August 2011
Motive
Power:
Twelve (of
18) former Alstom grey painted SD40-3’s in the GTW 5900-series due to
be moved to Metro East Industries in East Saint Louis, Illinois at the
end of their lease, remain at Woodcrest. While stored, a few were
vandalized, stripped of their traction motor cables for the copper
wiring. The six other GTW SD40-3’s are currently at Metro East.
In early July, GCFX/WC SD40-3 6943
was sold to the Texas Gonzales & Northern Railroad as TXGN #129.
Stored GCFX SD40-3 6077 was scrapped at BRC in Chicago, Illinois
after deemed non-repairable.
Mike Mautner clicked
freshly painted CN C40-8W`s 2162 and 2170 at TRRA Madison Yard,
Illinois July 1st. Note they both now sport locomotive class EF-640f
lettering below their cab numbers, the first to have this addition.
(See Note below)
http://www.railpictures.net/viewphoto.php?id=367621&nseq=0
CN ex-BNSF C40-8W roundup
Wearing full CN Livery
with their paint shop: (updated 7/23)
2099 - Centralia
2135 - JULY-
Centralia
2136 - Centralia
2138 - Centralia
2141 - Woodcrest
2144 - Centralia
2146 - Centralia
2147 - Woodcrest
2148 - Woodcrest
2149-
JULY - Centralia
2151 - Centralia
2152 - Woodcrest
2153 - Centralia
2155 - Centralia
2156 - JULY -
Centralia
2157 - Centralia
2161 - Centralia
2162 - JULY - Metro
East Industries
2163 - Centralia
2164 - Woodcrest
2165 – JULY NRE-
Dixmoor
2167 – JULY Quality
Rail
2169 - Centralia
2170 - JULY - Metro
East Industries
2188 - Centralia
2191 - JULY -
Quality Rail
2194 - Woodcrest
2197 - Centralia
Trace locations of CN
2098-2199 July 15th
(CN ex-UP C40-8,
ex-BNSF C40-8W)
http://www.canadianrailwayobservations.com/2011/aug11/traceresults.htm
Now sporting CN
paint, C40-8W’s 2099, 2135, 2153, 2156 and 2169 may get
forwarded to the Toronto Diesel Shop for completion.
Joe Ferguson captured the last July CN
C40-8w, 2149, fresh from the Centralia IL paint booth July 29th.
On July 22nd Joe
Ferguson clicked freshly painted 2156 and 2161 (which was painted last
month) at Centralia, IL.
Ken Lanovich notes MEI
painted C40-8w's 2162 + 2170 have white/grey cab numbers similar to
Canadian shops. Ken also noted that 2191 - first of 5 painted by
Quality Rail in Madison IL – arrived July 14th in transit @ Woodcrest
sans horn. CN 2167 from Quality Rail showed up at Woodcrest July 22nd.
Mike Garza shot
Quality Rail-painted CN 2191 July 14th snoozing near the Woodcrest
Load Test building, and 2167 on July 22nd. Mike also spied CN 2165
within NRE-Dixmoor on July 22nd, this has class stenciling like 2162 +
70 completed by MEI.
Four C40-8W's remain
outsourced for their CN uniforms: 2168 (813). at NRE-Dixmoor
(Chicago), and at Quality Rail (Madison, IL) 2176 (827), 2177 (829),
and 2193 (858).
CN 2140 and 2171
remain stored at Memphis, TN, both believed to be in need of major
mechanical work.
George Redmond bagged
three CN C40-8W's fresh from the paint shop at Centralia, IL: 2156 on
July 5th, 2169 July 14th, and sister 2135 July 21st, and CN 2135 in
July 21st, all taken at the CN engine facility Centralia, IL. Still in
BNSF paint CN 2196, is shown with temporary black CN re-markings, sits
prepped for her
Centralia shop repaint.
Repainted
CN C40-8W 2099, C40-8 2109, and GTW GP38-2 4929 sit around the
turntable at the engine facility in Centralia, Il, July 19th. CN 2109
is still waiting on replacement engine parts, and 2099 needs
completion of electrical work. The same day George clicked off a
tight shot of CN 2156 the latest fresh from the Centralia paint
Shop.
The remaining five BC
RAIL B39-8E's stored at Woodcrest made their way to Fulton, KY on A432
- just as six siblings did last month returning to the "Land of
Lincoln" on train 431 in June 23rd. On July 13th Darren Doss captured
BCOL 3911, 3901, 3909, 3907, and 3906 returned now stored at
Centralia, IL As of July 29th, there were eight at Centralia and
four still at Woodcrest 1700, 3902, 3904 and 3910.
