Algoma Central

[fuzzybroken]

Never mind, found it... [sigh]

[Anonymous]

When I was working for the Wisconsin Central, every once in a while I'd read in the Chief Dispatcher's Turnover about the wayfreight crew at Gladstone, Michigan refusing the wayfreight power because they were F's (they cited visibility concerns).

My response to the assistant chief at the time was to arrange to send them down to New Brighton where we could use them on the transfer! [:D]

Back when the B's were still out of service, my conductor and I lobbied (albeit unsuccessfully) to get the 2 SD24's assigned to New Brighton as permanent transfer power and suggested that they bring a couple of the B's down to use between the SD24's (shades of the old CB&Q, anyone??). We had even offered to do some rewiring work on the SD24's when they weren't being used (they were having a lot of low-voltage control problems on them at the time).

Oddly enough, they were listening on the first part and tried to send us SD24's on a couple of occasions (one at a time on the inbound trains), only to have a thrifty power planner use them on the outbund trains so they could fill the trains to tonnage. Oh, well. It almost worked! Somewhere I have some video of one second or third out on a train at New Brighton and just east of Cardigan Jct. That was the last time I personally observed them in any sort of road service.

Those were just a few of my many memories working at the WC. Those were days when a lot of the planners actually listened to the field guys. I think some of them got a kick out of finding someone who actually wanted the old junk. Then of course, there was my "call list" of people I would tip off if we had something interesting on the point of the transfer, like say and ex-Soo GP30. I remember the day we sent one of the lower numbered 1500 series Geeps east on the point of an outbound train - this was shortly after the unit had been released to service when the short hood had been lowered. I have photos of the outbound train at New Brighton and even brought my Mom down there after I got done with work to show her the old Geep. Having grown up on the C&NW in Ames, IA, she remembered the Geeps and made a comment about how it had been a long time since she had seen one.

Those days were without a doubt, the highlight of my RR career....

Respectuflly,

-Dennis J. Holmes (Homer)
BNSF Train Dispatcher
Fort Worth, TX

-------------------------------------------------

I remember an article in Railfan and Railroad 10 years ago about AC's last F-Units, and with the exception of LTV Steel, defunct since 2001, AC must have been the last operator to run F-Units in scheduled freight service. Oftenly the F-Units weren't alone as they were mixed with Geeps, but 10 years ago it was still possible to see an F-Unit heading a freight.

The author of the article was then remembering the same F-Units (wearing Soo Line's paintscheme) at the same location when he was a youngster.

Dominique

[Anonymous]

I was a train order operator in Franz during the mid 1970s. I was employed by CP Rail at the time, but worked 3 days a week (under a co-operation agreement) with Algoma Central.

The ACR was both a progressive and old time rail company. While the CPR operated under CTC, we moved trains on the ACR by orders, dispatched from Sault Ste Marie. At that time, most trains were powered by GP7's and GP9's. The GP9's were not preferred by the train crew and were very rarely seen leading. I'm not exactly sure as to why, but seem to recall it had something to do with the braking systems.

The ACR was a tight-knit corporation. They were a small company and everyone knew everyone. From the clerks to the train crews, everyone was on a first name basis. If you needed something out of the ordinary done, all you had to do was ask someone. I bought an old Wurlitzer jukebox (sight unseen) from a conductor who knew where one was for a few years in an abandoned camp north of Franz. He arranged to have the jukebox loaded on to #6 and unloaded at Franz while I was away. Much to my delight, when I returned the following week, the jukebox was sitting in the waiting room and turned out to be a Model 1015, which is the classic "Bubbler" from 1948.

The ACR was the first railroad in North America to become fully dieselized. A tradition which didn't stick, because since then, rarely bought new equipment. The Maroon and Silver livery scheme was a late 70's paint when they aquired the F-units and superceded the classic Grey/Yellow/Maroon of previous years.

I have a website which has several photos and a description of the job at the time:
http://www.trainweb.org/franzswing

Dave

[squeeze]

I remember back in the late 70's and early 80's that you could get a ticket to ride to a particular MP and get dropped off and when you wanted to get picked up the train would wait a certain amount of time at the MP for the return trip. This was a real pleasure for the outdoorsman and rail enthusiust. Too bad I could never get the time to do it. I would have loved the chance to fish some of that country and ride a train to get there. Hindsight is always 20/20, and the thought of doing it at a later date never came around again. Within two years the my longtime friend and originator of train watching (my Dad) had passed on and the opportunity was gone forever. Such is life!

[Anonymous]

I would imagine that all westbound traffic CN or CP would be handed off at Sudbury/Capreol. All westbound traffic originating at Sault Ste Marie would be interchanged with CP at Franz and with CN at Oba. All eastbound traffic destined for Sault Ste Marie would be interchanged at Franz and Oba. Any international traffic originating east of Franz and Oba would probably go south on CN or CP to Toronto unless it was going to MN or WI. The only international traffic would be traffic originating between between Winnipeg and Oba or Franz or was generated from on-line shippers. There maybe some ONR traffic that is interchanged in Hearst for southbound movement but most of it would go to CN at North Bay and then south to Toronto.

