SHORTLINES & REGIONALS
Andy Cassidy snapped SRY GP9 124, SW900 907 and GP7u 129 South At Spruce, BC Mile 144.5, on the CN New Westminster Sub July 8th, 2012.
DLCX SW1200RS 24, which is used by Yara Canada in Belle Plaine (formerly SaskFerCo), was photographed November 14th by Ken McCutcheon in Willows, SK along Red Coat Rails Assiniboia Sub. A local locomotive servicing company has been doing repairs on it.
John Soehner caught three CEFX leased EMD15D’s on the Stewart Southern Railway’s former CP Tyvan Sub. November 1st. The three engines were waiting at Richardson siding awaiting CP with a transfer of empty oil tank cars and empty grain cars. CP drops the transfer on the mainline then the power runs into the siding and lifts the lone SOO boxcar. The SSR trio lifts the train and heads south to Stoughton to the oil transfer terminal owned by Crescent and dropped the grain empties at Fillmore Seed, Fillmore. The CP trio returned to Regina with the buffer car, a lone SOO boxcar.
CN GP9RM`s 4118, 4119, and 7061 were sold in the Auction Sale to the Central Manitoba Railway (CCGX) and in November were hastily relettered CCGX (Cando Contracting LTD), and began to move November 5th. Henry Nye snapped CCGX 4118, 4119, and 7061 in transit at Neenah, WI on November 5th.
In November, CEMR painted on of their SD40-2’s (The first one!). CEMR 5396 is seen in Steve Boyko’s photo in Winnipeg, MB at Carman Junction on November 20th in fresh paint. They have two, (5396 and 5232), with 5232 still in the CN red and black with white stripes livery
Destined to the WCRS in Squamish, BC, Mark Perry snapped WCXX 5569 Sitting on CN flatcar at the Symington Diesel Shop November 6th.
Cal R.C. Murray snapped the pre painted Mobil Grain SD40-3’s being delivered back on July 27th, 2010 at Uno, MB on the CN Rivers Sub. All three now wear MOBIL GRAIN colours.
Beausejour, MB's, last grain elevator may have been torn down last week, but its shortline railway will live on. Lake Line Railroad which took over 10 miles of track from Beausejour to Molson, Lake Line is a a new short-line freight railway between Gimli and Selkirk, with $1.25 million in provincial support. Now they've added the Beausejour stretch to their list of projects. Lake Line will pick up CP railway cars, transport them to a nearby grain elevator operated by Viterra, and deliver the grain back to CP for transport. Lake Line will operate and maintain the 10-mile stretch of railway, saving CP the maintenance costs and ensuring fast, reliable service for Viterra.
Recently rebuilt, Resolute Forest Products SW1200RS 1305, is making her way from Diesel Electric Services in Sudbury back home to the Resolute mill in Iroquois Falls is captured on Cochrane Shops' 3 track on November 16th.
After standing out in the elements at the VIA TMC in Toronto for 13 years, WSJR 6508 still looks pretty good and was photographed inside and out by Walter Pfefferle inside the Ontario Southland Railway Salford Shop November 8th. Former Waterloo and St. Jacobs Railway (WSJR) WCXX FP9A 6508 was purchased by the OSR in order to allow West Coast Railway Assoc. to raise funds to ship the other unit and last passenger car out west.
Former WSJR FP9A (WCXX 6508) was visiting its hometown yesterday and today during its move from TMC Mimico to the OSR at Salford. It had left GMD London on December 29, 1954, about 58 years ago. The unit arrived CN London East on November 6th (Don McQueen photo) on#435, was moved for interchange in St. Thomas North on #584 (4112, 7025) at 14:30, arriving at the i/c about 16:00, November 7th. Two of the three OSR F-units are to be stored at Guelph Junction.
Geoff Williams snapped WCXX FP9A 6508 at London, ON waiting to be lifted to St Thomas, ON November 17th
Mark A. Perry snapped the sister ex-WJSR) WCXX FP9A 6520 after she arrived at CN - Symington Yard in Winnipeg, MB November 16th. The F-unit former Waterloo & St. Jacob (ex-CNR) green and yellow FP9A was in transit November 20st headed west out of Winnipeg on CN train 301, for Edmonton. WCXX 6520 arrived at WCRA Park in Squamish, BC on train L 54651 behind CN 2558-5668-2422 November 24th.
