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J&L CONSULTING (JLCX)
Updates as of February 15th, 2016: J&L Consulting has recently purchased (Southern Railway of BC) SRY 908, and is prepping unit to move in the coming months.
JLCX 136 is in transit to WILDCAT MINERALS in ND JLCX 383 is at MIDWEST LOCOMOTIVE SERVICES in Kansas City, MO JLCX 713 is now at MIDWEST LOCO coming from the Pas, MB JLCX 888 is also at MIDWEST LOCO JLCX 1202 remains on lease to VITERRA. JLCX 1344 is at UNITED GRAIN in Vancouver, WA is prepping for transit to a brand new customer. JLCX 200o is at Mid-America car and locomotive JLCX 2001 is at Mid-America car and locomotive JLCX 2049 is at Mid-WEST LOCOMOTIVE JLCX 2509 is in transit to MIDWEST LOCOMOTIVE JLCX 2886 is leased to LONG CREEK RAILWAY JLCX 3510 is at MIDWEST LOCO JLCX 4004 is at RONSCO in Coteau-de-lac, QC JLCX 9115 is now at MIDWEST LOCO Mike Woodruff shot the former Southern Pacific switcher (JLCX 9915) in Stettler, AB.
SOUTHERN RAILWAY OF
BC (SRY)
Mark Forseille kindly submitted these shots he captured a while back of SRY motive power. SRY 382 (SD38-2) is on the Diesel Shop tracks in New Westminster, BC in July 2010.
SRY 122 (GP9) along with Slug 001 in the shared yard with the CN and CP near New Westminster Quay. This photo was taken back in July 2008. Before coming to the SRY, this unit was ex-MRL 122, and exx-BN 1929, and started life as NP 344.
SRY 1202 (GMD-1) along with sister unit #1203 was switching the yard at New Westminster, BC in front of the yard office back in March 2007. All of the GMD-1's have been retired and most sold . The SRY 1202 started life as CN 1053.
SRY 153 (MP15DC) is parked on one of the Diesel Shop tracks in New Westminster, BC back in July 2008.
SRY 906 (SW900) along with another SW900 is pulling a drag of cars to the same yard in New Westminster, BC as in the photo of the SRY 122. This photo was taken back in Oct 2004.
CANAC
HUDSON BAY RAILWAY (HBRY)
In February, Omnitrax announced the sale of its Hudson Bay Railway Company to a group of northern Manitoba First Nations. Omnitrax stated that the 627 mile railway has not been profitable since its purchase from CN in 1997. It includes the 510 mile line between the CN connection at The Pas, Manitoba, and the terminus at Churchill, Manitoba. VIA Rail uses the line for its Winnipeg to Churchill service. Included in the sale is the Hudson Bay Port Company, which operates the Port of Churchill, Canada's only deep-water port on the Arctic Ocean. The port predominantly handles grain shipping. INDUSTRIALS
The last of revenue rolling stock built for TH&B [TJ] These 2600 series THB gondolas have been sold to Gerdau Ameristeel/MRM (Manitoba Rolling Mills) at Selkirk, Manitoba were all 50 years old in February having been built by National Steel Car in February 1966, and were the last new rolling stock constructed for the TH&B before takeover by CP. Included are - THB 2601, 2603, 2604, 2615, 2616?, 2617, 2621, 2628, 2631, 2632, 2633, 2635, 2637, 2641, 2643, 2646, 2649, 2652, 2653, 2656, 2658, 2659, 2668, 2672, 2673, 2683, 2685, 2687, 2690, 2693, 2698, and 4200. (Photo Don McQueen)
CentrePort Canada of Winnipeg, Manitoba, will soon
break ground on a new rail park at Manitoba's inland port now that a
significant anchor, BroadGrain Commodities Inc., has signed on as a tenant.
BroadGrain unveiled plans to build a new bulk grain export and transloading
operation and bean-processing facility on 29 acres at the park, according to a
CentrePort press release. The project is anticipated to cost up to $25 million
(Canadian dollars). BC RAIL VIGNETTES
(By Mark Forsielle) BCR 601 (RS-18) is parked by the diesel shops in North Vancouver, BC in March 1988. The 601 would be rebuilt as an RS-18m with a Caterpillar 3512 engine.
