Sunday, June 29, 2025

Canada Day 2025

There is but one Trackside Treasure post per year that is not all about trains. 
This is it.

Our collaborative relationship with our international neighbours has coarsened. 
The one to our south has engaged in a trade war disguised as a trade embargo.
Misleadingly termed tariffs.
The world's longest undefended border becomes a transactional bottom-line.

We have a renewed sense of what it is to be Canadian. 
Justifiable fierce pride in our country. 

In Canada, nothing has changed.
Our faces still face the rising sun in the east and revel in its colours to the west, as the aurora enliven our Northern skies. 
The aspens, birches and pines whisper. 
Orcas, belugas and even the humble alewife cavort in our welcoming waters!

Shared water, shared air, shared borders show we are not on our own.
The very living rock beneath our feet. We, Canada, when winter approaches.
We do not just survive, we will thrive.
 
Is this the most insurmountable challenge our great country has ever faced? No. Do you remember the Dust Bowl, the carnage of two world wars, the Cold War, our constant struggle with our harsh environment, and each season that 'this could be the year the Leafs win the Cup?'

It was not Kanye, it was Nietzsche who said 'If it don't kill me, it make me stronger'. 
This has not and will not kill us, and it has made us stronger. 

A very happy Canada Day to all of Trackside Treasure's readers. 
Three days later is Independence Day and our neighbours to the south will remember their autonomy. 
(Celebrate with poutine, hot dogs or a TACO as appropriate.)
One of us chose Britain, one of us chose not to. And we can all live with that. 
--Eric

Thursday, June 19, 2025

CN Zero is Possible Safety Train - June, 2025

Last Friday I was at Collins Bay awaiting a special CN train that had been crisscrossing the CN network. The railway's ten-car 'Zero is Possible' safety train, symbolled P623 while on the CN Kingston Subdivision today. Departing Toronto at 0800 (merci a Luc) the special train paused briefly in Belleville before departing there at 1055 and heading east at track speed and passing through Kingston at 1140.

But first, some drama! Arriving around 1100, I staked out a location on my go-to, Kingston's Railfan Walking Trail. Some kind airplane-, bird-, train- or fish-watcher has cobbled together a lakeshore bench at Collins Bay from which I could watch 10 ducks in a row (actually a mama and her nine ducklings). If I'd been there at dusk, they would have been dix dusk ducks!

No, that's not the drama. The first train from the west was a minutes-late 'doublavay' comprising Venture Sets 2 and 11: VIA No 62/52 mere minutes beforehand, on the north track at 1118. Five minutes later, the westward approach signals were lit and this diesel made its debut in the dramatis personae - it was class-unit CN 5700 (and 2664) leading a long empty auto rack train No 271. YIKES! What if after tracking P623 I was a witness to it sliding east below the racks going west right in front of me? I had never hoped for a shorter train. Fortunately, P623 was still several minutes to the west! Drama averted.
Seen here at Collins Bay on June 13 (below and top photo) is P623's consist: CN 3309 (tilted wafer logo removed with white frame-stripe remaining) - CN 3394 - CN 1710 Fraser Spirit - IC 101315 Illinois Central - IC 800413 Whiteshell - CN 101 Montreal - IC 800210 Baton Rouge - CN 99 [dome] American Spirit - IC 101314 Champlain - CN 1059 Tawaw - 800644 White Bear Lake [stainless steel] - IC 800653 Sandford Fleming. The heritage and provenance of these cars is beyond the scope of this post, and in some cases unknown. However, this is the longest of three such safety trains I've been fortunate to catch through Kingston (see links below) and it was definitely worth making a special effort to see it. Here's a video: Youtube link from which these screenshots are taken.
Didn't see any brass hats in the best seats in the house:
This consist differed from the safety train's consist just previously operating in the US as train P008: CN 3309 - 3394 - CNA 415867 boxcar - CN 1710 Fraser Spirit - CN 101 Montreal - IC 800210 Baton Rouge - CN 99 American Spirit [dome] - IC 101314 Champlain - CN 1059 Tawaw - 800644 White Bear Lake [stainless steel] - IC 101315 Illinois Central - IC 800653 Sandford Fleming.

(Observation car Pacific Spirit is no longer part of the executive train. RJD America LLC made early Fourth of July headlines with its acquisition of the car. Originally built by National Steel Car in 1959, and previously known as Bonaventure, this rare example of the M530-class design was part of the Canadian National Railway’s business fleet and was made available through Railway Excursion Management Co.)

