AMT Agence Metropolitaine de Transport
(Edited by Jean-Francois Turcotte)
amtnews@canadianrailwayobservations.com

In August, RBRX F59PH 18520 18522 and 18533, (ex-GO 520, 522 and 533). are all on lease to Metro Link in Los Angeles, CA.  Two of the three are in GO Tansit colours, and one in Mi-Train uniform.  All three had pinch hitted in AMT commuter service, until stored at the Point St-Charles Shop earlier this year.   The three e locomotives are leased by Metrolink for a period of 6-8 months to get them through the downtime anticipated in installation of Positive Train Control on the existing locomotive fleet.  Ron Visockis caught two of them in transit at Belleville, ON last month.

At the Brookville Locomotive facility in Pennsylvania.AMT F59PH 1340 (Still in the GO livery with AMXX lettering) is being overhauled along with one other.

On July 16th, Agence Metropolitaine de Transport (AMT) train 890 is crossing the Wellington Bridge in Montreal with ALP45-DP 1352 in the early morning heading back to St-Hilaire, QC for another commuter departure later that morning over CN tracks. Guy-Pasqual Arcouette photo.

 

In August, AMT removed their double decker assigned cars from the Montreal- Delson run, and has assigned the  AMT 700 series BBD-built single decker cars with single (and paired) F59PH locomotives.  CP has deemed the double decker cars and double stack container cars could be unstable in high winds over the long bridge over the St-Lawrence River and both are now banned from this bridge in bad weather conditions,  Anemometer measuring devices were installed on the bridge  after the MMA double stack derailment on the bridge a few year back.

 AMT did "dynamic testing" on some rebuilt AMT 700- series coaches Fridaythe 16th on the CP Adirondack Sub.  Power was AMT F69PHI 1322.  

Previously stored at the old CN Pointe St-Charles Shop in Montreal, former Agence Metropolitaine de Transport (AMT) GP9u 1310, 1312, and 1313 were photographed by Richard Marchi in CN-Taschereau Yard  August 4th for movement to Chicago, ILL. The three AMT units and CN GP9RM 7007 have been sold to MVPX.

Previously stored at the old CN Pointe St-Charles Shop in Montreal, former Agence Metropolitaine de Transport (AMT) GP9u 1310, 1312, and 1313 were photographed by Richard Marchi in CN-Taschereau Yard August 4th.  This trio (of four), GP9u’s retired from the AMT roster, are now lettered MVPX.    The fourth former AMT GP9u (AMT 1311), was donated to the (CRHA) Exporail museum in St-Constant, QC a few years back.   AMT GP9u 1310, 1312, and 1313 and CN GP9RM 7007 were sold to MVPX and all four geeps are now  in Chicago IL.  The units were shot in Transit at CN Taschereau Yard August 4th.

Seven of the of the recently refurbished and repainted AMT 700 series cars were deadheading on CN's Montreal Sub this evening, led by F40 AMT 310. They will be entering regular service next week on the Candiac line when AMT launches new trains on the St-Jerome line, requiring more equipment. These cars were built by Bombardier in 1989. (Michael Berry photo)

  http://www.flickr.com/photos/mtlwestrailfan/9413066776/in/photostream/
At the CP St-Luc Yard in Montreal on August 4th, Richard Marchi snapped several of the AMT 700-series cars refurbished at the Ontario Northland’s North Bay Shop over the summer.   They were on a complete train with AMT F59PH 532 but had still not yet entered service at press time.

 

Not Available

Railfan reaction to the new GO Transit paint scheme has been inconclusive, ever since the Toronto commuter agency unveiled the first locomotive and rail car in the new bright green paint scheme for its regional rail and bus fleet. On July 27, the agency released MP40PH-3C 607 from their shop wearing in this new image and immediately was pressed into service.  Her first assignments, on GO train 717 toward Toronto’s Union Station on the Lakeshore East line on July 28.

The next new Bombardier Bilevel deliveries GO Transit is expected to receive: are coach cars 2815-2837, and coach accessibility cars 2553-2554.

A new order of GO MP40's is expected, some were spotted around the MPI Boise locomotive factory in August.
There has been no new news on the repowering of a GO MP40PH-3C to meet Tier-4 emissions standards to appease residents in Weston along the Kitchener line. The repowering of the nearly new locomotive was originally to be done using the new Cummins QSK-95, but it was not yet ready so the plans were changed to a pair of Cummins QSK-60 diesel engines.