BCR 641 (M420W) is arriving at Fort St. James with a log train from far up on the Takla Sub back in Aug 1996. Typical power for the log trains would be an A-B-B-A set of M420W's and M420B's until about 1998 when BC Rail started to acquire GE power B36-7's and B39-8's over the next few years.
BCOL C40-8M 4615 and 4601 are southbound at Squamish, BC in April 1995.
BCOL C40-8M 4603 just a couple months old is parked under the Lions Gate Bridge in North Vancouver, BC in June 1990. Regarding the horns mounted on top of the five chime horn. Christian Vazzaz explained to us these were delivered with horns in the factory location Government regulations required horns be mounted at the front of the Locomotive, several years later the regulations were changed and the horns were moved back to the factory location. In the early 90's you could see a shop force quick fix as the air line was just thrown on top of the car-body.
BCOL C40-8M 4610 at Prince George, BC. She's parked by the Diesel Shops ready for her next assignment. This photo was taken in Aug 1996.
Going back in time to 1987, Kevin Dunk framed a southbound freight working up the 2% grade to Mons with a trio of M630's BCR 710-728 (M630W) and 707 all elephant style with three BCR paint schemes, in order no less(newest to oldest), as they cross Rutherford Creek at the Tisdall siding. Ongoing bridge construction work to lengthen the siding is underway, plans called for the sliding of the original timber bridge on the main across to the extended Tisdall siding crossing, then constructing a new stronger steel bridge replacing the wooden bridge's previous placement on the main span over Rutherford Creek. Sadly this whole project didn't last more than 16 years when an epic rain storm deluged the entire south coast of BC. Both railway bridges were severely undercut and damaged while the adjacent Hwy 99 bridge was blown out and unfortunately a few cars didn't see the washed out bridge in the fog consequently all drivers and passengers but one perished. We've attached a link to tell the story, an interesting but tragic read.
Train wreck News article: http://www.piquenewsmagazine.com/whistler/washout/Content?oid=2482966
ONTARIO
ONTARIO SOUTHLAND
RAILWAY (OSR)
The following photos were all shot by Walter Pfefferle who looks after the OSR Web Site so is out chasing them on a regular basis. OSRX GP9u 1620 waits at the CN Carew diamond, as VIA 72 with VIA P42DC 919 rolls on the CN line crossing the OSR on its way to the Woodstock Ontario station on January 30th, 2016.
OSR 182 and OSR 1620 hammering across the CN Carew diamond Woodstock Ontario after lifter their cars from the CP Woodstock Yard Jan 31st 2015
Here we see OSRX 1400 and OSRX 1401 playing in the snow Jan 29th 2016. Only the second snow we have had this year that has stayed on the ground.
On a day looking more like Sept than Feb 3rd 2016 OSRX 1401 leads OSRX 1400 as they slide past the advance signal for CN Carew on their way home.
OSR 1620 leads OSR 182 toward the CN Carew diamond Woodstock Ontario on a bright sunny day. Jan 30th 2016
Shop track view Ontario Southland Railway Salford Ontario showing a number of units waiting for various repairs. The snowplow is all tuned and ready to go but no snow worth plowing this winter but it is not over so may still get a workout. Feb 5th 2016
OSR 182 OSR 1620 heading to St Thomas and passing through Putnam Ontario Feb 6th 2016
This blue and white CIT unit CEFX 6537 departed the Ontario Southland to CP and CMQ to Derby Maine She was a one-time GEXR lease between 2003 and 2010 in the maroon & grey livery, which went to CAD for a major rebuild, and sent to Wisconsin to work some sand loader company. Then last April it showed at OSR Salford for ZTR application of BOA traction control.
GODERICH - EXETER
RAILWAY (GEXR)
GEXR 2303 and 3394 were shot by Chad Smith crossing over Cut Line at Holmesville, Ontario, on a sunny but chilly February 1st.
