New Year's Greetings

This is undoubtedly a season of peace and goodwill, which pervades our greetings to each other in our daily activities. On the street, in stores, at work, while clearing our driveways and even among the railroaders that have to work while we're enjoying our holiday gatherings.

Passing freights: Look good on this side, best wishes for the new year...Hope your problems clear up and have a Merry Christmas...We tried to change off but we're going into Toronto, Merry Christmas...Gentlemen, Merry Christmas to all of you.

Rail traffic controllers: It's been a pleasure working with you today...Happy New Year if I'm not talking to you before then, but I'm here every night.

Even with peace and goodwill, there's still time for a bit of complaining: Call 1-888-xxx-xxxx to control your destiny. You don't want to work 148 and you don't want to take a cab home.

Happy New Year! Here's hoping 2009 will be a year of hard but satisfying work and many rewards. Thanks for checking out my blog. Keep checking back in the new year. I've got lots of good stuff coming down the track.

Railroaders and the Rules of the Road

Not only is railway work hazardous, round-the-clock-and unpredictable, it's also subject to the adherence to numbers books of rules such as General Operating Instructions, Engine and Train Handling Instructions and Safety Rules. I've included excerpts of these with photos I've taken of crews doing their thing. Above is some light maintenance being performed on CPR 1201's smokebox at Steam Expo in Vancouver, 1986. "Floors, walkways, steps and handrails must be kept free from oil and grease."

Head-end crew about to board CP 4741's vertical steps, carrying grips and radios at Smiths Falls, May 1987. "Face object, use both hands, have secure handholds and firm footing when climbing on or off locomotive, car or other objects."

CP 5730 entering CP's Port Coquitlam yard, 1986. Two crew members watch from the unit as another throws the switch ahead. "After a switch has been turned, the points must be examined and the target or light observed to know that the switch is properly lined."

Crewman of a CP freight inspecting the north side of VIA No 1 as it clears the station platform at Kenora, May 1986. "There should be men on both sides of the track to visually check the train as it goes by."

CN and CP crews making their lifts on the same afternoon at Portage la Prairie, September 1985. "When coupling cars, speed of four miles per hour at time of coupling must not be exceeded to avoid damage to equipment and lading."


CN trainman protecting Counter Street crossing in Kingston before the local enters Alcan plant, 1985. "Protection must be provided by a member of the crew fom a point on the ground at the crossing, until the crossing is fully occupied."

Joining the conductor aboard the rear platform for the uphill backup move into the plant. "Boarding or alighting from moving locomotives or cars must be done only at a slow rate of speed, making allowance for visibility, weather and ground conditions."

VIA 6651 is added as 6308 and 6614 are refuelled prior to the trip westward into the mountains, Calgary 1986. "Diesel units must not be moved without first notifying all persons who may be working under or about them."

CN's fuel truck is refuelling VIA units as crews catch up on the news, Jasper 1986. "When practicable, send trucks to passenger platform before trains arrive to prevent trucking through passengers."

Rail Change Out unit workers face our passing CN Railiners. They can't clear the south track the RCO is on due to the length of this unit. Kingston Sub, June 1980. "When doing any work on the track, as soon as the headlight of a train is observed, stand well clear of the track, and warn all workers to do the same."

A CP speeder crew clears for VIA No 1 at Gravel siding, northern Ontario, 1986. "Remind the foreman whan a train is due. The foreman should encourage the active participation of all his men in train line-up information."

Running Extra...

Even though Christmas vacation is here, there are lots of people who have to work at this time of year. Railroaders and others. Stay safe, enjoy what you can of this special season, and all the best in 2009. For a last minute stocking stuffer, how about CP 411740, and no, it's not a model. The CP website refers to it as a vintage coach car, not the first car CP has used until it becomes vintage...call it maximizing the assets:

https://www8.cpr.ca/inet62/snp/Pages/ViewTender.aspx?Tender=2156

Christmas Consists 1976-1985

Elvis sang "I'll have a blue Christmas..." How about a VIA blue-and-yellow Christmas? Bing Crosby sang "I'm dreaming of a white Christmas..." Why not a CN black-and-white Christmas?

