CRO AUGUST 2011
JULY 10th
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CANADIAN NATIONAL
Motive Power:
In early July stored GCFX SD40-3 6077 was scrapped at BRC Chicago, IL,
GCFX/WC SD40-3 6943 has been sold to the Texas Gonzales & Northern Railroad as TXGN #129.
CN ex-BNSF C40-8W roundup as of August 1st 2011:
In full CN Livery with their paint shop:
2099 -Centralia
2136 - Centralia
2138 - Centralia
2141 - Woodcrest
2144 - Centralia
2146 - Centralia
2147 - Woodcrest
2148 - Woodcrest
2151 - Centralia
2152- Woodcrest
2153- Woodcrest
2155 - Centralia
2156 – NEW - July Centralia
2157 - Centralia
2161 - Centralia
2163 – Centralia
2164 - Woodcrest
2188 - Centralia
2194 - Woodcrest
2197 - Centralia
Following their CN repaint, C40-8W’s 2099, 2152, and 2153 have all been forwarded to the Toronto Diesel Shop for final completion.
George Redmond was first to catch CN C40-8W fresh out of the paint shop at Centralia, Il. July 5th.
Cn2156georgeredmond
CN News:
On June 30th, cross ties caught fire on the CN Cisco Bridge 10-km south of Lytton BC, temporarily shutting down rail operations. The cause is still being investigated. The location is well known to railfans as both CP and CN mainline bridges crisscross the mighty Thompson River at Siska, BC (see video and photos) http://www.canada.com/NEWS/Lytton+bridge+fire+Cisco+bridge+burning+photo/5032922/story.html
In our July CRO CN News section, we posted the sobering photos of former CN Z-1-a #6712, a GE-built Box Cab being cut up for scrap following the Town of Mont Royal Council’s decision in March 2011 to dispose of the historic electric locomotive. This move has raised the ire of many railway enthusiasts and some TMR residents. Beginning in 1914 and up until 1996. CN Z-1-a 6712 provided commuter service north on the electrified line from downtown Central Station under Mount Royal to Deux Montagnes. On retirement it was given to TMR.
In selling the locomotive, which was kept stored all these years at the TMR public works yard, Mayor Philippe Roy cited the expense of keeping it properly protected, and needed storage space as reasons for disposing of it. After pieces were salvaged by the CRHA for their own Box Cab, the rest was dismantled in June by D. P. Metal of St-Urban Premier south of Montreal. A sad end for such an historic locomotive that provided so many years service through the Mount Royal Tunnel AKA “Canada’s First Subway”. It had been donated to TMR for future exhibit in the municipality which never guided to fruition. CRO readers sounded off: “This was one of the roots of TMR,” said Avrom Shtern, a member of the Montreal environment group Green Coalition for which he is the transportation critic. “This railway was what led to the creation of this municipality,” added Andrew Dawson, a member of Transport 2000, a public transit group. Shtern maintains that the destroyed locomotive was an important artifact of TMR’s history that should have been preserved. He noted that the City of Deux Montagnes, QC at the other end of the AMT line, display their Box Cab locomotive as entrusted. In June, Charles DeJean clicked these sobering images of the salvage crew at work, after the box cab had been cut in two, with number board still in place and spoked wheels set aside. (thanks to Martin C. Barry and Avrom Shtern)
cn6712charliedejean
CN VIGNETTES:
GREAT SHOT! Doug Wingfield captured CNR RS3’s 3004 and 3019 assiting CNR Northern Northern 6167 up Ferguson Avenue in Hamilton, ON heading south on the Hagersville Sub with a September 30th, 1962 excursion. The diesels will cut off at Rymal at the top of the Niagara escarpment. Interesting street running back then as this line is now gone. The two RS3’s were laying over after arriving on commuter train 921 the Friday evening and departing on #922 the following Monday.
Cnr3004dougeingfield
CANADIAN PACIFIC
Motive Power :
CP has contracted Progress Rail in Mayfield< Kentucky to overhaul, rebuild and repaint several of their GP38-2 locomotives. Last month, CP 3038, 3048, 3066, 3111, and SOO 4446 arrived DIT at Progress Rail in Mayfield, KY (moved via CN). SOO GP38-2 4515 is currently Bad Order in St. Paul, MN., and will be added to this group at a later date.
CP leased locomotives on the property in July:
CEFX (AC4400CW) 1002, 1006, 1007, 1014, 1018-1020, 1023, 1024, 1026-1059.
CEFX (SD40-2) 2786, 2791, 2797, 2802, 2803, 3109, 3112, 3117, 3120, 3121, 3127, 3128, 3130, 3133, 3137, 3139, 3143, 3145, 3148, 3149, 3151, 3155, 3163, 3164, 3166, 3168, 3172, 3173, 3175, 3176, 3181, 3182, 3183, 3184, and 3188.
