Montreal, Quebec has been my home for more than 40 years, and while it has changed greatly, it still has much to over the railfan! Guy’s video is just a sample of some of the areas a railfan can enjoy in the Montreal region including mainline action with CN, CP, MNA, CSX, AMT, QGRY, Amtrak and VIA and industrials. There are also many areas with public access and long on scenery both urban and aesthetic. A highlight in Guy’s video is the ex-BN C30-7’s switching at Farnham, QC! The following hot spots below are by area.

 

 

 

 Dorval Station, Autoroute 20 and Coteau

We will begin with possibly the busiest and best known hot spot in Montreal; Dorval Station. Easy to find, it offers the railfan good frequency of mainline action especially in the morning and late Afternoon, when four trains at once is common. AMT, VIA, CP, CN and CSX all pass through on the four mainlines tracks and a local industry is sometimes switched by a CP Geep at non-peak hours. The disadvantage of Dorval Station is there are not many great photo views available other than the standard “wedgie”. Your ability to decipher signals is a plus here in order to have time to set up your better photo angles.  

 

A few kilometers west of Dorval Station along Autoroute 20 is St-Johns Road (Rue St-Jean), a spot first shown to me by my friend Marc Chouinard. This location offers the railfan the same action as at Dorval, but with high speed, and far better photo angles on all four Main line tracks. As well, the automatic crossing gates give you a heads up on all approaching trains. There is one drawback here however. There are no food, drink or bathroom facilities, so arrive here prepared! Autoroute 20 follows the CP and CN mainlines for several kilometers offering the opportunity to chase trains with a designated driver of course.  

 

 


 

Coteau Station is located on the busy CN Kinston sub. Simply head west from Montreal on Highway 20, and while doing so, you can chase trains along the CN Kingston Sub and CP Vaudreuil Sub (Winchester Sub after Dorion, QC), on the parallel CP–CN four track main line tracks between Lachine. QC and Ile-Perrot, QC and then on to the CN Station at Coteau, Here you have (MTL-TOR) CN and VIA action, and the junction to the (ex-Ottawa Central) Alexandria sub. As well, the (ex-Conrail) Valleyfield branches off the CN to Massena, NY to catch trains to and from CSX’s Selkirk Yard.

 

 

 

 

Global Railway Industries -  Andrew Merrillees  Lachine, QC

 

CADRAIL is located on Autoroute 20 at 1st Avenue. Although they are not railfan friendly, and in recent months will actually chase you out of their parking lot. Simply park nearby and walk along the fence on the sidewalk next to the plant and also on Victoria Street (on the far side) and shoot through the fence. There are typically a wide variety of US and Canadian locomotives and freight cars under repair, all visible from the street, but do not trespass. Andrew Merrillees has a plant next door to CADRAIL in Lachine and there are sometimes several industrial switchers and I have seen retired and stripped MLW’s parked outside.

 

 

St-Henri – (ex-Turcot Yard)

 

Another great and well known railfanning hot spot is just southeast of downtown in St-Henri at the de Courcelles and at St-Ambroise level crossings located just east of the CN’s former Turcot Yard. The double track CN main goes through town here with no fences and can be busy with 30 trains per day moving at restricted 10-15 mph speeds which is ideal for photos. CN police may observe you but I have never heard of anyone asked to leave. Just use common sense… i.e. park your car on the CN property near the road and facing the tracks. Just stay in your car until a train comes, and don’t walk on or near the tracks. It is an ideal location for photos (very few trees and fences) and there is lots of activity with people walking by, CN and VIA trains, and taverns and restaurants galore! Your ability to decipher signals is a plus here as well. Guy has often caught the VIA rebuilt locomotive, testing here and over the years I have seen other odd stuff here too, like Cal-Trans F40’s, BNSF SD40-3’s, industrial units that were released from ALSTOM in Pointe St-Charles a few miles east, now called AMP Canada, and VIA MMC is just next door. It is a great spot!

 

 

 

 

The Atwater Market which is nearby offers refreshments, shopping and local CN switching on East side of the canal for the Robin Hood Flour company three times a week, usually between noon and 2:00PM.

