A Seasonal Summary of Some Summery Train News

It's been an eventful month of June in the world of trains! Not one to take dubiously-deserved time off for summer vacation, the blogging continues at Trackside Treasure! Who cares if the weather is amazing and that I should be working on my Instagrammy summer go-to activities: stand-up paddle boarding, water-skiing (hey, I could combine them into one and call it water-boarding - on second thought, no) and attending indie folk music festivals swilling craft beers into the evening. But instead, I'm living in my own personal reality show, standing just out of the tick-infested grass taking train pictures, weed-whacking and hosing down my driveway. (Our city recently imposed summer watering restrictions on its citizens. That means retired guys can only hose down their driveways for one hour a day, down from the usual eight hours!)

To make my life seem more amazing and eminently more bloggable, this week I'm presenting this punchy, poppin' newsmagazine-style post with each item subtitled with an exclamation mark to make it seem more exciting! I said more exciting!!

CHAIN-LINK FENCE!

I ordered some 3D-printed chain-link fence from Paul Gerald. The fence was very realistic, reasonably-priced and arrived by mail in great shape! Paul has posted listings of about half of his designs at Canadian Railway Modellers Buy/Sell Facebook group or all can be viewed on MakerWorld - from which the designs can be downloaded and printed at no cost. I was very impressed with the price and quality of Paul's work. I just have to paint and weather and find the perfect place on my layout to feature the fine fence! Paul shared some photos (top photo and below) of his 3D-printed track bumper, ballast spreader, Tim Hortons sign and sidewalk. Paul can be reached at greenwood196@icloud.com

 

CP RUN-THROUGH POWER!

Thanks to Logan Cadue for a heads-up regarding CP power on CN X276 on June 24. I got to Collins Bay just in time for a grab shot at 0830. CP 8737 wearing the new CPKC scheme along with CP 8907 through Kingston track speed at 0840 at Mi. 180 CN Kingston Sub - Collins Bay. Very long train that had been delayed into daylight by trackside fires west of Toronto:

Here's Logan's far superior photo taken from the John Counter Boulevard overpass:

NAPANEE TRAIN SHOW AND SALE!

After a social miscreant burned down the Napanee curling club, the train show and sale take place at the town arena, strangely called "Best & Bash". As always, I vowed to buy NOTHING in order to better support the environment, but ended up helping out several vendors' environments by taking stuff off their hands! Just call me Global Citizen. Actually, just call me Bottom-Feeder because that's where I find the best deals. Just ask my crepitant knees or my glucosamine supplier!

Six bucks to get in. Hello Tom Greenlaw and Ian and fellow ARKers Andy, Michael and Dustin!

It's hard to find sheet styrene but structures, but this is an alternate source!

Junk bags full of goodies and station names!

Strip joint photo with landscape mat!

Two bucks a pop!

1 to 10 bucks a pop!

Bought with our grandsons in mind!

Structures also two bucks a pop!

DPM parts also two bucks a pop. Sensing a theme?

SCENERY FOUND ON MY SCENIC MORNING WALK!

Call it a moss mat, call it a fairy mat, but this synthetic green weirdly-textured stuff is great for landforms. I call it the poor man's static grass! No static, just grass, no expensive applicator. Just use your fingers to separate the brown strands underneath from the good green stuff on top. Cut to shape and glue down! This caught my eye, unlike armloads of floral supplies being discarded along with it at curb side. It had been rained on, but I should be able to salvage some of it for layout scenic projects!

BIN THERE, HAVEN'T DONE THAT...YET!

After July 1, our neighbourhood is one of the first to transition to new green and grey bins made by IPL in Quebec, along with new one-man electric garbage trucks. No more repetitive-strain injuries from those waste operators hanging off the truck, scooping up a heavy Glad bag full of diapers and alley-ooping behind-the-back into the gaping maw of the garbage truck. Operators now stay in the cab and use a joystick to stash the trash in back. The green bins lock to deter rodents but open upon demand. More here on the patented 'Franzen gravity large thumb turn with 90-degree'!

VHA - WHAT THE F?

