NDG OT. Speaking of Snow. We had four 4 inches over nite, and it brought down trees knocking out power for two 2 hours. Anyway. Just found this. http://themodelrailwayshow.com/LayoutDesign/?p=3878 The BLW is 1899. There were TWO Track Gauges in Toronto-land. The streetcar system is wide gauge 4 feet 10 7/8. One of Montreal's double truck Rotaries remained @ Youville Shops into the Sixties, then was preserved in the USA.. http://www.exporail.org/can_rail/Canadian%20Rail_no142_1963.pdf Thank You.
OT.
Speaking of Snow.
Thank You.
I believe the rationale behind Toronto's unique gauge was preventing freight railways from ever trying to access the street trackage. Then there were plans for a integrated streetcar-subway system (that never happened), so the subway lines were built using the wider gauge too.
And boy am I glad I don't live in Calgary, they just got hammered! Some folks were stuck out on the Trans-Canada Highway for 10 hours due to accidents blocking the road.
Glad to see you survived, and I hope John (CX500) came through it ok too.
Edmonton is currently enjoying a clear sky with bare ground, and the grass is still green too!
Greetings from Alberta
-an Articulate Malcontent
SP added similar "elephant ears" to a few SD45's for the same reason. They eventually settled on the tunnel motor design starting with 247 SD45-T2's.
BaltACD SD70Dude NDG FYI. CN F Unit Shrouded for Plow Service, Feb 1978. as on ebay. https://i.ebayimg.com/images/g/-4UAAOSwty5bplOb/s-l1600.jpg ebay. https://www.ebay.com/itm/ORIGINAL-COLOR-SLIDE-CANADIAN-NATIONAL-RWY-ACTION-F7A-9178-LONDON-ON-1978/163287543025?hash=item2604b22cf1:g:-4UAAOSwty5bplOb Thank You. Some GP9's got a shield treatment too: http://www.trainweb.org/oldtimetrains/photos/cnr_diesel/4514_snow_shields.jpg From here: http://www.trainweb.org/oldtimetrains/photos/cnr_diesel/GP9.htm What was the purpose for the shrouding. I know some engines came from the factory with 'Winterization Hatches' to enhance the operation of the cooling system. The GP9's pictured seem to have the factory Winterization Hatches.
SD70Dude NDG FYI. CN F Unit Shrouded for Plow Service, Feb 1978. as on ebay. https://i.ebayimg.com/images/g/-4UAAOSwty5bplOb/s-l1600.jpg ebay. https://www.ebay.com/itm/ORIGINAL-COLOR-SLIDE-CANADIAN-NATIONAL-RWY-ACTION-F7A-9178-LONDON-ON-1978/163287543025?hash=item2604b22cf1:g:-4UAAOSwty5bplOb Thank You. Some GP9's got a shield treatment too: http://www.trainweb.org/oldtimetrains/photos/cnr_diesel/4514_snow_shields.jpg From here: http://www.trainweb.org/oldtimetrains/photos/cnr_diesel/GP9.htm
NDG FYI. CN F Unit Shrouded for Plow Service, Feb 1978. as on ebay. https://i.ebayimg.com/images/g/-4UAAOSwty5bplOb/s-l1600.jpg ebay. https://www.ebay.com/itm/ORIGINAL-COLOR-SLIDE-CANADIAN-NATIONAL-RWY-ACTION-F7A-9178-LONDON-ON-1978/163287543025?hash=item2604b22cf1:g:-4UAAOSwty5bplOb Thank You.
FYI.
Some GP9's got a shield treatment too:
http://www.trainweb.org/oldtimetrains/photos/cnr_diesel/4514_snow_shields.jpg
From here:
http://www.trainweb.org/oldtimetrains/photos/cnr_diesel/GP9.htm
What was the purpose for the shrouding. I know some engines came from the factory with 'Winterization Hatches' to enhance the operation of the cooling system.
The GP9's pictured seem to have the factory Winterization Hatches.