[Anonymous]

QUOTE: Originally posted by CSSHEGEWISCH

The Algoma Central was definitely long on scenery but it doesn't look like it was the easiest railroad to operate. No long grades but lots of curves and a fair amount of wilderness along the way. It was probably a smaller version of the British Columbia Railway.

Doghouse: you're right about the slogan.

Originally, it was called the "Algoma Central and Hudson Bay" or AC&HB, which some said stood for: All Curves and High Bridges.

Now that Algoma Central (and Wisconsin Central) are part of CN, how does most of the intermational traffic move at Sault Ste. Marie? When the Wisconsin Central was the Soo Line, it connected with the Canadian Pacific line from Sudbury...a natual east-west route. Now the Sudbury-Sault Ste. Marie branch is the Huron Central, but certainly their primary connection must be with the CP at Sudbury. So, does international traffic still flow between the CN west of Sault Ste. Marie and the CP via the Huron Central, or does the traffic go north out of the Soo on the ex-AC to Oba to the CN main? That would be a roundabout way. Also, IIRC, that is not the most direct connection between the International Bridge and the Algoma Central.

[Anonymous]

There are still lumber mills in Hearst and there is interchange freight with CP at Franz. There may also be some interchange traffic from the ONR depending on its destination. I believe all the iron mines have been closed. The Agawa Canyon train and the triweekly passenger train to Hearst still operates. I am not sure who does the switching for Algoma Steel and the paper mill n Sault Ste Marie, CN or Huron Central.

[coborn35]

Well, as the price of steel has sky rocketed, they are running a number of trains to get the dropped pellets.

[ddechamp71]

QUOTE: LTV is actually still making a few runs with their F9's.

For which purpose[?] I believed the line was closed as the industry has gone off....

Dominique

[nanaimo73]

FP9A 1753 is now (ex)CN 6514 (original number) at the Alberta Railway Museum, Edmonton.
F9B 6614 (1762) is there as well.

1750-1755 6 FP9A
1756 1 FP7A
1761, 1762, 6602, 6606 4 F9B
Taken out of service by WC July 2001, replaced by GP9s and GP40s, before CN took over (in October)

1750, 1751, 1752 at Homewood May 2002-
http://www.rrpicturearchives.net/showPicture.aspx?id=6691
1750-1756-
http://www.rrpicturearchives.net/showPicture.aspx?id=6699

1750, 1751, 1752 to Pioneer Railcorp 403, 404, 407 during 2003.
1754, 1755 to PR 408, 405 '03
1756 to West Coast Railway Museum 2002.
1761 to PR 406 '03
I don't know what happened to 6602 or 6606 (Scrapped ?)

Pioneer Railcorp-
http://www.gettysburgrail.com/

[coborn35]

QUOTE: Originally posted by ddechamp71

QUOTE: Originally posted by wctransfer
The F units were put on the passenger trains, and it was still the Algoma Central pretty much. CN came, bye bye F Units. I agree, what a paintscheme they had, nice colors.
Alec

I remember an article in Railfan and Railroad 10 years ago about AC's last F-Units, and with the exception of LTV Steel, defunct since 2001, AC must have been the last operator to run F-Units in scheduled freight service. Oftenly the F-Units weren't alone as they were mixed with Geeps, but 10 years ago it was still possible to see an F-Unit heading a freight.

The author of the article was then remembering the same F-Units (wearing Soo Line's paintscheme) at the same location when he was a youngster.

Dominique

LTV is actually still making a few runs with their F9's.
And when did CN scrap the F's...? Wasnt it 2001, when WC went under?

[tatans]

OK you hosers, check out Algoma Central CN website, still lots of train travel to the middle north, some great equipment. Minney Soda ?? who down there remembers Fat Emma chocolate bars eh ? ?

[cnw4001]

Except in the fall when the Canyon trains swell in size so much that extra cars have to be added to the Hearst trains, the Canyon trains have their own power up and back. In the fall the northbound Hearst train takes extra cars which layover at the Canyon until the southbound Hearst train picks them up for return to Sault Ste Marie. They also have a caboose which can be rented and set out at the Canyon overnight or longer. I'm not sure if it is still available but they also had a Private Car (Passenger) which a group could rent and ride in on the line.

As to the F's, many of the AC crews were not sorry to see them leave as they had become less than adequate for the service. At least three of them went to the Gettysburg RR in Pennsylvania where I believe they have now been repainted.