VIA posed the three-car unwrapped blue & yellow VIA Historical Association 6539-led set at its TMC alongside Siemens Venture Set 2. Notice the F40 switcher in the drone shot from metrolinkfan300 posted to social media (above) and the well-lit header photo shared by Jordan McCallum (below). The two trains were later joined by VIA 6424 and an HEP consist trailed by a Manor car for a side-by-side-by-side three-train photo and a speech from VIA CEO Mario Peloquin to celebrate the TMC's 40th anniversary. 

J'ESPERE QUE JASPER - C'EST LA VIA!

VIA has renamed the Prestige Class formerly known as Kootenay Park (VIA 88708) as Jasper Park. The plaque inside the car reads: 

"This car is named for Jasper National Park which is located in the Rocky Mountains in Alberta. Established in 1907, the park spans 11,228 square kilometres and is part of Parks Canada's system of national parks. The park is also part of a designated UNESCO World Heritage Site and is one of the world's largest dark sky preserves. Visitors from all over the world come year-round to experience the park's natural and cultural heritage, along with its abundant wildlife and extensive trail network." Plumbing the depths of railfan and VIA passenger opinions, the change has a solid 50% approval rating.

On July 2, VIA posted the above photo, taken with VIA No 1 and the newly-renamed car at Jasper, to social media: 

"This morning, we proudly unveiled a new Park car plaque in honour of Jasper National Park, a tribute to one of Canada’s most iconic natural treasures. This special moment also marked the 100th anniversary of the Jasper Train Station, a cornerstone of Canadian rail history and a gateway to the Rockies for travelers from around the world. We were honoured to be joined by Ron Hallman, President & CEO of Parks Canada, and Mayor Richard Ireland of Jasper, along with many valued collaborators and guests. This event was a beautiful reminder of how passenger rail continues to unite people and places across our vast country. This celebration also aligns with the launch of the Canada Strong Pass, an initiative that makes it easier than ever for Canadians to explore the country by train and discover national parks and cultural wonders."

This is the first time I can recall a VIA car having its name/number changed without rebuilding to a different car type. Kootenay Park just happened to be the first Prestige Park to be in Toronto when the renaming was to take place. Apparently there is no other behind-the-scenes reason for its selection.

BOXCARS IN THE BAY OF FUNDY! (sing that to the tune of Angels from the Realms of Glory!)

So said the CBC news report, and hey, if it's on the CBC it must be right, right? Turns out these are NOKL and other black hoppers, not boxcars, with the ends of the hoppers filled in with timbers, then loaded with concrete to weigh them down to become anchors for a cancelled tidal energy project (tied before tide) in Walton, NS. Transport Canada took action (!) and ordered marker buoys placed. New use for old hopper cars - a unique modelling project. Pre-sunken appearance which belies their current rusted, brown appearance that made car-type identification difficult on TV.

STOP THE PRESSES. (WAIT - DO WE HAVE PRESSES?)

THIS JUST IN! RAPIDO TRAINS WILL BE PRODUCING THE S-13/RS-23!

The above aghastness-inducing image appeared for only an instant in this video, perhaps the length of time it takes to say, "Spadina" (without giggling). Long-rumoured and oft-denied, this is a must-have for anyone who is modelling Spadina in 1980 or Kingston in 1966, respectively. Sure, it hasn't been announced or publicized or designed or manufactured or shipped in a sea can from China, but the 'faux-kenzie' brothers in the video (I dare you to watch it and not laugh) said it and made me have a seizure due to flashing images of barely second-generation diesels all while I'm watching them tap-dance around whether they're a Canadian or American company. They either have a warehouse in Buffalo or they're also producing the Buffalo boxcar!

WHAT I BLOGGED ON MY SUMMER VACATION!

Tantalizingly out of view to the right of the above VIA 6539 photo angles is the under-construction Venture two-track shop at the TMC. Work also continues apace on several long-lived Trackside Treasure posts based on the Siemens Venture trainsets operated by VIA - three in vivo while two are still in vitro:

• CN-imposed speed reductions with weekly On-Time Performance monitoring.
• Implementation of the Venture fleet, now into Part Three.
• Delivery of the final two Venture trainsets, with Set 30 arriving just under a month ago - June 7.
• Transport Canada Ministerial Order...it's been six months! Pending...
• Quebec Court Case...it's been three months! Pending...

