Canadian Railroads > Laggan Sub - Mar 21

Meeting of the grains

8754 is leading the westbound 301 up the Canmore siding

 

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301 is still moving as the 9700 leads 300 eastbound on the main

9649 is the mid-train remote on 300 - 448 axles

9668 is the tail-end remote on 301 - 450 axles


 

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8508 is leading 101 westbound at Mile 75.x

 

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538 axles - 2+1+0

 

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Westbound 401 has stopped at Castle Mtn road crossing for a crew change

 

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I'm not sure if these are loads or not. It's been a long time since I've seen any ALPX Alberta hoppers in service. Last I saw any was a couple of years ago on a trip to Lethbridge and there were >100 stored in some of the old elevator sidings along the Aldersyde sub in places like Carmangay. These 8 have changed from ALPX to ALBX. They were owned by the Alberta government and the ALNX ones were assigned to CN and the ALPX to CP. I wonder what the 'B' signifies now.



 

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582 axles - 2+1+0

 

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9366 leads 113 west at the Banff Station.

 

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Another 301 grain west at Mile 79.3

 

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KickingHorse Wrote:
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> I'm not sure if these are loads or not. It's been
> a long time since I've seen any ALPX Alberta
> hoppers in service. Last I saw any was a couple of
> years ago on a trip to Lethbridge and there were
> >100 stored in some of the old elevator sidings
> along the Aldersyde sub in places like Carmangay.
> These 8 have changed from ALPX to ALBX. They were
> owned by the Alberta government and the ALNX ones
> were assigned to CN and the ALPX to CP. I wonder
> what the 'B' signifies now.

https://www.producer.com/2019/03/back-on-the-track-new-life-for-alta-rail-cars/

According to the Western Producer the Alberta government is leasing 125 cars to the Battle River Railway for 8 years, the article suggests to avoid car hire charges and allow more time for farmers to load the cars. I'm guessing that's where the ALBX is from.

Battle River Railway is in central Alberta, runs on a former CN line southeast from Camrose.

Posted from Android

Darren Boes
Lethbridge, AB
Southern Alberta Railfan

Great pictures!

Tim
mp35mountain

Posted from Android

sarailfan Wrote:
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> I'm guessing that's where the
> ALBX is from.
>

I think that's a really solid guess! Thanks.

According to the CTG, Battle River Railway runs 2 ex-CN SD40-2s for power. You would kind of half expect that if they got some AB hoppers they would be from the CN / ALNX group. I have no idea what CN did with theirs; maybe they still use them. This bunch is definitely ex-CP / ALPX though. The ALNX hoppers were numbered 396xxx and ALPX were 628xxx.

I think it's also a bit strange that BRR would interchange to CP at Camrose and not CN.

On their website it even says that Battle River Rail is serviced by CN out of Camrose!

Tim
mp35mountain

Amazing pics
 

Perhaps they're going to a west coast animal feed mill rather than export. BRR to CN Camrose, to CP at Red Deer or maybe Calgary, lifted by a grain train to fill out the tonnage? Not exactly efficient, but typical of loose car railroading these days.

Posted from Android

Darren Boes
Lethbridge, AB
Southern Alberta Railfan

sarailfan Wrote:
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> BRR to CN Camrose, to CP
> at Red Deer or maybe Calgary, lifted by a grain
> train to fill out the tonnage? 
>

Possible but I think unlikely.

CN's Alliance Sub (now the BRR) connects to CN's Camrose sub just south of the diamond where CP's Wetaskiwin sub crosses the Camrose sub. The BRR would have to enter the Camrose sub anyway to setoff any loads into one of CN's small yards north or south of the diamond. There is a connecting track in the NW quadrant of the diamond and CP has a small yard just to the west of that. It wouldn't be a big deal for the BRR to do a setoff into CP's yard.

These cars were on a 401. In the 2018 CTG, 401 is listed as Alyth-Coquitlam. However, in both the 2016 and 2014 CTG it is Sutherland-Coquitlam. I suspect that sometimes it still is which puts it passing through Camrose on the Wetaskiwin sub.