Extra Christmas ridership usually means that every available car is out of the coach yard carrying passengers homewards and generating revenue. This can lead to some weird Christmas consists. Stormy winter weather, unforeseen delays and heavy passenger loads can make operations unpredictable. Here are some Christmas consists from CN's Kingston Sub, in the CN and VIA eras, each year from 1976 to 1985. Merry Christmas and here's hoping you find some treasure under your tree.

December 24, 1976 1230 E: CN 3101 - 6633 - 9657 - 5394 - 5217 - 5413 - 5423 - 3034 - 5643. Here's 5394 with the early VIA:CN markings:

December 24, 1976 2027 E: (All CN markings) 6537 - 6859 - 3126 - 3109 - 9654 - 5627 - 5589 - 753 - 5584 - 5534 - 4886 - 5588 - 5638 - 5635 - 5471 - 5533 - 2512.

December 26, 1977 1224 E: (Partial consist) 6533 - 3107 - SGU - silver coach (probably one of the ex-Reading Crusader cars that seemed to appear around Christmastime)

December 26, 1977 1302 E: (Partial consist) 6776 - 6871 - VIA 6775 - VIA 9600 - VIA York Club (VIA paint is starting to appear)

December 29, 1978 1330 W (Partial consist) VIA 6516 - VIA 6637 - VIA 6539 - CN University Club - CN 425

December 26, 1979 1545 E (Partial consist) Here's a weird one. VIA even borrowed CP Rail and Ontario Northland coaches for the Christmas rush this year. VIA 6539 - VIA 6621 - CN 5208 - CP 108 - ONR 836. The photo is taken late on a dreary December day, and is mainly presented to show it really happened:

December 27, 1979 1243 W: (All VIA now except as noted) 6761 - 6870 - CN 3112 - CN 5382 - CN 5181 - CN 5491 - 2504 - 5455- Mount Royal Club - Warpath River - 4888 - 5574 - 3032 - 9663.

Here's a photo taken the same day of an eastbound Rapido with 6788 - 6624 - CN 3126 and CN baggage car 9604:

December 30, 1979 1546 E: (Partial consist) Another dreary day and another weird one - 6523 - 6635 - CN 304 (silver) - CN 5620 - 5292 - 9483 - Muskoka. This Christmas, VIA was running Toronto - Montreal through trains replacing the normal Toronto-Kingston RDC's:

December 26, 1980 2038 W: CN 4520 - CN 4561 - CN 4560 (stripes) - CN 3118 (stripes) - 15423 - 15473 - 9631 - 5443 - 5449 - 5531 - 2513 - 5298 - 5302 - Empire Club - 3030 - 5652 - 5399 - 5301 - 9632.

December 19, 1981 1203 E: (The Canadian running between Toronto and Montreal, with extra coaches) 6764 - 6619 - 6630 - 612 - Club de la Garnison - 5595 - 5511 - 5654 - 2513 - 5449 - 3215 - 116 - 104 - 507 - 5733 - Chateau Cadillac - Chateau Rouville - Riding Mountain Park.

Here's Club St-Denis, one of the few cars remaining in CN paint, December 1981 - note the steam, stepbox and markers:

Of course lots of passengers means lots of baggage. Here's skis and other items being loaded aboard baggage car 9662:

January 4, 1982 1541 E: 6786 - 6629 - 6521 - CN 3126 - 9603 - Laurier Club - 5726 - 5447 - 5494 - 2503 - 5618 - 5495 - 5558 - 5610 - 2505 - 5634 - 5640 - 5635 - 5517. Here's 6521 MU'd in the middle of that four-unit locomotive consist:

December 28, 1982 1146 E: (The Canadian, again with more coaches than usual) 6532 - 6612 - CN 3118 - 612 - Club de la Garnison - 5545 - 3223 - 5455 - 5519 - 5443 - 3213 - 5627 - 107 - 503 - 5720 - Chateau Varennes - Chateau Brule - Banff Park.