The red sections on the roof of 4514 are the snow shields. Different than mere winterization hatches.
A standard winterization hatches, on the forward (leftmost) radiator fan:
http://toyotameister.tripod.com/selkirk/CPR4.jpg
Compare to this unit without any external hatches:
http://toyotameister.tripod.com/selkirk/CPR3.jpg
Some (but not all) of CN's FP9's got larger winterization hatches, modeled here by 6509 and a unidentified B-unit:
http://www.trainweb.org/oldtimetrains/photos/via/6509.jpg
In the mid 1980s VIA rebuilt a number of FP9's, which got new numbers in the 6300 series. 6509 became 6304, and was further modified in the mid 1990s with a HEP genset. Today she and sister 6311 (nee CN 6529) survive in private ownership, stored at the Alberta Railway Museum:
http://www.railpictures.ca/?attachment_id=34316
6311 has the smaller winterization hatch, while 6304 has kept her original larger one.
What was the purpose for the shrouding.
Never too old to have a happy childhood!
Euclid That wreck seems to have a lot in common with the Doon, IA oil train derailment last June. Both are said to have a cause related to flooding. In this one like Doon, there are questions of what the crew's responsibility was to protect from flood effects; and whether they were warned by the company of dangerous flood condtions. It looks like it will be a chore to fish those cars out of the river, rebuild the trestle, and reopen the line.
That wreck seems to have a lot in common with the Doon, IA oil train derailment last June. Both are said to have a cause related to flooding. In this one like Doon, there are questions of what the crew's responsibility was to protect from flood effects; and whether they were warned by the company of dangerous flood condtions.
It looks like it will be a chore to fish those cars out of the river, rebuild the trestle, and reopen the line.
Here is some new information: http://www.iowapublicradio.org/post/rail-cars-cleared-floyd-river-after-sunday-train-derailment#stream/0
The railcars are removed from the river now.
Quote from above link: The bridge over the Floyd River collapsed after the train’s front locomotives made it across, Jacobs (UP spokesperson) said.“So it wasn’t collapsed before the train went over it,” Jacobs said. “That occurred kind of because of the weight of the train.”
And: During the weekend of the derailment, the National Weather Service in Sioux Falls reported heavy rain and flooding, as the Floyd River crested to a new record high level of 22 feet. Meteorologist Jeff Chapman said Friday the river dropped below flood stage on the evening of Sept. 23. As of Friday, the river is sitting at 8.4 feet.
And: Jacobs says flooding was a factor in the derailment. Union Pacific is still looking into whether other factors were in play.
And here a photo of the bridge before the collaps: https://media.graytvinc.com/images/800*533/Alton+derailment+from+Gretchen+Vande+Poppe.jpg
Taken from: https://www.wowt.com/content/news/Union-Pacific-train-derails-on-bridge-in-Iowa-494077121.htmlRegards, Volker
PS.: Why hiding this accident in String Line, a thread that left its topic long ago, and not posting it in the General Discussion forum?
I was just going to post it there when remembered that interesting topic sometimes in this thread. I usually don't follow it or the Chatterbox.
This thing still sits outside the diesel shop at Walker Yard, no idea if it is used anymore:
https://www.flickr.com/photos/albertarailwaymuseum/2127718400/
I always assumed it was made from ex-F7's, but maybe the parts are CLC?
In our collection we have a load test car, converted from a wood-sided boxcar:
http://www.albertarailwaymuseum.com/special-interest-equipment.html#50800
It should still work, but has not been used for several years since some pigeons made it into a home while it was stored outside. I will have to get a respirator and clean it out one of these days.
