Black & White VIA Photography

While working on my second VIA Rail book, I was fortunate to have access to the photo collection of Brian Schuff.  Brian and I have quite a few things in common: we both railfanned in Winnipeg and Portage la Prairie, Manitoba.  We are both VIAphiles, with an interest in VIA's early years, and we're both of a similar vintage, though I am slightly older but likely no wiser.    Brian is in Winnipeg, I'm in Kingston, and though he's not 'online' yet, hopefully Santa will help him with that.  Once Brian knew I was working on a VIA Rail project, he graciously sent photos, in abundance.  While the book is in its final production stages, I'd like to share some photos from Brian's collection, most of which he took himself.  These are photos you may not have seen before, and won't see in my book, so I hope you find viewing them as enjoyable as I did.  One more thing...these are all black & white, and many show VIA blue & yellow. 

VIA F40PH-2 6401 was one of the first of the new units VIA purchased for transcontinental service to reach Winnipeg, shown here inside and out in February, 1987.  Notice the initial VIA pure paint scheme - thin blue stripe, small Canadian flag, and an absence of garish politically-inspired 'Canada' wordmarks and large, waving flags that were applied later.

In contrast, only four months sooner, Brian caught No 2 at Kenora, with some old-school VIA motive power: ditchlight-equipped and MU hatch-open ex-CN FP9 6530 in the lead, on October 4, 1986.  Usually at home in the Corridor, 6530 and other higher-numbered passenger units found their way west, as VIA's motive power squeeze reached its most precarious time, just before the delivery of the new units.  By 1995, 6530 was on its way to the Ohio Central Railroad.  Behind an E-series sleeper, one of CP's former Park cars brings up the rear:

CP sent its RDC fleet to VIA, and these were also rebuilt to match the ex-CN RDC's.  I really wanted to learn more about the fate of CP's passenger fleet, and I was able to amass lots of useful material on CP's RDC's, E-units, F-units and smooth-sided coaches and baggage cars that VIA inherited (but didn't always use), for my second VIA book.  VIA also rebuilt CN RDC's.  Brian photographed rebuilt ex-CN RDC3 6351 as RDC-2 6225 undergoing maintenance at Toronto's Spadina Shops.

This CN RDC did not fare as well.  CN RDC-4 6451 is shown at Winnipeg's Transcona yard on December 29, 1986.  After a collision in 1969, 6451 had been at CN's Fort Rouge terminal since 1972, and was in no condition to go to VIA.  Brian caught it in the company of ex-CN equipment and other ex-VIA equipment in 1986.  (Another RDC-4 that did go to VIA, 6453 was out of VIA service about the same time.)  Notice the shop freight trucks:

Grant Anderson photographed CN SD40-2 5724 assisting VIA's Canadian at Winnipeg in June, 1986.  CP could always be counted on to help VIA, and there are photos in Brian's collection showing a wide variety of CP motive power rescuing VIA: Centuries, road switchers (both RS' and Geeps), SD's, you name it!  I find these rescue movements fascinating, and I was able to uncover several pages' worth of them.  Of course CN had their share too.

This is my favourite shot from the entire collection, although you'll only see it here, not in my second VIA book.  On May 20, 1985 two ex-CP eastbound units meet a third ex-CP westbound unit in Winnipeg, heading for the wye at Portage Jct. on CN's freight line.  Having been on this platform, I can smell the diesel exhaust.  I can hear the characteristic GM idle.  I can feel the wooden platform under my feet, as well as the warmth of the setting prairie sun as it throws its long shadows.  Looking down the track, I see Winnipeg's Warehouse District skyline rising in the distance.  Hey, is that the throb of an approaching CN grain drag with three SD's I hear?

Running extra...

A round trip to Toronto this week on VIA Nos 651 and 48 found both trains well-patronized, likely the result of VIA's recent 50% sale.  Our morning arrival at Toronto Union included a plethora of GO trains and one of the last Northlander consists, facing east on the next track behind two ONR Geeps: 1809-1800-202-604-615-612-703.  The ONR train's last run was Friday.  I had an enjoyable trip in 1994 to Timmins, where I took in a work-related convention and a scintillating performance by what one participant called 'TheTimmins Ballet'.  Truly memorable, and the trip (not the dancing) will be the subject of an upcoming post.

Some dog in Saskatoon caused a house fire by turning on the stove when the owner was out.  Too bad the owner hadn't trained Rex to operate the fire extinguisher.  Meanwhile, Canadian pizza-makers are smuggling subsidized U.S. cheese over the border to increase their profit margin.  And some bad, cheesy cops are involved, to the tune of $200,000! I never really thought about it, but apparently 80% of the cost of a pizza is in the cheese.  Grate, just grate! 

