Trackside with Family

While writing the author's preface for my newly-published book Trackside with VIA: The First 35 Years, there were several people I wanted to thank. Train-affected family members spent time trackside as I was compiling the information I'd later include in my book. This time trackside was a pleasant experience: fresh air, the great outdoors, sometimes waiting hours for a train to appear. Now it's Father's Day - as a father, son, brother, brother-in-law, husband and nephew, I'm recalling each family member I thanked, and picturing the time I spent trackside with them. What did those moments look like?
Pedal-powered platform prowler: My son Andrew is learning to ride his hirail-equipped two-wheeler, pictured here on the north track platform at Kingston station, with ex-UP baggage car 8623 in April, 1994 (above).
My uncle Wilf and late aunt Rosemary spent hours in support of my railfanning in the 1970's and 1980's. This involved driving me to the tracks and dropping me off each morning and picking me up at lunchtime and at the end of the day, as I took in CN and CP operations in the Portage la Prairie, Manitoba area. They loved driving around the yards, following the train that was in town and guessing where and when the next would appear. In October 1980, I was travelling on VIA's Canadian as part of a school trip (above). They met the train at the Third St NW crossing and passed up a care package of snacks to enjoy on the remainder of the trip to Vancouver. They treated me to dinner at some nice restaurants. We're enjoying dinner in the railway-themed Countess of Dufferin restaurant in Winnipeg as I mug for the camera with a stubby bottle:My brother Dave also railfanned together - he was old enough to drive and I wasn't, so he did the driving, including a road trip to Portage in 1979. Based on the consists I noted, we spent literally thousands of hours at the Kingston VIA station and vicinity. We shared quite a few fast-food meals (including Big Macs in those styrofoam boxes) while railfanning. Here we are shooting a grain train pulling out of CN's Winnipeg Symington Yard on the Sprague Subdivision in 1984:My sister-in-law Susan has been to many important railway locations like the Spiral Tunnels, Transcona, Churchill and Bayview Junction. Here she is waiting with us for the westbound CN/IC business train at Rigney Street in Kingston, June 2002:
My sister Allison actually rode trains more than she watched them. Travelling to gigs in various Canadian cities or about to jet off to some international destination, her trips often started or ended on VIA Rail. Waiting for her at the Kingston station was also an opportunity to see more trains. Home for Christmas on December 19, 2003:My mother Marjorie appears in few trackside photos. Content to let the railfans in the family do their thing, she much preferred being under a shady tree to a non-air-conditioned Volkswagen.

My wife Karen still finds herself trackside at times. She's also noticed that if I spot a train while driving, everything else becomes invisible to me: medians, traffic lights, pedestrians, other vehicles...Here she is waiting with my parents as they begin a 1994 VIA journey to Portage - the two of them know how to dress for a cross-Canada train trip, similar to the passengers seen in vintage CN and CP publicity photos.

My kids Andrew and Erika spent much time trackside in their early years - usually well-supplied with Timbits or McNuggets as we awaited the trains. By eighteen months of age, Andrew was already saying key phrases like "another train coming?". Erika was interested in trackside wildlife like butterflies and groundhogs. As we wait trackside at Rigney Street in June 2003, the kids have built no fewer than seven limestone inukshuks they then emulate:Diva railfan: Erika has brought her dolls Sushi and Miss Emily as she poses with a one-hour late VIA train 57 behind 6423-6435 and ten cars in January 1999:

Here she is with her grandfather at Mi 190 Kingston Sub watching some pipe loads on CN train 320 at 1945 hours June 25, 1999. My father Laurence made sure we went on lots of steam fantrips, often visited hobby shops, took lots of train pictures and showed us important stuff such as how to open a Dutch door and spring the trap for the coach vestibule steps. Though slowed by age, he still enjoys daily visits with my mother as they review family photo albums and she reads to him from Trains magazine. Her railway knowledge is increasing exponentially as a result!

Happy Father's Day to Trackside Treasure's readers. Keep making memories and spend time with your families as often as you can. It'll really help keep your life on track. Thanks again to all!

Everyone together in 1999 at the ancestral farm home at Lachute Road Farm, located near the former Carillon & Grenville Railway right-of-way between Lachute and St. Andrew's East, QC.

Then and Now: Portage la Prairie 1980-2010

Recent CN and CP photos taken at Portage la Prairie, Manitoba reminded me of photos I'd taken there decades earlier. Although this post had 1980-2010 in the title, these photos are actually from 1979-2011, and the scenes in each pair of photos differ significantly. The Now photos are the fine work of Winnipeg blogger and railfan and Trackside Treasure blog partner Steve Boyko, whose blog Confessions of a Train Geek is ever-present in my sidebar. Steve graciously agreed to share some of his Confessions photos with me, as I've attempted to link disparate decades.