CITX (SD40-2) 2783, 2785, 2790, 2792, 2794, 2796, 2799, 2804, 3008,
3024, 3026, 3032, 3035, 3036, 3053-3067, 3070-3075, 3077-3083, 3086, 3088-3092, 3095, 3097-3102, 3110, 3157, 3170, 3177.
NREX (SD40-2) 4403, 5542, 5581, 5661, 5777, 5823, 6301, 6309, 7003, 7212, 7223, 7237, 7246, 7275, 7287, 7349, 7356, 7360, 7370, 7374, 7931, 8092, 8096, 8099, 8401.
HLCX (SD40-2): 6206, 6299, 6340, 6341, 6844, 7003, 7008, 7009, 7161, 7191, 7193, 7205, 7230, 7231, 7233, 8033, 8085, 8089, 8139, 8163,
8176, and JFDX 8045.
On July 7th, Jack Kuiphoff caught ICE SD40-2 6211 with color matched trailing power on ethanol train K674-K675 on the CSX at Gratztown, PA.
Cp375jackkuiphoff
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=c1AytbaWwgY
Ron Visockis clicked CP 5917 leading a pair of assorted SD40-2’s westbound on an empty ethanol train through Trenton, ON July 1st.
Geoff Elliott clicked CP train 643 on a crew change in Windsor, ON July 3rd.
Cp5917geoffelliott
After sitting at Assiniboia, SK for three weeks and through three severe rain storms waiting on CP's Expanse Sub to be fully reopened, Prairie Mines and Royalty Ltd PRMX SD40-2 6973 was on the move in July. Cor van Steenis clicked PRMX 6973 at Alyth Yard July 6th in-transit on CP from Poplar River, SK., and destined to Progress Rail in Tacoma, WA, for repairs and re-building. It is one of two locomotives that haul coal from Sherrit's mine at Poplar River, near Coronach, deep in southern Saskatchewan, the 12 miles to SaskPower's power plant, which produces one-third of the electricity in Saskatchewan.
Prmx6973cvs
CP News:
Ross Harrison took these photos of the demise of former CP Robot car 404397. The FM shell and trucks were scrapped at General Scrap and Car Shredder during May and June of 2010 following a purge of surplus equipment stored in Transcona. Some of the material purged was simply scrapped onsite if unable to safely move to Mandak.
Andy Cassidy clicked the CPR “Royal Pacific Express” July 4th with CP FP9A 4107-4106, GP38-2 3084 and F9B 1900 West arriving at Coquitlam (BC) Yard, Mile 110.2, on the CP Cascade Sub.
Cp4107andycassidy
History: On June 28th,1886 the first CPR 'Pacific Express' departed Montreal's Dalhouise Square Station for the Pacific coast, the first transcontinental passenger train through Canada. It arrived in the Town of Calgary on Dominion Day to a 'great fireworks display'. One has to imagine that an event like this would have drawn many of the town's population of 1000 or so to the CPR station. The train continued on to Port Moody, B.C., then the end of track, arriving there 5 days and 19 hours after leaving Montreal, on 04 July 1886, behind CPR 4-4-0 # 371, which had hauled the 6 car train on the last leg of its journey from North Bend, B.C.
125 Years Later: CPR operates a passenger special, Train No. 31B-02, named the 'Royal Pacific Express', to mark the 125th anniversary of that first transcontinental train. The train departed Calgary on 02 July 2011 just after 09:00h westbound with 4 tuscan and gray diesels and 18 cars, Business Car 'Mount Stephen' bringing up the markers. The train was a private charter that is scheduled to arrive on the Pacific coast (Port Coquitlam) on 04 July 2011. It stopped in Banff for 3 hours and also in Lake Louise for about a half hour before heading on to Golden for the first night's layover. The consist on this run was: CP 4107, 4106, 3084, 1900, Generator 96, H.B. Bowen, Coach 103, Baggage 99 (Archives Display), Coach 104, Dominion, Ernest 'Smoky' Smith, Baggage 100 (Observation), Mount Royal, Generator 95, Killarney, N.R. Crump, Banffshire, Strathcona, Van Horne, Royal Wentworth, Craigellachie and Mount Stephen. Cor photo graphed the train at several locations and we hope you all had an enjoyable Canada day weekend! (Cor van Steenis).
