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!