GEXR 3394 and 2303 picking up loaded railcars from the salt mine in Goderich, Ontario on February 1st. GEXR 3394 was repaired and fully repainted last year at the Lambton Diesel Service shops in Sudbury, ON.
On February 2nd, GEXR train 580 was working in the yard in Kitchener, Ontario with LLPX 2236, and RLK 4095.
GEXR leased CN SD75-I 5686 in January from the 6th until at least January 13th, when it was still on GEXR #432. T he extra power was needed to deal with recent excessive inbound traffic from CN and unexpected maintenance work on GEXR power.
OTTAWA VALLEY RAILWAY (RLK) With the clouds lingering in the sky, OVR 431 lead by RLK 3410 and 3409 build their train as they approach the Memorial drive crossing. This mixed freight train has a large amount of CN center beams heading for Sudbury. January 27th, 2016.
On February 1st 2016, the crew of RLK 3029 and 3048 meet with the crew of RLK 3410 and 3409, and discuss their methods to switch out, and build their trains in the yard.
In early February STL&A 3804 sits idling outside the Ontario Northland shop as work continues working on the unit outside.
On February 6th, the snow falls as the OVR crew shove a string of (Huron Central) HCRY box cars back into the dead line. OVR shop crews have been working on fixing up these cars for HCRY, as well Ontario Northland is continuing working on other HCRY cars in their shops in North Bay.
BARRIE COLLINGWOOD RAILWAY (BCRY) Is BCRY Too Expensive To Operate? The rising costs of the Barrie-Collingwood Railway (which is contracted out to CANDO Rail Services to operate) are becoming a concern. City rail costs are chugging along, but gathering a little too much steam for Barrie city councilors. After watching Barrie-Collingwood Railway (BCRY) greatly exceed its budgets in each of the last two years, and jump to nearly $867,000 this year, council is trying to apply the brakes. "At some point we need to have a tough conversation about the value it (BCRY) provides and what it costs to the taxpayer," Mayor Jeff Lehman said during budget talks last month. "The costs are very high for the economic benefits it provides. The whole operation needs a hard look." BCRY has four principal rail traffic customers on the line and they all say the railway is very important to their business operations. "We bring in 90 to 100 rail cars per year. We would have to bring it in by truck (without the BCRY), which would make it very difficult for us to be cost-competitive with other manufacturers in North America," said Bill Kennedy, vice-president of manufacturing at Tag Environmental on Trueman Road in Barrie.
"It's very important to us, it always has been. It's one of the reasons that we located where we are," said Dave Pratt, president/owner of Tarpin Lumber, on Bowman Street in Innisfil. "It's (BCRY is) pretty important to keep industry alive here in Barrie. If not, we'd be working in another town, basically, you know, to do this style of work," said Peter Duivenboorden, president of Western Mechanical, on Brock Street in Barrie. "It's very important, it's very efficient, it's just a better way of moving product for us," said Jeff Stewart, general manager of Comet Chemical on Thomas Street in Innisfil. BCRY began providing rail car transportation and switching service for customers in Barrie and area in 1998. But in recent years the number of customers has declined, while costs are rising. "I'm aware that the companies that use the BCRY find it useful and we want to do what we can to support industry in Barrie, especially manufacturing," Lehman said. "We would not want to introduce rates for the railway that are so high they negatively impact the businesses. "However as it stands today our costs have nearly doubled in two years due to the considerably increased expenses associated with maintaining the service.' Lehman amended Barrie's 2016 operating/capital budget last month with a motion to investigate opportunities to reduce net expenditures associated with (BCRY). Staff were asked to look at increased use of BCRY through the promotion of the line to potential rail users, ask the province to eliminate property taxes paid by short-line railways and investigate potential partnerships with other municipalities with businesses using BCRY. "Like many services that aren't used by a lot of residents or businesses, the best solution is to get more users, to grow the revenue," Lehman said. "That is why my motion referenced a strategy for driving up the use of the railway, or partnering with other municipalities served by the line. "However, if this isn't possible, we are going to have to look at what we can do to reduce costs overall, as the city is paying nearly $1 million of property tax money to fund this service." BCRY's operation is contracted to Cando Rail Services, which is guaranteed annual revenue from the railway operation, consisting of carload switch fees, car storage fees and signal/crossing maintenance fees said Craig Morton, Barrie's manager of roads and parks operations. Revenue earned beyond the annual threshold is shared equally between Cando Rail and the city. "Cost for track maintenance, drainage, signals and other rail infrastructure are required regardless of the volume of rail cars travelling on the railway and are relatively consistent, while revenues fluctuate with economic conditions and a wide variety