Speaking of  stupid pet tricks and small-town news, David Letterman is finally getting the recognition he deserves, to go along with his multi-million-dollar annual salary.  It's about time.  The Kennedy Center Honors will include Dave on December 2, to be broadcast December 26.  I wonder who will be his 'sponsors'...Bill Murray? Newsmen Dan Rather and Brian Williams? Former staffers like Chris Eliot? Paul Shaffer - of course.  Bermuda!!  And don't forget Canada's Walk of Fame honorees, including the incomparable Randy Bachman, to be broadcast by Global TV October 14.  Set that P-VR now!

TOFC on CN and CP

CN and CP operated sizeable fleets of piggyback trailers. Prior to containerization, piggyback or Trailer On Flat Car (TOFC) was an important transitional step between boxcars and intermodal technology developments, which in turn led to today's long trains of double-stacked containers.  Initially, piggyback loading/unloading ramps were built at or near major yards.  Tractors backed trailers on and drove them off strings of flat cars, a process called circus loading.  Drawbacks: truck drivers had to have steady hands and nerves, flatcars needed siderails to guide the drivers through several cars, and cars had to be correctly marshalled to match the ramp at which they were to be unloaded. GP38-2(W) 5574 leads an eastbound freight approaching a level crossing near Rosetown, Saskatchewan in 1986 with CN TOFC on the head end (above).

CN operated 200-series express trains carrying TOFC, insulated boxcars, mechanical reefers and sometimes import autos.  A three-unit express behind 9585-9625-9528 hoofs it east into Winnipeg in September 1985.  Forty-foot CN, Inter-City, Alltrans Express and 20-foot Imperial Roadways 'Puptainer Service' trailers ride CN 64-foot flat cars equipped with two collapsible ACF trailer hitches.

Under Motor Carrier Plan 1, CN carried Class A motor common carriers ramp-to-ramp on a per-trailer charge.  5265-5237 hustle an express eastward on the Rivers Sub into Portage la Prairie the same month:

CP also assigned SD40-2's to intermodal trains.  On June 5, 1986 at 1042 hours, three small-multimark units: 5989-5924-and just-outshopped ex-QNS&L 5407 zip past Manitoba Pool's Burnside elevator in 1986 with CP Rail, XTRA and Transamerica trailers and COFC ahead of van 434712:

Four units: 5608-5586-5646-4718 power TOFC and COFC through Thunder Bay, Ontario on June 12, 1980, seen from the vestibule of VIA 6-6-4 sleeper Green Lane.  The platform-type trailer with removable sides and canvas top is carrying a load of steel. Rob Archer kindly provided more information on this trailer: "It's a Kingsway stake and rack. The paint and wheels identify it. Kingsway was taken over by Federal Industries from Canada Steamship Lines. Federal merged it with Motorways. They shut down Motorways and sold Kingsway to Cabano. Cabano became Transforce which segued into TFI. Cabano Kingsway was merged into (possibly) TST Overland which was merged with Canadian Freightways. Those two carriers were merged into TST-CF. The Kingsway name was applied to a bulk/tank carrier based in Quebec."

Trailer Train made inroads into the railroad-owned flatcar fleet, supplying their free-running cars to a pool, such as unique two-axle TTUX 130061 with a Transamerica trailer on a CP westbound in Portage in 1986:

Trailers used in rail service had more robust construction, built with stronger landing gear, nose and lift points.  But there was still the question of marshalling for unloading.  CN switcher 8170 pushes a few loaded 89-foot piggyback flats north at Bayview Junction in May 1981:

Reversing through the plant, the yard goat then pulls the car west, then will push them back into Hamilton's CN Stuart Street yard on the third leg of the wye, so the trailers will be facing the correct way for the ramp:

Ahead of a yellow, insulated CP boxcar, a single-axle mechanical refrigeration temperature-controlled Reimer Express Lines trailer rides an eastbound behind CP 5994-4706 at Regina, Saskatchewan's station at 2048 hours in June 1982:

Twenty years later, a 45-foot Reimer Express Lines rides a drawbar-equipped twin 89-foot CN flatcar at Belleville, Ontario.  Trailer lengths increased quickly and outgrew the cars they rode.  As CN and CP endeavoured to play catch-up, longer intermodal cars followed.

Let it roll.  Down the highway*.  The competition rolls into the sunset, on the Trans-Canada Highway west of Winnipeg:

Running extra...

*Bachman-Turner Overdrive's 68 year-old Randy Bachman is being inducted into Canada's Walk of Fame in Toronto tonight.  Having just done a cameo appearance in the Will Ferrell Campaign movie with bandmate Fred Turner, Randy will be embarking on a cross-Canada live tour next March.  That means he'll be Takin' Care of Business.

