CN OCS cars in Belleville Yard

The former rail-welding plant tracks on the north side of Belleville yard were used to store On Company Service (OCS) boarding cars in the winter, once trackwork season was over. The cars were maintained here as part of CN Great Lakes Region track forces. The majority of the cars were White Fleet or ATCO units on flat cars, but there was a tantalizing tableau of older and unusual boxcars, flat cars, tank cars and more that were also part of these boarding outfits.

On visits to the yard, during a lull in CN and VIA action, we would often repair to the north side to see what was reposing there. We were usually not disappointed. Since only one track was readily visible from Airport Parkway, it was catch-as-catch-can, though I did manage to record some observations and take photos when possible.

The time period represented here includes trips to Belleville when our kids were young, and usually coincided with shopping trips to the Quinte Mall! Interestingly, late in the 20th century, CN's more business-like (profit-focused?) outlook meant that decades of denizens of back tracks and places like Belleville yard were sent to Selkirk, MB for scrapping. 

Notice the links to some of the cars - I've found photos of the same cars on the cnrphotos website. Many were photographed on their final trip to Selkirk, at the CN-CP Paddington interchange in Winnipeg.

I've used my usual abbreviations for car types:
BA= baggage car, BO=box car, FL=flat car, TA=tank car

Oct 29/90:
-Trackmobile 433-19 with gondolas 90654-90694-90635-91101. Tie loader 452-07 in 90654.
-CN 50676 (#?) orange module FL
-CN 80325, 80329 silver water TA
-CN 433756 BO 40' with vents for flammable storage.

Nov 15/91:
-CN 43696 generator BO
-CN 433318 vented BO
-CN 80378 water TA
-CN 990984 orange fuel TA
-CN 576939 40-foot BO with 8-foot door
-CN 592946 double-door BO
-CN 71747, 568881 BO
-CN 73131 orange flammable BO
-CN 70624 BA Work Equipment Eastern Region (Gang 46-2)

Feb 4/92:

-Trackmobile 433-20 moving white fleet cars north of the yard:

Feb 17/92:
-CN 80258, 80320, 80321, 80381 silver water TA
-CN 990990 orange fuel TA
-CN 59500 orange module FL

Jun 27/92:
-CN 59570 module FL
-CN 42110, 43357, 43403, 43373, 41054, 42624 white fleet FL
-CN 73913 black & white BA

Sep 19/92:
-CN 990721 orange fuel TA
-CN 425260 BO (with yellow ladders beside door)
-CN 562223, 565403 BO

Nov 24/92:
-CN 80325, 80327, 80257 silver water TA
-CN 990992 orange fuel TA
-CN 70745 orange BA

Jun 10/95:
-CN 70720 black & white BO

On September 13, 1995 CN 43629, generator clothes dryer 40' BO, passenger trucks and all, was in the yard (Gerry Burridge photo, Trackside Treasure collection):

Mar 2/96:
-CN 59574 module FL
-CN 73122 orange flammable BO

Apr 8/96:
-CN 73723, 73737, 73738 all ex-insulated BO

Jun 7/97:
-CN 43708 orange 40' BO

Sep 13/97:
-CN 990707, 990706, 990988 orange fuel TA (below)
-CN 59575, 59591 module FL with fuel tanks ONLY ( same photo - below)

Feb 28/98:
-CN 71552, 73362 BO (below)

Oct 11/98:
-CN 73114 orange flammable BO

Dec 12/98:
-CN 72907 brown BA
-CN 72050, 73842 50-foot BO
-CN 43043 40-foot BO (two photos - below)

Mar 28/99:
-CN 73839 50-foot insulated BO
-CN 73421 40-foot BO
-CN 73811 50-foot insulated BO with roll-up door
-CN 73215 BO with vents for flammable storage
-CN 75279 combination-door BO with roll-up door
-CN 41638, 43408, 42690, 41803 white fleet FL
-CN 80415, 80383, 80294 silver water TA

May 1/99
-CN 41958 40-foot generator clothes dryer BO (below)

Mar 5/00:
-CN 73726 50-foot insulated BO
-CN 59591 module FL with fuel tank ONLY (below)

-CN 72050 double-door 50-foot BO (also below)

-CN 73114-73144 orange flammable BO (top photo)

Aug 26/00:

-CN 71220 rusted 40' BO

Dec 29/01:

-CN 520846 10-foot height 4' BO:

This was the winter of photographing such scenes. Now only weeds and memories inherit these tracks. I photographed some of my HO scale versions of these cars. Click on photos for larger versions:

Flammable storage boxcars

Generator/clothes dryer boxcar (above) and module car, both ends (below):

Diesel Fuel tank car:

Running extra...

