September 2011
What better way to start off the Shortlines section than this shot by "night time" master Gary Knapp. Gary shot this masterpiece in Groveton New Hampshire June 17th, 2011of Saint Lawrence & Atlantic 3004 as it passed the ex-Grand Truck/B&M station. Thanks for sharing Gary.
Black River Railway GP9u 1889 was repainted and released August 11th from the SRY Trapp Yard Diesel Shop. Mark Forseille clicked BDRV GP9u 1889 (ex-CP 1689, nee-THB 402) is seen in fresh paint at New Westminster, BC Aug 11th. Ironic that this locomotive is destined to New York State as she spend her early years on the TH&B running out of Buffalo!
Andy Cassidy photographed the same BDRV GP9u 1889 (ex- CP 1689) before her repaint still wearing CP Rail colours at the East End Storage Tracks, at CP Coquitlam Diesel Shop August 5th.
Andy also caught lots of Class-1 power in the BNSF Yard in New Westminster, BC on July 11th (at Mile 144.8) including BNSF 754, 9462, 4934, 2104, 2754, 2100, CN 2574, and BNSF Van (BN 12548).
Mobil Grain Limited (MGLX) purchased three (Alstom-Rebuilt) ex-WC/GCFX SD40-3’s in July 2010 through J&L Consulting (moved in transit marked JLCX). In July 2011 the trio (MGLX 6901, 6934 and 6935) were painted into a colorful Mobil Grain livery. (photos below) Mobil Grain Ltd. Subsidiary, the Last Mountain Railway is a Saskatchewan-based shortline that operates 100-car grain trains between Davidson and Regina, where they interchange with CN. Their former B23-7's, LMR 1009 and LMR 1010 were sold to shortline Stewart Southern, which operates 132 kilometres of the former CP Tyvan sub from Stoughton to Richardson, SK - just outside of Regina. Both B23-7’s now wear Stewart Southern livery. MGLX SD40-3 photos by Dave Slater and Donovan Nickel. Dave clicked the SD40-3 and 70-Ton shots at Aylesbury, SK, Note red reflective frame striping was added in mid-August to two of the units.
http://www.rrpicturearchives.net/showPicture.aspx?id=2657950 Mobil Grain Ltd Roster:
MGLX 3130
< KCS 3130 < KCS 6607 << nee CN 5091 A2350 In late July, four more Alstom-rebuilt SD40-3’s were purchased, ex-KCS 3130, 3138, 3143 and 3147. These are being forwarded to Regina, SK via CN, and will be sent to the MGL Shop at Aylesbury, SK, to get matching uniforms. With a helpful flag from Chicago, Henry Nye caught the re-marked quartet in transit passing the Neenah WI watertower early August 6th and had arrived at Winnipeg, MB in mid-August.
On August 19th, Dave Slater managed to shoot the first of 7 former M&ET GE 70-ton switchers L.M.R./Mobil Grain has purchased. #604 is being unloaded from the large semi trailer in Aylesbury, SK. Three more are expected to arrive before the end of August, and the last three at a later date. MGLX acquired 601-605, 607 and 608 from Sterling Rail. Robert Mertz at Sterling Rail kindly provided CRO the #601 photo. The GE’s were built between 1947-1955. #600-602 were bought new from GE. Sterling Rail had for sale nos. 601-605, 607, 608, and 613. 613 is ex-San Diego & Arizona Eastern 5119, nee-Sourthern Pacific 5119, and has been acquired by the Pacific Southwest Railway Museum Association for their Campo Depot and Railroad museum east of San Diego. M&ET has retained #600, their first power purchased new in October 1947. MGLX operations at Aylesbury, Craik and Bethune, SK will each have an assigned switcher. #604 has replaced the TM4000 trackmobile @ Bethune. This liberates the Mobil Grain SD40-3’s, shot by Dave at Aylesbury August 19TH, from most switching chores, freeing them for mainline runs. The four KCS Sd40-3’s will be wearing their Mobil Grain attire very soon.