of North American and global market influences," Morton said. Rail service provides a competitive advantage to local industry that supports continued employment and economic benefits through related businesses. Morton said BCRY's financial outlook for 2016 is much more positive than in the past two years because of recent new car storage opportunities and encouraging discussions with potential customers. But the 2016 increase for rail operations is due to escalating costs for the operator, and decreasing revenue. So is it worth the city's costs? To BCRY's users, it certainly is! "It's a key part of us bringing our raw material in to be able to manufacture our product, and it has been since we decided to put the plant here in Barrie and move the plant over to this rail siding (in 1997)," said Kennedy of Tag Environmental. It makes liner bricks for sewers, tank lining and vitrified clay pipe. A seasonal business, it employs 10 to 15 people. "The first couple of years we made the product we were very low-volume, as we were getting the product introduced into North America, and we did bring clay in by rail at the beginning," Kennedy said. "Then as the volumes grew and the cost efficiency of bringing in a product by rail was clear, we moved the plant to this location and put a rail siding in to hook up to the rail spur, in 1997." He said each rail car holds just under 200,000 pounds of clay, which would be the equivalent of about five truck loads, shipped from the mines in Wyoming. No rail service would mean many more trucks and traffic, and more exhaust. But Pratt said the cost of rail is becoming too expensive for Tarpin Lumber, partly because BCRY needs to connect to CN Rail and Canadian Pacific lines, and those providers need to be paid too. "Sometimes there are so many transfers, the cost is prohibitive to make rail work," he said. "We had one source (supplier) in Quebec that we were getting pretty well a car, sometimes two, a week. "And then all of a sudden someone changed the rates on the sawmill and now it's cheaper to come by truck. It's too bad, because this whole idea is to try and take trucks off the road, because a rail car is about two to three tractor trailers of lumber. It's more efficient for us, because you get a couple of days to unload it. But then if they change the rates. . .you can't absorb the extra. That's the problem." Western Mechanical is a hydraulic specialist, providing heavy lifting and millwrighting, along with mechanical and electrical contracting. Duivenboorden said it recently brought in some heavy press manufacturing equipment to Beta-Tech, in south-Barrie. "Basically it's oversize (equipment), the press that they just brought in to Barrie, they wouldn't have trucked it in," he said. "They wouldn't have got it from the US up to here if it hadn't of been on rail. "The other option is to get it to the closest town, and then truck it from there, with over-sized permits - which means the costs would go greatly up." He estimated Western Mechanical has heavy or oversized equipment coming in two or three times a year. That's not often, but it is specialized service. Comet handles and disposes of chemical waste, so it requires regular rail service. "It varies, based on business, maybe four or five rail cars every two weeks," Stewart said, noting that without rail it would have to be trucked. "A lot more expensive and a lot more regular truck traffic, for sure. You're basically getting four truckloads of product on one rail car." Pratt said BCRY's value isn't just now, but in the future. "There's lots of potential," he said. "There's land in Innisfil, there's land in Barrie that could be used for a railway. There's all kind of opportunity for economic development because of the railway. We need the large volume. "There's a lot of opportunities for industry to locate on this thing. It really works well once it gets to BCRY." But Pratt said he also understands city council's position. "I'm not surprised (at Barrie's hard look)", he said. "We need to get it (BCRY) into the hands of the people who want to locate here, gets the news out." BCRY planned and regulatory works, associated costs for 2016 Total Budget is $866,994 and includes: Revenue threshold adjustment: $400,000 to cover shortfall of revenue generated by rail operations. Primary expenses: Day-to-day operation of the rail yard at Utopia and running the locomotive Vegetation control for the entire corridor, which equals 15 miles for track or a little more than 24 kilometres Signal testing and maintenance, which includes light replacements, signal testing and inspection. Tie and track program, the removal of old worn out ties and replacing them with new. Plans for over 500 ties to be switched out and an additional 50 switch ties. This program also includes upgrading of approximately 0.5 miles of track (0.8km) from 80-lbs rail to 100-lbs. Ballast and surfacing approximately 3 miles (4.8 km) of track, replacing and levelling the granular material the track is laid on. Drainage improvements, primarily ditching in problem areas approximately 1.5 miles (2.4 km) of track-side ditches and cleaning debris from culverts. Two planned crossing rehabilitations for 2016 - one in Essa Township (8th Line) and one in Innisfil (9th Line), at a cost of approximately $50,000 each, and the rehab of an existing farm crossing.