CN westbounds pass CN's station. Looks like a classic white Ford in the parking lot (above) and VIA's signature signs adorn those green lamp posts, although VIA doesn't necessarily stop here anymore.

Then: 9484-9535-5569-9581 clip through at 40 mph June 18, 1980

Now: CN Dash-9 2525 is trailed by four Drapers; former BC Rail 4610-2434-2416-2429 on April 4, 2010.
CN eastbounds also at the CN station. Skyview bridge is a common feature in both photos.

Then: 1069-1027 (black widow scheme Trains magazine unit) with grain boxcars on August 25, 1979. Note train orders being hooped-up by the operator, and other grain boxcars being loaded at Portage Pool 'B' elevator.

Now: In January 2008, CN train 346, ditch lights blazing with 2533-2233 haul 95 cars eastbound; mixed freight and forest products.

CP eastbounds pass the Portage station.

Then: Working semaphores and agent as elephant-style 5797-5983 haul potash and grain at 0925 June 22, 1982. A few short years before, a wooden platform was in place to serve CP's Canadian. CP's station park and engine track for S-3 6569 are at right.

Now: The CP station, now called the Canadian Pacific Railway Heritage Park & Interpretive Centre, is surrounded by a chain-link fence, as 9700-9663 coast by with a long double-stack train on December 27, 2007.

Westbounds in CP's Portage yard:

Then: Low-multimark 5523 with 108 grain empties - covered hoppers and boxcars on June 21, 1982, taken from the track machine spur.

Now: In June 2011, 9135-6040 are building a grain train. Portage switcher 3021 is locked away in its vandal-proof cage in background.

Taken from the Skyview bridge, VIA trains at the confluence of CN's Rivers and Gladstone Subdivisions.

Then: 1353-1354 lift two cars from Portage Pool 'B' as the Super Continental heads west with 6505-6610-CN 4105 in 1981. The Skyview bridge was always a perfect location to track multiple trains, something Portage still sees. CP grain boxcars at right, and CN outfit cars at left bracket the scene.

Now: Steve writes "On December 27, 2007, VIA train 2, the Canadian, came by at 10:44, 50 minutes late. The consist was VIA 6436-6453, deadhead sleeper Fraser Manor-baggage-coach-8227?-Skyline-car-Skyline-diner Emerald-sleeper Draper Manor-sleeper Butler Manor-sleeper Dawson Manor-observation car Tremblant Park. As it approached me, the Canadian disturbed a group of birds that were feeding on spilled grain between the rails."

Portage is still a hot-spot, even with longer trains, larger motive power, and fewer grain elevators in the background. Thanks for letting me relive some memories with Steve's assistance.

CN Canadian Forces move to Alberta

CN's Counter Street team track in Kingston was the loading point for Canadian Forces (CF) military vehicles destined Rendez-Vous 87 (RV87) in Wainwright, Alberta. On March 31, 1987, 9570-5031-5440 lifted 61 cars of 1 Canadian Signal Regiment (1 CSR) vehicles west, a little after 8 p.m., caboose 79917 tagging along. Two days earlier, vehicles including deuce-and-a-half MLVW's, GMC 5/4-ton signals trucks and trailers were staged at CFB Kingston, arriving via city streets at the team track, waiting in serpentine strings for loading to take place:

It's a Radio Relay truck, part of the LTACS communication system.

Area level communications between brigade and division headquarters 

along with select other organizations like support battalions. Only 

two dozen of these in the entire Forces. Inside the 

canvas portion are 2 gas generators, antennas 

and other support equipment for the detachment. 

In the pod is the comms gear, coffee pot and 

under the pod are the 2 50ft masts.

Circus-style loading at the single ramp meant that cuts of up to 10 cars were loaded at the ramp and pulled (right track, below) before being replaced with cuts of empty cars (left track, below):

GP-9 4506 was on hand to shuffle cuts of cars. When chocked and chained, the cars were shifted to the siding as Queens, where the train was assembled, with final assembly taking place March 31.

Loaded Trailer-Train flats are pulled down the west leg of the wye at Queens. The trucks already have a good coating of mud on their tires, from driving around the muddy team track loading area. Soon it'll be Alberta mud:

Interestingly, 4506 was the third unit on CN train 318, bringing flat cars to Kingston for CF loading. Fifteen of the empty flat cars derailed spectacularly. Read more about the immediate aftermath and cleanup of the derailment in this post.