I'd wondered while waiting what the best way to photograph this special train was. The whole thing? Car-by-car? The cars almost all have the same paint scheme, though their histories are diverse. I opted for an up-close video recording of the passing train. I just felt fortunate to catch this longest-ever Zero is Possible train so close to home!

After reaching Montreal on June 13, on June 17 the train made four trips between Central Station and Taschereau Yard as CN train P006 - rare mileage trips on what is usually VIA/EXO trackage. Photographer Victor Planche' was able to plethorically photograph the special trains. Link to Victor Planche' photos on railpictures. As usual, Canadian Railway Observations 'borrowed' photos for its social media, so I in turn borrowed CRO's header photo taken by Victor showing P006 passing Montreal's condos and skyscrapers (below). Notice diner White Bear Lake behind the power car:
The remarshalled train was split in two and sat at Montreal's Taschereau yard, then headed west on the tail-end of CN No 149 through Kingston at 1000 Wednesday, June 18. The now-remarshalled consist: CN 3309 (working) - CN 1710 Fraser Spirit - 800644 White Bear Lake - CN 99 American Spirit - IC 101314 Champlain - IC 101315 Illinois Central - IC 800413 Whiteshell - CN 101 Montreal - IC 800210 Baton Rouge - CN 1059 Tawaw - IC 800653 Sandford Fleming. Logan Cadue photographed CN No 149 at the east end of Kingston's VIA station (the same side I photographed it from - must have been wyed or backed into Central Station?) and kindly shared these photos (below). Thanks, Logan!
Lots o' links:

Running extra...

Departing for Northern Ontario unusually with no baggage car was VIA No 1 ex Toronto Sunday, June 15. Baggage was handled in two coaches instead. VIA No 1 departed Toronto with no baggage car, coaches 8110 and 8119 instead, total 21 cars behind VIA 6401-6433.
Speaking of Northern Ontario, the National Dream, yes, but the urban exploration nightmare, also yes! Noted Canadian author and historian Pierre Berton's house has fallen into disrepair. A switch on the electrical panel said 'Caboose' and here's where that led - photo by Freaktography (above). Between 1950 and 1954, the Bertons had this home built just for them and their growing family. Between 1954 and November 2004, Berton lived here with Janet where they raised their family of eight children and where he wrote most of his books. Pierre passed away from heart failure in November, 2004 at 84 years old. In 2015, the new owners applied for a demolition permit. Early in 2024, a Notice of Intent to Designate the home under Ontario Heritage Act was issued. On March 28, 2024, the owners of the property served a Notice of Objection to the Notice of Intent to Designate. It does not appear that the home has yet been officially granted heritage designation.
Never tire of seeing this! The 100th anniversary of the Goodyear blimp program was celebrated by Wingfoot One flying Napanee plant employees over the city this week. Many flights visible from here (above) heading downtown and even one trip to Amherst Island per FlightAware:

First past the post...

Fellow model railroader and blogger, and religion writer and Order of Canada recipient John Longhurst has been sharing some of the late Morgan Turney's earliest Canadian Railway Modeller writings, preserving for posterity Morgan's pioneering efforts to successfully share the Canadian model railway scene. My Uncle Wilf in Portage la Prairie also shared one of John's writings that recently appeared in the Winnipeg Free Press. Having been a reader since the very first issues of CRM, I'm enjoying wallowing in the CRM nostalgia online and on paper!