BTO did Lookin' out for Number One: Every day is an endless train / You've got to ride it to the end of the line / Be a troubleshooter blow the bad luck away / And you will make it to your station on time. and The Guess Who did Bus Rider: Get up every morning / Get on the bus / Get up every morning with the rest of us / Places to go important people to meet / Better not get up or you might lose your seat.  Coincidentally, I was just viewing The Guess Who Running Back Thru Canada concert DVD this week, recorded at the (former CN East Yard location) Shaw Park.

East Yard in Winnipeg was a great spot to see stored VIA equipment as well as moribund CN and CP equipment and other oddball oddities.  Soon, you'll be able to read more about this in my upcoming second VIA book 'Ticket to Ride' and 'Switching En Route' sections.

Postscript: CR-GT-DWP-NS Locos on CN 1994-1998

Here's a listing of power consists including CR-GTW-DWP-NS power that I observed, in addition to those in the previous post. Westbound CN train No 391 is heading from Joffre to Chicago at Kingston station on October 18, 1997 behind 5632-Conrail 6752 (above).  All locomotives CN unless otherwise noted:

June 11/94 9641-GT 6211-9578

May 5/95 9538-GT 6211-9412-LMS 726

June 4/95 5322-GT 6213-CNNA 6416 intermodal

Aug 4/95 5327-CR Quality 6747

Sept 1/95 9533-GT 6213-9631 intermodal

May 4/96 9584-CR 6752-CR Quality 6248

July 14/96 53xx-GT 6400-CR 6747

July 21/96 5626-CR 6748

Nov 10/96 5601-CR 6753-9480

Nov 23/96 3553-2323-CR Quality 6665

Mar 11/97 5667-CR 6438

Mar 23/97 56xx-CR 6743

Mar 27/97 9584-NS 8006-GT 6402

Apr 5/97 9468-GT 6218-CNNA 9571

May 10/97 5629-CR 6430-NS 8012

May 23/97 9513-CR 6430

May 24/97 5609-NS 8073-5710

May 24/97 5727-CR 6657-CR 6015

June 14/97 4121-9xxx-GT 4912-CR 6749

June 14/97 9431-CR Quality 746

June 14/97 5613-CNNA 5928-CR 6658-9636

June 14/97 5645-9425-GT 6425

July 13/97 5206-CR 6751

Sept 1/97 9646-GT 5824-9672

Sept 6/97 9546-GT 5922-9471

Nov 29/97 9670-CR 6438-9649

Nov 30/97 5664-5734-GT 6420

Dec 6/97 9524-CR 6755-9443-7071 on No 335

Dec 15/97 5612-5064-CR 6459

Dec 15/97 9587-9547-DWP 5903 'Delivered With Pride'

Feb 5/98 5622-CR 6665-41xx-41xx-21xx

Feb 21/98 5512-CR6443-9547-9656 on No 335

Feb 24/98 2527-GT 5929-CNNA 6020 on No 395

Feb 27/98 5371-CR 6661

Feb 28/98 9520-GT 6424-CNNA 9551

Mar 19/98 5262-CR 6441

Apr 10/98 5246-CR 6499-5056

Apr 10/98 5695-CR Quality 6665 on No 335

Running extra...

CN power consists are a little more predictable than in the years above...and it's rare to see more than two units on a train...not counting mid-train DPU's.  Now CN is experimenting with former UP fuel tenders like CNW1 between a couple of 5200's for a new LNG project.

The Democratic National Convention included speeches by both Obamas.  Bill Clinton clocked in around 48 minutes!  That boy sure do like to talk.  There was lots of what you would expect from a convention: hoopla and hullaballoo.

One of the reporters covering the convention is CBS' Byron Pitts, whose autobiography Step out on Nothing - How Faith and Family Helped Me Conquer Life's Challenges I'm currently listening to.  Though found to be functionally-illiterate as a child, Byron worked hard, and to see him reporting from the floor was an interesting coincidence.

CR-GTW-DWP-NS Locomotives on CN 1994-1998

In addition to leasing several fleets of locomotives from leasing companies in the mid- to late-1990's, CN also borrowed power from connecting US railroads and its former subsidiaries.  Some, but not all of these trains on the Kingston Sub were run-through trains from west of Toronto.  In 1998, the introduction of CN's service plan meant that all manifest trains would henceforth terminate at Toronto's MacMillan Yard.  These fleets included:

-CR SD45-2 6654-6666 (ex-EL) November 1996.

