AMT COMMUTER/GO TRANSITAMT Agence Metropolitaine de Transport AMT News Editor Jean-Francois Turcotteamtnews@canadianrailwayobservations.com
AMT ALP-45DP Watch:
With their ALP-45DP fleet stored and yet to enter revenue service, AMT was pleased to learn in July CN has given authorization to place them back into service on their lines. However, there is still some further testing to be completed before these are called to active duty.
Correction:
AMT’s ALP45DP fleet remains stored and yet to enter revenue service. CN is still restricting them from moving under power on their lines per timetable special instruction. It is still unknown when these may be called to active duty.
In revenue service: NIL
AMT 1350 Stored in St-Eustache after some testing in May. AMT 1351 Stored in St-Eustache since mid-February. AMT 1352 Removed from service following derailment. AMT 1353 Stored in St-Eustache after some testing in May. AMT 1354 In storage following testing. AMT 1355 In storage following testing. AMT 1356 Stored in Ste-Eustache since early January. AMT 1357 Stored in St-Eustache since mid-February. AMT 1358 Stored in St-Eustache since mid-February. AMT 1359 Stored in Ste- Eustache since early January. AMT 1360 Stored in St-Eustache since mid-February. AMT 1361 Stored in St-Eustache since late-February. AMT 1362 Arrived in St-Eustache on April 8th AMT 1363 Arrived in St-Eustache on April 8th AMT 1364 Arrived on property Date unknown AMT 1365 Arrived on property Date unknown AMT 1366 Arrived on the property May 14th AMT 1367 Arrived on the property May 14th AMT 1368 Arrived on property Date unknown AMT 1369 Arrived on property Date unknown
As of June 25th, all AMT ALP-45DP’s had been delivered by Bombardier, but are still lingering at St-Eustache. AMT expects re-introducing the ALP-45DP’s by the end of 2012.
On August 12th, a CP “rail train” laying ribbons of CWR on both sides of the eastbound AMT track east of Elmhurst Avenue in NDG. The power was CP 8231 and CP 3108, and non-graffitied, CP Rail multimarked van 434957 was on the rear. Here are some photos taken by Michael Berry from the Grand Boulevard overpass.
The ten AMXX F59PH’s 1340, 1341, 1342, 1343, 1344, 1345, 1346, 1347, 1348 and 1349 that AMT has purchased were moved from Toronto to Montreal on several CN freights during the month of July. The ten are now stored at American Motive Power (Pointe St-Charles Yard), until they can be prepared for Montreal Commuter service. Richard Marchi photographed AMXX 1343 and 1347 moving from CN Taschereau Yard to Point St-Charles Yard July 26th.
CRO Green Locomotive News Editor Jody Moore snapped the following AMT units around the turntable being repaired on his visit to St-Luc Yard with William Baird on August 3rd: AMT F59PHI 1322, AMT F40PH 400, RBRX F59PH 18531, and AMT F59PH 530.
Montreal West action: Ray Farand visited the city August 13th and took the opportunity to take a few AMT pix at Montreal West. He snapped the morning rush hour parade of trains heading to downtown Lucien L’Allier station, and the returning deadheads to Sortin Yard for mid-day layover. Ray included the old Montreal West Tower in some shots. It survives as a museum, details of which are available if you do a Google search.
On August 7th, David Sandor snapped AMT train 184 at St.-Rose crossing the over the Mile-Iles bridge with F59PHI 1324.
On August 23rd Martin Clément provided the following photos on AMT's St-Jérôme line (on the CP Parc sub. and AMT Ste-Agathe sub.): This is the second main track being restored on CP's Parc subdivision near boulevard St-Elzéar, looking East. http://goo.gl/maps/zQVq0
This is the restored South track through AMT's Vimont Sstation. A second platform will be built here shortly.
This newly restored South track crossing Boulevard BelleRose, looking West toward Ste-Rose Station. Citing insufficient traffic, CP had removed the south track in 1984. (Same location as previous picture).
This new intermediate signal, is1 mile West of Ste-Thérèse Station. This signal will govern the approach to the junction with CP's Lachute subdivision at mile 20.32 (used by QGRY to Ste-Thérèse yard and to Gatineau).
This new passing siding located on AMT-owned trackage North of Blainville Station, between 62nd Avenue, and Plan Bouchard Rd. This passing siding will be governed by CTC.
