Canadian Railway Observations

CANADIAN PACIFIC

December 2011

The Canadian Pacific Holiday Train hits the rails again in November, visiting over 140 communities across CP's network.

USA and Canadian CPR “Holiday Train” full schedule:

http://www.cpr.ca/en/IN-YOUR-COMMUNITY/HOLIDAY-TRAIN/Pages/default.aspx

Frank Jolin took this fabulous shop of CP 9815 all decked out in its holiday best at St Luc Diesel Shop in St Luc November 24th. Well done Frank, Santa will be happy.

Gary Knapp caught the U. S. Holiday Train entering the U.S. at Rouses Point, NY on the D&H, (Canadian Main Sub) around 22:30. Mother Nature made her contribution with temps during the evening in the low fifties and no breeze at train time, ensuring the preferred water reflection!

Motive Power News

New candy-apple red ES44AC’s CP 8918-8928 arrived in Ontario the first week of October. CP 8929 - 8940 arrived and entered service by mid-month. 8941-8944 arrived in late October. 8945-8960, completing the 2011 batch, all arrived by November 22ND. In October CP ordered 30 additional ES44AC’s from General Electric, earmarked for 2012 delivery. The first CP locomotives meeting U.S. Tier 3 Emissions standards will be numbered in a brand new number series: 9350-9379.

Ken McCutcheon clicked new arrival CP 8957, still clean and shiny on Nov 22nd at Assiniboia, Saskatchewan.

November 9th Bill Sanderson clicked brand new CP 8951 at Smiths Falls, ON with eastbound Toronto-Montreal manifest Train #234. During the crew change, the conductor told Bill he had enjoyed the smooth ride, and liked its “new car smell!” The engine was getting a workout too, as Train 234 can be one of the heaviest on CP.

CP ES44AC 8943 was clicked by Cor van Steenis on eastbound IMS train #110 (Vancouver – Toronto), as it waits for a crew change on the CP mainline at Ogden, (Calgary), Albertaon November 23rd

On Nov 23rd, Cor van Steenis caught CPR ES44AC 8939 leading IMS train No. 110 from Vancouver to Toronto, is seen stopped at Ogden, Calgary, AB. for a crew change. This unit now carries the badge of the Lord Strathcona's Horse Regiment (since Oct 14th, 2011), on each side of the cab. The cavalry regiment was privately raised by Donald Smith (Lord Strathcona) in 1900 to fight during the Boer War. Donald Smith was a founder of the CPR and drove the last spike in the transcontinental main line on Nov 7th, 1885. For details of the partnership announced on Oct 14th 2011 between the CPR and the Strathcona's, today an armored regiment based in Edmonton, AB., see the CPR press release and the Strathcona's announcement: http://tinyurl.com/6bystqs

CP leased locomotives on the property in November

CEFX (AC4400CW) 1002, 1006, 1007, 1014, 1018-1020, 1023, 1024, 1026-1054, 1056-1059. CEFX 1031 back in service, following repairs at CAD)

CEFX (SD40-2) 2786, 2791, 2797, 2802, 2803, 3105, 3109, 3112, 3120, 3121, 3127, 3128, 3130, 3133, 3137, 3139, 3143, 3145, 3148, 3149, 3151, 3155, 3163, 3164, 3166, 3168, 3172, 3173, 3175, 3176, 3181, 3182, 3183, 3184, and 3188.

CITX (SD40-2) 2785, 2790, 2792, 2794, 2796, 2799, 2804, 3008, 3024, 3026, 3032, 3035, 3036, 3053-3067, 3070, 3071, 3073, 3074, 3075, 3077-3083, 3086, 3088-3092, 3095, 3097-3102, 3110,3157, 3170, 3177.

NREX (SD40-2) 4403, 5542, 5581, 5661, 5777, 5823, 6301, 6309, 7003, 7212, 7223, 7237, 7246, 7275, 7287, 7349, 7356, 7360, 7370, 7374, 7931, 8092, 8096, 8099, 8401.