-CR SD40-2 6425, 6426, 6429, 6430, 6433-6435, 6438-6441, 6443, 6444, 6448, 6450, 6453, 6462, 6466, 6470-6479, 6482, 6484, 6492, 6499, 6513 January/November 1997.

-NS C30-7 8003, 8004, 8006, 8007, 8008, 8012, 8013, 8022, 8024, 8025, 8029, 8035, 8046, 8050, 8051, 8053, 8062, 8063, 8070, 8073, 8079, 8080-8082 (ex-NW) March/June 1997.

-CR C39-8 6000, 6002, 6004, 6007, 6010-6019, April 1997

On April 13, 1995 5329-GTW 5800-EMD Leasing 813 cross the short bridge just east of Kingston station (top).  All photos in this post at Kingston unless otherwise noted.  Ex-UP CNNA 5379 leads GTW 5921-CNNA 5364 westbound (above).  A year-and-a-half later, GTW 5921 is plying the Kingston Sub again on September 14, 1996, and has just entered Belleville yard with three other units, 5305-9545-9401-GTW 5921:

Same class, new paint scheme.  Repainted in the CNNA scheme and sublettered GTW, 5900 and 3501 pull a westbound freight at Mi 180 Kingston Sub on January 18, 1997:

Near Mi 179 Kingston Sub, elephant-style 9471-2338-GTW 5916-2115 are eastbound on March 9, 1997. At this point, M-636 2338 has been un-re-retired and is still earning its keep:

Also near Mi 178, 'Delivered With Pride' Duluth, Winnipeg & Pacific 5909 trails 9656 and leads Conrail 6449 on CN train No 335 on March 28, 1998:

Buffalo- and Chicago-bound trains were often assigned US power.  Class unit 5600 leads conrail 6709-6228 in an eye-catching power consist at Belleville on a cloudy April 8, 1996:

CR SD50 6709 and Conrail Quality C40-8W 6228 photographed from Belleville's station platform:

Also at Belleville - three units, three owners, two builders, one train.  CN No 395 on March 27, 1997 enters the yard westbound behind 5678-CR 6453-NS 8082

Another NS C30-7, 8013 is behind 5641-9628 westbound on May 18, 1997:

An 85-car train No 368 has eclectic power consist.  Forget the first unit - look what's trailing 5606.  CNNA GTW-sublettered GP40-2 6423 with thick CN wet-noodle logo-GMD1 1422-Conrail C39-8 6016:

In the next post, I'll include more power consists from this interesting time...

Running extra...

Had a listen to Bruce Catton's American Heritage History of the Civil War.  Having read this book years ago, I was interested to re-learn that while the best-known first shots of the war may have been at Fort Sumter, there were earlier killings of civilians opposed to a government land-grants-to-railways plan aimed at settling the west.  These shots were fired by Union soldiers, giving rise to the 'civil' war moniker.

Dwight D. Eisenhower arrived in Halifax.  No, not the U.S. President, the steam engine named for him. Many photos of the move here.  A classic photo of DDE with US paratroopers before D-Day.

I thought it was DDE who said the following quote: "It is amazing how much can be accomplished if no one cares who gets the credit."  But it was actually English novelist Charles Edward Montague, and the quote was later popularized by Harry S Truman.  But I'll take credit for sharing it here, and I use the quote often.

Symington Yard Incidents

I posted Symington Yard Part 1 and Symington Yard Part 2 in January 2011.  In February, I received an unexpected and hauntingly cryptic comment from 'Anonymous':

"Saved some lives as the bottom of the A-side hump retarder back in '87.  Wouldn't do it again.  If the same event would have played out again, I would have grabbed Bryan and jumped, and left the rest.  The only one worth saving.  Unreported incident but the boys involved will remember.  Note...not the McLean fiasco that killed Brent Armbruster, Rest in Peace Brother.  That incident was very nearby, but at the top of the A-side group retarder."

Little did I know that in my files I had original newspaper coverage of the incident (above). On June 7,1987 an auxiliary crane was being used to replace a master retarder.  The retarder sits too high above ground for the outriggers of the auxiliary to reach the ground, so the crane was unsupported.  The unstable crane toppled over when the retarder was being lifted, with its boom landing on a CN pickup truck.  The ensuing coroner's inquest found CN at fault for safety violations.  The news photo shows the roof and striped boom of the crane, a CN worker crouched atop the crane body, and the crushed truck.

On December 15, 1983 a trimmer set of locomotives, 214-262 was pulling eight grain loads over the hump from the yard bowl for re-humping.  After cresting the hump, the units' brakes failed, causing a runaway, colliding with the B-side hump set under the Trans-Canada Highway overpass.  Deflected into the abutment, 214's engineer was killed instantly.  