Here ends the newsmagazine format. Hope you enjoyed the read!

Running extra...

Speaking of summer, check out Tim Hayman's newsy post on his trip aboard VIA's Canadian beginning on Canada Day, last year. Tim includes all the stuff we need: interior photos, scenic photos, photos of meals and of course a consist or two! Hot off the press, er, blog!

On Canada Day, we had the pleasure of enjoying a concert at Confederation Basin by the National Band of the Naval Reserve. A high level of musicianship, no hijinks (even when playing John Williams' Superman), and several sweeping orchestral pieces ended with Heart of Oak and O Canada. The Band comprises musicians from 11 naval reserve divisions and six unit-level bands: HMCS TECUMSEH in Calgary, HMCS CHIPPAWA in Winnipeg, HMCS STAR in Hamilton, HMCS YORK in Toronto, HMCS DONNACONA in Montreal and HMCS MONTCALM in Quebec City.

First past the post...

My enthusiasm, exuberance and empathy for the Rapido soon-to-be announcement of the S-13/RS-23 was greeted with this response by one D. Bradshaw on the socials: "Holy s*** what a bunch of gibberish. One would think a person would try and make their post clear and concise. But you went with full raging ADHD, MPD, with a touch of a stroke instead." 

I've never met this fellow modeller, but he really gets me!

CP Switches Kingston's Hanley Spur

As the basement/modelling season winds down for the nice weather, I wanted to try out my new iPhone and decided to follow the CP wayfreight from Smiths Falls to Kingston (arriving in town along Railway Street - top photo) as one of the last trains I operated for the summer! My approach was to follow the train as it switches the industries requiring switching - usually about half of the total CP industries on my Kingston's Hanley Spur layout. These photos were not posed, and the entire operation and shoot took only about 45 minutes.

Compare this to one of my early Hanley Spur layout posts from February, 2019. At that time, only C.E. MacPherson and the Sowards coal trestle (both in their first iteration and beyond mock-ups) seem to be in place. Both structures have since been completely rebuilt or replaced! This November, 2023 post shows most of the structures as they are today and this post shows finished structures and links to their build posts.

Though I've adapted the system to four clips of cards for my current layout - CN Yard, CN Industries, CP Industries and CN/CP Interchange - I still use the same 'Trackside Leisure' car card operation system. Don't be stumped when it comes to adding play value to your layout operation system.

The first stop is the deepest - at least the farthest toward the southernmost end of CP's Kingston Subdivision. A shared spur for Shell Oil and Anglin. Tail-end of the move lifting two Shell tank cars (above) and head-end under the River Street bridge (below):

Two CP boxcars of wood products being spotted at Anglin. (You'll notice that brakeman in many of the photos.)

Spotting one tank car:

Switching Soward's (later Anglin's) coal-unloading trestle on Place d'Armes. Two empties out:

And looking from the other side atop the covered trestle as two Pennsy cars are spotted:

Weldwood Lumber on Railway Street. BAR boxcar out, with the CN/CP interchange in the foreground:

All-Door boxcar being set out:

At Montreal Street, K-D was not rail-served, but a short spur nearby had many owners over the years. Quintane Gas at this point. Lifting a CGTX tank:

Setting out this bigger one:

Frontenac Floor & Wall Tile was jointly-served by both railways, being on the stump of the former pre-bridge CP entry into Kingston from the north. So you'll usually see one CN-spotted and one CP-spotted car here, either empty boxcars for loading or inbound coal or minerals:

Lifting a (pretend it's empty!) B&M coal hopper and setting out a CP empty for tile loading:

Last stop this run. CP leaves most of their train on the lead and heads down to the CP team track and freight shed along Ontario Street, opposite City Hall. CN's trackage is at left, while CP has a ramp, freight platform and team track:

WM and CP boxcars for lifting (above) and covered hopper being loaded seen during switching moves (below):

Opposite view, setting out a D&H boxcar and PRR reefer. With CP's station no longer in use, a crane outfit and the train's Angus Shops van are spotted while the section men are on the platform:

The current CP industry list for the layout, with industries switched in this post shown outlined in red:

Running extra...