This new passing siding is located on AMT's Ste-Agathe subdivision in St-Janvier, near the site of the proposed Mirabel Station on Victor Street (which has been postponed owing to agricultural land usage dispute). This passing siding will be governed by CTC. http://goo.gl/maps/K6hPT
In September 1976, Warren Calloway visited Montreal and caught CN Z-4-a Box Cab 6724 and sister at Mont Royal station. The Z-1-a and Z-5-a had a maximum speed of 55 MPH while the Z-4-a were restricted to 35 MPH.
On August 15th, GO Transit announced they are having 11 MP40PH-3C’s rebuilt with Cummings engines (Indiana) to be delivered in 2015. They currently have EMD 710G3-T2 16-Cylinder engines but in an effort to to reduce emissions (in part due to a push by local residents in some corridors facing increased GO service) GO will have eleven MP40PH-3C’s converted and re-engined with Cummins QSK95 Tier 4 missions compliant engine. The prototype, GO 647 will be converted for testing at MPI in Boise, Idaho for testing in 2013. The other 10 will follow in 2014 and 2015, constructed from Kits at GO Willowbrook Shop. HISTORY: The first order MPI MP40PH -3C order was made back in 2007. GO 600-626 were built in 2007 and 2008, and are to date the largest single order of motive power purchased by GO Transit. The second order (MPI order 2109-01 to -20) is numbered 627-646, and was ordered in the middle of 2008. A third order for 10 units (MPI order 2109-21 to -30, actually an option on the second order), numbered 647-656 was delivered by early 2011. After the first order, at their July 2008 board meeting, GO's board of directors approved an additional order for 20 MP40-3C units from MPI. numbered above the first 27. The order began delivery late 2009 and continued into July 2010 as expected. GO's board at their March 2009 meeting authorized the taking of an option for 10 more units. Powered by a 4000hp 16-cylinder EMD 710G3 -T2 and equipped with a 1000hp Caterpillar C27-ACERT HEP package, the MP40PH-3C's are the first locomotives ordered by GO able to supply power to a 12-car train by themselves. They are also faster, being geared for a maximum of 93mph. This series is equipped with 1,850 US gallon fuel tanks. They are also equipped with a 2-setting HEP system, capable of providing GO's standard 575vAC on one of the two HEP connections, or on both. The units were all delivered via UP to Chicago, where they were interchanged with CP and sent east to Toronto. All units were transported under MPEX reporting marks until on GO property and in service.
GO has been offering weekend service on its Barrie line as part of a Summer pilot project, however ridership has been reported as less than expected: http://www.simcoe.com/news/article/1437258--go-looks-to-increase-weekend-ridership
As part of an incentive to encourage ridership, free train service on the Barrie line was announced for Saturday, August 4th.
Since their recent purchase of CN's Oakville Sub, GO has been actively upgrading the corridor including interlocking plants. CN's old Canpa interlocking tower will soon be one of the casualties. Built in 1951, the brown square brick structure had once been manned, but up until recently only contained CTC equipment. When that equipment was moved to its own signal bungalow in July 2012, it spelt the end of Canpa tower. It is supposed to undergo demolition in the future in order for GO to add a forth mainline in the area.
Canpa is the junction of CP's Canpa Sub (Canadian Pacific) and the GO (former CN) Oakville Sub, just west of Willowbrook Yard. Only one connection of the two mainline tracks from the Canpa will remain, as the closing of CP's Obico intermodal yard and the discontinuation of CP's running rights over CN from Canpa to Hamilton Junction have all but mothballed the Canpa Sub in recent years. If abandonment comes up, it is possible GO/Metrolinx may look at purchasing it as part of a future downtown GO line along CP's North Toronto Sub.
The 10 AMT (AMXX) F59's purchased from GO that were recently on the move have all arrived in Montreal QC via CN, final delivery was made as follows (likely to the American Motive Power shops in Pointe St Charles before entering AMT service):
1343: July 10th 1346: July 10th 1347: July 10th 1342: July 13th 1341: July 20th 1345: July 23rd 1348: July 23rd 1349: July 25th 1340: July 26th 1344: July 26th
PHOTOS: Walter Pfefferle visited Toronto on July 7th and snapped these shots: The line at Union Station.
GO F59PH 564 at Mimico:
GO MP40PH-3C 637 leans into the curve arriving at Toronto.
TTC Toronto Rocket trainset 5391-96 was noted in revenue service in early-mid August 2012. TTC requires all trains to undergo a certain amount of testing service before entering revenue (passenger-hauling) service.
©CRO September 2012 |
