CN 601825-601999 centre-stake cars

To extend the life of some of their Marine Industries-built 66-foot 622-series bulkhead flats built 3-74, CN extended the bulkheads and added centre posts, creating a new series of 175 updated cars: CN 601825-601999. Called centre-stake cars by CN, their load limit decreased, but an extra row of lumber could be carried, thus increasing the capacity of each car and better bracing to secure the car's valuable load. An interesting use of these cars was for a dimensional shipment on CN 601917, (septic tanks - above) on CN No 317 on August 27, 2000.  CN had mainly intended the cars for wrapped lumber service.

Many of the cars I observed here on the Kingston Sub were loaded at Juniper Lumber in Juniper, NB. Interestingly, competitor Irving operated a seedling tree nursery in Juniper, supplying seedlings for replanting across the Maritimes and Maine. CN 601862 was carrying Juniper lumber while awaiting a dimensional load meet, on train No 321 at Kingston on a snowy January 5, 2001 (above). The unique white-painted extended-height bulkheads always caught my eye, as did the neat lettering and reporting marks on the fresh paint.

CN 601983 is carrying a dishevelled load of wrapped lumber westbound on No 321 at Kingston on July 2, 2006. Another observation was CN 601984 on January 14, 2001 on No 364, destined Chambord, QC for loading.

My observations with date, car number, CN train number on and remarks:

Oct 1/00 CN 601967 on No 317's head end with plastic tanks
Jan 7/01 CN 601862 on No 321
Jan 14/01 CN 601984 on No 364 dest. Chambord QC
Mar 4/01 CN 601907, 601979 on No 309
Mar 4/01 CN 601908, 601987, 601903 on No 308
Mar 10/01 CN 601835, 601838 on No 308
Mar 10/01 CN 601829, 601945 on No 364
Mar 16/01 CN 601946, 601873 on No 368
Mar 17/01 CN 601915 on No 310
Mar 17/01 CN 601936 on No 369
Jul 18/01 CN 601919, 601979
Apr 11/02 CN 601911 on No 307 with ties
Apr 23/02 CN 601881, 601840 on No 366
Jul 7/02 CN 601832, 601928
Sep 21/02 CN 601967, 601987, 601926 on No 307
Dec 22/02 CN 601989, 601985 on No 366
Nov 19/04 CN 601857 on No 309

Late modeller and CN employee Dave Lisabeth wrote an excellent article on modelling these cars. It was published in the June, 2006 issue of Railroad Model Craftsman. In the article, Dave described the process of cannibalizing 5 Roundhouse kits to build four completed 601-series cars, including a jig to produce the centre posts.

***November 2018 UPDATE - not having seen any of these cars in a long time, I was surprised to see one cross in front of the Railstream webcam at Belleville, ON. CN 601886 on CN No 369 with switch ties on November 15, 2018!

Running extra...

Watch for an upcoming post on my (finally!) first trip in one of VIA's refurbished Business Class cars this past week. Arriving Toronto Union, an eastbound GO consist whizzed by:
                                            

And a CLRV on Dundas Street:

                                                

Check out this impressive logo work for the Credit Valley Explorer!