CN Kingston Sub Freights, Oct. to Dec. 1980

I have this question I'm trying to answer for a friend. This friend is modelling CN's Kingston Subdivision east of Toronto in December, 1980. Problem is, this friend thinks freight trains are pesky things that just get in the way of the very important VIA trains. So, to help this friend, I took a trip to the dusty archives to see just what were the freights trains that were running on the CN Kingston Sub at that time. (I didn't actually photograph any trains between September 1980 and February 1981, though I did record a CP consist in October, 1980.) I remember thinking at the time that no-one would ever want to model this precise timeframe and the days were all cloudy anyway, so saved my cheap 110-format film for other things.) On the Princess Street overpass on Feb. 15, 1981 (top photo) this eastbound freight passed in front of my camera. It looks like a CN No 318 with those dimensionals on the head-end! Original caption:

So, just in case an occasional freight train or two might venture out on the very VIA-laden Kingston Sub mainline, or for anyone else modelling the final months of 1980, here are my prototype observations. For each train, you'll see:

Date and Direction

Motive Power

Car Types/Numbers noted

Caboose

If any of these are missing, it's because it wasn't recorded in my original notes.

For car types, I use the same abbreviations I've always used:

BO=boxcar, HO=covered hopper car, RE=refrigerator car, GO=gondola car, TA=tankcar, AU=autorack, FL=flatcar, CON=container

The freights I'd observed fell into a few specific types:

-container (intermodal) trains

-through freights with bridge traffic to/from the U.S. Midwest/New England

-Montreal-Toronto freights

-maid-of-all-work freights like CN Nos 317/318 with lots of chemical and misc. traffic

-short local wayfreights

Now let's go trackside in that autumn of nearly 40 years ago!

Oct 5/80 E
3223-9629
BO: Canadian Liquid Air CP
HO: Chessie/B&O PC CR CN
RE: CP
TA: Canadian Liquid Air
CON: Dart

Oct 5/80 1453 E
9428-2023-4535
BO, HO, BU: CN
TA: DOCX DUPX NCTX Procor
FL: DODX 38661 grey
79493

Oct 18/80 1128 W
9625-9641-9417
CON: ACL SSI SAG RUSSELL NIC CTI DART CAST
79554

Oct 23/80 1725 W
2002-5535
BO: CV 600208 blue, Railbox 50632, SP MP GT CR CN SF
HO: Ex-ROCK GTW 138631, NW, Chessie, B&O, C&O
RE: PFE
GO: CN
Depressed-Centre FL: CN 674200
79624

Nov 4/80 1520 W
2519-2516-3211N
BO: Railbox 33357, Erie 84436, CN grain 428374, CP Chessie C&O
Hi-Cube BO: B&O
HO: GTW CN
RE: PFE
TA: CGBX 6606 CGTX Procor GATX
FL: SOO 5977
AU: NW
79232

Nov 6/80 2139 E
9618-5029N
BO: Railbox 34744, SSW 10034, DW&P CV
Hi-Cube BO: CP SR GT
HO: NW, GTW, MP Procor
RE: PFE 453617
GO: NW SR
TA: Ethyl/EBAX 6263, SLAX 5022, Domtar
79522

Nov 9/80 1632 W
9437-9610-5068N-9453
HO: Engelhard FMC

Nov 9/80
9593-9450
BO: CV blue 600112, HCRC 9044, GM&O 56773, Lamoille Valley, CLC 3394, NHIR 2020, WSOR/ex-NStL 151287, BN UP SR BAR B&O C&NW MEC CB&Q
HO: Ann Arbor 630 NW TSBY MP
79240

Nov 18/80 2043 W
9577-2006N
BO: L&N 46878, LV 8329, Chessie/C&O, Railbox 31622, MP, MEC
HO: CGGX 148?, Chessie/B&O, TPW, GTW
GO: SR CN
TA: RTMX 3635, ACPX 32034, Procor CGTX NATX
FL: CN reel
79570

Nov 30/80 1459 E
3216N-3228-4477N-4487-4586N
TA: CSTX CGTX
FL: BN 614202
Depressed-centre FL: CGE 20001
79473, 79692

Dec 5/80 1628 W
9630-2033N-9615
BO: D&H 24421, LVRC 3543 and 3547, VTR, SSW, SP, SSI
HI-cube BO: CN (ex-GT) 798306
HO: TSBY 4910, PRR 260374 GT PC
RE: PFE white 459388 (Blt 6-70)
TA: CGTX 168, UTLX
79437

Dec 5/80 1628 E
2543-4492N-4490N
CON: Seatrain Seacon ICS DART, TFL ZIM CTI CAST ACL
CN 9502 auto transporter BO
79749

Dec 6/80 1457 E
2543-3658
BO, HO, GO: CN
BO: SR
TA: DOCX green and yellow 6012, DUPX Genstar UTLX NCTX
79663

Dec 6/80 1553 E
9623-9503-9504
BO: IC 592816, SOO 16232, COP 7130, CN CV C&P VTR SSI
HO: CGW 7238 SF GN NW
RE: Santa Fe 2626, PFE
GO: CR ACL
TA: CGTX
79231

Dec 7/80 1630 W
2503-3212N-2526
C&GT SW-8 102 locomotive
RE: ONYX 8206
HO: DRGW 10997
GO: CN
79575

Dec 9/80 1626 W
9434-2026N
BO: StL 155441 and 153412, MEC MD&W CN CV LVRC CP
HO: WITX/Continex 4607, DOCX UP CR PC
RE: PFE
GO: EJ&E
TA: Procor CGTX
FL: TH&B 1096
Depressed-centre FL: CN
79433

Dec 11/80 2125 W
2334N-2557-3738N-1306N
BO: NW 702264, Apache SP SSW
HO: SCPX 5369, Chessie
CO: Pittsburgh & Shawmut 582

Dec 23/80 0959 E local
4578
HO: CN 378810, NAHX 43590
76675

Dec 26/80 1955 W
9521-9415-9508
BO, GO, AU: CN
BO: Railbox 14783, MPA 39831, CV DW&P Reading
HO: Milwaukee, Chessie, GT
GO: GT
CO: C&O
79667

Although I've created books on various facets of my railfanning over the years: VIA, Manitoba, grain branchlines and elevators, I've often thought it would be interesting to create something on CN freight train locomotive 'lashups' and the freight consists they powered. This post is certainly on-track with such a concept. General trends could be illustrated - fewer high-horsepower units, less variety, longer trains, distributed-power. But would it really be that interesting to that many? Just looking at these examples in one small season trackside, it was enjoyable to relive some of these freight trains' passing and power! Hmm...

Running extra...

Had a great time presenting the above presentation at our January Associated Railroaders of Kingston meeting. An effort to show the value of railfanning local! (Not not leaving home, just not leaving behind what we have at home, right under our noses. You could call it the Moustache Campaign!) There was good discussion, good questions and a really good club sandwich!

Awards season! So far, it's the Golden Globs, then the SAGgies, now the controversy-ridden Grammys (?Grammies) and the gold will be going to the Oscars. What will J Lo be wearing? Will anyone show up wearing a swan? Who are you wearing? For that question, I can currently answer Heinz. And couteur by French's. Oh, and Bick's.

Nachos and beer are a great pairing for awards-show watching! We had hot dogs this week. First time in a long while! It was nice to catch up on this underrated main course, and we relished how we finally mustered the energy to do so! All we had to do was get off our buns to do it! Everyone's a wiener!