Canadian Railroads > Iron Ore of Canada-Carol Lake Mine SW1200MGs in 2000

These are for eminence_grise.  At the end of September and first week of October 2000 my friends Mike Harting, Rich Frey and I made a trip from southeast Pennsylvania up north to the Iron Ore Roads of Quebec and Labrador. We are all Boatnerds as well so we shot our share of Lake Boats along the way in the St. Lawrence Seaway as well as some CN and CP action. Our real objectives were the Cartier, QNSL as well as the Arnaud and Wabush Lake operations. The bonus of our trip was a guided tour of Iron Ore of Canada (I.O.C.) Carol Lake Mine automated mine-haul operation in Labrador City. We stopped by the QNSL Station in Lab City on the morning of 10/6 to see if we could get any info on their ore as well as passenger train schedules. The agent informed us that there was not much going to happen until early that afternoon. We then asked if there was any place that we could go that wasn't outright trespassing to get some shots of their automated mine-haul operation. He said no and we felt resigned to wait for the next QNSL ore train to depart in a few hours. Then he informed us that he had an hour or two and would be glad to give us a tour of the Carol Lake Mine. Joy !  The I.O.C. mine-haul operation is unmanned and fully automated. They use a fleet of 9 SW1200MG (Motor Generators) that were built by GMD between 1963 and 1971. It is a push-pull operation consisting of 20 car sets shuttling crude ore from the mine to the concentrator. Shot #1 is an overall view of the Carol Lake Mine facilities.  Next 2 shots are of the I.O.C 516 waiting to make a meet. 

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Top shot is the 516 and 514 making a meet. Middle shot is the 514 pushing back to the mine to reload. Bottom is the 517 with a loaded train headed to the concentrator.

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Top is a going away shot of the 517 train. Middle is the rather dirty Builders Plate on the 510. There was also a dedication plate to Peter Clench dated 1992. Never found out who he was. Bottom shot is the 512 at the sheds that lead to the loading area.

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Top is the 512 waiting to make another meet. Middle is the 509 passing the 512. Last shot is the 516 pushing it's empties back up to the loadout. Like I said before, this tour was an unexpected bonus and we thanked our host greatly for showing us around. I want to also thank eminence_grise for jogging my memory and getting me to scan and share some of these slides with everyone on TO.  Enjoy !   P.S. There is a  video by Rich Frey from our tour on Youtube titled "IOC Electrics" as well as a company video "IOC operations.mov"



Edited 2 time(s). Last edit at 09/24/19 10:53 by perklocal.

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This is something unique that has flown beneath my radar. Thanks for sharing these interesting photos.

No fair!!
Sweet shots!

Posted from iPhone

RARE beauties!
Bob

Agreed!

Is this still operating today? I’ve always wanted to model these units...

refarkas Wrote:
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> RARE beauties!
> Bob

Great series. What goes on there now?
Bill Turner
Hmilton Ont

Interesting stuff, great catch too.
t4p.

The builders plates appears to say SW1200MG manufactured by Ateliers Wood in Sept.Iles to General Motors specification, serial #150

Have they expanded from the original fleet or have they remanufactured them?

You are right. I zoomed in and resized the plate. Looks like Ateliers Wood  in Sept Iles. I myself have no idea what the current operations are like up there or if these units are still on the job.

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Some of these units were rebuilt in London by GMDD many moons ago!

This is fabulous stuff! There's no such thing as "Post of the Year", but with all due respect to all the great material that appears on the Canadian Board, this knocks it out of the park. Great fortune on your part, and perfect conditions, but you also worked very well with all the poles and catenary. I was surprised by the variety of colours on the units; I'd only seen them in an orange colour with black accents, in slides acquired in trade. The rarity sure sets this apart.
Fred

feclark Wrote:
 The rarity sure sets
> this apart.
> Fred



I'll say......I've been around a few million years and had never seen this operation before.

BobE

Lab City is a great place to visit and work.
I was there 5 years after your adventure with a new Nordco snow fighter for I.O.C.
Unfortunately I had the early digital camera set to low to get as many pics as I could for future reference purposes (work).

Pic 1   IOC 518 SW1200MG remote control locomotive bringing in a loaded ore train at Labrador City, NL  November 2, 2005
Pic 2   IOC 518 SW1200MG remote control locomotive bringing in a loaded ore train at Labrador City, NL  November 2, 2005
Pic 3   IOC remote control loaded ore train at Labrador City, NL  November 2, 2005

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Pic 4   sitting in the siding in IOC's new Nordco M2-14 snow fighter, sn 800230, built 2005 clearing an inbound loaded ore train at Lab City, NL, November 2, 2005
Pic 5   under the wires clearing the mainline from the mine at Labrador City, NL November 2, 2005
Pic 6   watch out for spilled ore under the wires when clearing the mainline from the mine at Labrador City, NL November 2, 2005

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Pic 7   Moving through the IOC complex in their new Nordco M2-14 snow fighter at Lab City, NL November 2, 2005
Pic 8   Moving through the IOC complex in their new Nordco M2-14 snow fighter at Lab City, NL November 2, 2005
Pic 9   IOC bridge supports made of old ore cars at Labrador City, NL November 2, 2005 

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Never sent a video clip on TR before.  Hope these show up.
I know these video clips are very poor quality but I thought some folks might find them interesting.  Remember, I was a railroader, NOT a photographer. :-)

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