HELM: As of mid-November, all HLCX units were “OFF LEASE” and/or leaving the property. Off Lease are HLCX (SD40-2): 6206, 6299, 6340, 6341, 6844, 7003, 7008, 7009, 7161, 7191, 7193, 7205, 7230, 7231, 7233, 8033, 8085, 8089, 8139, 8163, 8176, and JFDX 8045,

It is not often that “the Ogden Yard Switcher” CP SW900 6711 comes out of the yard and can be photographed by the public as it did on 08 Nov 8th. According to the Canadian Trackside Guide, it is the last SW900 on the CPR roster. There were 11 built in 1955; and ten SW8’s built earlier. All the SW900’s have become private industrial switchers or have been converted to CPR slugs. Now that the Ogden shops and yard have ceased operations (other than for the steam program and three transloading facilities), one wonders how long this switcher will remain on active duty at this location.

CP Retired 58 Locomotives in 2011

(As follows in “road number” order):

CP GP7u 1501, 1503 and 1505

CP GP9u 1515, 1519, 1525, 1528, 1531#, 1543, 1565, 1566, 1567, 1568, 1569, 1570, 1581, 1588, 1603, 1611, 1612, 1615, 1617, 1621, 1628, 1639, 1644, 1649, 1692, 1696, 1697

CP GP7u 1682 (Ex-TH&B #72)

CP SD40-2 (ex-SOO) 762 and CP SD40-2 5415 (ex-KCS 670)

CP SD40M-2 5491, (ex-SD40), 5493 (ex-SD45)

CP SD40-2 5573, 5672, 5691, 5697, 5728, 5729, 5734, 5735, 5747, 5789, 5793, 5843, 5869 and SOO 6604.

CP GP9u 8214, 8224, 8229, 8230, 8240, and 8242.

CP GP9 8264 and 8270 (Both ex-SOO) and CP GP9u 1531 were scrapped at the Ogden Shop in 2011).

Built by GMDD London, ON back in 1966 Mark Mautner caught former as CP Rail SD40 5511 in new dress. The unit which was rebuilt by Metro East Industries at East St Louis IL into a SD38-2 and will now operate as Prairie State Generating Company # 0957 and last operated in lease service for CITX as # 3086. Unit is seen in transit on CN at Coulterville,IL November 19th, 2011, and is to be assigned to generating station at Marissa,IL.

Doug McKenzie noted CP CPM 353 has been shoved into a siding used in recent months as a scraping track for locomotives at Ogden Shop during November indicating she may be earmarked to be cut up. This equipment was used to pre-load test rebuilt engines before they were installed into a locomotive in an effort to reduce the overhaul time.

CP GP38-2 / SD40-2 Overhaul Update

GP38-2's Overhauled by EMD-Progress Rail (Mayfield, KY):

GP38-2's CP 3038, 3048, 3066, 3111 and (former SOO) 4446

GP38-2's undergoing overhaul at EMD-Progress Rail:

CP 3024, 3126 and SOO 4414, 4428, 4447, 4513, and 4515

Canadian Pacific Railway is beginning a rebuilding program for aging GP9 and SD40-2 locos. 4-axle GP20C-ECOs should be built in Muncie, IN at the EMD facility. These will be built on new frames - with new cabs and fuel tanks meeting the FRA safety requirements of 1/1/2009, and feature the 8-710G3A prime mover and associated hardware.

SD30C-ECOs will be rebuilt at the EMD-Progress shops in Mayfield KY. from SD40-2 cores and frames, powered by the 12 cylinder 3000 hp 12-710G3A engine. Similar to other new locomotives delivered by GE and EMDI - LED lighting is expected, except for head and ditch lights.

These rebuilt CP locos, due to their age, will need only meet Tier 0+ US emissions standards. Further information about ECO repowering can be found here.
http://www.progressrail.com/repowered-locomotives-710ECO.asp

CP has selected these twenty SD40-2’s to be rebuilt in Kentucky as SD30C-ECOs by Progress Rail.

5415*+, 5672#, 5691#, 5728, 5734#, 5735, 5745*, 5789,

5869, 5918, 5933*, 5934, 5950*, 5971*, 5980#, 5983,

6027, 6039*, 6056#, 6606

* Arrived at Progress

# In transit to Progress Nov. 24th on CP 245

+ CP 5415 nee KCS 670

At Spaulding, Illinois at the CN /CP Interchange November 15^th, William Beecher Jr. caught six CP SD40-2's 5918 6039, 5950, 5971, 5745, and 5415 all destined to Progress Rail for ECO rebuild.

