Canadian Railroads > "Sweating the assets"

The phrase has been around for quite some time but Hunter Harrison often used it do describe, among other things, the power utilization when he helmed CN. The more things change the more they stay the same.

When Trevor and I went out shooting on the Westlock Sub last week on September the 23rd, one of the last trains we shot was northbound A419. The power for that train was CN 5421 and 5537. Pictures of the day can be found here:http://www.trainorders.com/discussion/read.php?15,3530987

Yesterday a friend provided some intel about a great consist on westbound X403 off the Wainwright Sub. Trevor and I went out to shoot it and at our second location it suddenly dawned on me that the consist was very familiar. A quick check confirmed that the exact same consist from the previous weeks A419 was powering X403. Sweating the assets indeed.

1. X403 hustles westward towards the double track at Uncas.

2. On the double track between Uncas and Ardrossan.

3. Dynamic brakes howl as they drift down the hill towards Bremner.

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4. A nice set of power was bringing a transfer into Clover Bar. The leader on the transfer is sister unit to the leader on X403.

This set had earlier come off an M304 from the Edson Sub. I know Trevor bagged some really nice shots of it earlier on the Edson so I hope he'll post them.

Thanks for looking and Happy Hunting,
A.J.

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OK so AJ has some really great shots of that X403 on the Wainwright! Earlier in the day the sun was out for a few hours on the Edson Sub west of Edmonton. I managed to catch an X304 with an SD60F C40-8 consist.

#1 X304 east with the 5538 in the lead rolls past the Gainford Hotel, a local landmark.

#2 Rolling through some fall color east of Duffield Alberta

#3 After arriving in Edmonton, the power off of X304 was removed and used on a transfer freight to Clover Bar. Here the crew rides the point as they roll up for a meet with X403.

-Trevor

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I always understood that "sweating the assets" was a phrase coined by former CP CEO Fred Green.

KG

Really enjoyed this set of pics as a new CN fan south of the border (Thanks to Atlas and Athearn), keep em coming please !

Ed Stewart
Jacksonville, FL