated with colorful Christmas lights!
CP 2010 HOLIDAY TRAINS CONSISTS
CLICK HERE FOR COMPLETE SCHEDULE
Earlier in the month (November 12th-19th), CP dead-headed the equipment for the 2010 Holiday train from Calgary (Alyth Yard) and arrived in Montreal (St. Luc Yard) in the following consist.
· CP SD40-2 5903 · CP 96 - Power Car · CP 102 - Smokey Smith Coach Car · CP 79 - NR Crump Sleeper Car · CP 73 - Mount Royal Business Car · CP 82 - Strathcona Business Car · CP 424959 - Power Car · CP 101 - Dominion Coach Car · CP 84 - Banffshire Sleeper Car · CP 71 - Killarney Business Car · CP 77 - Van Horne Business Car
Locomotive NewsAt press time, there were a total of 53 CP SD9043MAC's in service on CP including 9159, which is in the “United Way” paint scheme. There are also now only eight SD9043MAC's Stored Unserviceable: 9106, 9108, 9115, 9127, 9129, 9156, 9157, and 9158 Walter Pfefferle caught these two interesting CP lash-ups in Woodstock Ont. On 11-6-10 he caught Winnipeg SD9043MAC 9120 leading 5996 a westbound and on Sunday 11-7-10 caught CP 245-06 with CP 3017-DME 6366-DME 6085-DME 6080 blowing through. Seems CP has the best color these days.
An update on last months news: CP is forwarding 24 units to the Southern Railway of BC. We have learned some of the GP9u's may be repaired, but the SD40-2's are likely going for scrap. At press time six units had arrived at the SRY: 5599, 5692, 5702, and 5816 for scrap and 5643 and 8235 for lease or sale The others as of November 29th are all in Moose Jaw, SK and Calgary, AB. The units numbers were all in the October CRO.
On November 15th Walter Pfefferle caught CP train 243 with an attractive lashup of CP 5833 ICE 6407 ICE 6404 and DME 6069 as it rumbled through Woodstock Ontario. He also caught CP 5875 CP 6613 and CP 5980 on a wb the same day.
Lest we forget: As they do each year, CP brought all their trains across Canada and the United States to a halt at 11 a.m. local time on November 11, to observe two minutes of silence in honour of those who have served their country in war in the past and today. The silence was followed by one long train whistle blast as our salute to those men and women. “On Remembrance Day, Canadian Pacific recognizes the contributions our employees made in times of war” said Mike Franczak, group vice-president Operations. “On land, sea and in the air the company, its people, its resources, its ingenuity and expertise were needed, at home and abroad.” Some 33,127 Canadian Pacific employees served in the last century’s two world conflicts alone with 1,774 giving their lives.
Early morning in Plattsburgh, NY as ten thousand plus ton CP ethanol train 666 passes the ex-D&H station on its last CP leg of the route over from Enderlin, North Dakota, to the P&W in the east. The elderly SD40-2s and SD60 leader have powered the train for its entire run without missing a beat. Gary Knapp took this great shot in Plattsburgh, NY on November 19, 2010 at 05:48AM with the 5D and Zeiss ZF 100/2 (Nikon) lens set at f2.
Ghost of the TH&B! Basking in the November sun at CP London Quebec St. Yard is a true survivor. GP7u 1682 doesn’t look that different from the many remanufactured geeps and CP, until the lack of dynamic brake blisters above the CP Rail logo is noted. The engine started life as TH&B GP7 #72 in September 1950, at GMDD London, almost 60 years ago! The TH&B diesel units replaced steam locomotives, and were ordered without the dynamic brake option. (David Howard photo)
Dan Tweedle took a trip up to Guelph Junction November 6 and caught CP 627 (Ethanol Empties) returning to London, ON via the Hamilton and Galt Subs. For power, it had CSX 645 and 7725! They were not on the 626 from the previous day. Really cool to see two of them leading a CP train through there!
STLH SD40-2 update:(by Luc Lanthier)
STLH 5560 Dep. Franz, ON Nov.22 at 11:20am(east) STLH 5593 Arr. Hochelaga, (Montreal) QC Nov.22 at 06:40am STLH 5615 Arr. Chapleau, ON Nov.22 at 09:04am(west) STLH 5651 Dep. Milwaukee, WI Nov.22 at 06:28am
CP-CN Lakehead Report(By Craig Konopski)
Photos: CP caboose 434639 in Thunder Bay on November 21st. about to be added to the tail-end of train 220-21 for transport and service to Schreiber.
The last 'active' SD40M-2's on the CP roster... CP 5499 and CP 5492 in Thunder Bay (with the van). Sister units 5491 + 5493 have been sitting at the Lakehead shops in a dead/unserviceable line for over a year now.
The 0700 West End ("UE13" assignment) in Thunder Bay on November 16th, 2010 with GP40-2 4657 + GP9u 1694 for power.