The two RLK FP9A`locomotives stored on the Goderich-Exeter (GEXR) are expected to be move at some point. At that time, GEXR 1400 and 1401 are to be interchanged directly from the GEXR to OSR in Guelph, ON. Thus routing for the two RLKs would be Goderich to Stratford to Kitchener to OSR Guelph, for storage at Guelph Jct. until time and money permits. Gary Pembleton shot RKLK 1400 in Goderich, ON in 2005.  On November 20th EMD/CATERPILLAR Shop switcher EMDX #1 was moved from the closed plant to London East by GEXR where Geoff Williams caught her destined to Lambton Diesel Services (LDSX) in Sarnia, ON.
Chris van der Heide caught an interesting surprise on CN 331 on November 18th was this wrecked switcher from the Dofasco mill in Hamilton, ON. This engine is on the way for repair and rebuild at NRE in Silvis, IL.
Joseph Bishop caught CEFX 2006 working at Garnet. Ontario on November 16th, operating as SOR 598 on the CN Hagersville Subdivision
Ontario Northland announced that its Christmas Train is back for 2012.
Here's the Official 2012 Schedule
Wednesday, Dec 5 – New Liskeard - 6 pm to 7 pm - New Liskeard Station Thursday, Dec 6 – Englehart – 6:30 pm to 7:30 pm - Englehart Station Tuesday, Dec 11 – Iroquois Falls – 6 pm to 7 pm - Site of the former Iroquois Falls Station Wednesday, Dec 12 – Cochrane – 6 pm to 7 pm - The Cochrane Station Thursday, Dec 13 – Kapuskasing – 6 pm to 7 pm - TBD Friday, Dec 14 – Hearst – 6 pm to 7 pm - Hearst Station/Yard Office Tuesday, Dec 18 – Moosonee - Time TBD - Moosonee Station Tuesday, Dec 18 – Moosonee - Time TBD - Moosonee Station
ONR VIGNETTE: On a rather dull afternoon October 2nd 1998, Arnold Mooney was fortunate to catch ONR 1731, 1735 and 1736 with a northbound freight through Cobalt, ON. The sun normally would have been seen dead center in the sky at this time of day, so it turns out 'dull' was a bonus. The Cobalt station can be seen behind the end of train. Leader 1731 and trailing unit 1736 were sold to Progress Rail in 2005 and ONR 1735 remains on ONR roster.
The four former CP SW12ooRS’s (1210, 1244, 1245, and 1249), are all now on the Ontario Southland Railway (OSRX) . Brock Joubarne snapped (ex-CP) OSR SW1200RS 1244 and 1249 at CAMI in Ingersol, ON Nov 8th.
Walter Pfefferle bagged out of service OSR RS18u at Mount Elgin, Ontario November 22nd
Two HLCX SD40-2`s 7205, and 8176 were spotted with with TSHIUETIN RAIL (TSH) logo`s on their long hoods on November 10th at MEI in Illinois, and they departed CN Markham Yard on train 148 on November 12th and arrived in Toronto November 14th. On November 21st the pair arrived at Joffre, QC.
Port of Montreal (POM) RP20BD 1002 arrived in Montreal, after release from Relco in Albia, IA in October. David Lemke snapped the locomotive. Here is CP train 272, passing a ex Milwaukee Road GP40 2057. The 2057 was doing yard duty and 272 is transporting a new POM Genset for the Port of Montreal.