Here's more information on RV87:

The aim of RV 87 is to exercise selected regular force formations and units of Mobile Command in a general war setting up to and including Division level and in all phases of war: advance, attack, defence, and withdrawal. The exercise will provide the type of intensity of activities which will allow commanders and trooops of all the combat area to confirm their mastery of basic and collective battle skills. Combat service support units will be stretched to the limit to provide the logistic support and administrative serives required/ RV 87 will be conducted in three phases of training:

Phase One: 12 April - 6 May 87

The first phase will be training conducted progressively up to the brigade group level. It will include the armoured corps cougar gunnery competition, artillery and field engineer training, the use of helicopters and combined training of the infantry, armour, artillery and engineers. During this phase, each major element of the brigade groups will learn to work with the others. This phase is designed to instil confidence and perfect the cohesiveness of each brigade group.

Phase Two: 7 May - 12 May 87

Phase Two will be a Divisional level field training exercise called Exercise BOLD WARRIOR.The aim of this phase of training is to practise defence and attack techniques at Division level. To accomplish this, the two brigade groups (1 Canadian Brigade Group and the Special Service Force) will be grouped together against a controlled enemy based on the Canadian Airborne Regiment. The scenario is that the friendly force is in a defensive line against an aggressor force. The attacking aggressor force will be forced to fall back and regroup; the defenders will then take the initiative, thus exercising both sides in attacking and defending.

Phase Three: 16 May - 5 Jun 87

The final phase, called Exercise PRAIRIE VIPER will be a live-fire exercise. Three selected Battle Groups will each conduct a one-week period of live fire training consisting of a series of progressive exercises from troop/platoon to Battle Group. For this purpose, a Field Firing Centre will be established at CFB Suffield from the period 20 April - 15 June 87. This phase of training will emphasize live firing of all weapons available to a Battle Group, battle procedure, all-arms cooperation, advance and attack drills and control and application of fighter ground attack aircraft.

The Battle Group exercised during Phase Three is composed of the following elements:

1 Battle Group Headquarters (based either on an Infantry Battalion HQ or an Armoured Regiment HQ)

2 Infantry Companies

2 Armoured Squadrons

1 Armoured Recce Troop and/or

1 Infantry Recce Platoon

1 Morter Platoon

1 Armoured Defence Platoon

1 Pioneer Platoon

1 Engineer Field Troop

1 Armoured Vehicle Launched Bridge

2 Artillery Batteries and

1 Forward Logistics Group for first line support

Here's some of my modelling of CF movements in HO scale using some Roco Minitanks models, appropriately camouflaged and guarded by an HO scale German shepherd:

Kitbashed 5/4-ton trucks:

and this scratchbuilt HOSMTDV (HO Scale Military Train Defender Vehicle) ready to bring its curiously threatening mix of half-track 50 cal. machine guns, APC turret guns and Sea Sparrow missiles to bear on any security threats along the line. Hell on rails!

Running extra...

Interesting discussion on Yahoogroups this week about the LRC operating outside the Corridor. It happened at least once - the LRC locomotive and coach demo'd with two CN coaches as far west as Winnipeg. Early VIA plans were for the LRC to operate on eastern and western services, which never happened in revenue service. The early poor serviceability of the LRC equipment likely accounted for the equipment historically staying close to Montreal and the east, and the use of service reps known as 'train riders'.

'Bus Rider' was a hit for Winnipeg's Guess Who. The Jets are returning to Winnipeg. Maybe they'll be called the Threshers, more agrarian and Canadian than Thrashers, which is the Georgia state bird - the brown thrasher. Maybe they can com-bine the two.

Don Cherry looked natty last night in a blue blazer designed by Leroy's Neon Products of Hamilton. During Coach's Corner, he asked Ron MacLean at least twice an agitated "WHAT?", and Don was his usual irascible self. Could 'Coach's Corner' also have been a part of VIA's Spadina coachyard in its day?

Visit with a VIAphile

A visit to Kingston's VIA station on a beautiful June day started with my son and me hustling down the stairs, under the tracks and back up to Track 2 (the south track of CN's Kingston Sub). VIA train 61 for Toronto was working off the south track today. The consist of train 61 was 6437-3454-3345-3356-3358-3301. 6437 is one of VIA's F40PH-2's that has been refurbished in the Renaissance scheme. Passenger loads were very respectable on both tracks, as train 44 was due and would soon arrive behind P42DC 915, with five cars.