Signals at the Burton Crossing are receiving regular maintenance to extend their life, however it is likely that they will require replacement in 2016. A budget of $200,000 has been allocated for this work.
Regulatory and miscellaneous expenses:
Annual track inspection Annual culvert inspection Annual bridge inspection Crossing inspections Regulatory requirements (preparation of reports for provincial/federal bodies Emergency preparedness plan Signal inspections Snow ploughing Fence repairs Sign repair and replacement Outside engineering peer review Source: City of Barrie BCRY to store interchanged freight cars long term as a new revenue source: Cando Rail Services will store empty rail cars on the Barrie-Collingwood Railway on sidings located west of Utopia, and won't be placed near homes in Angus. Jeff Allen, spokesperson for Cando Rail Services Eastern Operation, says none of the cars will be moved west of the 5th Line of Essa Township. The decision to keep the cars in rural areas, away from homes, was made after Allen spoke with Essa Township officials and several residents over the past two weeks. "I've had discussions with many residents and I strongly feel they've been very co-operative, they just want to have a better understanding of what is happening," he said. He said his company completed a safety risk assessment of the storage plan last week. The plan will be finalized once further discussions take place within the company and with Essa's fire chief, he added. Allen expects rail cars to begin moving into the area immediately. (story by Bill Prichard of Simcoe.com. Previous report on Angus BCRY Concerns: There were signs of life along the Barrie-Collingwood Railway in Angus, but it won't result in new trains rolling through the community. Cando Rail Services Eastern Operation, began clearing trees and brush along the tracks from Utopia to just west of the 5th Line of Essa as it prepares the stretch so it can be used for empty rail car storage. "The rail car storage is long term storage, so there will be activity to get the cars into storage, and when they need to come off there will be activity to get them out of storage, but other than that there won't be activity," said Cando spokesperson Jeff Allen. The rail line is owned by the Town of Collingwood and stretches between Collingwood and Utopia. Trains stopped running along the stretch after Collingwood ended its funding of the line in 2011. Allen said Cando, which operates the rail line east of the Utopia diamond towards Barrie, offers empty car storage services at several other locations in Canada. Allen said moving cars in and out of storage is a "very safe process." He said cars are moved only during the days at a maximum speed of about eight km/h. While the company performed a safety assessment before starting the brush clearing, he said it has since been decided to suspend the activities until local residents are properly notified about the work. "Before we do anything, we always perform a safety management system risk assessment, so we perform this before we do anything to ensure that we cover off anything as far as risk to the public and reviewing the overall process," he said. The brush clearing activity surprised Angus resident Sven Hafner, whose home is located just north of the tracks on Michael Street. He takes issue with storing the cars next to homes instead of keeping them in the fields where nobody can see them. "What they are basically saying is that I'm going to have to look at rusty, graffiti-covered train cars every time I look outside my backyard, that's terrible," he said. Hafner, who moved into his home about two years ago, said he knew there was always a possibility the railway could be used again. He said they went overboard with the brush-clearing activity, which will make the cars even more visible from his porch. "They cut way too much between the tracks and my property line," he said. Essa Township CAO Greg Murphy isn't concerned about the rail line being used for storage, but said better communication would have been appreciated. "It would have been nice if we had been given notice," he said. (Story by Bill Prichard of Simcoe.com).
