SHORTLINES & REGIONALS

 

WESTERN:

Brandt Energy hybrid unit BRTX 2009 is shown parked at Lajord Saskatchewan on March 6th, 2011.  It is an 1800 HP 3-engine genset locomotive.  The engine ihas been testing on the  Stewart Southern Railway  and is shown in Cal Murray’s photo still on the property.  This shortline operates over the former CP Tyvan Subdivision. 

Keewatin Railway Company (KRC) 2403 GP38-2M arrived in Winnipeg on the tail end of CN #533 coming from Noyes MN.  The rebuilt unit was originally B&O GP38.  Destined for The Pas for service on the mixed train running between The Pas and Pukatawagan MB, Mark Perry snapped KRC 2403 at CN’s Symington yard on March 15th.

John Hill was first to catch the KRC GP38M in the new livery on March 1st at the BNSF Northtown Diesel Shop in Minneapolis, MN.

 

http://www.rrpicturearchives.net/showPicture.aspx?id=2425436

Grant McVittie shot these Hudson Bay Railway (HBRY) SD50’s, GP20E’s, OmniTRAX GP38-2’s, and one of the two Keewatin Railway Company (KRC) M420W’s and at The Pas, Manitoba on March 10th, 2011.  The KRC MLW’s would look  sensational painted in the new livery on KRC 2403 above!   Most of the stored units shown here are  "hibernating" for the winter when regional freight traffic drops.  However there is a great demand for locomotives between July to November when heavy grain trains are running to the Port of Churchill. 

Mark Forsielle submitted these new additions to the (Southern Railway of British Columbia) “SRY RailLink” locomotive roster all shot in February 2011 at the SRY Shop in New Westminster, BC. The photos show SRY GP9 121 (a Cab Control “Daughter” mated to “Mother” SRY 135), SRY Slug 002  (which is former CN Slug 226) and which will be mated with SRY 106, and the last photo shows SRY GP9 135.

NRE 700 (a 1GS-7B  N-VIRO switcher) was noted in the SRY yard in Burnaby, BC on March 25th.   (Greg Shevchenko).

http://www.nationalrailway.com/1GS-7B_Spec%20ad.pdf

ONTARIO:

 

Paul Tatham caught GSCX SD40-2's7369 and 7362 just west of Mileage 44 on the GEXR Guelph Sub and are seen approaching Jones Baseline overpass - bridge is 44.8 on March 6th   This westbound 431 is led by these former UP, nee-MP SD40-2’s lettered for GATX Capital Corporation and is hauling a consist of mainly empty salt hoppers.

 

In early March, CEFX GP20D 2019 was moved via UP and CN from Chicago to Hamilton for the SOR.  On March 3rd, 2011  Brian Switzer clicked this colourful SOR consist on the daily southbound freight at Garnet, Ontario.  RMPX GP40-2LW 9431, RLK 4057, NECR 3840, and CEFX 2014 lead tank cars destined for Esso in Nanticoke. This train often carries coil cars for Lake Erie Steel as well.  As we reported last month, the NECR GP38-2 in the consist had just arrived on the SOR February 24th.  

 

 

Walter Pfefferle caught Ontario Southland Railway  RS23 503  (ex CP 8029), and OSRX GP7 378 (ex-SOO 378) heading out of Ingersoll heading to Woodstock, Ontario with a long string of autoracks on 3-13-2011. He caught them again heading over the Thames River in Woodstock Ontario 3-14-2011

 

 

Aleks Stefanovic photographed the same pair OSRX RS23 503  and GP9 378 entering the eastern end of Ingersoll, Ontario on the St-Thomas Sub with 50 empty autoracks destined for the GM - CAMI plant back on August 7th, 2010. 

 

http://www.railpictures.net/viewphoto.php?id=356169&nseq=110

The Barrie-Collingwood Railway (BCRY) a shortline in Ontario has hit an an impass. Collingwood Council voted in February to discontinue the rail service. Collingwood currently operates rail service from Collingwood to Utopia, Ontario and is used by two local industries: Canadian Mist and Amaizeingly Green Products.  The railway is projected to have an operating deficit of about $325,000 in 2011.
CAO Kimberly Wingrove said the town would have to give six months notice to its contractor - Cando Contracting - who operates the service. She said the town could save about $100,000. However, public works were proposing upgrades for the line including lighting at railway crossing, which would be put on hold and save more money.    Councillor Sandy Cunningham said council needs to make a decision, "serve notice and get rid of it." Wingrove said in order for the service to be viable, there would need to be significant upgrades to the rail line Councillor Kevin Lloyd suggested the town could sell off the rails."I think it's seen its day," he said.  Councillor Dale West doesn't believe it's worth spending this much money on the railway.  "I think many of us have said, the days of big factories are gone," West said. "It's going to have to attract an awful lot if we keep spending $400,000 a year on future dream."

In March, the Huron Central Railway received another mother and road slug set from the Quebec Gatineau, QGRY 3800 and 800.