Mark Forseille spied the ECO22 demonstrator EMDX 7102 (ex CP 1637) at Port Coquitlam, BC. Sept. 6th, 2008.

SOO SD60 Update

In late November CP SD60 6241 (ex-SOO 6041) had been released from Cadrail and on November 27th was already enroute to Bensenville, IL. The same day CP 6240 and 6250 were both in Winnipeg arriving on separate trains. Expected to be released from CADRAIL around press time is CP 6225 (ex-SOO 6025).

CP SD60 6240 (ex SOO 6040) was also rebuilt to Dash-3 standards by Cadrail shops in Lachine, QC, and released in full CP colours the first week of November. Richard Marchi clicked CP 6240 on November 6th in St-Luc Yard in Montreal. Two are now in service, as CP 6250 (former SOO SD60 6050) was released in October. SOO SD60 6028, and SD60M 6060 are the last two at Cadrail for similar overhauls as well as two unknown SOO SD60’s not yet delivered to Montreal.

On November 12th, CP SD60 6225 (ex- SOO 6025) was pulled out of paint shop in fresh Candy Apple red but with no CP lettering, It was then pushed back into the shop tracks by Cadrail RS18 1825. Outside the shop, red SOO SD60M 6060 and white SOO SD60 6o28 both were in various stages of preliminary dis-assembly, with 6028 on shop trucks. SOO 6041 was inside the shop. (Gerry Burridge)

CP 281, the hot auto parts train from Bensenville to the Twin Cities, ran past Ed Weisensel’s camera November 23RD thru Wauwatosa WI. Leading its red sister SOO SD60 6057 is the crisp CP 6240, followed by SD40-2 CP 6050 and Sd40M-2 CEFX 2796.

CP GP9u Update

The first of 30 former CP GP7u/GP9u have already been moved west to moved to Port Coquitlam, BC to the SRY Shops in New Westminster for removal of fluids (fuel, oil and water). They will then move to ABC Metals siding in Langley, BC., for removal of specific usable parts, deck components, and then scrapping.

All these specific parts will be sent to EMD (Progress Rail) in the USA, for remanufacturing program into EMD ECO geeps. THE ECO units will have 8 or 12 cylinder 710 engines with Electronic Fuel Injection, among other improvements to increase their efficiency and HP. The ECO units will use parts from retired GP9's, but will have new frames.

These will be stripped and scrapped at the New Westminster, BC SRY shops, with usable parts shipped to Progress' shops. These will have about as much in common with the donor units as the C-424's did from trade-in FA/FB-types. There will be no correlation as to which unit used to be what. The new ECO locos should be numbered into the CP 2200 series.

The following list are the remaining GP9u’s still to move west to Coquitlam, BC in mid-November. In total, 30 geeps are to be received at the SRY Shop.

From St Luc Yard - Montreal: CP 1519 CP 1612 CP 1615 CP 8214 CP 8224 CP 8242 CP 1639 CP 1649

From Agincourt Yard - Toronto: CP 1682 CP 8229

From Winnipeg: CP 1569 CP 1570 CP 1644 CP 1617

From Moose Jaw: CP 1566 CP 1603 CP 1621 CP 8240 CP 8264

Noted at Coquitlam, BC in early November were: 1501, 1503, 1515, 1525, 1528, 1565, 1567, 1568,1581,1588,1611, 1638, 1696 and 1697.

On November 14th John Soehner was in Cochrane and caught a manifest train with two of the sold CP GP9u’s listed in the November CRO. JLCX 1565 and 1611 are seen DIT in transit to Vancouver for scrapping or remanufacturing.

Trevor Wiley caught STLH GP9u 8245, one of only two in this livery, leading an eastbound transfer at MP 4.62 (North Toronto Sub) with two GP9u’s and ICE 6102 - which still wears its IMRL paint.

On November 15th, Chris Wilson caught CP #118 running as "CN H11831 12" down the Bala Sub and crosses the Seguin River Dam at Parry Sound Ontario.

In Scranton, PA on July 2nd, Mark MacDougall clicked CP SD40-2 5698 leading a CEFX leaser northbound on 259 on a gorgeous summer morning. In the foreground is the Delaware Lackawanna's connection to the CP.