On February 2, 1990, eleven cars comprising tank cars and autoracks jack-knifed at the bottom of the hump (above).  Here's hump set 209-261-260-214 at the same location as the above photo, under the Trans-Canada in 1982:

These incidents show that while a hump yard is a very efficient design for classifying cars, it has inherent dangers to those working the hump.

Running extra...

The BBC aired a four-season series in the 1970's called the Wheeltappers and Shunters Social Club,  a reference to carmen and trainmen.  I suppose a North American version could have been called the Carknockers and Yard Apes Social Club, or something similar.

London's Olympic Games are wrapping up.  Here are ten suggestions I jotted down to spice up some of the stultifyingly boring, non-TV-friendly events I watched:

1. At the pool: swim in circles.  This back-and-forth, end-to-end stuff has got to go.  No need for the swimmers to perfect their turns.  Have crossover section each lap.

2. Shotput. Create explosive target areas on the field that throwers try to hit.  Much more skill, much more exciting.

3. Javelin-catchers.  On second thought, forget that one...way too dangerous.

4. Beach volleyball.  Have cheerleaders and sell beer.  IOC already accepted my suggestion on that one.  CHECK!

5. Gymnastics: vault.  Replace mats with a ball pit.  No need to 'stick the landing'.  Way more fun.

6. Fencing. What's with all the masks and padding?  They'd move a lot faster if it was gone.

7. Relay races. Passing a baton way too easy.  Replace with 10-pound bag of potatoes.  There's a race.

8. Indoor cycling. Bring back a spoked rear wheel, attach a hockey card with clothespin. Noisy!

9. Medal ceremonies:  Give the gold medal winner a microphone for a shout-out to the folks at home or short rap number if they prefer and have the talent.

10. Opening ceremonies: edit to 30 minutes max.  Light the freakin' flame and get on with it.  Closing ceremonies: It's over people. Extinguish and exit.

Postscript: Fourth Anniversary Contest

And we have a winner! Congratulations to Jakob Mueller, the winner of Trackside Treasure's fourth anniversary contest.  He will soon be receiving the Trackside Treasure prize pack, full of unique railway items (no, not that air hose I have in the garage - maybe for next year's contest). Jakob's entry was the first correct response received.  He creatively started with the MacArthur Park clue then worked in reverse to effectively and exactly execute the elucidation the expected car names: EscuminaC, EurekA, ElderbanK, EntrancE

Honourable mentions:  

My sister even solved it!  She also cued on the cake reference, Googling Donna Summer, ending up on a hobby shop page listing of Rapido Trains E-series cars.  Both she and Jakob enjoyed, but were not fooled by the red herring sleeper names.  Just for the record, there was definitely no car named 'Eltonjohn'.  Ian Lisakowski also guessed correctly. Kelly Corbett relied on the internet, no Trackside Guide required and came up with the correct response.  

Thanks to everyone for your replies.  You get an 'E' for Effort, Extreme Efficiency, Efficaciousness and Exemplary Exactitude. Excellent!  Also, thanks for all the comments and good wishes on Trackside Treasure's fourth!  

Trackside Treasure Fourth Anniversary

Four years ago, I fired up the scanner, dug out some photos and notes, and set up a tiny corner office in the cyberspace skyscraper. I called it Trackside Treasure.  While it's fun to facetiously throw around terms like Trackside Treasure Global Headquarters, the total workforce and workspace has not changed...me and a laptop.  What has changed is the community that seems to have developed here.

I'm very wary of statistics.  Having said that, pageviews total 158,000+ in Blogger's stats page, with 31 entries posted in 2012.  While the pageview graph doesn't exactly peak like the Matterhorn, it does resemble the foothills of the Rockies or perhaps the hogsback profile of parts of CN's Kingston Sub.  Readership is a two-thirds majority Canadian contingent, a large American audience, surprisingly strong (g'day mate !) Australian attendance, then Europe does the rest.  This blog has also given me a springboard to another blog featuring both my current book on VIA Rail and an upcoming second volume. (Working title is Trackside with VIA...Viapalooza. I sure hope I come up with something better!)

Thank you...to everyone who comments.  A blog without comments is like a tree with no leaves; it exists but it doesn't show signs of life or growth.  Thank you...to everyone who reads, even once in awhile.  I hope you find something that interests you.  Thank you...to everyone who's learned something, me included.  This exercise continues to be educational for me, and as the old saying goes, 'The more you know, the more you realize you don't know.'  Thank you...to everyone who makes it fun and takes the information seriously, but not ourselves too seriously.

