Canadian Railroads > Miserable (Luck) Mondays - Airdrie Elevators Taken Down

Last week arwye posted up a great shot of CP Dayliners passing elevator row at Airdrie, AB, at https://www.trainorders.com/discussion/read.php?15,4746391. The elevators drew comment, including mine, and I've had the time to dig out the slides and scan them for this post. The loss of these elevators was miserable, and so was some luck on this score. In September 1999, a buddy and I did a chase south of Red Deer for the purpose of shooting trains passing elevators. We got lucky, chasing a SB and bagging it at Niobe, Olds, Carstairs, and Crossfield. We weren't familiar with the entrances and exits to Crossfield, so didn't catch it before it got to Airdrie. Another time, yes? No.
It was a full year, almost, before I ended up with the chance again, this time August 17, 2000. I couldn't recall the context for these shots (too early in the day for a trip down from Edmonton), but in checking my log books, realize it was the return trip from overnighting with Richard. I'd driven down to Calgary to meet with him and Hans Madsen of TrainsCanada/H&D to pitch the prospect of a CP SD book, which did come to pass. In two senses I owe this post to arwye.
1. Alas, they'd recently, from the look of things, taken down the wooden Alberta Pool structures nearest the camera in Richard's shot. This is 5801 on what the scanner said was a work extra, NB at 1055 with 7 tanks and a van. I'm guessing the Crossfield Turn, to switch the gas plant.
2. That having cleared, a photo of the matchsticks south of the concrete core of the facility, with SB #428 at 1120 (presumably met at Crossfield), with 52 cars of OFC and mixed freight.
3. The scanner kept me patient, so at 1135, I bagged NB #956 behind 9148, with 41 cars of OFC and mixed freight. Matchsticks on the north side. Sigh. I don't know how recent the tear-down had been, but the exposed lumber hadn't turned grey yet; weeks? days?
Fred



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 03/11/19 21:49 by feclark.

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