"Every time I think of you I get derailed", is the hook of this Doyle Lawson & Quicksilver song!

Ontario Northland plans to scrap a bunch of cars, including the beloved canoe car!

First past the post...

It was great to talk to Tom Greenlaw, father of fellow VIA book author Chris Greenlaw at last weekend's Napanee train show (watch for an upcoming Trackside Treasure post). Where else can you find someone who has transported interesting and unusual items on planes, models large-scale, and likes to haggle but is not afraid to just walk away! We crossed paths about five times at the show! Fellow Associated Railroaders of Kingston/modellers Peter, Steve, Andy, Dustin, Michael and Ian were also there.

Canada Day 2025

There is but one Trackside Treasure post per year that is not all about trains. 

This is it.

Our collaborative relationship with our international neighbours has coarsened. 

The one to our south has engaged in a trade war disguised as a trade embargo.

Misleadingly termed tariffs.

The world's longest undefended border becomes a transactional bottom-line.

We have a renewed sense of what it is to be Canadian. 

Justifiable fierce pride in our country. 

In Canada, nothing has changed.

Our faces still face the rising sun in the east and revel in its colours to the west, as the aurora enliven our Northern skies. 

The aspens, birches and pines whisper. 

Orcas, belugas and even the humble alewife cavort in our welcoming waters!

Shared water, shared air, shared borders show we are not on our own.

The very living rock beneath our feet. We, Canada, when winter approaches.

We do not just survive, we will thrive.

 

Is this the most insurmountable challenge our great country has ever faced? No. Do you remember the Dust Bowl, the carnage of two world wars, the Cold War, our constant struggle with our harsh environment, and each season that 'this could be the year the Leafs win the Cup?'

It was not Kanye, it was Nietzsche who said 'If it don't kill me, it make me stronger'. 

This has not and will not kill us, and it has made us stronger. 

A very happy Canada Day to all of Trackside Treasure's readers. 

Three days later is Independence Day and our neighbours to the south will remember their autonomy. 

(Celebrate with poutine, hot dogs or a TACO as appropriate.)

One of us chose Britain, one of us chose not to. And we can all live with that. 

--Eric

CN Zero is Possible Safety Train - June, 2025

Last Friday I was at Collins Bay awaiting a special CN train that had been crisscrossing the CN network. The railway's ten-car 'Zero is Possible' safety train, symbolled P623 while on the CN Kingston Subdivision today. Departing Toronto at 0800 (merci a Luc) the special train paused briefly in Belleville before departing there at 1055 and heading east at track speed and passing through Kingston at 1140.

But first, some drama! Arriving around 1100, I staked out a location on my go-to, Kingston's Railfan Walking Trail. Some kind airplane-, bird-, train- or fish-watcher has cobbled together a lakeshore bench at Collins Bay from which I could watch 10 ducks in a row (actually a mama and her nine ducklings). If I'd been there at dusk, they would have been dix dusk ducks!

No, that's not the drama. The first train from the west was a minutes-late 'doublavay' comprising Venture Sets 2 and 11: VIA No 62/52 mere minutes beforehand, on the north track at 1118. Five minutes later, the westward approach signals were lit and this diesel made its debut in the dramatis personae - it was class-unit CN 5700 (and 2664) leading a long empty auto rack train No 271. YIKES! What if after tracking P623 I was a witness to it sliding east below the racks going west right in front of me? I had never hoped for a shorter train. Fortunately, P623 was still several minutes to the west! Drama averted.

Seen here at Collins Bay on June 13 (below and top photo) is P623's consist: CN 3309 (tilted wafer logo removed with white frame-stripe remaining) - CN 3394 - CN 1710 Fraser Spirit - IC 101315 Illinois Central - IC 800413 Whiteshell - CN 101 Montreal - IC 800210 Baton Rouge - CN 99 [dome] American Spirit - IC 101314 Champlain - CN 1059 Tawaw - 800644 White Bear Lake [stainless steel] - IC 800653 Sandford Fleming. The heritage and provenance of these cars is beyond the scope of this post, and in some cases unknown. However, this is the longest of three such safety trains I've been fortunate to catch through Kingston (see links below) and it was definitely worth making a special effort to see it. Here's a video: Youtube link from which these screenshots are taken.

