NDGI understand the locomotive from Edmonton is now back in the USA.
It is now in a museum south of Portland, OR, where it looks the same as it does in the linked picture. It is more imposing than most interurban electrics that I have seen. I have pictures of it somewhere.
I had heard about the locomotive wheel displayed in the CN Tower, but have never seen it. I wonder what happened to it after passenger trains and then CN left the building, perhaps it is still there? I never did know about the unique 3800s, thanks for that! They really are striking, a shame more were not built.
The memorial plaque for Sir Henry Thornton is now in the lobby of the East Tower office building at Walker Yard. Calder was renamed in 1994 after Ross Walker, a longtime senior manager whose retired that year as a VP. Even today it is a very long walk from downtown.
At the Alberta Railway Museum we have both CN 9000 and one of the CP GP30s, 5000. Unfortunately 5000 is in poor shape and is not a priority for restoration. But 9000 is maintained in excellent condition and operates ever summer.
http://www.railpictures.net/photo/327107/
http://www.rrpicturearchives.net/showPicture.aspx?id=2162204
I remember seeing the 2001 outside the ERRS carbarn at Fort Edmonton years ago, but had no idea what it was. They never were able to start restoring it, so at least it is now has a good home near where it originally worked.
The Budd to Calgary is missed, but they were deathtraps in crashes. A shame passenger service was never expanded on that route, once the LRC was planned to be used out west.
There was a terrible runaway on the Coal Branch a few days ago, thank God they didn't derail. The crew is ok but exactly what happened is not yet known.
Greetings from Alberta
-an Articulate Malcontent
Blah, Blah, Blah.
NDG Lovely Photos! Sir. Have been to APRA a few times, and seen both CN 9000 and CN 1392 in operation. There was once an 8-whl CN steam crane w/o it's boiler that was a rare item, there. Very Cool!!! and a nice job, all around.
Thank You for the compliments!
The steam crane is still here, looking a bit rough (could use new paint). The idler car as deteriorated badly since this photo, but is next in line for restoration:
http://www.railpictures.ca/?attachment_id=6383
http://www.albertarailwaymuseum.com/auxiliary-trains.html#63017
http://www.apraarchives.net/collection/index.php/Detail/objects/9319
The boiler is still inside, but is rusted out so badly that it is not repairable. The machinery however is in good condition, so the crane is operable if provided with an external supply of steam or compressed air. It is also self-propelled...
There was a time when all the locomotives were down for some sort of repairs, and the "big hook" diesel crane was unavailable too. And some switching had to be done. Being resourceful some long air hoses were found, and the steam crane was hooked up to the shop's air compressor. An interesting sight, wheezing its way around the yard, stopping every 2 or 3 car lengths to wait for the poor compressor to pump up the tank again.
Some "revenue service" lifts were also done on compressed air.
The diesel crane was once CN's Edmonton auxiliary before being donated:
https://www.flickr.com/photos/albertarailwaymuseum/2126928929
We also have a standard gauge 44-tonner, ex-CN 4. Bought to work the barge slip on P.E.I it also spent time in Kelowna, Vancouver and the Island before being sold, and ended up as the plant switcher at Stelco's Camrose, AB pipe mill.
http://www.railpictures.ca/?attachment_id=20006
http://www.cwrailway.ca/cnrha.ca/sites/default/files/Diesel%20Drawings/1-1000/4%265%20ER-4b.png
#4 was operable when donated, but is unfortunately out of service right now, awaiting air compressor repairs.
Anyox certainly is remote, never knew there was a railroad out there.
Thank You.
Equipment like that is a good way for young people to learn how things work. (I was fooling with a now 60+ yr. old Lionel toy train steam locomotive last night, and recalled how much I learned from doing that.) It's too bad operations like that are not as visible as they used to be.
My wife is recovering from surgery too, and is happy when she can walk a block or two before having to turn around. These days almost all doctors say it's the best therapy for promoting healing and getting back to normal.
Our cat is judging my prowness at firing our wood-burning fireplace, with glass doors so he can sit on the hearth and enjoy the radiant heat and watch the flames too. He really gets close when I'm building the fire - sticks his head into the firebox even - as this is a great curiosity on a dull winter night, and soon leads to the warmth he craves.
- PDN.
NDG Thank You for more Data! Sir, Much more at the APRA than when I was there last c. 1990? The crane I was thinking of was more this size, and age, but, NO Boiler nor cab, the rest of the machinery still intact. Boom gone, also.
Ahh, you are speaking of the half-of-a-Pile-Driver the APRA once had, having been donated to the Museum with the boom & boiler already missing. It ended up being stripped of useable parts, and the remainder was scrapped. An unfortunate but necessary decision, as it was too far gone to be worth restoring. I never saw it as this happened long, long before I started volunteering.