Sound Files: · CN2259.mp3 -- CN train Q111 at mile 221.3 Redditt Sub east of Winnipeg with a '1+1+1' DPU arrangement (2259 leading, 8018 mid-train, 8825 rear-train) and over 12,000 feet of double stacks! That tail-end SD70M-2 sounds pretty sweet pushing away in notch 8. Recorded on October 8th, 2010. http://www.canadianrailwayobservations.com/2010/12/cn2259.mp3
CP9620.mp3 -- CP AC4400CW 9620 is heard blowing for the crossings in downtown Minot, ND on October 5th, 2010 with train # 499. http://www.canadianrailwayobservations.com/2010/12/cp9620.mp3
Here is a sample of some interesting CP unit lash-ups in the area from mid-November:
· Nov. 22nd: 221-20 with 9112, 6602, 6022, 9619
· Nov. 21st: 221-19 with 9154, 9147, 5988, STLH 5560 223-20 with 5980, 5875, 5759 421-20 with 9011 + 5792 623-010 with 9114 + 9017 341-071 with 9022 + 6601
Nov. 20th: 222-19 with 5929, 9004, 9102 CWR-19 with 6015 + 5976 221-17 with 9022, 9114, 5857, 6601, 5873
CP yard units in service in Thunder Bay as of November 22nd....... 5499 + 5492 5945 + 1643 5791 + 3128 5962 + 5981 1633 + 1629
On September 15th Karen Buckarma snapped ex-SOO GP9R 4203 moving Southbound on CN at Neenah WI., with this locomotive now lettered SVGX 8625.
With severe winter conditions forecast for Calgary and area starting on Nov 16th 2010; Cor van Steenis decided to spend one of the last days of autumn (14 Nov) in the Rocky Mountains. As they passed Lake Louise, where there was no snow, and they climbed to the Great Divide. With road conditions deteriorating the Kicking Horse Pass received its first significant snowfall of the season! Cor caught CP 9563 with a mixed manifest freight as it descended the 'Big Hill' through the rock slide shed and the rock tunnel in Mount Stephen, between Cathedral siding and the Town of Field, B.C. With all but one of the channels of the Kicking Horse River dried up, he was able to hike to within a short distance of the Mount Stephen tunnel. (Cor van Steenis photos).
The Bow River was running low as its water sources at higher elevations were now frozen, and Cor took the time on the way back from his trip to the Kicking Horse Pass on Nov 14 to catch a now standard westbound 142 car unit CPR potash consist from Saskatchewan with 4 locomotives (2 on the point, one mid-train remote, one rear remote, 17,600 HP in total) along the Bow River at M113 Laggan Subdivision, Morant's Curve. Probably the last shots of the year without snow on the ground in the Bow River valley.
November 18th was a bitterly cold day in Calgary. The Alyth Terminal Switcher with GP9u's # 1632 & 1528 was attempting to lift a 75 car consist from 'N' Yard to 'P' Yard but was unable to move the train even at full power. SD90MAC's # 9109 & 9151 were just coming off the diesel shop fast track to connect to their eastbound train when the Yard Controller asked the crew to assist the Terminal Switcher. With the added power, the consist was easily moved to 'P' Yard. (Cor van Steenis).
CP - ALYTH YARD REPORT: Cor van Steenis spent 4 hours in bitterly cold weather at CP Alyth Yard (Calgary, AB) on Nov 18th and took these images and documented every movement, mostly routine daily traffic at the west end of the yard near the tower. http://www.canadianrailwayobservations.com/2010/12/winteralyth.pdf
Beginning in September 2010, Canadian Pacific offered a number of heritage cars stored at Ogden Yard in Calgary for sale on its web site. What I found interesting is that a number of those former passenger cars (as shown in the images from Feb 2010) in that line-up at Ogden were not offered for sale. Are these to be scrapped? Or were they already sold prior to the public tender notice? Of particular note is the 1918 Railway Post Office Car # 3774 (now marked as company Work Service Car # 401807) designed by CPR master car builder R.W. Burnett which has had the word 'SOLD' painted on it for the past few months. One wonders where it is destined to go after sitting at Ogden for some 22 years. (Cor van Steenis).
Canadian Pacific also offered a number of heritage freight equipment on its web site; seven of these cars are stored at Skiff, AB., on the Stirling Subdivision in southeastern Alberta. A view of the line of cars stored there adjacent to the former Parrish & Heimbecker 1929 elevator and some of the cars offered for sale were captured on a trip Cor photographed in May of 2009.
Kevin Dunk also photographed the recent RCP (Royal Canadian Pacific) trip through the Crowsnest Pass area on its way to Craigellachie. This image taken at the Robinson Rd crossing at Cokato (west of Fernie on the north side of the Elk R), about a mile and a half east of the 40.3 HBD (Hot Box Detector), the Three Sisters sets the background under a very moody sky.
CPR Vignettes:Following the November 2010 125th anniversary of the Last Spike on the CPR, (driven at Craigellachie, BC), Kevin Dunk dug deep into my collection and offered this recollection of the 100th anniversary events back in 1985: “As some of you might remember it was a dreadful dreary day, well before the advent of digital technology, so I think I shot this train at ASA 400 or some beastly high ASA speed film. It’s not my best by a long shot but it’s history and it was a great event. My talents with Photoshop are meager and so it was a struggle to lift the best of what I captured on that dank day back in 1985. Thankfully the weather gods cooperated enough to keep the rain away and even provided a smidgeon of brightness when it counted, especially on the photo run by immediately after the ceremonies. At that time the 1201 normally operated out of Ottawa doing Bytown Railway Society excursions in the Ottawa Valley. With the Last Spike anniversary in 1985 and the Steamfest’86 event during Vancouver’s very successful Expo’86 world’s fair she remained out west for almost a year before heading back home. CP1201 now resides at the Museum of Science and Technology in Ottawa Ontario”
Cor van Steenis submitted the great shots of the CPR 4-6-4 Hudson # 2816 “The Empress” from its inaugural run from Calgary to Bassano on 06 June 2010 and its '125th Anniversary of the Last Spike' Tour from Calgary to Revelstoke from 12-16 Aug 2010.
© CRO December 2010 |