 

 

 

VIA MMC and AMP Canada

 

The VIA Montreal Maintenance Centre (Canada’s largest) is photo accessible by Bonaventure Autoroute, and take the take the Techno-Park exit when driving westbound (only by coming from downtown) You can also take pictures from the Point St-Charles side. A telephoto lens is needed to shot VIA Operations, You cannot hang around to long but you can get great shots. The best way to view American Motive Power Canada is from the AMT train over Victoria Bridge or you can walk on Sabastepol Street in Pointe St-Charles to see the other side of AMP and VIA MMC.

 

 

 

Windsor Station (Lucien L’Allier)

 

The downtown Lucien-L'Allier AMT commuter terminal can at times be a hectic bottle neck with, three lines of commuter trains entering and departing the station at the same time. The AMT trains operate on the Vaudreuil, Delson/Candiac and Blainville/St-Jerome lines and is best of course to visit via the platform buy buying a ticket during rush hour for the train parade. Pay attention and obey AMT security inspectors, some will allow you to take pictures, but some may not and ask you to leave. You will see the home of the Montreal


 

Canadien’s in these photos, jut behind is former CPR Windsor station and while no trains there, no trip to Montreal is complete with out visiting the grandest of the historic stations in Canada.

 

 

 

CP St-Luc Yard and CN Taschereau Yard

 

NOTE: Entering any yard in Montreal without permission is considered “Trespassing”, and you will be prosecuted. Access to both Montreal yards is entirely forbidden and is strictly protected by CP and CN police. However, the CP yard can be viewed legally by driving in the Côte-St-Luc area, and going along Mackle Street and at the end of Westminster Street, but do not pass the entrance of the yard without written authorization from CP. Just out side the perimeter and follow along the fences by outside, by using the street west of Westminster, where you get some good point of view, from your car. Over the years as editor of CRO, I have been very fortunate to be invited to enter the yard many times. I obtain proper and authorized permission from Diesel Shop Management for my CRO articles. I of course signed a release with the Planner and I always have had to follow strict safety rules, but this was exception only. Please, do not enter any rail yard without permission!

Missing pictures from orginial

 

 

Lachine Intermodal yard

 

If you like it modern railroading, a good spot for observing train operation is the Lachine CP Intermodal yard, viewable easily from a an overhead bridge, You can reach this location by 55th avenue and Fairway Street and after you will see the bridge. Simply park your car near by and walk to the bridge to watch the CP units switching the yard. Here are some examples.

 

 

 

Not far from Lachine Terminal, CANAC has a small testing facility next to Taschereau Yard (just off Autoroute 13) with a one stall engine house and at times has interesting engines outside:  http://www.canadianrailwayobservations.com/2010/03/canac.htm

Pictures from above are missing

 

Bing’s Bird eye to Canac:  http://www.bing.com/maps/default.aspxv=2&cp=rkcw3q8vs39v&scene=28378739&lvl=2&sty=b

 

 

Outremont Yard

 

Outremont Yard is located northeast of Downtown Montreal on the CP line between St-Luc Yard and the Port of Montreal where the QGRY track junctions off at the AMT Park Avenue Station line Once the a major CPR yard, Guy’s photos shows how the yard leads were in pretty bad shape during of the last days of operation at the yard and the main line at the former location of Park Avenue Station On Labour Day in September 2008, the very last train departed Outremont Yard. In the photo: after leaving a few freight cars for the Transfer to St-Luc, the QGRY units made a last stop to Outremont yard, the crew of the engines and claimed there belongings in the office, locked everything up and left the yard for the last time. One week later the yard offices were torn down . While the yard is now gone the location is still a good spot for photographs and has daily trains from AMT and QGRY and CP Intermodal trains to the Port.

 

 

 

Nowadays, QGRY power can be shot at the QGRY Ste-Therèse Yard (ex-CP). The QGRY units are viewed from Boisbriand Blvd. (Visible were GMTX GP39-2 2644 and QGRY GP40-2LW 3016).

 

 

Please use prudence and caution when railfaning and obey posted signs.  Enjoy your visit!

 

© CRO September 2012