Thanks also go to my blog partners, featured in my sidebar: Adam, Chris L., Chris M., Chris V., Dave, Jason C., Jason S., John, Matt, Robert, Scott and Steve, and TOTW.  You guys provide me with my daily scan of the prototype railroading and model railroading worlds, interesting reads, captivating photos and video, truly a panoply of topics unparallelled in the blogosphere.  

Now for our anniversary tradition...the Trackside Treasure anniversary contest.  This year, in honour of my Youtube ID, it's all about CN/VIA's E-series. (Top photo - Ernestown passes through Portage la Prairie, Manitoba after I disembarked from Roomette 8 in Winnipeg in August, 1981. Porter and passengers enjoy a vestibule view of Portage.)  I've rounded up some potential names of these VIAiconic eight duplex roomette-four double bedroom-four section sleepers for you to sort through.  Now here's the catch, before you rush to your Canadian Trackside Guides, copies of Trackside with VIA - The First 35 Years, or your handheld Google-boxes.  Only four of the names are real.  The others I stole or dreamed up after one too many cups of coffee.  Here's how it works:

1. Find the four real E-series names. But wait a minute - what is this, some kind of church basement cake raffle?  We need a skill-testing element here.

2. Once you  find the four real ones, arrange them so that...the last letter of each, when arranged in the correct order, forms a word.  What kind of word? Well, it's a four-letter word associated with a celebration like a birthday, anniversary or...something someone left out in the rain...and I'll never have that recipe again.

3. Either by email to mile179kingstonATyahooDOTca, or as a comment at the end of this post, simply include this four-letter word, along with your four correct E-series names. The first reader to send all four correct names and the celebration four-letter word WINS!

Good luck!  Bonne chance! The winner will receive the occasionally-coveted Trackside Treasure Prize Pack, a closely-guarded secret assemblage of stuff I hope you'll like.  Now, here are the aforementioned potential sleeper names, all brought to you by the letter E and the numbers 8-4-4:

Echo, Enderby, Escuminac, Eston, Ecum Secum, Eden, Ethel, Eastville, Endive, Electra, Eagle Pass, Elderbank, Elderberry, Erindale, Entrance, Eganville, Evergreen, Eatonia, Ebenezer, Enrique Iglesias, Erin Mills, Eastvale, Etobicoke, Edith Cavell, Ectopic, Edmund Fitzgerald, Edna, Edwardian, Entre Nous, Emmental, Elkhorn, Euphonium, Erudite, Econo Lodge, Eau Claire, Ebrillade, Elmwood, Escapade, Exploits River, English River, Eltonjohn, Endrico, Eustachian, Edmont, Eagle River, Evansburg, Excelsis, Engelbert, Eureka!

CN North America Paint Scheme

CN introduced its 'CN North America' paint scheme in mid-1992.  Intended to trumpet CN's continental reach, by way of its Alaska-Prince Rupert barge and BN-FNM partnership into Mexico, the signature element of the scheme was CN's wet-noodle logo superimposed on a stylized map of North America.  CP also designed an ill-fated logo of its own in 1993, the CP Rail System 'dual flags' scheme.  The CNNA scheme lasted longer on locomotives, with SD40u 6000 being the first to receive it.  One visual distraction of the scheme was the appearance of the map as a large patch of peeling paint.  In November-December 1992, 25 new Dash 8-40CM 2400's were delivered in the CNNA scheme.  Many SD40-2W's received the scheme:

CN 557115 is one of CN's combination-door boxcars, built by National Steel Car (NSC) in 1973.  Originally painted in an overall brown scheme, the plug door was brown and the sliding door was green.  A very attractive scheme, these cars carried lumber for years. With the CNNA scheme, CN made its cars the wallflowers of the freight yard, using drab, grey tones to make the cars seemingly disappear into the mists.  The reporting marks and dimensional data would disappear under the plug door if it was open, but the map (not the CN) would remain visible.  CN 557115 is eastbound, passing through Queens in September, 2002:

CNIS 413028, an International Service newsprint car with 10-foot plug doors, was the only other boxcar to receive the CNNA scheme.  Built by NSC in 1980, it's eastbound on CN train No 310 at 1955 on March 7, 2000 with its brown brethren.  Like CN 557115, graffiti has been covered by repainting the lower part of the carbody grey:

Trying to photograph CN's other CNNA scheme cars, covered hoppers, proved to be an elusive quarry for years.  In March, 2004 our upstairs window and binoculars provided a fine view of CN train No 321.  I blinked twice when a CNNA-painted covered hopper slid across my view.  We were heading to Napanee for a shopping trip anyway, so I was soon driving west, camera in hand.  Likely unable to beat the train, 321 slowed for a signal at Bath, allowing us to stop at the Napanee River bridge.  NSC-built in 1974, CN 371897 graffiti'd but not repainted, appeared in its overall light grey, with dark grey map and black CN logo and lettering, also without a numbering block around the reporting marks:

CN 371897 is still wearing the CN North America scheme, recently observed near Biggar, Saskatchewan. 