Jason Shron, president of Rapido Trains Inc., was returning to Toronto as part of his cross-Canada tour. Promoting Rapido's classic CP Canadian consist, Jason had been to Nova Scotia, New Brunswick, and was heading home before heading out on the road again. And what better way to do so than aboard VIA Rail? We posed in front of 6437 with my new book, Trackside with VIA: The First 35 Years. As my son clicked away, we discussed VIA, my book, his tour, marketing and models. The Canadian flag on the station looks like it's mounted on the LRC car:

Jason has been very supportive of my book, and was kind enough to contribute the book's foreword. After a few minutes (the VIA 1 car attendant was able to get through almost one full cigarette, as the train arrived ahead of schedule), it was time to go. As ever, it was great to meet Jason. A copy of my book is already on his desk at Rapido, awaiting his perusal. Be sure to visit Rapido's site and keep up to date on their fine products and Jason's amazing cross-country VIA adventure.

Grain Train Consists, June 1982

Earlier in June, I posted a day of trains at Portage la Prairie. Here are the complete consists of two of the grain trains featured in that post:

1403 EB CN (pictured above) 37 cylindrical covered hoppers, 3 grain boxcars, 1 ballast hopper:

4322-396662-396679-CN 300730 ballast car-100480-106340-CN 428880 boxcar-CN 428943 boxcar-107731-395941-107949-106070-SKNX 397276-106582-396730-SKNX 397278-395859-SKNX 397134-100778-101142-100878-395474-106713-106531-106530-108181-101273-CN 520202-CN 377542-CN 371256-CN 379033-CN 379149-CN 371970-100962-106298-107306-106768-100046-108002-CN 371698-SKNX 397386-79631

1612 EB CN 120 cylindrical covered hoppers:

5231-5014-100895-100515-CN 377015-107303-CN 377852-100673-395805-CN 369429-396213-100238-SKNX 397167-108079-CN 371055-100415-395495-106055-CN 370389-107661-395334-101162-100425-106665-ALNX 396626-395166-106731-100151-SKNX 397443-SKNX 397271-ALNX 396652-395587-ALNX 396685-107592-SKNX 397055-396787-395291-CN 377573-CN 371316-396115-395878-108215-107883-107819-106271-CN 377465-106175-100529-395091-395340-395525-396003-396009-100028-107946-396923-107603-396258-395793-107704-396350-396400-107533-106143-100247-396282-SKNX 397427-CN 378327-CN 378645-395501-CN 377823-396166-395507-396207-100432-SKNX 397018-100241-108073-SKNX 397414-106173-106002-CN 370501-107391-396757-107181-CNWX 396826-SKNX 397434-CN 378519-395348- CN slab-side 390248 -CN 377579-100533-396976-108239-395671-101227-106526-107966-396104-395387-100635-CN 378284-101124-SKNX 397256-396852-107961-SKNX 397071-106799-CN 378110-CN 371607-CN 377256-100681-SKNX 397293-396539-100064-108116-CN 382661-SKNX 379086-107995-79591.

Notes on numbers:

CN cars are grey with red lettering.

ALNX cars are blue with yellow lettering.
SKNX cars are brown and orange.

Notes on reporting marks:

All other cars are CNWX:

-CNWX 106xxx/107xxx/108xxx are aluminum and yellow

-CNWX 100xxx/101xxx are brown and yellow

Cars numbered 396000-396479 are either ALNX or CNWX (CWB), higher 396xxx and 395xxx are CNWX (CWB)

The third train's consist 1657 EB CN pulled by 1053-1054 was featured in an earlier post on grain boxcar train consists .

Running extra...

Pssst...Wanna buy a book? Sales of Trackside with VIA: The First 35 Years are rolling right along. Please check the blog: A New VIA Rail Book in my sidebar for ordering information and more details on this data-dense book. A big thank you to my blog partners who are helping spread the word on this project before I've even asked them to! Thanks also to all of you who've already ordered, showing that you're VIAphiles of the highest order.

Rapido Trains' Jason Shron is starting his cross-Canada tour by VIA this week. I'll be following Jason's progress on the trip blog. Knowing Jason, he will talk trains, negotiate deals and garner goodwill along the way, and I hope Rapido's initiative and dedication to quality will be richly rewarded all across our great country.

A weekend visit to Syracuse revealed lots of intermodal activity in CSX's East Syracuse yard, plus Amtrak trains. Gotta get back there and do a proper blog post. A colleague of mine visited the Royal Botanical Gardens in Hamilton on the weekend, and commented on the plethora of guys with cameras on the footbridge over the CN lines. No, they weren't taking photos of flowers, trees or birds.