ONTARIO:
http://www.railpictures.net/viewphoto.php?id=370766&nseq=126 Joseph Bishop submitted this August 10th shot of leased CEFX 2019 and 2014 both GP20D's still in operation and working the small yard at Garnet (south of Hagersville, ON) on the Southern Ontario Railway (SOR). The units are working the Hagersville Sub betweenLake Erie and Brantford and move tank cars for the gas refinery and freight traffic for US Steel (ex-Stelco Lake Erie Works).
On August 14th a 48 year old man died after his car was hit by an ONR passenger train at the level crossing at East Gwillimbury in the late afternoon. York Regional Police said the collision occurred on a CN Rail line, just east of Highway 48, shortly before 6 p.m. Police said the crossing's signals were working properly at the time. The eastbound two-door Pontiac car collided with the southbound Ontario Northland train with about 110 people board enroute to Toronto from North Bay. The man was pronounced dead at the scene with autopsy scheduled. Police said the train was held at the scene until 9 p.m. York Regional Police and CN Police are investigating. Mike Robin’s photo shows some slight plow damage on GP38-2 1800 which pulled northbound 221 into Cochrane August 15th after being involved in a level crossing collision the day before.
On July 14th the last Barrie-Collingwood Railway (BCRY) train departed the town of Collingwood, Ontario ending more than 150-years of railway history. The shortline is operated by Cando Contracting and during June Collingwood council decided to discontinue freight service at the end of the Barrie-Collingwood Railway line, as it became financially unsustainable for the municipality to operate. It is estimated that the service would have cost taxpayers $400,000 during 2011 if it continued. The only on-line customers were located at the end of the line in Collingwood, where traffic has dwindled to only service on an as needed basis. As of 2011 only one of the town’s industries, Canadian Mist distillery, was still utilizing railway service. Collingwood Mayor Sandra Cooper and County of Simcoe Warden Cal Patterson rode BCRY GP9 1001 into Collingwood from Poplar Sideroad to its final stop in town near Collingwood’s eastern industrial park, just off MacDonald Road to retrieve the remaining cars from the Canadian Mist distillery. BCRY, which was Cando’s first registered short-line operation, began operations on January 26, 1998 on the former CN trackage. Currently, the shortline still operates from its base of operations in Utopia into the city of Barrie, where they still service several industries. They interchange traffic with Canadian Pacific at their yard in Utopia, which is located just west of Barrie. On August 10th Bryan Hayes, Member of Parliament for Sault Ste. Marie, David Orazietti, Member of Provincial Parliament for Sault Ste. Marie and Mario Brault, President of the Huron Central Railway (HCRY), marked the start of construction for the railway rehabilitation of portions of the 288km rail line from Sudbury to Sault Ste. Marie, including a branch from McKerrow to Espanola. "Our government is pleased to invest up to $15 million in this project from the Building Canada Fund," said MP Hayes. "Building an efficient transportation system is a priority for our government. Projects such as this one grow the economy by creating jobs, sustaining industries and providing efficient, low-cost rail access to local businesses." The total cost of the project is $33.3 million. The Government of Canada and the Province of Ontario will each contribute up to $15 million. The Huron Central Railway will provide the remaining funding. This funding was first announced on September 24, 2010. In mid-August Kyle Stefanovic bagged ex-CEFX SD45T-2 9392 resting beside the Goderich-Exeter (GEXR) deadline following completion of her cab repair and nose job. This locomotive is ex CEFX 9392, exx-SP 9392, nee-SSW 9392. RLK F-units 1400 and 1401 can be seen in the dead line.
http://www.railpictures.ca/?attachment_id=1012
On August 28th Chris Gallow
On August 17th, Joseph Bishop snapped FEC SD40-2 709 parked in the yard at Stratford, ON
QUEBEC
EASTERN:In mid-August two more ex-UP GP38-3’s (HLCX 913 and 917 destined to the New Brunswick Southern Railway (NBSR), were noted on W406 arriving at Island Yard (Saint John, NB ). © CRO Sept 2011 |