Speaking of boxcars, many thanks to Montreal's Mark Charlebois. Two CP miniboxes arrived in the mail recently and they immediately found a home on my HO scale Hanley Spur layout. Mark is a fellow VIAphile and has been very supportive of Trackside Treasure as well as my books on VIA Rail. The cars received their X2F couplers, a light weathering, then were spotted at my Hield Bros. Woolen Mill, the spur for which I just installed. Merci, Mark!

CP's newly-released SD70ACU 7000's sport a Canadian Pacific script and block lettering paint scheme. When CP 7010 led intermodal CP No 100 into Winnipeg, lots of photographers travelled trackside to photograph the repaints' first trip east of Calgary. I'm proud to showcase Mark Perry's photos - just like being there! 

CP 7015 has also been seen plying the rails in the slightly less-photogenic block lettering scheme. The 'heritage' units are to be kept on CP intermodals 100/101. Watch for some commemmorative military-themed units...soon!

VIA ad from this past week. Think of it as a Corridor Citrouille Commercial!

Riding the TTC, August 1965

Waiting for Subway, Eglinton

From the old slide boxes, here are several views of a typical Canadian family visiting Toronto on a summer vacation to see family and friends. Having driven to Toronto from Montreal, we are riding the Toronto Transit Commission system in August, 1965 to reach various parts of Toronto. These slides were taken by my Dad, L.C. Gagnon, and scanned by my brother, D.J. Gagnon. These are only lightly-edited and are purposely presented in their original slide format, each one captioned with my Dad's original caption information, in order.

Group heading south, Yonge Street

You'll see that being the youngest in the group, my role at 18 months on this trip was largely sitting, sleeping and eating. What did I know of Hogtown, the Queen City, the Centre of the Universe that I was experiencing? Not much. But looking back at these slides now, I marvel at my Dad's fine Instamatic (and flash-cube) photography and the transit technology and street life that was passing me by. The real Red Rockets, the real Woolworth's and fins on cars. Enjoy the ride, and Mind the Gap of over 50 intervening years!

Queen Street, PCC car

Humber Loop

PCC cars at Shops

Meeting another street car

Marjorie, Eric, Allison

New Toronto City Hall

Queen Street East, Old City Hall, Eaton's

Lunch at Woolworth's, Eric

Subway cars north on Yonge Street

Subway cars north on Yonge Street

Subway train and platform

Trolley Bus

Running extra...

Don't you hate it when you have a nice fall foliage shot set up and a shiny, beautiful, blue, brand-new Kingston Express Novabus 1922 gets into the frame? Well, I don't:

What would a cab ride between Field and Calgary look like? In 1972!

Wrapping my boring brown HO scale Hanley Spur layout fascia with limestone-grey faux-wood wall stickers from Dollarama dollar store this week. Before (above) and after (below). Tastes like chicken? No, but looks like limestone!

Tastes Like Chicken is a great band-name, and they played at Raxx, hard by Mi 178 of CN's Kingston Sub along Gardiners Road last weekend. My all-time favourite band-name, posted on a utility pole near Aberdeen Street, where also last weekend 12.000 of Queen's University's closest friends clogged the street, was...The Cancer Bats! 

The Company Photographer Returns Yet Again, Once Again

Periodically, Trackside Treasure's company photographer sends some more captioned images from along the line. (Just type 'company photographer' in the search box at top left to see previous posts.) In this instalment, these are some random images from random railroads of random eras posted to the Railroad Images of Bygone Days Facebook group. Enjoy!

Running extra...

Wow, these ad agencies really put a lot of thought into producing material that railfans can generally disapprove of. Check out VIA's style guide for its 'love the way' branding. Extensive!

Expensive! Elections. Monday is federal election day. Nobody is happier and prouder to be able to vote than these guys.

Our system of elections has been inherited, transplanted, revered by the respectful, envied by the disenfranchised, died for by the brave, oft-maligned, seldom-praised, much-heralded, time-honoured, easily-disregarded, but closely-held to hearts to which true patriot love has been commanded. To be inspired, take a walk in these woods through which moccasin feet, wagon wheels, steel rails and sneakered trails have trod, then vote!

The K&P Trail north of Bur Brook Road, formerly CP's Kingston Subdivision.