Didn't see any brass hats in the best seats in the house:

This consist differed from the safety train's consist just previously operating in the US as train P008: CN 3309 - 3394 - CNA 415867 boxcar - CN 1710 Fraser Spirit - CN 101 Montreal - IC 800210 Baton Rouge - CN 99 American Spirit [dome] - IC 101314 Champlain - CN 1059 Tawaw - 800644 White Bear Lake [stainless steel] - IC 101315 Illinois Central - IC 800653 Sandford Fleming.

I'd wondered while waiting what the best way to photograph this special train was. The whole thing? Car-by-car? The cars almost all have the same paint scheme, though their histories are diverse. I opted for an up-close video recording of the passing train. I just felt fortunate to catch this longest-ever Zero is Possible train so close to home!

After reaching Montreal on June 13, on June 17 the train made four trips between Central Station and Taschereau Yard as CN train P006 - rare mileage trips on what is usually VIA/EXO trackage. Photographer Victor Planche' was able to plethorically photograph the special trains. Link to Victor Planche' photos on railpictures. As usual, Canadian Railway Observations 'borrowed' photos for its social media, so I in turn borrowed CRO's header photo taken by Victor showing P006 passing Montreal's condos and skyscrapers (below). Notice diner White Bear Lake behind the power car:

The remarshalled train was split in two and sat at Montreal's Taschereau yard, then headed west on the tail-end of CN No 149 through Kingston at 1000 Wednesday, June 18. The now-remarshalled consist: CN 3309 (working) - CN 1710 Fraser Spirit - 800644 White Bear Lake - CN 99 American Spirit - IC 101314 Champlain - IC 101315 Illinois Central - IC 800413 Whiteshell - CN 101 Montreal - IC 800210 Baton Rouge - CN 1059 Tawaw - IC 800653 Sandford Fleming. Logan Cadue photographed CN No 149 at the east end of Kingston's VIA station (the same side I photographed it from - must have been wyed or backed into Central Station?) and kindly shared these photos (below). Thanks, Logan!

Lots o' links:

• through Wisconsin on June 10, 2025 and one more video and still photos
• Kingston - six-car Zero is Possible train June, 2023
• Kingston - five-car (one of three trains) across the CN network in June, 2024
• Brockville Railfan Youtube video of CN No 149 at Brockville.

Running extra...

Departing for Northern Ontario unusually with no baggage car was VIA No 1 ex Toronto Sunday, June 15. Baggage was handled in two coaches instead. VIA No 1 departed Toronto with no baggage car, coaches 8110 and 8119 instead, total 21 cars behind VIA 6401-6433.

Speaking of Northern Ontario, the National Dream, yes, but the urban exploration nightmare, also yes! Noted Canadian author and historian Pierre Berton's house has fallen into disrepair. A switch on the electrical panel said 'Caboose' and here's where that led - photo by Freaktography (above). Between 1950 and 1954, the Bertons had this home built just for them and their growing family. Between 1954 and November 2004, Berton lived here with Janet where they raised their family of eight children and where he wrote most of his books. Pierre passed away from heart failure in November, 2004 at 84 years old. In 2015, the new owners applied for a demolition permit. Early in 2024, a Notice of Intent to Designate the home under Ontario Heritage Act was issued. On March 28, 2024, the owners of the property served a Notice of Objection to the Notice of Intent to Designate. It does not appear that the home has yet been officially granted heritage designation.

Never tire of seeing this! The 100th anniversary of the Goodyear blimp program was celebrated by Wingfoot One flying Napanee plant employees over the city this week. Many flights visible from here (above) heading downtown and even one trip to Amherst Island per FlightAware:

First past the post...

Fellow model railroader and blogger, and religion writer and Order of Canada recipient John Longhurst has been sharing some of the late Morgan Turney's earliest Canadian Railway Modeller writings, preserving for posterity Morgan's pioneering efforts to successfully share the Canadian model railway scene. My Uncle Wilf in Portage la Prairie also shared one of John's writings that recently appeared in the Winnipeg Free Press. Having been a reader since the very first issues of CRM, I'm enjoying wallowing in the CRM nostalgia online and on paper!