SHORTLINES & REGIONALS
As of December, SRY GP9 110 and SD38 381 are now both sporting the new SRY Rail Link "meatball" logo, and Mark Forseille snapped them December 8th at New Westminster, BC.
In Monominto, Manitoba Mark Perry snapped eastbound Greater Winnipeg Water District work train with (GWWD) MLW RS-23 200, four flatcars, and GWWD caboose 1360 on the tail end December 4th. This location is 30 miles east of Winnipeg, and is originally built GWWD trackage which parallels the City of Winnipeg’s water aqueduct, providing much of the City’s water from Shoal Lake on the Ontario/Manitoba border.
CCGX (Cando Contracting LTD) GP9RM 4118, 4119, and 7061 ,purchased in the CN Auction Sale two months ago, have arrived on the Central Manitoba Railway. However in early December, CCGX 4118 was sent to Wallaceburg, ON to operate the former CSX line to Chatham, ON another Cando Contracting operation.
Hoping to find PHLX GMD1 5, David Zulkoskey was surprised to see this interesting unit instead. PHLX #6 is a Tractive Effort Booster Unit (TEBU) originally built in 1964, as SOUTHERN PACIFIC U25B 1602 (later as SP 7565 when rebuilt in 1981. Taken in Tisdale for the P&H terminal. This is third SP unit David has photographed on the prairies. On a side note, PHLX GMD1 5 has likely returned to NRE in Capreol, but sister unit Cando SW1200 (ex-CCGX 1003) has temporary wooden reporting marks “ PHLX 2” and was there on Dec 7th, 2012.
Still in Providence and Worcester paint, M420R 2004 now belongs to Arborfield Thunder Rail, quite possibly the shortest shortline in Saskatchewan. The line runs through two communities and intersects with CN at the Crooked River Pioneer inland Terminal. The line is about 30km long and serves two producer sites and Arborfield Dehy (now owned by Canpro) an alfalfa dehydration site. The line was built by CN (sometime in the 1930s) after several letters were sent by the local communities requesting a railway. In 2000 Carlton Trail Railway purchased the line (part of a larger attempt to control the north eastern Saskatchewan grain market for HBRY and the Port of Churchill). In 2005, despite some internal rumblings, CTRW severed the line from their network and sold it to the community of Arborfield. icture on May 25th, 2010.
Retired by CN in 2007, This GMD1u is still rolling on Saskatchewan branchlines, albeit not CN, but on former CP trackage. Built by GMDD as GMD1 1026 in 1958 (she was renumbered 1603 in 1988), and then rebuilt in 1998 with a final number change to 1432. Many of the 1430’s operated in Saskatchewan and 1432 ran around Regina for several years. Today, she runs between Choiceland and Nipawin on the Torch River Rail. Unfortunately the train only runs a couple times a year so is hard to photograph, but David has a chance in the new year to ride with the crew in this handsome unit. On a final note, this old line used to run lightweight CP RS23’s between Nipawin to Prince Albert, SK via trackage rights on the CN Paddockwood Sub. Much of the line has since been abandoned (including the CN section) since 1991. Mark took the picture Sept 4th, 2011. Cal Murray snapped WRIX (Potash Corp) SD38-2 35022, (Rebuilt from D&RGW SD40T-2 5411), at the Rocanville Saskatchewan Potash Corp mine December 25th.
ONR GP38-2 1809 arrived at the North Bay station on December 3rd, with the Second Annual Christmas Train bringing the holiday spirit to 1000's of spectators, children and railfans alike who all came to see Santa and Choo Choo Bear. The train was very colourful and very nicely decorated for this year's second trip. Merry Christmas Everyone and much thanks to Ontario Northland!!!
The two former Waterloo & St. Jacob (ex-CNR) green and yellow FP9Au’s have both arrived at their new owners: WCXX FP9Au 6508 on the Ontario Southland Railway, and sister WCXX FP9Au 6520 arrived in Squamish BC. WCXX 6508 was running at the Salford Shop in December.
GEXR SD40-2 2652 (a rebuilt SD45) and GEXR SD45T-2 9392 at Goderich ON, December 66h. (WALTER PFEFFERLE PHOTOS).
On December 6th The GEXR Dead Line held cannibalized GEXR 4046 and 3834.
Walter Pefferle snapped Ontario Southland FP9Au 1400 and 1401 beginning to move to their new owners the OSR from Clinton Junction, to Stratford ON. OSR FP9Au 1400 is ex-RLK 1400, exx-VIA 6303 exxx-6539, nee CN 6539. OSR FP9Au 1401 is ex-RLK 1401, exx-VIA 6312 exxx-6523, nee CN 6523. They will both require quite a bit of work to be become serviceable after being stored for a few years.
Tim Ball snapped the newest members of the OSR fleet arriving in mid-December, crossing the Eramosa River in Guelph, south bound to Guelph Jct.
