tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-372955869775302424.post7481801934988560599..comments2024-03-26T22:06:26.337-04:00Comments on Trackside Treasure: Leased Locomotives on CN 1994-1998Erichttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11822288099043790296noreply@blogger.comBlogger10125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-372955869775302424.post-58520992445053545962012-02-09T20:25:42.220-05:002012-02-09T20:25:42.220-05:00You're quite right about the VIA units, Manny....You're quite right about the VIA units, Manny. I didn't personally the VIA units CP used, but I have seen others' photos and it's kind of weird seeing passenger units used on freight. Plus the GO units used years before that. CP never turned down a creative approach to turning a profit while keeping the overhead down.<br /><br />Thanks for your comment,<br />EricErichttps://www.blogger.com/profile/11822288099043790296noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-372955869775302424.post-23830866112103894472012-02-09T07:56:52.344-05:002012-02-09T07:56:52.344-05:00And who can forget about the eastern CP freights w...And who can forget about the eastern CP freights with VIA F40PH-2s in the lead. That was another thing that happened in 1994-95. Any chance you'll be featuring a post about those trains? Did you ever get photos Eric? They mostly ran through Smiths Falls I think.Mannyhttp://www.execulink.com/~railbus/noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-372955869775302424.post-46448269598746725662012-02-06T22:23:46.079-05:002012-02-06T22:23:46.079-05:00Thanks for your comments, Steve. The use of lease...Thanks for your comments, Steve. The use of lease units ramped up rather quickly in the nineties on both CN and CP. CP was more in need, and a post on their lease units would have probably been a three-parter. I did catch a few CP lease units on visits to Smiths Falls. CN's widening of their scope to use their US roads' power increased as well. Watch for future posts featuring power consists featuring lease units and GTW, DWP and even NS and CR units.<br /><br />EricErichttps://www.blogger.com/profile/11822288099043790296noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-372955869775302424.post-2821211915269536322012-02-06T22:14:04.525-05:002012-02-06T22:14:04.525-05:00Another very interesting post, Eric. I never knew ...Another very interesting post, Eric. I never knew CN used that many leased units. CP has used leasers for decades but the CN ones never seem to get much press. I didn't start railfanning until 1998-1999 so I missed the CN leasers. I have caught a couple of the "big blue" ex-LMS units over the years. Thanks for this.Canadian Train Geekhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/05525092107895665275noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-372955869775302424.post-8111915524930566322012-02-06T19:34:49.582-05:002012-02-06T19:34:49.582-05:00Manny, thanks for your comments. The ice storm de...Manny, thanks for your comments. The ice storm descended on Kingston Jan 7-10/98. VIA was cancelled east of Toronto, and there were no CN trains from Jan 8-10. An RTC said "We're single-tracking half the railway", and crews were vigilant for downed wires and inoperative signals. Operations were very irregular, with the first train I saw being CN No 131 with a 5700 at 1715 on Jan 10.<br /><br />The photo of HATX was indeed in the wake of the ice storm, as was the photo of NRE 878. I was waiting to photograph Expo86-painted boxcar CN 557417 on CN train No 395, but it must have been repainted, so I was able to photograph the leased units. Note ice/snow on ballast, and since the HATX 427 photo was on the 17th, trains were moving again.<br /><br />Prime Minister Jean Chretien flew into the Kingston airport, where there was a military command post and helo detachment set up and we saw him there. Desperate times, and we had a very mild repeat a couple of weeks ago. Come on spring!<br />EricErichttps://www.blogger.com/profile/11822288099043790296noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-372955869775302424.post-51812695696088704122012-02-06T08:43:25.855-05:002012-02-06T08:43:25.855-05:00Hi Eric, thank you for another interesting post. I...Hi Eric, thank you for another interesting post. I was just down the line from you in Cornwall during those years and can remember those LMS units vividly. They had a different horn and a high headlight and could be seen leading from time to time. Your 427 shot was taken in the aftermath of the ice storm. Was that train moving or was it parked? I seem to recall the line didn't reopen until a couple of weeks after the ice storm. For some reason the 26th sticks in my mind but it may have been different in Kingston. There were more and more CNNA repaints in these years, as I recall and the big alcos were dying off. Then the SD70s and later 75s came. I remember one of the first or rare occurences of a Dash 9 in the summer of 1997. I have photos around Cornwall of a few of these leasers from these years but glad to see the view from down the line. Thanks again for the trip down memory lane.<br /><br /><br />MannyMannyhttp://www.execulink.com/~railbus/noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-372955869775302424.post-38710807235407787322012-02-05T14:56:58.436-05:002012-02-05T14:56:58.436-05:00Thanks Ian, I should also add that CN employed lea...Thanks Ian, I should also add that CN employed lease units out west that never made it past my camera in the east, if they did indeed make it this far. <br /><br />I guess like CN's Alcos, Winnipeg was like 'crossing the Rubicon' for a lot of motive power, meaning it was no farther west, time to send them back east. A lot of the eastern leased units were used on CN's lines in the US, and I believe some were maintained at Battle Creek, Michigan.<br /><br />EricErichttps://www.blogger.com/profile/11822288099043790296noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-372955869775302424.post-49347815819679110272012-02-05T00:56:34.211-05:002012-02-05T00:56:34.211-05:00Hey Elijah & Eric;
I remember seeing the LMS ...Hey Elijah & Eric;<br /><br />I remember seeing the LMS units in Winnipeg when they were around, so they got that far west at least.<br /><br />IanLord Darth McIanhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/08618993277348770756noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-372955869775302424.post-73111360680564430742012-02-04T17:07:17.463-05:002012-02-04T17:07:17.463-05:00Not that I'm aware of, Elijah. One interestin...Not that I'm aware of, Elijah. One interesting use of these units was when three of them powered CN's Montreal Auxiliary south to a derailment in New York state in the 1990's. 'Llamas' was the only nickname I ever heard used, but yours are equally clever and appropriate. The units were certainly eye-catching in their blue livery.<br /><br />Thanks very much for your comments, questions and links.<br />EricErichttps://www.blogger.com/profile/11822288099043790296noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-372955869775302424.post-9404004581445716142012-02-04T15:49:09.532-05:002012-02-04T15:49:09.532-05:00Do you know if they LMS Dash-8s ever made it out w...Do you know if they LMS Dash-8s ever made it out west? I don't think they ever did; which is a shame, because video evidence indicates THEY WERE AWESOME.<br />http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9410N4RbKsg<br /><br />In recent years, I have seen a couple of the re-badged CN units; I call them "Ex-Conns".<br />http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=D84QDnQactc<br />Some people think "Blue Devil" is a better moniker, but I fail to see what is so very devilish about them.Zartok-35https://www.blogger.com/profile/00449976580118722879noreply@blogger.com