NDG FYI. This Crane now here + 12-whl flat ( not CPR ) Plain Bearings. And another crane. http://www.trainweb.org/oldtimetrains/photos/cpr_rolling/414503.jpg CPR single track plow and behind the wings cab J Spreader, also. Both turned on turntable in last week, Now facing West. Spreader has Single Note Air Horn of type once fitted to CP Diesels, when new? http://www.mountainrailway.com/Roster%20Archive/CP%204000/CP%204016-1.htm Two PGE/CPR F-M B units in storage somewhere???, along with long hood forward CP 8554. http://www.mountainrailway.com/Roster%20Archive/Robots/BCR%20RCC3-3.jpg http://www.mountainrailway.com/Roster%20Archive/Robots/BCR%20RCC4-2.jpg CP 8554. Once had S/G. Has Sponson Tanks S/G Water. http://www.mountainrailway.com/Roster%20Archive/CP%208500A/CP%208554-2.jpg Retired CN 2200 H-16-44 used as ' Load Box ' at Montreal Yard 1960s CNR removed Six 6 D/B assemblies from retired 9300 F-M CLC CFA-16-4s at Point St Charles and constructed B-Unit-Shaped Load Sheds, painted Silver. One went to Toronto, Spadina Roundhouse. It appears above " A " in ebay in this image. https://i.ebayimg.com/images/g/cl8AAOSwbsta5-Gf/s-l1600.jpg Thank You.
Yep, those are the two I was thinking of. DeWinton, AB is between Calgary and Okotoks. Google Earth now shows what appear to be two baggage cars, two boxcars and a caboose on the old elevator track.
Glad to see that the Cranbrook roundhouse and turntable still survive!
We are still bitter about what happened to Jasper's.
NDG For SD70Dude. Scrapping steam CNR Turcot Yard, Montreal. https://archives.lib.uconn.edu/islandora/object/20002%3A860202427 We had written Release forms from Central Station, Montreal and spent much of a summer, here. Only Provisio was to stay away from actual scrapping and active main line tracks. Ten 10 steam locomotives spotted spaced adjacent to Propane tanks. O2 laid on thru piping from Liquid 02 tank. Two 8-whl locomotive cranes moved on parallel tracks, each crane usually with a Gon coupled on each end. One crane was steam and used to lift heavy cylinder castings, 3 to a gon, and other weighty components F F to steel mills by rail. Other crane was new, Diesel Electric, and was fitted with an Electromagnet for ' bits'. A locomotive lost it's identity when cabs, w/ number, torn off. Cabs set to one side and burned out as wood lagging inside. Messy, Messy, Messy. Pile of reflector headlights. Another with driving boxes and their brass. Some bells, whistles and dynamoes. On the weekend no one was there, and slag cooled, and we climbed around the hulks. Was the steam crane worried?? FWIW. CP ballasted some of their Yard Engines w steel plates on running boards, as here. http://www.mountainrailway.com/Roster%20Archive/CP%206500/CP%206560.htm On another occasion, retired F-M B Units used as 'Brake Slugs' . Later, A CP Slug went out West. http://www.mountainrailway.com/Roster%20Archive/B100/CP%20B100.htm This later version, of 2, had only Two 2 traction motors as built. http://www.mountainrailway.com/Roster%20Archive/B100/CP%20B103.htm The Caboose looks Wonderful!! Thank You.
A sad sight indeed.
And look at all that asbestos just strewn around. A different time, for sure.
Some steam cranes were eventually converted to diesel, but all of CN's eventually left the roster. I think CP has a couple left in Golden, BC, and maybe one or two more in Revelstoke or Kamloops?
Does the Cranbrook museum have those two robotized CLC B-units? For years they sat in a back track south of Calgary as part of some guy's private museum/collection, and then disappeared.
The last of their kind, it would be a shame to lose them.
Amazing that the B100 is still on CP's roster, albeit as a scale test car.
And here's something you don't see every day, on its way up to northern Manitoba to help rebuild the Hudson Bay Railway:
http://railpictures.net/photo/671370/
Looks to be in pretty good shape eh!
CN had, and still has a large fleet of slugs. About a dozen were built new around 1980 (to be paired with then-new GP38-2's as hump power) but the rest were rebuilt from GP9's and various EMD and MLW switchers.