Metrolinx agrees to expropriate the old Knob Hill Farms location in Ottawa for a new station to extend the Lakeshore East line.
http://www.oshawaexpress.ca/viewposting.php?view=5201

GO PHOTOS:

On August 13th, Warren Mayhew positioned himself at the Burloak Drive Railway crossing in Burlington, ON to catch a few GO trains. Most of the main roads pass under the tracks in Burlington.  Burloak is an exception and a good location to shoot GO trains.  After being there for awhile, an employee in a truck of some contractor doing work on the rail line nearby came by and told me he couldn't take photos because I was trespassing on RR property. Warren replied he was standing on public property and  had every right to take photos there.  His video camera was about one
metre off the side walk and he said that was RR property. He was told his boss would be upset if he did not warn him. Even though the actual boundary was between public and RR property was in dispute, Warren moved his equipment back slightly, and no one bothered him again.  A good mixture of GO, Amtrak and VIA resulted. 

 

TTC News:

Toronto Rocket subway train 5751-56 is the latest undergoing delivery.
 
TTC LRT 4401 was delivered via rail car to Hillcrest mid-June. This makes 3 new LRT streetcars (4400-4402) delivered from Bombardier in Thunder Bay. All are still testing and not yet in revenue service.  TTC 4400 was sent to Bombardier's Millhaven Ontario test track by flatcar in July 2013.

A document has been posted by the TTC outlining the expected delivery of the new LRT streetcars and replacement schedule of old cars, along with fare payment and rostering info. Also included is a brief overview about retrofitting the classic single "trolley pole" to dual-wire pantograph operation in the future.
http://www.ttc.ca/About_the_TTC/Commission_reports_and_information/
Commission_meetings/2013/June_24/Reports/New_Streetcar_Implem.pdf

The last of the late 70's Hawker Siddeley H5 subway trains in service made a final trip on June 14th, on a run from Downsview down the line and back. It experienced problems on the trip north at Eglinton West and was taken out of service. While the early cars have been scrapped, recent retirees have been trucked down to Buffalo NY (actually a facility in Hornell) for refurbishing for the Lagos light rail line in Nigeria.

To date, in addition to the H5 fleet directly being replaced by new Toronto Rockets on the Yonge-University-Spadina (YUS) line, the entire fleet of early 70's H4 subway cars has been retired (displaced by late 90's Bombardier T1 cars migrating from the YUS line to the Bloor-Danforth line due to earlier TR deliveries). The late 80's H6 subway cars will be next, replaced by more T1's from the YUS. When the final H6 retires, the Bloor-Danforth and Sheppard lines will be exclusively T1's, and the Yonge-University-Spadina line exclusively Toronto Rocket.

WCE September Report - Not available

Edited by William H. Baird editor@canadianrailayobservations.com

Francois Jolin submitted this great shot of the Amtrak Adirondack with full dome Ocean View behind AMTK P42DC 150 heading southbound from Montreal at St-Lambert, QC on the CN St-Hyacinthe Sub on July21st.  The train will shortly take the junction to the Rousses Point Sub and head to the U.S. Border.    

After a CN movement passed by the photographer Andy Cassidy on August 13th, Amtrak was hot on his trail.  Amtrak Train 510 was running about an hour late for but offered Andy a chance to catch him perched trackside at Mile 147.5   (between Cariboo Road and Piper) on the CN New Westminster Sub.  It’s a convenient spot as a railfan can park nearby and catch photos south of the stub track where the MOW store rail and machines. The sun was not in the perfect spot, but it was good enough. This is a good location as it provides enough open space to get a decent profile of the consist and train, even if they are running on the West (near), track. Fortunately, both sets had the train on the East track which gave me more breathing room.  EMD-built AMTK F59PHI 469 is a frequent visitor to these parts, often   handling the Talgo Trainset between Vancouver, BC and Seattle, WA.

Amtrak runs two trains a day in both directions.  It’s a pretty cheap fare and a great ride! The only problem for Andy though is that he  can’t catch it, or get off it near his home at the New Westminster Station.  Reason being the  Customs office is located at the Pacific Central Station in Vancouver. 

 

Please submit your AMTRAK IN CANADA Photos for CRO directly to William H. Baird at: editor@canadianrailwayobservations.com

© CRO September 2013