On July 14th
George Redmond caught BCOL 3905, 3908, 3903, 3907, and 3906 just after
their arrival in the Centralia, IL B yards. Following inspection, they
have been placed in long-term
storage at Centralia.
Mark Forseille pointed
out BCOL B39-8E 3905 appears to have had a nose-job! The nose stripes
are now gone and the front headlight is now horizontal, likely repairs
following a collision a few years ago. This is how it looked the last
time Mark saw BCOL 3905 on April 16th 2006 at Port Coquitlam, BC.
On July 13th, Walter
Pfefferle Caught CN C40-8 2133 and SD70I 5628 running light through
Ingersoll, Ontario.
On July 2nd, Michael
Harding clicked GTW GP9 4619 heading back to
the yard over the
Black
River after working the local on the industrial branch at Port Huron,
Michigan.
http://www.railpictures.net/viewphoto.php?id=368826&nseq=53
Ron Visockis caught CN
GP40-2LW 9454 leading the TestTrain westbound through, Belleville, ON
July 19th. The evaluation car was recently repainted and sports new
bright safety striping on the rear.
The same day,
Ron snapped CN SD75I
5695 leading #308 eastbound with CEFX GP20D 2013 and 2016 dead-in-tow
through Belleville, ON. Destined for the Sept Iles, QC, they will
be interchanged from QNS&L to the Arnaud Railway and be added to the
four other CEFX GP20D units already on lease.
Walter Pfefferle
caught a rare sight July 24th when the nocturnal Triple Crown
RoadRailer train CN 144, appeared in the afternoon in Ingersoll,
Ontario in the daylight. Having an SD70M-2 (CN 8006) as the assigned
power for CN 144 is also unusual.
CN
News:
July was a tough month
for CN with several derailments all across the country.
CN train Q10251-10
derailed along the Bala subdivision of the CN main line, near
Waterfall, ON, approximately 390 km/240 mi. northwest of Toronto. The
incident, which occurred at approximately 0520hrs EDT on July 14th,
effected trains running between Toronto and Winnipeg.
CN train G84751-13
derailed along the Bulkley subdivision of CN's northern British
Columbia lines near Andimaul, BC (between Smithers, BC, and Terrace,
BC). The incident, which occurred at 1619hrs PDT on July
13th, for a time affecting trains running between Prince George and
Prince Rupert, BC.
Here are some
incredible images of the roadbed devastation in CN Chetwynd Sub wash
out on the former BC RAIL:
Click the
photo or link below for additional photos.
http://www.canadianrailwayobservations.com/2011/aug11/cnwashout.htm
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
http://www.railpictures.net/viewphoto.php?id=322596
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)
CN
VIGNETTES:
OUR COVER 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. Our CRO Archivist John Read actually
was aboard this train excursion, and provided the background on Doug’s
fine photo.
A light snowfall dusts
DM&IR shop forces March 10th 2000 at Proctor, MN - with the first of
four SD40T-3 rebuilds for the (now CN-owned) Bessemer & Lake Erie
Railroad. Dave Schauer photographed B&LE 907 and craftsmen outside the
Proctor shops. Proctor rebuilt 907-910 for the B&LE using kits from
Boise. Today CN does most heavy work at Woodcrest Shop at Homewood IL;
only light repair, maintenance and inspections are done at Proctor.
The original (as built) EMD SD45T-2 vertical steps are seen on 907.
CN Woodcrest Shop did major modifications on the three other B&LE's
(900, 904, 906) now in ore country service - these now have offset
steps. 907 is scheduled for this safety upgrade and an engine
change-out by the Woodcrest mechanical talent.
http://www.railpictures.net/viewphoto.php?id=322596
In the 1990`s GTW
purchased eight secondhand SD40-2's from the UP, which becamee GTW
5930-5937. When first in service they were not repainted and only
wore a red CN Noodle. Subsequently most were eventually repainted in
the CNNA livery. Kevin Piper clicked Armour Yellow and Harbor Mist
Gray painted GTW 5934 at the UP yard at Dolton, IL, 7-6-1990
In June 2006, Rob Eull photographed VIA train 70 meeting CN 271 at
Bayview, Ontario with BNSF 9647 leading. This locomotive is
painted in the experimental first BNSF scheme which many railfans
tagged the “Vomit Bonnet”.
©
CRO Aug 2011
|
CANADIAN NATIONAL