Sacrificed so that others might survive, I believe its wheels ended up underneath another car that we still have. At the time the APRA also derived some significant revenue from the sale of scrap metal, much of it from the "wood splinter" fleet. I believe this is how a big chunk of our mortgage was paid off, also around 1990.
Many "splinters" remain, but most are in good enough condition that they are still restorable. The exception is the former NAR sleeper "Dawson Creek", which was converted to a tool car after being withdrawn from passenger service. Its wood body has rotted, and has been stripped of any useable parts. Its wheels will also be salvaged, and used to replace the worn-out ones underneath our restored wood CN combine, 7379, making that car operational once again. Then the remainder of "Dawson Creek" will be burned or scrapped.
A fellow volunteer's site, with many pictures from the Museum, including 7379:
https://barryc53.weebly.com/
That's some extensive research, quite the collection of critters that have worked all over Canada through the years. I recognized some while skimming through the lists, never knew that the Edmonton, Yukon and Pacific's engine (CNoR #26) ended up on a logging railway in Manitoba, long after making history by pulling the first train into Edmonton.
Looking up pictures of some of them also brought back a few memories, I had forgotten about the silly "numberboards" our #4 had when she arrived at the Museum:
Thank You again.
SD70DudeI had forgotten about the silly "numberboards" our #4 had when she arrived at the Museum:
Can't say as I've ever seen that approach...
Larry Resident Microferroequinologist (at least at my house) Everyone goes home; Safety begins with you My Opinion. Standard Disclaimers Apply. No Expiration Date Come ride the rails with me! There's one thing about humility - the moment you think you've got it, you've lost it...
https://youtu.be/ilqmZHtAvJs
Interesting 12 minute video of Baldwin Steam Lococmotives being loaded on to a ship for export...4-8-2 Mountain...1929
Fascinating. Quite the career with that ship. So somewhere off the coast of Newfoundland are 16 2-8-2's in Davey Jones locker.
Pretty sure there are a lot more steam locomotives, tanks, artillery pieces and countless treasure there as well.
Ship in the video is not Belpamela but an earlier sister; even though the name is given several times during the takes I'm not sure which Belship this is (I thought perhaps Belfri). There are sites with a complete list of voyages by date for each of the Belships but I didn't go through to cross-confirm.
Note 'Christen Smith' on the spreader. He's the man who had the original idea of specialized heavy lift ships for railway equipment - perhaps one of our boatnerds can give a full picture. Sadly the company got out of this business in 1972.
Yes the hoisting equipment in the video definitely gets a best supporting role! Modern looking and well engineered considering 1929. Christen Smith certainly knew what he was doing.
The locomotives have a very North American look to them.
The workers are quite fascinating as well, no hard hats but almost all are wearing some sort of hat, and the clothing is very layered and thick. The big fella on the top of things seems to be pretty skilled....in Mining it was the guy who could manhandle any other guy who became the shift boss, sort of a go back to Tofflers First Wave of Power.
They all joke about and kibitz a lot too. The more things change the more they stay the same I suppose. Good morale, tough job. Can image doing that in wind and rain. Cold would not be too bad but oppressive heat would be hard as well.
Does anyone think the film was shot by the Christen Smith company?
While the media emphasise the racy nature of the photos. I think the company's issue is with the fact they were taken on railroad property and equipment, likely without permission. That type of photography has become a fad, sometimes dangerous to ignorant participants, and all the railroads are trying hard to discourage it. What she posted is counter to what her employer is trying to achieve and expected her to support. Presumably in her short career she never had to pick up the pieces of a trespasser.
NDGRunning the SH*T out of a steam locomotive! Turn UP the Volume!! https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=e2K0jgPPrN0
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=e2K0jgPPrN0
People do not realize this, but THIS is the kind of service that Porta's proposed 'biomasa'-burning 0-6-2 was intended for. And severe service it is, indeed, even for a little railroad...
NDGTTC 4000 Goes for Scrap.
One of the most painful things I've seen. I couldn't watch it past the point the underfloor equipment collapses and the carbody falls over on the forks.
Seems very odd that these cars, or the equipment on them, didn't have some particular resale value above scrap.
When did the railways replace switch lamps with reflective targets?
SD70DudeWhen did the railways replace switch lamps with reflective targets?
We had switch lamps at Irricana on the Langdon Sub. when we left there in 1965.
But, there were Sub's that had special instructions in the ETT's stating there were no lights maintained at night by about the middle to late 60's.
I don't know of an official end date.
Bruce
So shovel the coal, let this rattler roll.
"A Train is a Place Going Somewhere" CP Rail Public Timetable
"O. S. Irricana"
. . . __ . ______
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