Trackside with VIA: The First 35 Years

I’m pleased to announce the release of my new book on VIA Rail. Entitled “Trackside with VIA: The First 35 Years”, the title is a nod to Tom Nelligan’s book on VIA’s first five years, published in 1982. A lot has happened since then, and VIA has completely changed as a corporate entity and its equipment has also advanced several generations in 35 years. 6513 heads No 1 at its Thunder Bay, Ontario in May, 1986 (above). My book lists exactly what equipment was in use for all of those years. Of use to VIA enthusiasts, modellers and owners of Rapido Trains’ fine products, this book will answer some of the commonly-asked questions about VIA’s operations from its infancy until today.

Please see my blog (also shown in sidebar) which includes all information about the book:

http://newviarailbook.blogspot.com

The latest blog post includes ordering information, more specifics on the book, feedback, and a few scans of sample pages which will allow you to see what you’re buying. With a foreword by Jason Shron, and paint transition data by Jakob Mueller, my book includes 114 pages of information and photos, the vast majority of which is previously-unpublished and original. The blog also contains posts on how this project came to be, and the 7+ months of work it took to transcribe, format, proof-read, and finally professionally print the results. It’s a book I’m very happy with, and I trust you will be too.

Credit is due to Bryan Babcock of Bryan Babcock Design and Allan Graphics here in Kingston for a nice job of designing and printing my book. Bryan even personally dropped off the two cases of books. Sure beats doing a quick-and-dirty coil-binding job at Staples.

Derailment at Kingston, 1987

CN train 318 derailed at Kingston station, drifting downhill at suppertime on March 28, 1987. On the headend behind 5261-9566-4506 were 53 Trailer Train 60-foot flatcars, some of the 64 empties and 21 loads on the train. These flatcars were to be setout at Queens for 1st Canadian Signal Regiment (1CSR) vehicle loading, en route to exercise Rendez-Vous 87 in Wainwright, Alberta. "You wouldn't try this on your model railway", my brother thought when he saw the marshalling on train 318, observing it six miles west of the derailment site. He took the following seven photos the same evening, at mileage 176:

The empty flatcars derailed between the power and covered hoppers/tank cars on the tailend that were pushing downhill as the train decelerated. The derailed cars were dragged, chipping the concrete platform, kicking loose ballast onto the platform and digging into ties, before ending up stacked liked dominoes at the Queens West interlocking. Train crew, police and fire were on the scene at the Counter Street crossing. The train's power can barely be seen in the distance beyond the 15 derailed flatcars:

As the power and tailend are moved clear of the site, local railfans investigate the cars piled up just east of the crossing. Train 318's engineer felt the train 'bounce' as it crossed Counter Street. The conductor called the ride from Belleville 'rough, with more slack action than usual'.

Splintered ties, crossing timbers, broken truck sideframes, axles and smashed switch heater are visible in the cold light of day on March 29:

Belleville crane 50367, a sideboom bulldozer and road-rail cranes from Montreal and Toronto clear cars and debris. Overnight VIA Cavaliers, trains 58-59 had been re-routed over CP rails between Dorval and Brighton. Passengers on other VIA trains were bused the 100 miles between Belleville and Brockville.

Later that day around 1600, CN section forces have descended, to restore the track structure:

Here are a couple of online photos taken from a 'dumpster-dive' by a former CN car department employee based in Hamilton, showing the flurry of flatcars:

Queens West was the location of another derailment in March, 2007. In this later derailment, the same signal bridge was struck so forcefully that it was dislodged from its concrete footing, and replaced shortly thereafter.

Unlike the later derailment, clean-up of this mess was accomplished mostly with railway-owned track-based equipment crews, not contractors with road-based sideboom Cats and excavators.

Its work done, Toronto 60-ton road-rail crane 60741 reposes on Queens track 4, white flags and all:

Montreal's Holmes 1979-built 100-ton road-rail crane 10792 heads eastward:

Just behind 60741, 5261-9566 await their next move after the derailment cleanup. 4506 was used to marshall flatcars loaded with 1CSR equipment for the move westward.

Running extra...

Burton Cummings put on a great show Friday night, drawing on his own songs as well as those of the iconic Guess Who, whom he described as "four guys from the wheat fields of Manitoba." From the opening "datn-doo-dow-dow" of No Sugar Tonight, through "sing another prairie tune" in Runnin' Back to Saskatoon and the straight-ahead rock'n'roll "better not get up or you might lose your seat" of Bus Rider, it was classic Canadiana. Besides, what other group would mention Moosomin and Medicine Hat in a song?

One more lyric, from Albert Flasher "I was a diesel fixer, fixed a diesel, diesel fixed me, what a weasel."

Emerging occupation: diesel-fitter. In this job, you will assist men shopping for clothing items for the wife. Job description: Hold the clothes up, shrug and say "Yep, these'll fit 'er".