Bombardier is preparing itself for what could be a lengthy strike at its plant at LaPocatière, Quebec railcar assembly plant after workers rejected what the company characterized as a generous offer that raises wages and pension benefits and contained a commitment to invest in new technology. "Don't worry, we've got our contingency plans and we could go a long way," company spokesman Marc Laforge said Thursday, hours after union members massively rejected Bombardier's "final" contract offer. He said the company has a long-term vision for the plant and has no immediate plans to transfer work to its other facilities in Thunder Bay, Ont., Plattsburgh, N.Y. and Mexico. He also said Bombardier will meet its commitment to deliver 420 Toronto subway cars and interior finishing for 706 Chicago transit cars. It also has contracts for 100 multi-level New Jersey transit cars, 54 multi-level cars for Maryland transit, along with nearly 500 Montreal Metro cars, which aren't yet in production. Nearly 90 per cent of the votes cast at a special meeting of the workers at the rail-equipment plant in La Pocatiere, northeast of Quebec City, were against the deal. The six-hour meeting ended November 21st and the results were published by their union, an affiliate of the Confederation of National Trade Unions. Subcontracting, pension and salaries have been the key issues for the 330 workers who have been without a contract since Sept. 30, 2011. Following repairs at Quality Rail in Madison, IL Cartier (QCM) AC4400CW #20 was released in late October wearing new Arcelor-Mittal orange/gray paint complete with French lettering over the BNSF to Houston and transported by ship from Texas to Port Cartier, QC. 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, and two others.
EASTERN TOWNSHIPS SPECIAL REPORT By Michael Berry On October 18th CRO Production Manager Michael Berry headed to Sherbrooke to ride the Oxford Express tourist train from Sherbrooke to Eastman. It turned out to be a beautiful day, and he was able to photograph action on the Montreal, Maine & Atlantic on the way to Sherbrooke and at Sherbrooke as well. The Montreal, Maine & Atlantic rosters a mostly GE roster, and recently it has been supplanted by leased CP and ICE units, making varied consists a certainty. The Oxford Express just recently received their first cab unit (FL9 FLNX 484), but when he took the train, an even rarer diesel, an MLW M420TR no.26 was subbing for the cab unit. The train runs on ex-CP rails and passes through very scenic territory. It is highly recommended for railfans, even if the track is a little rock and roll.
MMA C30-7 5023, remote control caboose VB-4, leased ICE SD40-2 6450 ("City of Welcome") and MMA C30-7 3000 switch the yard in Farnham.
Oxford Express' new FL9 rests at Sherbrooke Station, out of use for HEP adjustments on this day.
On the return voyage from Eastman, The Oxford Express stops at scenic Magog, at the north end of Lake Memphremagog. Here we see their MLW M420TR no. 26 at the rear end.
On the return voyage from Eastman, The Oxford Express runs RDC first. This is an ex-Northern Pacific RDC-1. Photo taken at Magog, QC.
Here we see Montreal, Maine & Atlantic #1 cooling its heels in front of the ex-CP Sherbrooke Station before doing some switching and then departing westwards into the sunset. The Oxford Express train can be seen behind the station, laying over between the afternoon and the evening run.
Montreal, Maine & Atlantic #1 heads west through Sherbrooke with beautiful fall colors all around. Power is MMA C30-7 5018, MMA B39-8E 8583, leased CP Sd40-2 5833 and MMA C30-7 5016.
Due to increased business, regional Montreal Maine and Atlantic (MMA) acquired the following locomotives; (SLC) F40PH 270 and F40PHR 293m ex-New Hope & Ivyland (NHRR) C39-8 8202, 8207, and 8208. ex-NS same numbers, nee-CR 6004, 6012, 6014, as well as short term leasing CP SD40-2`s.
New Brunswick Southern Railway (NBSR) have leased GMTX GP38-2’s 2639, 2645, and 2666 all on the property and newly arrived GMTX GP38-2’s 2644 and 2657. They also have HLCX SD40-2’s 6200, 6304, 6315, 6318, 6319, 6332, 6340 and 8144. NBSR have also leased four HLCX GP38-3’s 906, 911, 913, and 917, and two switchers GMTX MP15DC’s 203 and 204 all on the property. An NBSR slug set switches the Irving Oil facility in Saint John, New Brunswick on November 22nd. Bryan Thomas photos (via Doug Hately)
Clifford Holder snapped CBNS train 406, is skirting the property of an Irving saw mill at Valley, NS with HLCX SD40-2 7869,7232,7172 and 37 cars on November 13th.
©CRO December 2012 |
