Canadian Railroads > Grain trains on Quebec Gatineau

This winter a rumour circulated that Quebec Gatineau would not receive any grain trains from CPR to move to the export elevators at Quebec City.  CN began moving grain trains to Quebec City early in the month of December.  CPR grain trains did not begin to depart Thunder Bay until the Seaway closed on Christmas Eve.  Fortunately, there are trains moving across the Quebec Gatineau now.  But unlike previous years when QG used CPR SD40-2 units to haul the grain, this year QG is supplying their own power.  QG currently has five SD units and four of them were on today's grain train shown here departing CPR's St Luc yard.

Ken Goslett

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Nice photo.   I prefer the look of grey with the orange stripe to the orange livery with the dark stripe.  But that's just me, I guess.

Jim

I just the Quebec Gatineau.  They keep their units clean regardless of the paint scheme.

KG

I have wondered often about the grain terminals in Thunder Bay.  The many elevators look abandoned, there doesn't seem to be much rail activity in Thunder Bay whenever I pass thru there on TIOGA PASS.  Can the larger ocen-going ships reach Thunder Bay?  Does the grain export occur only when the seaway is open?  Is more of the grain being exported thru Montreal, Quebec City, or end Halifax and St. John?

Norm  

Norman Orfall
Helendale, CA
TIOGA PASS, a private railcar

Grain moves out of T Bay by ship until the Seaway closes.  Ocean going ships are the minority in the Seaway.  Lake boats bring the grain to Sorel, Quebec City, Port Cartier and Sept Iles during shipping season.  When the season closes grain moves by rail to Quebec City, Montreal, and to a lesser extent Sorel.  None goes to Saint John.  Those elevators were demolished years ago.  I don't think there are elevators left in Halifax either.

Ken

kgmontreal Wrote:
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>  I don't think there are elevators left in Halifax
> either.
>

​There are still elevators in Halifax but they don't see much use, at least not for grain.  We do see the odd cut of cylindrical hoppers come in that aren't for local feed mills, but it's never 100-car unit trains.  I've been told that one of the principle commodities handled at the "grain" elevators is now wood pellets, which are typically trucked in from local sawmills.

GTD

Toronto has or had elevators, as does Collingwood. Are there any active elevators on other parts of the Great Lakes than Thunder Bay?







 

Owen Sound Ont.
Midland Ont
Toledo Oh
Duluth Minn
Buffalo NY
Hamilton Ont
Sarnia Ont
Port Colbourne Ont

​To name just a few active Great Lakes elevators!

Mike Bannon
St Catharines, ON