They seem to have fallen out of favour in recent years, about a dozen are stored in a deadline outside the diesel shop at Walker Yard in Edmonton. Along with the two natural gas tenders and SW1200 1379 they are the deadline's sole occupants, everything else is out on the road.
The Edmonton area has some interesting yard power, some SD40-2's and wide-nose GP40-2's have been rebuilt for remote-control Beltpak operation, and for a while there was a GP38-GMD1-GP9-GP40-2W set running around too. And a couple sets of 3 GP38's or GP9's, with very few slugs in service.
Is CN now the last Class I to roster GP9's?
One of the last 1980-built hump sets, still performing it's original duties:
http://railpictures.net/photo/671727/
The GP38-2's are being replaced with these:
http://railpictures.net/photo/671731/
http://railpictures.net/photo/671837/
I don't believe the SD40-2's are set up to be slug mother units, so it is probably only there for extra braking power.
The slug in question is one of four (B100-B103) that were factory-built by MLW for CP.
NDG FYI. CPR Montreal. http://www.trainweb.org/oldtimetrains/photos/cpr_facilities/St.Luc_hump_7039_B-101.jpg From the Following. http://www.trainweb.org/oldtimetrains/photos/cpr_facilities/MONTREAL.htm Hochelaga 1926. Building top left with tall chimney is steam plant for street railway. Buildings upper right, Gas Works. To their upper left, Hochelaga Car Barns. http://www.trainweb.org/oldtimetrains/photos/cpr_facilities/Hochelaga_1926.jpg http://www.trainweb.org/oldtimetrains/photos/cpr_facilities/map_Hochelaga_1946.jpg Thank You.
I love the headlight on that slug!
I have a book written by Floyd Yeats, a retired Engineer from Calgary. In it he mentions that the MLW switchers replaced Decapods as the hump power at Alyth, and while just as powerful they were much lighter than the steamers, and it was not uncommon to see them being dragged around by their own cut of cars, wheels skidding, if told to stop.
The slugs fixed that problem.
NDG FYI. Canadian Northern/Canadian National Locomotive Number Plates. When locomotive number plates were changed from Canadian Northern to Canadian National, a NEW Canadian National plate was NOT always cast. In many cases the word " Northern " was cut out, and the word " National " braised in. https://thumbs.worthpoint.com/zoom/images1/1/1217/03/canadian-national-8-locomotive-number_1_ecd1f431bf15ab4a251048c184fd70da.jpg https://thumbs.worthpoint.com/zoom/images2/1/1217/03/canadian-national-8-locomotive-number_1_ecd1f431bf15ab4a251048c184fd70da.jpg https://thumbs.worthpoint.com/zoom/images3/1/1217/03/canadian-national-8-locomotive-number_1_ecd1f431bf15ab4a251048c184fd70da.jpg Note Numeral Style. Quote.. This is an original brass number board from Canadian National 2-8-0 #2438. It is in good condition, with all bolt holes intact, and the back of the plate is in as-removed condition. Even though there is no original red paint left on the front, the letters and numbers have been cleaned up, which makes it a fantastic presentation piece. This engine was original ordered for the Canadian Northern railroad, which explains why the "National" section at the bottom was added in at a later date. Unquote. From This Site. https://www.worthpoint.com/worthopedia/canadian-national-8-locomotive-number-1901036279 Thank You.
Very rare stuff, thanks for posting!
Are any original CNoR plates left with the word 'Northern'?
Some relics do survive, like a CNoR rulebook at the Big Valley, AB station museum (1915 edition I think).
In our collection we have switch keys from the National Transcontinental and the Edmonton, Dunvegan & British Columbia. Both companies disappeared before the great depression.
Upsetting?
Tree learned hard way tree spikes and pole spikes completely different !
NDG, about that CM&S Smelter picture--big, ugly, dirty, polluting industry. I don't understand why, but to me there is something hauntingly beautiful about that picture.
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