Canadian Railroads > VIA Safety Day in Halifax

Thursday's Ocean had some extra power and extra cars.  There were one or two extra F40PH-3s and three Budd coaches in the consist to give rides to the public from the VIA station in downtown Halifax.  Last year's event was very popular, with long lines, so perhaps there is more capacity this time.  Behind the Budds was the usual Renaissance consist of 12 green cars and Tweedsmuir Park.  The train had been operating on time all day, but lost 45 minutes between Moncton and Sackville, NB, likely stabbed by a late running 407.  They had made up about 15 minutes of that by the time they got to this location, mile 12 of the Bedford Sub.

​It was looking like CN was not going to allow the Safety Day trains out of yard limits at HOT, but just before 10:00 this morning I heard VIA 6418 get a work clearance between Fairview Jct. and mile 1.8, so somebody must have relented.  If I can get a picture of the "excursion" train, I will post later today.

​GTD

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Nice shot!

Very nice.
JB

I did manage to get a few pictures of the Safety Day runs in Halifax, and also got a now rare opportunity to take pictures from the station platforms, which is just about impossible these days unless you are a ticketed passenger.  There seemed to be a pretty good turnout for the free rides, which did go all the way from the station (mile 0) to almost Southwestern Jct., about mile 4.3. 

6418 hauled the 3-car train, while 6437 was used as a static display with tours of the cab available.  The woman wearing the blue jacket and safety vest in the second picture was one of a number of public volunteers (some were local railfans) to help with crowd control.  Just after I took this picture she had to scold the Commissionaire next to her for standing in the gauge to get a picture of 6437!

​In the last shot, 6418 is shown with the 3-car train on the last run of the day, about to shove under the concrete arch bridge carrying Prince Arthur St. over the track at mile 2.80.  Although CN allowed the trains to operate outside of yard limits, that didn't mean they didn't run any freights.  Both trips that I observed had proceed clearances given against them by the RTC for transfer runs between Rockingham and HOT.  VIA's regular 14 was running on time today and expected to arrive at the station about 17:40.

GTD

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Nice work at the depot; GREAT photos!  Wish I was there.

Andy

What is the light below the twin sealed beams used for?

PHall Wrote:
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> What is the light below the twin sealed beams used
> for?

​It's a very narrow ("pencil") beam Xenon lamp designed to attract attention at a much longer distance than normal headlights.  The F40s all got these extra headlights, and the split 5-chime horns, when they were rebuilt at CAD between 2009 and 2012. The P42DCs (900s) also have the special lights, although they likely came from the factory with 5-chime horns.

​Here's one last shot of the extra equipment returning to Montreal on Sunday's Ocean, train 15.

​GTD.



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 05/01/16 18:48 by cn6218.

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