Canadian Railroads > Another GE-Free Day in Halifax

With clouds forecast for most of today, I wasn't really expecting much. And even though we had at least 50 % cloud cover most of the day in Halifax, it was clear enough around 10:00 for me to drive out to Windsor Jct. in search of a train. What I found was an empty 511 (gypsum turn) stopped on the Dartmouth Sub, presumably waiting for 120 before they could get on the Bedford Sub and proceed to the mine at East Milford. Although I hadn't heard anything on the radio yet (except for 511's SBU chirping), I figured 120 must be close, or the RTC would have let 511 meet them at Kinsac or Sandy Cove. So I got turned around and set up for the first shot at Bedford Quarry. Much to my surprise, they had a trio of SD70M-2s on the head end, with the leader even fairly clean! 120 is shown passing mile 13 at 10:37.

A consist like that deserved a bit of effort for another shot, which I did as the train wrapped around Birch Cove (mile 7) at 10:53. I still hadn't seen the DPU, but it turned out to be another 8900 (in fact, the LAST one) as the train slowly pulled into Rockingham Yard. So far, EMC was 4 for 4.

GTD

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Great photos!
Any GE-Free Day is a super wonderful day.
Thanks for posting.
ALLEN

The sun was still dodging the clouds, but it would be an hour or two before 511 would return from the mine, so I took care of a few things at home, and then headed out again a bit after noon to try and intercept them. At about 12:20 I heard them call the RTC to get permission to enter the main line at mile 36.6 with the loaded train. That procedure can take a while, and it seems that the rules have changed a bit. It used to be that the crew called the RTC back to confirm they were on the main line and proceeding east, but I haven't heard them do that in a few years, so it's a bit difficult to gauge how quickly they are moving. But today I was able to get to the west end of Sandy Cove a few minutes before them, and the sun cooperated for this scene at 12:43.

Once again the power was all 2-stroke, with SD70M-2 8853 and SD75I 5663. I was able to catch them one more time in Waverley at 13:08, before relocating to Windsor Jct. to wait for VIA 15 which had left the downtown station, 15 miles to the east, at 13:00. With all the yard limits and switches that the Ocean has to deal with it usually takes them half an hour to cover those 15 miles to the Cobequid Rd. crossing, and that's exactly how long they took today as the blew by at 55 mph (according to the mile 16 HBD). Of course, it's virtually a sure thing that VIA in Nova Scotia will be powered by GMD diesels. The only surprise was two Manor sleepers ahead of Revelstoke Park on the tail end. My luck with the clouds ran out at this point, even though the crossing had been in a sucker hole seconds before the train got there, and the sun is shining on the middle of the train in the last image.

GTD

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Oops. I should have let you know about the all SD70M-2 lashup. But you found it on your own and got good shots. Well done.

KG

That round-end observation in your last photo made a perfect end to this series of images.
Bob

did c.n. ever purchase any sd70aces?

nice pics, thanks for posting........

66

goneon66 Wrote:
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> did c.n. ever purchase any sd70aces?
>

Only 4 ex-demos, CN numbers 8100-8103.

They might be the only ones, if Caterpillar can't get their act together.

GTD

A very productive day!