Canadian Railroads > Canadian National 2000s

With CN picking up some more ex UP C40-8s and numbering them in the 2000s, I thought I'd post what previously occupied that series - MLW M630s.

1. March 19, 1978 - CN 401 with 2030 and another M630 are backing eastbound through Bayview. Once clear of the junction they'll head west up the Dundas Sub to Sarnia, eventually meeting counterpart 402, at which point the crews will swap trains.

2. July 15, 1978 - M630 2034 and two wide cab GP40-2s, 9435, 9640 head west through Aldershot, Ontario. There are four tracks here now, and a much enlarged Aldershot Yard.

3. Sept. 16, 1978 - At Hamilton Junction, 402 slips down the Cowpath with M630 2005 and M636 2313. It will terminate in Hamilton.

James Adeney
Toronto

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Beautiful shots!

Regards, Jim Evans

Could we turn the clock back please....Great shots and Thx for sharing.

Dale Miller
Langley, BC

I'll second that emotion.

Now THAT'S a "2000"!

Rick

Excellent shots! Thanks for posting.

Those are the units I grew up with on the Hopewell and Sydney Subdivisions......and in their final years.....sporting a CB & CNS Scottish Lion.

James, great shots. Is there any particular reason why the train in the first should would back out from Hamilton and go up the Dundas side as opposed to using the cowpath?

chatnoir Wrote:
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> With CN picking up some more ex UP C40-8s and
> numbering them in the 2000s, I thought I'd post
> what previously occupied that series - MLW M630s.
>
> 1. March 19, 1978 - CN 401 with 2030 and another
> M630 are backing eastbound through Bayview. Once
> clear of the junction they'll head west up the
> Dundas Sub to Sarnia, eventually meeting
> counterpart 402, at which point the crews will
> swap trains.
>
> 2. July 15, 1978 - M630 2034 and two wide cab
> GP40-2s, 9435, 9640 head west through Aldershot,
> Ontario. There are four tracks here now, and a
> much enlarged Aldershot Yard.
>
> 3. Sept. 16, 1978 - At Hamilton Junction, 402
> slips down the Cowpath with M630 2005 and M636
> 2313. It will terminate in Hamilton.
>
> James Adeney
> Toronto


Great photos! One small correction. All CN 630 were C630M's not the later M630.

PittsburghMike Wrote:
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> James, great shots. Is there any particular reason
> why the train in the first should would back out
> from Hamilton and go up the Dundas side as opposed
> to using the cowpath?

Thank you Mike. Eventually someone in Hamilton yard wondered that too, and they began building the train differently, eliminating the back up move. After that it would head straight up the cowpath and we were no longer able to shoot it twice.

PittsburghMike Wrote:
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> James, great shots. Is there any particular reason
> why the train in the first should would back out
> from Hamilton and go up the Dundas side as opposed
> to using the cowpath?


There were piggyback trailers on the train between Hamilton and Sarnia. Both locations were circus loading, so it had to do with orienting the pigs the right way for both ramps. Eventually, they gave up on backing the whole train up, and just had the Hamilton yard engine wye the pigs at Bayview, so that the trailers would be properly aligned for off-loading, and the train ran straight up the cowpath.

We lost the backup move, but gained a daily "mini-intermodal" train, behind whatever power was assigned Hamilton.

- Dave

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