Walter Pfefferle caught a former UP SD45 rebuilt internally to an SD40-2 and owned by CITX. CITX 2794 is shown sitting in the London Ontario yard November 18th.

William Beecher Jr. clicked the following colourful and unbelievable locomotive lash up! CP train 282 departing Milwaukee WI on the CP C&M Sub September 29th had DME SD40-2 6411, leading a SOO SD60, CSX GE, EMDX 2012 and (RJ CORMAN) RJCX 2010.

He also clicked ratty looking CP GP40-2 4653 (ex-HLCX nee-B&M) at Schiller Park Illinois September 9th.

CP train 290 surprised Ed Weisensel November 6th with CP SD40-2 5739 leading Norfolk Southern heads 8902 and 8339 into the CP yard in Milwaukee. Also cleaning up spilled bentonite and grain piles in Muskego yard - a vacuum rail truck from G+T Enterprises of South Holland IL.

While on the 3rd Street overpass after snapping the previous CN power, Andy Cassidy caught CP GP38AC 3002 and 3012 switching in the New Westminster Yard Then after moving to ground level, clicked the Southern Railway of BC / Railink (SRY) train E-12 coming over the Fraser River Bridge into the yard with two of their three operating SD38-2’s (SRY 384 and 382), with SRY caboose A2 on the tail end. All this activity at Mile 9.2 on the CP Westminster Sub August 27th.

Remembrance Day 11/11/11

Again this year, all CP trains stopped at 11:00 hrs local time on 11/11/11, for two minutes of silence. Crews then sounded the locomotive horn in honour of those past and present, who have sacrificed, or served our nation in armed conflict or in peacekeeping operations.

Every year since the Canadian Pacific Railway moved its Headquarters from Montreal to Calgary a Remembrance Day Service is held outside the corporate office along side displayed CPR 4-4-0 #29. On November 11th, John Soehner observed the ceremonies at the CPR Headquarters, and provided these photos.

CPR 4-6-4 Hudson #2816

A reliable source has indicated that the short test run conducted with the CPR's steam locomotive 2816 in Calgary on November 3rd was successful, and no impediments to the its future healthy performance were uncovered. The new driver axle (the rear axle) was accurately machined by a local firm in Calgary and mated well with the other components of the engine. The locomotive is expected to be resuming its ambassador role for the CPR next summer. (via Don McQueen)

Freight Car News

Canadian Pacific Railway is partnering with a large Canadian trucking firm and logistics provider Contrans, to use collapsible containers to convert some flatbed-type shipments to double-stack rail intermodal service. CP and Contrans, will deploy 53-foot, open-framed containers from Raildcks Intermodal that can easily load and secure piping and other industrial products that do not usually ride in containers. CP testing these multi-modal units over the summer at its Toronto Intermodal Facility and at the AAR Association of American Railroads’ center in Pueblo, CO.

http://raildecks.com/product/intermodal_process.html

http://www.railcan.ca/assets/images/news/rac/CanadasRailwaysOct_19_11.pdf

At Coquitlam Yard, near Vancouver, British Columbia, at the east end of the Car Shop on Track X-2 (The old Rush Repair), sit three snow plows (CP 400648, 401002, and 401035) awaiting dispatch when weather warrants. Also waiting for snow assignment is a Jordan Spreader (CP 402880). All have been serviced and are good to go. On November 18th two CP plows departed the yard, as early snow has hit the mountains.

The 54-year-old Chief Executive Officer of Canadian Pacific Railway Fred Green, has emerged as the prime target of unhappy investors, led by Pershing Square Capital Management, the activist hedge fund that has built up a 12.2 per cent stake in the Calgary-based rail operator. Mr. Green, who has worked for CP Rail for 31 years and took over as chief executive in 2006, is blamed for tolerating a culture that critics cite as the key reason why CP Rail’s performance lags behind the US and Canada’s six other Class I railroads. At a time when railroads are generally performing well, CP’s performance is often compared to its Montreal-based rival Canadian National, which has been transformed over the past 15 years from a sleepy government organization into the most efficient of the Tier I railroads. Mr. Green told analysts last month: “I’m satisfied with our progress,” adding: “The railroad ... is on a path of steady improvement.” It aims to lower its operating ratio to close to 70 per cent. Even so, his ambitions appear to have limits. “Always remember that whatever we do has to be compared to the competition,” he said. “So if their game is elevating and ours is elevating, that’s good for the customer, good for the fluidity of the railway and the industry. But it may not provide a competitive advantage.”