With the 'Royal Pacific Express' run from Calgary to the Pacific coast marked the 125th anniversary of the first transcontinental passenger train, Cor had the opportunity to photograph the heritage liveried motive power at Banff, AB. He also spoke with one of the CPR crew. Cor inquired why the CP FP9A units #4106 and 4107 were not idling when stopped at Banff; and shut down. The crew indicated that these units had 'SmartStart' technology installed, a microprocessor which allows the locomotives to shut down and start up on pre-set (setable) parameters (ambient temperature and such) resulting in fuel savings and total emissions reductions. (This is now standard on most of CP’s fleet)
Rpcorvansteenis
Royal Pacific Express
On a test done on the SRY (Southern Railway of British Columbia) in 2004-2005, two locomotives had this technology installed; the result was a 26% and 31% reduction in fuel used over two years. The payback period was nine months (supply and installation cost for two units was $30,400; fuel savings was $39,000). In colder climates the benefits would be expected to be reduced somewhat.
Cor van Steenis photos:
After photographing the CPR 'Royal Pacific Express' July 3rd, Cor waited at Morant's Curve for the “Rocky Mountaineer” in hopes to catch it the new RMR livery. Cor was not disappointed as in spite of the consist arriving in the original colour scheme he got terrific shots of the train. He also clicked their leased genset NREX # 2020, (built new in Sep 2008) as a trailing locomotive.
Rmcorvansteenis
A. J. Shewan submitted several photos of the train between Kamloops and Hope, BC “The Empress” CPR 4-6-4 Hudson #2816 was supposed to lead but had to remain in Calgary due to a crack discovered on the axle on one of the large driver wheels.
http://www.pbase.com/ashewan/recents
CP VIGNETTES:
BILL BAIRD Sr. 1920-2006
My father William Baird Sr. guided me greatly in out mutual passion for railway locomotives. We experienced many great railfan experiences together at Kings Cross, Euston and Paddington Stations in London, England, Frontier Yard, Bison Yard, and D&H S.K. Yard in Buffalo, NY, Rigby Yard in Portland, ME and of course Leaside Station (Toronto) CP nAgincourt Yard, and mostly at Westmount Station Glen Yard and CP St-Luc Yard in Montreal. See my Glen Yard Memories here:
Over the years I learned the models of all of his favourite locomotives, The CP FA2, FP7A, SD9043MAC, C424 models, Boston & Maine GP9 (painted blue with white and black ends), New Haven FL9’s, D&H PA’s, and the NYC Cigar Band livery E8’s.
My Dad passed away at his home in Niagara Falls on August 2006 and in his memory, I have included a photo (via J.P Cadieux with thanks) of his favourite Canadian Pacific locomotive the CPR 4-4-4 3000-series “Jubilee” Class. The photo shows one of these beautiful streamlined speedsters at Westmount “Glen Yard” in the 1950’s. Note those solid large drivers, chrome plates on the pilot, and mastermind H.B. Bowen styling! I agree with my Dad … This is perfection!
VIA RAIL CANADA
Senior VIA News Editor Tim Hayman
VIA News Editor Terry Muirhead:
Collision damaged VIA P42DC 903 has been repaired and repainted into Renaissance green livery and photographed at VIA MMC July 3rd along with VIA F40PH-3 6406, about to enter the Maintenance Shop for inspection.
Amtrak Train#68 is seen at MMC awaiting her crew, a wash and the servicing shop.
Via903noname
An Internal VIA Rail News Release stated that during 2013 a new $10 Bill will be minted with the back of the note will feature VIA's Flagship "The Canadian”.
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GO TRANSIT & AMT COMMUTER
AMT - Agence Metropolitaine de Transport
AMT news editor Jean-Francois Turcotte:
As of July 4th Châteauguay buses began transporting downtown Montreal-bound passengers to a South Shore AMT commuter train station, instead of being forced to cross the traffic-clogged Mercier Bridge to the Angrignon Métro station on the island of Montreal. Authorities also appear close to opening a new commuter-train station in Kahnawake to shuttle people from the Mohawk community and other Mercier-trapped areas to and from Montreal. But many barriers remain to a long-term public-transit solution for the region southwest of the half-closed Mercier – a region that’s home to more than 110,000 people. It does not look like a long-discussed commuter train service between downtown Montreal and Beauharnois will be restored soon. As well the Châteauguay bus shuttles to the train are a temporary measure while two of Mercier’s four lanes are closed; once they reopen, the shuttles may disappear.
Here’s what is and isn’t being done for cities southwest of Montreal Island: Six rush-hour buses daily – three morning, three afternoon – run between Châteauguay’s bus terminal and the Ste. Catherine train station. From there, commuters can ride the Agence métropolitaine de transport’s Candiac line to Montreal. The shuttle is free; the train is not. Until now, buses would take passengers only to the Angrignon métro, across the Mercier. That’s because if Châteauguay buses served AMT stations, the city of Châteauguay would have to pay a portion of the Candiac line’s operating costs, something the city is trying to avoid.