In December, GEXR was exchanging RLK GP9-4 4001 to the SOR who intend to assign her to Nanticoke, ON, for graffiti covered RMPX GP40-2LW 9431 which will return to the Goderich and Exeter. OVR update: MP17 Chalk River Sub (by John Morin) The track removal process began at Smart Road December 14th, loading rails in two strings. As of mid-December, the tracks still remained toward Almonte, but had been un-spiked for removal by truck as it is all short scrap rail sections. The contract is to remove rail for Huron Central of which a total of 49 strings will be loaded to end at MP 7. Unfortunate is that this is a hit and miss operation of selective rail.
Just Days Before Christmas It was just days before Christmas and all was not swell As a CWR train showed on the OVR with a sad story to tell To lift some rail from the railbed ground Huron Central the train will be bound
As I watched this loading of all the rail I have memories on a DVD along that lone trail So as the train passes you by and is gone No More Trains ever.......... as it is all done
So as you walk the future trail perhaps You will remember the trains and those working chaps May this section of the OVR Rest-in-Peace As the book of memories will never cease
Jody Moore paid a visit to the Port of Montreal again in December and submitted this report and photos. One of the four MP15DC (POM 8403-8406) was tied up, and three of the RP20's had slugs attached to them. The only unit not being used was the recently arrived POM 1002, which still needs some preparation work before entering service.
In December, AMTRAK held off plans to purchase 40 new Acela cars from Montreal, Quebec-based BOMBARDIER, as they were deemed “Too expensive”. The 40 cars were intended to augment the passenger fleet on their high speed electric trains operating in the North East Corridor. Bombardier (BBD) stated these cars today cost more to construct, and said the original fleet of 120 cars and 40 locomotives were all built for AMTRAK back in 2000 in a different economy. AMTRAK ordered each train set with two locomotives, even though BBD claimed one would have been sufficient with a power car. As AMTRAK intends to continue to standardize with their very successful Acela train sets for now, they will be asking for further government funding, and will attempt to negotiate a lower price with BBD.
Two new SD70ACe locomotives built in Mexico by Bombardier Transportation, for QUEBEC NORTH SHORE & LABRADOR RAILWAY and photographed in Cuautitlán, Estado de México. December 20th
HLCX SD40-2 7205, and 8176 arrived at Mont Joli, Quebec in mid-December and in transit to the TSHIUETIN RAIL (TSH) . Following wreck repairs and complete repaint at Quality Rail in Madison, IL Cartier (QCM) AC4400CW #20 was released in late October wearing new Arcelor-Mettal paint with French lettering, and moved over BNSF to Houston and for transport by ship from Texas to Port Cartier, QC. Then in November brand new Arcelor-Mittal SD70ACe’s 50-54 were moved to the Port in Houston, Texas to be sent to Port Cartier, QC along with AC4400CW # 20 on board. On the ships return from Port Cartier, it carried three of the five CEFX SD9043MACS which were ferried to Montreal, QC. CEFX GP20D’s 2017 and 2026 were also aboard, and all are now at CADRAIL in Lachine, QC.
In December, GRYR RS18u 1828 was purchased by the Gapsésie Railway in Sartigan, Quebec but is still in Memphis, Tennessee as of December 14, 2012.
In November, former Ottawa Central (nee-CP) Grenada Railway (GRYR) RS18u 1865 was forwarded to the Gapsésie Railway, and was reported in Jackson, MS in November 10th and in CN-Winnipeg on November 17th. Fred Goff shot (GRYR) 1865 in Grenada, MS in 2009. The Gapsésie Railway currently rosters three RS18u’s 1819, 1849, and 1856.
Bound for Saint John N.B, Francois Jolin took this great shot of Montreal Maine & Atlantic oil train #606 enroute to Farnham, QC. S OO LINE SD60 6026, MM&A C30-7 5023, (ex-BCOL) MM&A SD40-2 758, (ex-CPRS) DME SD40-2 6075 and MM&A C30-7 5026 cross the Richelieu River on a cold Boxing Day afternoon on December 26th, 2012.
CEFX SD40-2 3131 and 3143 arrived in Montreal on CP 253, and were forwarded to Truro, NS via CN for the Cape Breton and Central Nova Scotia (CBNS) ., who have moved these two units to Sidney for repairs.
To recap the leased locomotives on the property in 2012:
Montreal Maine and Atlantic (MMA)
SLC F40PH 270 and F40PHR 293 NHRR C39-8 8202, 8207, and 8208 (ex-New Hope & Ivyland and exx-NS same numbers, nee-CR 6004, 6012, 6014, as well as short term leasing CP SD40-2`s.
New Brunswick Southern Railway (NBSR)
HLCX SD40-2’s 6200, 6304, 6315, 6318, 6319, 6332, 6340 and 8144 HLCX GP38-3’s 906, 911, 913, and 917 GMTX MP15DC’s 203 and 204 GMTX GP38-2’s 2639, 2544, 2644, 2645, 2657, and 2666
©CRO January 2013 |
