Autumn in Belleville

Arriving at CN's Belleville Yard after a short visit to the Shannonville CP-CN over-under, the westbound freight I'd seen there had been and gone, though it left behind a 40-car cut of loaded ballast cars.  A CN Pettibone Speed Swing  was just south of the yard near Station Street. Time for some freightcarology: can you spot a BC Rail ballast car in the background?

I'm always fascinated to see the inter-mixing of CN predecessor and former subsidiary roads with CN's own cars, be it IC, WC, BLE, DWC or BCOL, such as predecessor tie cars.  These dark green ballast cars definitely stand out from CN's orange cars.  BCOL 2804 (above) and BCOL 2876 (below) are from a class of 100 39-foot cars built by Railwest Manufacturing in Squamish in 1977. They're a long way from the land of the redwood and the dogwood.

The Speed Swing sits idly by as a westbound CN freight enters the yard.  Grimy locomotives 8811 and 8814 pull their train in to make a crew change.

At one time there were many more yard tracks in this part of the yard, now removed.  CN has had so much trouble getting their supersized trains into the yard for Belleville for lifts/setouts, that the third track just has to help. Someone has cleaned off the grab irons and engine number on the rear of 8811.  The EcoConnexions decal caught my eye, and Winnipeg's Steve Boyko described this program in this post.

One of today's most-photographed schemes: Pan Am Railways, in this case applied to MEC 31918.  Here's the same car with slightly different lettering.

One of my favourite types of modified cars are these less conspicuous but more interesting green paper cars, originally operated by St Lawrence & Atlantic, now with Minnesota, Dakota & Western reporting marks. 

Though the Golden Triangle can refer to the area in Asia bounded by Burma, Laos, Thailand and Vietnam, in this case it's a 10-mile shortline in Mississippi operated by Patriot Rail Corp.  Like the ex-SLR car above, the GTRA car was in a cut of cars wearing MDW reporting marks.  Though it has an interesting history, this car is typical of today's generally crappy-looking, graffiti-covered rolling stock.

I like me a plain-Jane car now and then.  Aside from reflective striping, this well-tanned CNA Pullman-Standard covered hopper is standard ex-NAHX.

This is an unusual double-Distributed Power Unit (DPU) setup rarely seen on the Kingston Sub, though often seen elsewhere in western Canada and the U.S.  IC 1038 is not equipped for DPU, so its mate must be.  The DPU's were to the east of the former yard office, but I was able to zoom in on them somewhat.

Also wearing IC paint is this ingot-loaded orange bulkhead flat car.

What are the chances I could frame the VIA logo on a passing westbound passenger train between the stacks of ingots?  Apparently pretty good.

My wife commented on this nice, clean and un-graffiti'd CN-lettered car with DWC 794856 reporting marks.  Built this past April, the car has largely escaped the taggers.

Forty-foot, six-foot door car this is not.  It's big.

Running extra...

Check my sidebar for my new, fourth blog, Fast Food and Trains.  The initial post touches on the undeniable connection between the two.  Check it out for the latest on burgers and boxcars, coffee and coaches, diesels and drivethrus, gastonomy and gross tonnage...well, you get the idea.

The game of dominoes was just added to the Toy Hall of Fame in Rochester, NY.  Spotted there, one toy fan was heard to say, "Well, this proves that one thing leads to another - a sort of domino effect - this game was first played in China in the 1300's."  Also selected were Star Trek figures, originally produced in 1978.  Not selected was Twister, probably because a resurgence in sales would lead to a plethora of orthopedic surgeries if played now by the demographic that made the game popular.

My second and third new VIA Rail books are proving popular, with 80 and 60 copies respectively sold in the first two weeks.  You can follow updates here on my book blog, including feedback from customers, but stay tuned to Trackside Treasure next week for an ABC (astonishing book connection).

For some interesting reading that combines geography, history and transportation, check out the archaeological assessment and plans and profiles of the GO Transit Lakeshore East Corridor Oshawa to Bowmanville Rail Service Expansion on CP lines.  Full of photos, maps and more, have a GO at it!