Thursday, December 27, 2018

Dimensional Movements with KWUX 10

Dimensional load movements are usually interesting, whether it's a simple D-4 on a regular freight train consist, or a D-10 on a special movement. When CN's car-tracing information was public, prior to September 2001, it was easier to predict passage of special dimensional trains. Scanners helped.
On January 5, 2001 this Siemens/Westinghouse generator was heading to Albany, NY aboard KWUX 10. Due to its size, it rated a single engine, several idler cars and was to meet opposing trains on a straight stretch of track while stopped. CN No 321 passed by on the north track at 1015 (two top photos) just west of Mi 179 Kingston Sub.
No 316's consist: CN 5432 (CNNA scheme)- CN 603225-603255-four other empty bulkhead flats-KWUX 10-caboose KRL 074. Closeups of the welded bracing and trucks:
Interestingly, Siemens acquired Westinghouse's power generation business unit around 1998. This car is now placarded for Siemens and has been painted turquoise while retaining its reporting marks.
Slowly starting east again, with further meets to come...
Passing under the Bayridge Drive overpass through a snow flurry:
Over the next couple of months, there were more dimensional movements. Weekends were preferred, due to fewer trains operating therefore fewer meets for the Rail Traffic Controller to orchestrate:

  • January 14/01 (Sunday) CN No 364 Engs 5542-5500-5357 had dimensional loads on the head-end: HTTX 94138 with Caterpillar dump truck and CN flat with big red 'parts' of something.
  • January 16/01: CN No 423 Eng 9445-five empty CN gondolas-Schnabel car HEPX 200 carrying a transformer for the Lennox Generating Station-caboose HEPX 79640. This train departed Montreal Wharf on January 13 at 0800 handling a D-9R, limited to daily movements only, spending the night at Montreal Taschereau Yard, then departing Sunday morning at 1050 reaching Garry, ON at 1316 thence Kingston on January 15 at 1810. I photographed the train the next morning, one of the few trains operating due to the derailment of CN No 310 at Mallorytown. Departing on January 16 at 0730, it reached Lennox G.S. at 1330.
  • March 4/01 (Sunday) CN No 309 Engs 5340 CNNA with map-6014 CNNA with map-9671 CNNA-2453 CNNA with map-5655 had a CN flat with large cylindrial tank, QTTX 130602 with a transformer-CN 667912 with an Indeck boiler on the head-end.
  • March 5/01 (Sunday) CN No 316 Eng 9677 with WECX 102 meeting VIA No 67 at Ernestown and spending the night in Kingston, departing Monday March 5 once CN No 369 passed, with an upcoming meet with CN No 309 at Regis, ON.   
  • March 18/01 (Sunday) CN No 316 passed under the Highway 133/County Road 4 overpass at Ernestown, Mi 188 Kingston Sub. KWUX 10 was again handling a D-9 dimensional load behind CN 9542 and an assortment of idlers. Meeting a westbound waiting at Ernestown:
These tarped orange ballast cars are often used as idlers. CN No 316's consist: 9592-boxcar CNA 412591-orange ballast cars CN 30204-302295-KWUX 10-KRL 074:
Just passed under the overpass:
Heading east along the straight stretch towards Millhaven for a meet with CN No 369 Engs 5657-5510-50 cars, thence on to Kingston and points east.

Links:
Running extra...

Here's hoping you had an enjoyable Christmas and may be enjoying a few days with family and/or friends. Or just make friends with your family! Anyway, I have been putting some new technology to use, bringing to life a wintry scene of VIA's Flexliner experiment:
Digging deeper, peeling back layers of the history and operations of Kingston's Hanley Spur, for my basement HO scale layout and working towards our Associated Railroaders of Kingston module project.
Best wishes for 2019 - I resolve to bring you as much interesting, head-scratching and astonishing information and news-you-can-use here on Trackside Treasure! - Eric

6 comments:

Canadian Train Geek said...

All the best for 2019 and beyond! Maybe it'll be the "Age of Aquarius" with a fifth dimension-al movement...

Eric said...

Same to you, Steve! May the moon be in the seventh (round)house!

There are indeed more dimensional movement posts pending. There's been a lot of big, weird stuff going by!

Thanks for your comment,
Eric

Brian said...

Ah the Flexliner, I got to ride that once, from KW into Toronto. Pretty unremarkable, except in how different it looked from a typical VIA train.

Eric said...

Though I didn't ride the Flexliner, we did attend VIA's demo oen house on Lappan's Lane here in Kingston.

Thanks for your comment, Brian, and watch for an upcoming post with further furtive Flexliner fotos!
Eric

Michael said...

I love seeing those oddities in a consist. I did catch something much smaller (read: giant box, but not massive like this generator) on a mixed freight through Wyoming a few years ago. And the train was just flying.

Eric said...

A surprising number of 'dimensional loads' are handled at track speed with no meet restrictions. This can come as a surprise when heading to the tracks to see the dimensional load and not knowing for sure which car it was on - sometimes a standard flatcar, just dimensional due to width.

It's one thing that makes trainwatching so interesting - the unknown/unexpected!
Thanks for your comment and Happy New Year, Michael.
Eric