Postscripts:1984 Royal Train;1995 Derailment

Fellow Kingstonian, Railway Post Office cancellation expert, railfan Ron Barrett kindly shared several Kingston-area railfanning photos with me. It's about time I shared them with you. In this post I'll include three sets of photos from Ron's railfanning, since they tie in nicely with some posts I've already published. Watch for more of Ron's photography of other unique Kingston-area railfan subjects. First, we travel back to a balmy October 13, 1995. CN's wayfreight on the Cataraqui Spur to the DuPont plant derailed on the trestle between Bath and Armstrong Roads. Ron was there that evening.

At the Cataraqui Spur crossings of Bath Road and Armstrong Road, Ron snapped a few photos of the derailed cars using a 200 mm lens. The TrackMobile from the DuPont plant had been summoned, and arrived (top photo) with the operator somewhat unsure about receiving instructions from a CN employee (above). The last two cars on the south end of the derailment, led by yellow-cupola CN International Service caboose 78100 were hauled down the Cataraqui Spur to permit access of the derailed cars. Normally, the TrackMobile - the Kingston equivalent of Thomas the Tank Engine - does not venture far from its stomping grounds inside the plant! Crossing Bath Road southbound

Behind CN Geeps 4141-4122, the derailed tank cars leaned at an awkward angle at the trestle!

The next day, Quinte Crane Rentals has stabilized the cars to enable them to be pumped out, a job which would take three days. I was here the same day that Ron took the first of these two photos:

Re-railing, with hoist cable crimping the tank just a bit:

About 10 miles to the west on CN's Kingston Sub, Ron made one and only trip to the top of the Millhaven Spur, when CN was still switching the plant. CN engine 4130 handles some ethylene glycol empty tank cars and covered hoppers that are also empty. The outer rail inner railhead was almost completely worn away where the spur reaches the main line. The ties and foot of the rail were covered with rail shavings!

Ron was atop the Princess Street overpass to photograph the arrival of the Royal Train conveying Queen Elizabeth II to Kingston on September 28, 1984. Coincidentally, I was there too, in the crowd near the station next to the Queen's limousine. Postscript II - photos of the Royal Train by Scott Haskill.

Preceded by a pilot train, the Royal Train slows at the Counter Street crossing, as banana-yellow Kingston Police cruisers block the crossing. Patriotic red &white bunting has largely blown onto the station roof!

The Queen and Duke of Edinburgh are ensconced in their limo as the motorcade departs the station for the trip to their next stop in Amherst View. The train's white-overalled mechanical supervisors and crew wander over for a gander:

White flags and green flags were quite common on the ex-CN FPA4's in VIA service. But the Royal Standard made far fewer appearances, seen here on freshly-scrubbed 6761's cab.

Running extra...and Lots-O-Links:

It's off to the annual Kingston Rail-O-Rama this Saturday. Will there be bargains? Will there be books-by-the-pound at the Bytown table? Should I bring one, or two, reusable shopping bags to cart my goodies home? VIA engine 901 caught fire while on VIA No 57 near Alexandria, ON on Sunday March 2 - Flickr Photo by 'Mike T'. CASO Free-mo layout set up at St Thomas, ON - check out the 3+ pages of photos. Tim Warris' CNJ Bronx Terminal micro-layout - get a round to it. John Eull's amazing photos on railpictures.ca - from the early VIA era to today. TV reporter gets plowed by the third truck and keeps on reporting - Ron Burgundy take note.