CANDO RAIL SERVICES CHATHAM-KENT RAILWAY Last month Chatham-Kent economic development officials were still pounding the pavement trying to find an operator for a short track rail line owned by the municipality. Just over a year ago Chatham-Kent approved a motion to purchase the former CSX rail line. Councilors justified the purchase by pointing to the potential economic development benefits that would come from owning a rail line that runs from Wallaceburg to Dresden to Chatham. Council purchased the rail line for approximately $3.6 million, under terms of the 2013 asset purchase agreement. Stuart McFadden, Chatham-Kent's deputy director of economic development services, said Chatham-Kent has tried to find an operator for the rail line. "We've engaged a few different operators; we've shared information with them. They've done their due diligence and ultimately they have come back and told us that currently there is not enough economy on the rail line to operate it," McFadden said. He said Chatham-Kent must either find new business or the people on the rail line must do more business for any chance of the line to operate once again."Right now it's status quo." Chatham-Kent's economic development department has been working on drumming up business along the rail line, McFadden said. "If we land one of those (files) then you'll see a lot of trains up and down that rail line," McFadden said. "Until that happens and you see more economy, it's going to stay the way it is." McFadden said there has been no talk about lifting up the rails, as they still believe the rail line is an asset. A staff report from last year stated that if efforts to make the rail line viable aren't successful, council could consider selling the track's materials and gravel. A few of the crossings on the rail line have been lifted, but that's because they were in poor shape, McFadden said. Some money has been spent on cutting down overgrown brush along the rail corridor, as the rail hasn't been used in a few years. "It's our responsibility. It's our asset and we have to follow our own rules when it comes to bylaws and weeds and everything else," McFadden said. Part of the reason why Chatham-Kent purchased the rail line was because the municipality is being considered for a $1.2-billion fertilizer facility that could potentially bring 350 technical jobs, as well as 1,200 construction jobs and between $2 million to $3 million annually in tax revenue. Chatham-Kent officials said without a rail line it's unlikely that a fertilizer plant would be built within the municipality. In 2006, CSX Transportation notified the municipality that it was discontinuing rail service; council then made the decision to acquire the line for net salvage value. In 2013, council approved the purchase. The previous year, the municipality appealed the $6.48-million net salvage value set by the Canada Transportation Agency, calling the price too high. The municipality eventually entered into a settlement with CSX Transportation, with the net salvage fixed at $4 million. An agreement with CP for the sale of the fixtures, but not the land, was arranged. The municipality was left with a commitment of $800,000. (Story by David Gough, IF Press, Postmedia Network). This photo by Simon Crouch shows a section of the former CSX line that runs through Tupperville that Chatham-Kent wants to re-open.
GUELPH JUNCTION RAILWAY PDI Canada of Guelph has signed a contract last month with Clean Harbors that will see a big increase in business for local shortline the Guelph Junction Railway. PDI, whose Canadian head office is located at 256 Victoria Rd. S., is a full-service transport, storage and packaging company that specialize in servicing the chemical, food and polymer industries. The new deal is to move materials to and from Clean Harbors' Safety-Kleen facility in Breslau and will rely on the Guelph Junction Railway for much of the work. A company press release said the new contract will significantly reduce greenhouse gas emissions and highway time as well as give boost activity for Guelph Junction Railway. PDI will transfer used waste oil from railcar to tank truck, refined oil from tank truck to railcar and liquid asphalt from tank truck to railcar. "Clean Harbors and PDI are very excited to enter into this contract," said Clean Harbors oil logistics vice-president John Robbins in a media release. "We are providing a significant reduction in carbon dioxide emissions and truck traffic on 400-series highways." The contract is expected to reduce greenhouse gas emission by 76,561 kilograms of carbon dioxide and save more than 138,000 road miles, which equates to a reduction of approximately 127 full 24-hour days of drive time, the release said. "The business will also provide a significant boost to the Guelph Junction Railway, which is city owned, by over 1,000 railcars per year. The contract will provide more stability to the community and employment in Guelph," said PDI vice-president Rick Standish. (Posted in the Guelph Mercury) TORONTO HAMILTON AND BUFFALO VIGNETTE E. Roy Ward submitted this shot of TH&B GP7 74 taken on September 19th, 1985 at the base of the CN Tower at Canadian Pacific's John Street Yard in Toronto, ON.