Jul 2016 UPDATE: CN 371897 at Edmonton. 

Nov 2016 UPDATE: CN 371897 in phosphate rock service between Agrium Redwater, AB and Neptune Terminals, BC. 

Jul 2017 UPDATE: Spotted again by AJ. Thanks Ben and AJ!

A slightly different scheme appeared on a fourth car, 1979 NSC-built CN 383381, which came to CN from shortline service in the US in 1986.  An unusual 4650-cubic foot notched-end design with trough hatches, this car received overall light grey, dark grey map and white CN logo and lettering.  

OCTOBER 2020 UPDATE: Barry Silverthorn photographed CN 383381 in Belleville, ON.

NOVEMBER 2020 UPDATE: Henry Nye photographed CN 383381 in Neenah, WI:

and Henry's closeup shot of the logo:

CNLX 9405 received a similar scheme, and until unearthed recently, was like the little-known 'fifth Beatle'.  These two cars have eluded me.

The map logo was applied selectively to maintenance-of-way equipment not as widely travelled, including a CN caboose.   CN transfer van 76673, one of the last two of 210 such vans built received a repainted red side with TEST - ATCS/SAMT lettering, a light grey map and white CN as shown in this Peter Mumby photo (above).  Used for Advanced Train Control test trains in Southwestern Ontario in 1993 and equipped with a variety of test equipment, 76673 was normally 'wired' to CN 9565 or 9566.  The map logo was also applied to CNRU containers, and small logos were still visible in 1998 on CN 59345, Montreal auxiliary sleeper.  It would be interesting to know if  any of these cars still make their way around CN's system.

Running extra...

David Letterman celebrated his 30th anniversary on the air earlier this year, but I just saw the rerun last night.  Longtime staff members Barbara Gaines and Biff Henderson (whose Top 10 Thing I'd Like to say to Dave on his 30th Anniversary was "Finding a way to kill you [Dave] and make it look like an accident."  Strong irony has always been Dave's comedic style. Remember Dave's morning show on NBC from 1980?  Dave's bandleader at the time was Frank Owens, replaced on Dave's nighttime show in 1982 by Thunder Bay native Paul Shaffer. (Bermuda!)

Blogging away here on Saturday morning, I'm enjoying a cup of coffee in my midnight blue Late Show with David Letterman china mug, a souvenir of a visit to the Big Apple by my son.  That reminds me of a joke...Q:  What did the mother buffalo say to her child when he left home?  A: "Bye, son."

I walked on Paul Shaffer's 2006 Canada Walk of Fame star while in Toronto this week.  Paul was inducted alongside cool Canadians Alex Trebek (sharp as a tack) and Pamela Anderson (both of her).  GO Transit whisked us to-and-from Union Station.  The GO Don layover (formerly CN) yard was full of GO trainsets when we arrived, and I caught a nap on the 00:13 departure east, after thousands of Jays (lost to the A's 7-2) and Coldplay fans had funnelled out.  

Then and Now: Domes on the Kingston Sub 1981-2012

VIA Budd stainless steel equipment returned to CN's Kingston Sub for one day, heading west from Montreal on July 16.  A five-car HEP consist pulled by F40PH-2 6405 was chartered for the cross-country Skrillex Full Flex tour.  For those unfamiliar with Skrillex, it is not a method of rodent pest control, nor a high-tech firm.  Skrillex is a person - an electronic music performance artist and producer, embarking on a six-city tour, with concerts in Toronto July 13, Ottawa July 14, Montreal July 15, Winnipeg July 18, Edmonton July 20 and Vancouver July 22.  

Though publicized several weeks ago online and in print media, I received a heads-up about the Montreal-Toronto leg on Sunday night.  Fortunately, the train was scheduled to leave Montreal early Monday morning, estimated arrival in Belleville at 0639 (very precise timekeeping!) so observing it on my way to work would be easy.  I was trackside by 0500. No CN freights were operating, though VIA No 651: 6407-3470-3338-3300-3341 snaked out of Queens and into the station to pick up its first passengers for Toronto at 0520:

Then, at 0650, a bright headlight leading a glistening consist came curving through Queens, to the east.  Dome car visible? Check.  This was the Skrillex special, operating as VIA train No 3:

Due in Winnipeg in 36 hours, No 3 was moving.  The consist: 6405-8616-Chateau Bienville-Chateau Brule-Frontenac-Assiniboine Park.  The notion of a pocket streamliner on the Kingston Sub in 2012, though hard to believe, had come to pass.  Be sure to read about the train's progress farther west in Adam Walker's excellent Walker Express post here.