ONRAIL (ONR) SD75I 2104 is seen getting routine maintenance in the ONR Shops in North Bay, ON.  Wayne D. Shaw took this photo with permission during a tour put on by Ontario Northland.  Participants wore regulation safety equipment and were supervised by ONR Staff. This photo was Uploaded from Northlander 698 on his way back home.

  http://www.railpictures.net/viewphoto.php?id=356297

In the early 1980's, the Essex Terminal Railway of Windsor, Ontario hosted an excursion over its line from Windsor to Amherstburg.  The railway borrowed passenger equipment from a variety of sources, including VIA Rail.  The engine for the trip was none other than Alco C420 no. 106 which was sporting a new paint scheme.  The day was cloudless with deep blue sky, contrasting strongly with the bright yellow of no. 106. Doglas Leffler submitted his photos from the excursion, including (former PRR) caboose no. 54 which was in the ETR's yard in Windsor, ON. 

  

 QUEBEC:

 This is the month where signs of Spring start to appear around  Vermont. Montreal, Maine & Atlantic (MM&A) train 710 with B39-8 8569 seemed like an obvious night photo candidate, and Gary Knapp  waited in Richford until he heard them departing from Farnham, Quebec before heading over to this spot in Newport, Vermont  to set up.   Sjust look at the result!!!! Shot in Newport, VT  March 1st, 2011 at 04:10, with the 5D and Zeiss ZF 35/2 lens.

Still painted in Alstom-gray, QGRY SD40-3’s 6042 and 6076 will soon become Buffalo & Pittsburgh (BPRR) 3330 and 3333. They were on CN #565 ex Port Robinson to Buffalo, NY in mid-March destined to the Buffalo and Pittsburgh RR. QGRY 6042 was lifted from Mount Joli, QC and 6076 from Pointe St.Charles, (both) on March 11th. 

Following  their release from NRE - Paducah, Kentucky, the first three  Quebec - Gatineau (QGRY) SD40-3’s moved via PAL, CN and CP to destination in Quebec.  Joe Ferguson shot QGRY SD40-3 3325 at Madisonville, KY on February 21st,  beginning her transit to QGRY.

QGRY 3325 left Paducah 2-23 and arrived Quebec City 3-04-2011.

QGRY 3326 left Paducah 2-21 and arrived Quebec City 3-05-2011.

QGRY 3327 left Paducah 2-21 and arrived Quebec City 3-01-2011

 

Darren Doss took these great shots of QGRY SD40-3 3325 at Fulton, KY on February 26th. The QGRY unit was picked up by CN A431 and shipped north.  As well,  GMTX 500 was picked up by CN A432 and shipped to Memphis, TN, and believed destined for NUCOR Steel.  

 

Ken Goslett submitted these shots taken on March 14th  the first with a heavy QGRY  freight arriving at Ste-Therese, QC  (out of CP  St-Luc Yard in Montreal), with two of the repainted SD40-3’s.  Ken also caught an eastbound grain train enroute to Trois Rivieres for Quebec City, as well as QGRY  801/3801 heading west across the Lachute sub.

An update to our March report about Charlevoix RS18u’s 1821 and 1868 moved to Jonquičre, QC for repaint.  The new Charlevoix railway color scheme will be applied to their passenger cars and both MLW’s are to be refurbished and painted.  The paint livery and colours are still unknown at this time.  The tentative schedule for the first train is departure from La Gare du Palais in downtown Quebec City on June 18, 2011 at 8:30AM and is expected to run five days per week but does mention which days, as they will adjust themselves to demand in the first year.  The return trip departs La Malbaie around 6:00PM.  Breakfast and supper will be served on the train with a cost per person of $249.  There are also considerations for a future Winter Ski Train from Quebec to Petite Riviere St Francois, QC.

This clip by Bernard Babin shows  Quebec Central Railway (QGR) locomotives  RG5 and SG2 moving south with 16 loaded grain cars toward Saint-Lambert, QC (On the south shore of Quebec City).  Transportation is always done by the Quebec Central Railway and makes three trips a week between Joffre (CN Charny) and Saint-Lambert, QC.

http://youtu.be/8b4FqYHYrYk

On March 20th, G-P Arccouette caught Montreal Maine & Atlantic Train #1 on the CP bridge near CADRAIL in Lachine, QC.  The MMA train is minutes away from destination at St-Luc Yard in Montreal, and has two ex-LMX locomotives that were leased to BN in the late 1980’s.  

 After a surprise late season snow storm, Francois Jolin submitted this photo of MM&A B39-8E 8569 and snow plow extra working upgrade on the Sherbrooke Sub out of Lennoxville and bound for Megantic on March 8th. 

 http://www.railpictures.net/viewphoto.php?id=356509

 EASTERN: 

On March 7th CEFX GP20D 2006 arrived in Truro, NS, following transit via UP and then CN from Chicago, IL for the Cape Breton and Central Nova Scotia (CBNS). Charles Jeffrey took the engine at Stellarton, Nova Scotia on March 10th, 2011. 

 RailAmerica is leasing eight CEFX GP20D (2000-series) for their Canadian Shortlines in Nova Scotia and Ontario: 2 for CBNS, 4 for OVR, 2 for SOR (one of these CEFX 2014 is being returned, with 2019 destined to SOR. CEFX 2011 and 2028 are currently on the OVR.

NBSR 3700 has been stripped of parts and the engine has already been removed.  In late March they began to cut up the locomotive at the yards in Saint John, New Brunswick.

 

© CRO April 2011