TH&B 51 sitting on the Ontario Southland Railway shop track Salford Ontario track Feb 6 2016
QUEBEC
CENTRAL MAINE AND QUEBEC On February 10th, Francois Jolin Central Maine & Quebec #1 had just arrived from Maine on a snowy afternoon at Farnam Quebec. The locomotive consist is backing up to the shop track then it will be inspected before departure on #2 tonight. CMQ SD40-2F's 9011, 9023, LTEX GP35u 2535, CEFX GP38-3 6537, and CMQ SD40-2F 9014.
Amidst light snow showers on January 30th, 2016, Central Maine & Quebec #1 is pulled by an ex-Canadian Pacific SD40-2F and a ex-Union Pacific SD40T-2 heading west at Brookport on the CM&Q Adirondack Subdivision (Francois Jolin).
Bound for Farnham, QC, on February 4th, CMQ #1 passes under the bridge at Stuckely QC. (Francois Jolin).
https://www.flickr.com/photos/31145333@N02/24820943445/in/dateposted-public/ Francois also shot a pair of former CP Red Barns leading CMQ #1 rumbling across the trestle bridge in Eastman, QC in light snow on February 4th.
On February 19th, 2016, Nicolas Houde photographed a pair of former CP SD40-2F “Red Barn's'', leading Central Maine & Quebec (CMQ) Train #1 across the bridge at Eastman, QC on the Sherbrooke Sub on a sunny afternoon. You can also see a part of Mount Orford in background.
On February 11th, 2016, Francois Jolin clicked Central Maine & Quebec #1 heading west and passing by two local landmarks at Cookshire, on a snowy afternoon. The train is bound for Sherbrooke, QC and has former BNSF (Larry's Truck & Electric) LTEX GP35u 2516 at the point.
CHEMINS DE FER SARTIGAN On February 9th, 2016 John young shot two former CP MLW's on the Sartigan Railway (RS18U 1828 AND rs23 8033) AT Scott. Quebec.
PORT OF MONTREAL MP15AC GMTX 306 sits outside Mid America Car in Kansas City, MO ready to be picked up. It is a former Port of Montreal locomotive built by GMD London. It worked at Metro East Industries (MEI) in St. Louis, MO in 2015 . Note the extra MU and Cables connections in front are to operate with a slug. It still has its original Dofasco truck in front. However the Rear truck was replaced at MEI. This photo was submitted by Russell Honey with thanks.
POM Slug 1001 photographed by Frank Lenny Smith in Old Montreal.