Kevin Dunk caught CP tuscan red and gray GP38-2 3084 and F9B 1900 heading eastbound on the western outskirts of Fernie, BC late in the day July 16th 2011, with the “Children’s Wish Foundation” excursion train last July.

On October 28th, 2011 the Calgary Model Railway Society (CMRS) organized a tour of Canadian Pacific's Ogden Shops in Calgary and Alex Reed submitted this photo report, For most of this decade the Ogden Shops have been operated by Alstom, and were bought back by CP in spring of this year. At its peak in the 1980's there were over 1200 employees working in Ogden doing overhauls and heavy repairs on all types of locomotives and cars. This facility is now near the end of its working life, and at present there are only about 35 people employed in the shops.

Steam engine CP 2816 "Empress" was moved to a new home in the summer in the former Paint Shop. It is now stored there between excursions, and maintenance is performed there also.

The CMRS tour was of the Locomotive Shop which is winding down its operations. This building is approximately 800 ft by 400 ft in size and is substantially larger than all the other buildings on site. Heavy repairs and overhauls of locomotives are performed here. All major components including trucks, motors, prime movers, generators, etc. were rebuilt in the facility. There were an uncountable number of EMD 645 engine housings and other components in various stages of disassembly throughout the shop. There were several acid vats to clean components of dirt and grime among other specialized equipment.

The high point of the tour was the lift of CP 8625, a GE AC4400, off of its trucks. A forklift pushed them out of the way, followed by the placement of shop trucks. This process took about 15 minutes in total. The tour guide, a CP shop employee, said there were only to be eight or nine more engines to be given heavy maintenance in this way in Ogden prior to shutting down for good in December 2011. It may not be apparent in the photos, but the big AC4400 barely fit into the bay in which it was lifted. CP 1623, a GMD GP9u, was also prepared for a lift off of its shop trucks, but the end of the day-shift arrived too soon for this to actually occur.

The Ogden Shops are a victim of the centralization of locomotive and car repairs, and of changing economics. It is expected that many locomotive rebuilds in future will occur in places as far away as Kentucky, where hourly wages are much less than half those of the Calgary shop men. Due to the years of attrition since the 1980s, none of the employees currently at Ogden are younger than 45 years old. Over the years large parts of the Ogden complex have been turned over to other uses including an automobile unloading area, a steel pipe rolling mill, a fats and oils processing facility, and other industrial uses. It is expected that the property arm of CP will clean up the site and then sell it off for development in the next few years.

In all, CMRS members enjoyed about three hours inside the locomotive shop. We are grateful that CP gave us this window of opportunity to see a way of life that is about to disappear from Calgary after 90 years.

CP Vignettes

Canadian Pacific RSD-17 8921 was a one-of-a-kind MLW Demonstrator which tested on CN, CP and BC Rail. CP eventually acquired the engine at a good price and she was primarily used in transfer service and at times the odd mainline run. Peter Cox caught the engine in Montreal, QC on June 25th, 1962.

Ron Visockis clicked CP RSD-17 8921 (after her nose was chopped at Angus), sitting at her old home at Agincourt yard in Toronto, ON Mar 21, 1992. When chopped around 1990, only the cab and nose was painted. The front nose stripes were incorrectly applied in reverse at the Angus Shop, and that the long hood was not repainted and kept the Multi-mark.

Mid-1997 was just about the end of the line for the C-424’s on CP - most would be sold off or retired before the end of the year. On July 31, 1997, Bill Sanderson recorded CP Rail C-424 #4214, #4219, #4241 and #4231 are on the head end of westbound Montreal-Toronto intermodal freight #929, as it departs from Smiths Falls, ON. Within four months, #4214 and #4241 would be sold to the Quebec-Gatineau Railway (QGRY). #4219 and #4231 lasted another year before they, too, were sold in November, 1998.