Canadian Railroads > D&H and SNC/SLRG

Last weekend, Michael Berry caught D&H 7303 arriving in Montreal:

https://www.trainorders.com/discussion/read.php?15,4551946

In his post, he mentioned it would be going out west. However, it seems CP has found another use for it, at least temporarily. This afternoon, after work, I was taking some pictures from the St Johns’s Boulevard overpass in Pointe Claire when an unexpected CP weed spraying train showed up, led by 7303! (Picture #1).

A while later, I caught CP 143 departing during the evening rush. As the end of that train approached, I saw it had passenger car, which turned out to be Saratoga & North Creek dome #512, now with SLRG (San Luis & Rio Grande) reporting marks, so I guess that’s where it is headed (Picture #2).

Ray

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I wouldn't read too much into the reporting marks for the dome. It was SLRG 512 back in 2012 when I saw it on the Saratoga & North Creek, and also had those marks in 2015 in Vermont for the NHRS convention excursions. Sadly, it looks like the SNC is done though. Another one of those operations I took pictures of, but didn't get to ride (I'm trying to do better with that!).

GTD

Yes cn6218, is appears the Saratoga & North Creek is finished. It was a very scenic ride which we were fortunate to experience behind the recently built (2009) 4-4-0 Leviathan steam loco. It was scheduled to pull a single CN commuter coach on a pair of 80 mile round trips the weekend of September 14th and 15th in 2013. The northbound leg was canceled on Sunday and the southbound leg had to be run a couple hours late but it was well worth the effort to be there. I'm sure this track is at least a 35mph railroad so no rules were broken but little time was wasted once we were underway. We saw 30+ mph several times on my hand held GPS unit while watching the crew work just 15 or so feet away as we occupied the vestibule of that CN coach.

It was a wonderful day on a fine piece of railroad that was made unforgettable given the chance to observe that particular locomotive perform as the original designers intended and I doubt I'll ever see anything like that happen again. I'm also attempting to commit to putting more emphasis on being a passenger rather just a photographer as so many folks are doing a far better job of visually documenting these events than I ever could.

This dome ended up getting leased to the BNSF and is going out on the 2018 Employee Special, as seen here: https://www.trainorders.com/discussion/read.php?1,4564589

Thanks for the photos and info!

- Jeff Carlson