Dale

[ddechamp71]

QUOTE: Originally posted by wctransfer
The F units were put on the passenger trains, and it was still the Algoma Central pretty much. CN came, bye bye F Units. I agree, what a paintscheme they had, nice colors.
Alec

I remember an article in Railfan and Railroad 10 years ago about AC's last F-Units, and with the exception of LTV Steel, defunct since 2001, AC must have been the last operator to run F-Units in scheduled freight service. Oftenly the F-Units weren't alone as they were mixed with Geeps, but 10 years ago it was still possible to see an F-Unit heading a freight.

The author of the article was then remembering the same F-Units (wearing Soo Line's paintscheme) at the same location when he was a youngster.

Dominique

[Soo2610]

QUOTE: Originally posted by doghouse

Did the AC have any route miles in Maine?

Not that I know of. They run from Saute Ste Marie to Hearst. Mostly flag stops. They do run a spectacular day excursion trip to Agawa Canyon. They drop cars off in the canyon and the train coming down from Hearst picks them up in the afternoon and brings them back to Saute Ste Marie. Spectacular trip and a great way to see the railroad. Was strange stopping in the middle of the forest and seeing a group of hunters get off and head down a foot path. What a way to run a railroad!

[fuzzybroken]

QUOTE: Originally posted by FJ and G

AC livery sort of reminds me of Erie Lackawana.

Back in 70s I dreamed of riding the AC but didn't have enough money to get out that way. Is AC still running; track still there?

Well, sort of... CN still runs the ACR operations, though not quite the same as days gone by, but you've still got your chance.

QUOTE: Originally posted by doghouse

Did the AC have any route miles in Maine?

No, it pretty much went straight north from Sault Ste. Marie. Only connection between AC and Maine is MMA's owner (?), Ed Burkhardt.

[doghouse]

Did the AC have any route miles in Maine?

[wctransfer]

Ahh, the Algoma Central. WC was very classy when they bought them. The F units were put on the passenger trains, and it was still the Algoma Central pretty much. CN came, bye bye F Units. I agree, what a paintscheme they had, nice colors. I mean, where can you go wrong with maroon?

Alec

[FJ and G]

AC livery sort of reminds me of Erie Lackawana.

Is AC still running; track still there? Back in 70s I dreamed of riding the AC but didn't have enough money to get out that way.

[Anonymous]

Just a note. U of Wisconsin men's and women's hockey teams each won the NCAA championships this spring.[:)]

[nanaimo73]

Good news-
CN is still operating the passenger trains on the former ACR
http://www.algomacentralrailway.com/

[Murphy Siding]

I saw some old, broken down AC passenger coaches sitting in NW Iowa a couple years back. How long ago was it that they ran passenger trains?

[CSSHEGEWISCH]

The Algoma Central was definitely long on scenery but it doesn't look like it was the easiest railroad to operate. No long grades but lots of curves and a fair amount of wilderness along the way. It was probably a smaller version of the British Columbia Railway.

Doghouse: you're right about the slogan.

[trainboyH16-44]

MAX - YOU'RE CRAZY!!!
Doghouse - Yes, I do believe it was something like that, and they did have a black bear on their shield.
This is another of those railroads that I only discover after they're long gone - And I don't discover that they're long gone until long after I discover them..

[coborn35]

QUOTE: Originally posted by nanaimo73

QUOTE: -Mark from "Canada South"
Milwaukee, WI

TheAntiGates says Minnesota is the most Canadian State.
They do have a NHL team, and better curlers ! [;)]

No,no,no. Canada WANTS to be Minnesotan.
YA FOR SHURE!

[doghouse]

Wasn't the slogan of the Central "The route of the Black Bear."

[nanaimo73]

This website says the parent company sold the railway to WC and has bought more ships.
http://www.crwflags.com/fotw/flags/ca~hf1.html#acm

[Clutch Cargo]

The Algoma still has a fleet of Great Lakes vessels, sailing under the Algoma Central stack colours.
Does anyone know if CN is operating these vessels in addition to the U.S. Steel great lakes fleet?

The "Tin Stackers" still operate under their old Colours. Although they are owned by CN.

Its pronounced aboot... you heathan.

Kurt

[Murphy Siding]

QUOTE: Originally posted by Hugh Jampton

QUOTE: Originally posted by nanaimo73

The Algoma Central was purchased by the Wisconsin Central Feb 1, 1995, and CN bought WC October 9, 2001.

ACR had one of my favorite paint schemes-
http://algomacentral.railfan.net/algoma1.htm

Similar to EL-
http://www.rrpicturearchives.net/locoList.aspx?id=EL

QUOTE: -Mark from "Canada South"
Milwaukee, WI

TheAntiGates says Minnesota is the most Canadian State.
They do have a NHL team, and better curlers ! [;)]

But how do they pronounce "about"?

In the northern 2/3 of Minnesota, it's pronounced "uh-boot", don't cha know.[;)]