Thursday, June 12, 2025

Pop-Up Post: CN Nos P276 with VIA Venture Set 30, CN Nos 305, 368 - June 2025

 
On Saturday, June 7 the railfan telegraph was active! VIA's thirtieth Siemens Venture set with leader 2229/cab car 2329, reportedly visible at the Siemens plant since April 21, was due on CN's Kingston Sub between Toronto and Montreal. Departing Siemens on June 2, Set 30 was led by UP 6944 and trailing EXO 1401 for Montreal, the first observation was a mere 50 miles north of the Sacramento. Initial and subsequent reports:
  • June 2 - Colfax, CA at 1700.
  • June 3 - across Nevada.
  • June 4 - Kearney, NE at 1500 local time.
  • June 5 - across Iowa: Boone at 0115 and Mt Vernon 0600 and Clinton 0900; Rochelle, IL at 1040 CDT; Blue Island, IL 1615; Homewood 1900; now with CN leader 3245; 
  • June 6 - P276 departed Markham 0900; planned Battle Creek 1515; Charlotte, MI 1545; Flint 1750; Port Huron 1925-2040; Sarnia 2050-2130; London 2240; Ingersoll 2305; held at Malport overnight.
  • June 7 - Snider 0930; tied up in Belleville yard 1200-1700; Kingston 1800 (more below), MMC by 2100.
Having tracked the delivery of Set 30 all the way from California there came a glimmer of hope that the delivery would pass through Kingston in daylight - the second in a row, and before that the last daylight delivery was in December, 2023! I've worked out a schedule template for these deliveries, at least from Chicago. There is so much unpredictability west of there, and even Toronto and Belleville can pose delays. Usually reliable times to Kingston:
  • Homewood, IL (24 hours)
  • Battle Creek, MI (17-24 hours)
  • Lansing, MI 15 hours
  • Sarnia (10-12 hours)
  • London (6-10 hours)
  • Toronto (4 hours)
  • Belleville (45 minutes)
The first estimate for P276 to reach Kingston was about noon, after departing Toronto at 0930. Reported through Oshawa and entering Belleville yard then potentially lined eastward out of the yard. So I headed trackside. Reaching Collins Bay, I heard a whistle to the east. That always poses the risk of a westbound freight blocking the special movement if the former is on the south track! Slowly, ever so slowly, No 305 wangled its way west out of the right-of-way's ubiquitous underbrush at 1240, previously recorded in Brockville. I providentially photographed some photos for this pop-up post's potential posterity!
No 305 creeps up to Mi. 180 at Collins Bay

I see Quebec aluminum behind the power. IC 978714

POGX (ex-CN) 622225

BCOL 864298

CN No 368 eastward at 1248 led by ex-Citirail 3951
The thought immediately occurred to me: P276 nowhere nearby. Another thought: dimensional movement on CN No 305 worth waiting around for. That would account for both trains having to meet on straight track and at low speed.
Passing very slowly

Spent pot-lining containers on SOXX 20350

DPU 3048


UP 700099 showing fading and graffiti

CGLX 2349 often seen heading to Northern Quebec (loaded in Wisconsin?)

And...368 was gone. Back to 305...SOXX 526506

Scrap tie cars: IC 385529 and IC 245177

BN/WC 33145 and BLC 65414

The cause for the slowdown. Dimensional load - Liebherr crane on HTTX 93140


Carbon black covered hoppers: ECQX 47005 and AOKX 605973

Irving lumber on ATW 273409

DPU on No 305: ex-Citirail 2750


Rusty DOWX 68779

Why did the railfan cross the road? To get to the other side and go home! At this location, along Kingston's Railfan Walking Trail it's always a toss-up - photograph from the north shoulder closest to the tracks, or risk three lanes of traffic while photographing directly from the trail. I opted for the north shoulder both times on this day! 

Reportedly and unfortunately, P276 was held at Belleville, tied down on track BY12 but crew called for 1700. So there was still a chance! Supper was on the plate and sure, I enjoyed a few bites, but with the chance of a Venture Set 30 delivery (Youtube video and screenshots below) as the train arrived through Manitoba fire smoke at 1800, supper would wait. With this PSR (Precision Scheduled Railfanning) the next few bites were still warm by the time I got home!
CN 3245 leads Set 30

SCV-42 locomotive 2229

Cab-car 2329 and EXO 1401

EXO 1401 on the tail-end

P276 made it to Montreal in three hours. Track speed at least 50 mph.
P276 arrives at MMC (above).  Jim McPherson, Jesse McLaughlin, Terry Allan, Joshua Schmidt, Malcolm Peakman and Paul Hunter all sent OS's. It takes a Village to Vatch a Venture! With only two deliveries left, nearly the full fleet has been delivered!

Running extra...
Wine not? On the way to the Glenora Ferry, 33 Vines is for sale, including an ex-CN Hawker-Siddeley caboose for $1.3 million. That's equivalent to approximately 8,666 HO scale ones plus tax & shipping.

Goalie-videographer-bon vivant/lover of life Travis Ridgen has just saved another slice of onboard travel in this video as he and his mother travel Toronto-Winnipeg before he continues on to Vancouver. Travis mentions four days in Prince Rupert, so I'm definitely looking forward to a rich repository of Rupert retrospective in future videos! (I'm sounding a little Howie Meeker there.)

First past the post...

All of those fellow railfans I named above added a lot to the pursuit and eventual photographic apprehension of P276. The messages from all across the country and beyond resulted in a continental cornucopic confluence of contributions. Thanks to all!