EASTERN REGIONAL RAIL NEWS Eastern Regional News Editor - Paul Donovan
CENTRAL MAINE & QUEBEC RAILWAY More SD40-2F' are starting to appear on the road. Harry Gordon reports the plan is to have them all on the road by the end of February. They are working the road trains between the Montreal area and Brownville Junction, often in the lead, and also to switch trains at Brownville Junction. The units are inaccessible to photos at Brownville Junction without trespassing, but work the local back and forth to Derby Shops near Milo, Maine when they need shop work, so they are not totally out of reach to photographers. The motley collection of CM&Q SD40-2's is probably headed back to the lessors as the CM&Q-owned SD40-2F's come on line, so get your photos of the UP-painted tunnel motors, snoot, and grey ghosts now. No word on a paint scheme for Central Maine and Quebec diesels. I was hoping the arrival of the recently-purchased ex-CP SD40-2F units might spark one, but of course the real priority is to get them on the road to reduce power lease costs. I have seen many anecdotal references on the web describing the SD40-2F's units as unreliable in their time on CP, but then, I've heard this about a lot of different classes of units in my lifetime. Proof of whether they will be a good investment for CM&Q will be in how fast the lease units disappear. John Giles, CEO of CM&Q, gave a very interesting interview about the current state of CM&Q to the Bangor (Maine) Daily News on February 15th. The article talks of a strong growth in traffic, and the ongoing efforts to stabilize the motive power situation. However, it also gives a very interesting take on CM&Q's efforts to establish a good working relationship with the town of Lac Megantic, Quebec. A link to the article: CM&Q is now originating a train six days a week (Monday through Saturday) at Millinocket, Maine. Called for 7:30AM, it switches the Huber Resources wood yard on the East Millinocket Branch on the eastern edge of Millinocket, then returns to collect westbound and southbound loads off Maine Northern Railway and departs south for BJCT at mid-morning. Occasionally, the southbound Maine Northern Railway train from Oakfield, Maine meets the local here, but often the southbound and westbound loads are in the yard when the CM&Q local comes on duty. Power lately has been an odd pair: The ex-UP, ex-SP SD45T-2 tunnel motor PRLX 2856 and former BNSF GP35U, LTEX 2524. The sheer length of the tunnel motor compared to the GP35 gives something of the impression of an adult with a baby.
After a quick trip to Brownville Junction, the power for the local returns light to Millinocket each afternoon or evening, and typically lays over near the former Bangor and Aroostook Station/Yard Office. In the photos below, PRLX 2856 and LTEX 2524 back past the iconic Bangor and Aroostook BAR coaling tower at Millinocket on February 20, in a light snow. Those of us who survived last winter in the Maritimes and Maine find the snowfall this year to be a welcome relief, and I'm sure a relief to the region's railroads. The line from Millinocket to Brownville Junction is quite scenic, running along the shore of South Twin Lake for several miles, and crossing Route 11 at the southeastern corner of the lake. Although most of the line is inaccessible, a bridge across the flowage, located a few miles south of Millinocket, is a great photo spot, as is Cedar Lake Road and Seboeis Lake Road farther south. Below that, the line runs through deep woods and is accessible only on logging roads - not recommended unless you have extraction equipment and a strong back. A photo taken in MM&A days shows the photo possibilities:
NEW BRUNSWICK SOUTHERN / EASTERN MAINE When visiting Brownville Junction, don't forget to visit the Eastern Maine Railway outpost on the sewage treatment plant road. Although EMR/NBSR/MNR units can often be found in Brownville Junction yard itself, most tie up at this well-hidden spot right on the mainline, about a 1/4 mile east of BJCT itself. A small office and shed are the total infrastructure, but units are plugged in here during cold nights, and when they are preparing the eastbound train for Saint John, they can be photographed switching long cuts right up to the treatment plant crossing and beyond. HLCX 6304 pulls a long cut towards the Sewage Plant Road crossing on February 12th.
McAdam (NBSR) Yard and station is still a great place to photograph New Brunswick Southern Railway and Eastern Maine Railway trains. As I have written before, best time is mid-afternoon to catch the westbound out of Saint John. It often arrives between 1:00PM 2:00PM AST and switches the yard for an hour or more before heading for the border. The eastbound EMR train doesn't arrive in McAdam until well after dark this time of year. S0metimes the train is left east of the road crossing in downtown McAdam, and the power cuts off to switch the yard, and at other times, the train pulls past the railway station and pulls down to the west end of the yard, the power then cutting off to work the yard. Long absent from main line trains on NBSR/EMR, road slugs have made a comeback on the Saint John, NB - Brownville Junction, ME line. Unit 001, a former CN road slug slaved to ex-Devco Railway GP38-2 2317, and complete with Flexicoil trucks, arrived on the westbound on February 9, 2016
One of our few heavy snows this winter is in evidence here, as the NBSR train switches the yard adjacent to the overhang of the McAdam ex-CPR railroad station. Coincidentally, a swarm of low-order earthquakes struck the McAdam area while I was visiting, with no significant damage to the town or station.
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