But this was not a first.  Ex-CP stainless steel cars had been operated by VIA through Kingston in years past. VIA trains 1 and 2, the Canadian, ran here between November 1981 and March 1984. For just over two years, while the Budd cars were serviced at Glen Yard in Montreal, and the Montreal-Sudbury section of the Canadian had been cut, the whole consist ran on CN's Kingston Sub between Toronto and Montreal, with Corridor cars tacked on as Nos 2/44/54 at midday eastbound (below at Mi 182 Kingston Sub) and 1/55 in the evening westbound.

I was able to see one of the first such evening westbound consists on November16, 1981 and midday eastbound on November 17.  It was amazing to see domes, both Skyline and Parks, plus stainless steel baggage cars, coaches and sleepers, intended by Canadian Pacific to promote viewing of the splendours of the Rockies, rocketing through humble Ernestown and Amherstview, before stopping in Kingston.  In August 1982, 6784-6863-CN 3109 and 13 cars of No 2 meet VIA No 53 with 6771-6622 and 7 cars just before noon at Kingston:

Steam-emitting Park car and MLW FPA4 share the platform:

Escaping steam belied the pre-HEP nature of these Skyline, Chateau and Park cars, and was especially  useful during a cold winter in early 1982:

On a couple of occasions, the Canadian was delayed west of Toronto. The VIA No 44/54 cars would head east on their normal schedule, with the cars from No 2 heading east on the Kingston Sub later in the day, such as March 9, 1984 at 1920 hours, over seven hours late!

Heading east to Montreal, VIA No 2/44/54 rolls out of Kingston with the mix of ex-CP stainless steel and ex-CN blue & yellow cars apparent.  I was fortunate to collect over 200 dome-equipped Canadian consists on CN's Kingston Sub during this short time, all included in my book on VIA Rail.

November 27, 1982 sees 6780-6867-6612 with 11 cars and Waterton Park on the tail end, snapped having just crossed Counter Street and passing through the Queens West interlocking.  Notice the wooden mileage marker at rigiht, for the small culvert here:

In March 1984, the Glen era ended.  The remaining stainless steel cars were deadheaded to Toronto in several movements, to be maintained at Spadina coach yard.  This meant that through sleepers, coaches and meal cars still operated between Toronto and Montreal, but other sleepers and domes were removed in Toronto Union Station.  On May 7, 1984 VIA No 1 is domeless, departing Kingston behind 6775-6863 with 9 cars:

Interestingly, other ex-CN cars not usually seen in the Corridor substituted for stainless steel cars at times: E-series sleepers, Mount-series sleepers and 1300-series diners.  As the number of conventionally-equipped trains dropped throughout the next several years, Friday and Sunday evening VIA train Nos 168 and 169 were used to move stainless steel cars maintained at VIA's Montreal Maintenance Centre since the closure of Spadina, from the Canadian between Toronto and Montreal.  On July 26, 1991 Strathcona Park brings up the markers (two sets, actually) of a four-car No 169 behind 6452:

Stainless steel sleepers would later operate on the overnight Cavaliers, and a decade later on the Enterprise.  The sun was truly setting on the Kingston Sub domes, except for the short-lived Skrillex solar flare.  I wonder if on the journey he stuck his head out a Dutch door as I had done, riding east out of Toronto in a Chateau vestibule in 1984 and enjoying the reflection on stainless steel?  If he had, there would not be a VIA FP9 coming the other way:

Running extra...

I found it unsettling to look  up, way up from the Kingston station platform and see passengers in the dome looking down at me from that lofty height - same for Park car lounge occupants with drinks in hand.  The Canadian cars still ply their trade westward.  Recent summer-length trains through Winnipeg include July 14 6401-6452-20 cars with Banff Park on the tail end, July 16 No 1 with 6411-6434-21 cars with Tremblant Park.  Always classy.

Just finished listening to BBC War Reports World War Two : On Air. Gripping early eyewitness radio transmissions including the withdrawal from Dunkirk, the desperate London Blitz and the hard-fought beaches of Normandy.  Only late in the war were bulky, portable transmitters feasible, a far cry from today's satellite phones.  A rare document in history, full of rawness and immediacy.

While on a visit to our local Canadian Tire store today, I was amazed in the lawn and garden section to find a box containing a Solar-Powered Rock, used as a garden ornament.  Just sounds strange to me, as did a package of three All-Purpose Cloths.  "Crappy Tire" really does sell everything under the sun, don't they?