January 8, 1983 1143 W: 6760 - 6870 - CN 15476 - CN 9657 - 5446 - 3037 - 3232 - 5519 - Club de la Garnison. SGU 15476 has a small VIA decal before its number:

December 23, 1983 1551 E: 6786 - 6634 - 5590 - 3219 - 5588 - 5532 - 5750 - 5483 - 5500 - 2503 - 5725 - Chateau Laval

December 21, 1984 1225 W: 6782 - 6865 - York Club - 108 - 5545 - 5486 - 2510 - 5494 - 5562 - 5574 - 3211.

December 21, 1985 1203 E: CN 4362 - 6624 - Tweedsmuir Park (running backwards) - 612 - Boulevard Club - 3210 - 5495 - 5541 - 759 - 117 - 3200 - Chateau Laval - business car 95:

Maybe some CN bigwig was heading home for Christmas, or maybe going to a Habs game in Montreal with some customers...

December 30, 1985 1455 W: 6783 - 6780 - Empire Club - 5516 - 3209 - 5468 - 2503 - 115 - 3237 - 105 - 3231 - 5610.

Running extra...

Looking for a gift that gives enjoyment all year long? I've been fortunate to receive the Bytown Railway Society Branchline - Canada's Rail News Magazine for several years now (thanks D&S!). Each month it brings a wealth of information, photos, recollections and data for the discerning rail aficianado. Check it out at: http://www.bytownrailwaysociety.ca/

Postscript: CN and VIA's Winnipeg to Churchill Trains

Looking for more Churchill train photos, I found several of Thompson to Winnipeg Train No 90, at Portage la Prairie, Manitoba. Here's one from 1978:

CN 6501 has three cars in tow as it stops in Portage la Prairie on August 16.

Checking VIA schedules of the time shows why I snapped lots of No. 90 photos. It departed Thompson on the afternoon of the previous day, and was due into Winnipeg Union Station around 1100. So it was a prime target each day for an easy morning sun shot. The times of Churchill trains Nos. 92 and 93, with their more interesting consists, were a bit more difficult, with 92 OS'ing around 0530, and No 93 around 1900. I'm guessing CN and VIA used passenger power on the shorter Nos 90/91 because there was not as much head-end traffic to lug around, and start and stop at each station along the line. Often, the same 6500's shown here would appear on the Super Continental out of Winnipeg within the next day or two.


On a cloudy morning on August 22, 1979, No 90 pulls into Portage behind F7Au 9151 - CN 15484 - 9637 - 5545 - 5619:

On June 16, 1980, it's VIA - 6501 - 15489 - 9672 - 5623 - 5625:

The operator is hooping up orders on a rainy June 20, 1980. The consist today is 6506 - 15489 - 9634 - 5545 - 5619:

Two days before the next shot, No. 90's consist was 6511 - CN 15453 - CN 9640 - and VIA 5545 - 5625 - 9669. The welders are out in the grass at West Tower, as the sun glints off 6506's nose on Aug. 28,1981. Consist was 6506 - 15492 - 9660 - 5623 - 5619:

Here's a shot of No 93, which we paced westward into Portage on the Trans-Canada in May, 1984. Although there's no head-end traffic, there is an E-series sleeper on the tail-end. 6302 - 6303 - SGU - 9663 - 3244 - 5618 - 762 - Enterprise:

Here's a couple of Final F-Foto Freebies to Finally Finish, showingthe 9100's in freight service. On August 23, 1979, 9150 - 9154 have just pulled up across from Portage station on the yard lead:

In 1984, 9153 - 9150 - 79827 prepare to head west out of Portage on a caboose hop:


Running Extra...

The CP Holiday trains are crossing the U.S. and Canada. A co-worker was lucky enough to see one Holiday train on the Tunkhannock Viaduct in Nicholson, Pennsylvania. While not able to see it up-close, it would be an awesome sight. Remember the reason that CP has raised $3.56 million dollars for since the trains began - collecting food and donations for those least able to feed their families. Having seen the train at Belleville two years ago, it lights up the night and the spirits of those who see its colourful passage, with a cause worthy of our support.