Postscript: Freight Car Placards

Little did I know that the reverse of the bottom, right-hand placard in the above photo was a treasure-trove of information! Reposing in a file folder, it looked like just another Dangerous placard, though a couple of hand-written notations caught my eye. One was CMBU 2230372, which represents a Belgian Line container's reporting marks. On its reverse, handwritten in pencil with the date October 7, 1974 was an interesting listing for several cars and containers. I've re-typed the listing, adding some information (in brackets) on the cars listed.

T-17                              OCT 7/74                         

NL 489678-79

CN 557735 9 MP IN BOND (52-foot combination-door boxcar)

CN 235196 MEAT (44-foot mechanical meat reefer)

MDT 13752 MT (36-foot reefer)

XTRA STELLARTON

479756

477681

634XXX 740121

634157 74XX40 MT, NIL (40-foot COFC flatcar, rebuilt from 40-foot boxcar)

WILLOWPARK

590110 VEHICLE RAMP (40-foot auto boxcar)

9479

SYDNEY

504019 NL 489667-68 HIGHWAY (40-foot boxcar)

STELLARTON

704620 69-70-71 HIGHWAY (trilevel auto rack)

MONCTON

12451 72-73-74 HIGHWAY

ST JOHN

700030 75-76-77 HIGHWAY (trilevel auto rack)

T-19

MDT 13844 MT (36-foot reefer)

XTRA STELLARTON

479756

477681

T-20

XTRA NFLD FOR 211 DATE ST JOHNS

634244-740890 MOUNT PEARL S.R. 111117

            -740208 ARNOLDS COVE 5 CIL ST JOHNS

633197-NIL, NIL, 740708 MT

633169- CNEU540040

             -CNEU840243MT, CNEU 540111

(above three cars 40-foot COFC flatcars rebuilt from 40-foot boxcars)

Two more placard-related photos...here's a view of an empty placard holder, originally from a tank car:

Here's your future blogger, perched on a right-of-way fencepost, having discovered a Do Not Hump placard at the intermediate signals at Mi 183 Kingston Sub, early-spring 1975. This photo was taken by my Dad, Laurence Gagnon, who died last Friday. Watch for an upcoming post on his influence and interests in all things train-related, and kindly spare a thought for my Mom and our family as we reflect on his most meaningful, memory-filled life and legacy.

Speaking of that legacy, I'm happy to publicize another episode of TLC's new series Railfan Sisters. In this episode, my sister is driving (and photographing) (oh, and probably talking) as she meets a westbound CN freight at Mi 180 Kingston Sub. The train with its coterie of paper, lumber and tank car traffic, looks like Moncton-Toronto CN M305:

 Six cars later:

 Then another ten cars in, with trilevels on the tail end:

This is an interesting feature of the Kingston Sub's profile. Often referred to by crews as "coming down into the bay" because this is water level, 255 ft ASL. Dropping 60 feet from Kingston Mills, before reattaining the same level at Ernestown, the track profile is at its lowest point from Kingston westward to Toronto. Collins Bay on Lake Ontario is the first view of the lake west of the St Lawrence River, and the last clear view of the lake until reaching the Cobourg area. The dip in the track profile is especially noticeable in my sister's first photo, above. Here's a 2012 post on Collins Bay.