Monday, November 11, 2024

Pop-up Post: Four Days in September 2024, Rail Gang on CP


Hi-Rail Leasing hi-rail truck first - objects in mirror may be on rails!
A sixth and final pop-up post. After four days of railfanning and a final freight car post, this serendipitous sixth post came along. While railfanning at Morningstar Road west of Trenton, a pickup truck pulled up south of the CP Belleville Sub mainline. Wondering if it was a fellow railfan, I noticed the occupant exit the vehicle after about 20 minutes and walk toward the CP mainline. The hi-rail pickup (top photo) appeared and a short discussion followed. Then a weird airhorn pierced the air. This was a westbound CP rail gang, and the foreman in the pickup was 'flagging' the gang across the Morningstar road crossing. I could see another foreman at the next crossing to the west, so they must have been leap-frogging westward protecting crossings as they went. 
The foreman mentioned that the gang was headed to Port Hope, and checked his phone to confirm that a freight had just left there. The gang was dodging on and off the mainline around trains. I noted that each machine was travelling at about 25 mph. There were 45-60 seconds between machines. The foreman dryly told me that was 'so they don't run into each other'! Indeed, just last week I read an incident report of two track machines from the same gang that ran into each other, resulting in a reportable incident!
I won't try to identify the function of each machine, though the usual pattern is remove old rail, insert new rail, spike, tamp and clean up the ballast. The photos are from the north shady side, but I was not about to spring across the mainline between machines!


Pettibone SpeedSwing




I joked with the foreman that these guys were enjoying the attention!




The most important machine - all the comforts of home?


Ballast regulator - full dual sealed-beam headlight on that thing!


This crossing over which the gang passed could use some attention due to 'pumping'.

This wraps up my six pop-up posts on my four days in September. The weather and the trains co-operated!

Running extra...

The weather also co-operated on Remembrance Day. The RCHA service in Kingston's City Park was well-attended, followed by the parade along King Street from the City service at the Cross of Sacrifice across from KGH. While working there, I was able to take a late break/early lunch to attend part of one of the two services each Remembrance Day.

Thursday, November 7, 2024

Pop-up Post: Four Days in September 2024, Freight Cars

During my Four Days in September pop-up posts (link to the first of six here - it's like a six-pack of pop-up!) The sixth and final post features a CP track gang that happened along on Day One. I profiled the plethora of passenger and freight trains I observed along CN's Kingston Sub over those four days in late September. I like freight cars, so I'm always watchful for the interesting ones in what are becoming increasingly boring single-commodity freight trains comprising lease-fleet cars. I had some success. The cars I've selected are shown in this post; minimally-captioned and shown in chronological order.
Day One: Containers on CN No 149


CIGX 807749 steel car on CP No 230

GACX 54853 steel car on CP No 230

One Western Red Lily GWRS 306184, and three original 1981-schemed
ex-SKPX Great Western cylindrical GWRS 306135, 306250, 306118

CGAX 9190 one of 480 Cargill Grainporters

SOO 5138 flat car with sheet steel load

Living The Dream on CBFX 398473

CPKC post-merger container

Temperature-controller white boxes and CP power pack underneath

Condo container on CP

Condo container on CN

Ex- BCOL wheel car 990340 on CN No 305 

Day Two: Could be Elvis, could be Wayne Newton, could be Don Ho

Respecting the shield, slogan, reporting marks

Just Du It!

It's why I watch trains!

Day Three: WC 33145 ex-BN scrap tie car on CN No 372

TILX 308212 unusually nicely-graffiti'd on a propane tank car

ONT 7796, 7743

BN 467354 small-logo BN survivor

CSXT 151356 Big Blue in forestry-product pool service

Chicago Central 40040 rare red hopper in scrap tie service on CN No 368

BCOL 9264 in scrap tie service on CN No 368 - the dogwood logo is in there somewhere

CNA 409337-GTW 408085 noodling along

WC 84714 on CN No 305

CHXX 144 your basic black gondola

Irving lumber woodn't be any other train than CN No 305 NOKL 736757

TILX 259444 another colourfully graffiti'd tank

Building America one auto rack at a time with Union Pacific TTGX 835139

Day Four: Which train is it? GTW 623590 with Irving lumber

Patchwork auto racks on CN No 271: WRWK 9075

WRWK 9160

WRWK 9028

WRWK 9063

Patchworks from a different series on CN No 276: WRWK 300141

Patchwork WRWK 300126

Originally CNA, now GTW 406475 Port Hawkesbury boxcar on CN No 372

Route Rock remnants on OFOX 815340

Can't quit the quilts! WRWX 9180

DUEL purpose

Condo container on CN No 106 at Gananoque Junction

Running extra...
If you can, attend a Remembrance Day service on Monday.
 Spare a thought for our veterans and those no longer with us who fought for our freedom. 
The 21st Bn CEF Memorial in Kingston's City Park, taken this week.

Recently shared by VIA's Chief Commercial Officer Michael Acosta, these are conceptual drawings for VIA's arriving-2035 Long Distance Regional Remote fleet replacement. Like many VIA trains, expect this project to run late!