Canadian Railroads > Not a Great Start to 2020

We're a bit more than a week into 2020 now, and so far the weather and trains have not combined to create any notable photographs for me.  In fact, I didn't even get the camera out until Monday, when the three units assigned to 519 took a transfer downtown from Rockingham to Ocean Terminals.  The train is shown here passing under the recently reconstructed Quinpool Rd. bridge.  The concrete arch bridge, a 4-lane artery into peninsular Halifax was closed for most of the summer while CN rebuilt the 100 year old structure.  Work is ongoing at other similar bridges over the cut.  Part of the reason for three units on the train is that CN has laid off a number of crews and discontinued the trains they operated in the new year.  517, the second morning yard job , is gone, as is 509, the afternoon job in Dartmouth.  

407 and 408 (the manifest trains between Moncton and Dartmouth) have also been sporadic lately.  Although there was a 407 out of Dartmouth yesterday, 120 had about 3500 feet of traffic for Dartmouth on its rear end.  505 went out to Kinsac, 120 dropped the Dartmouth traffic on the main line, and then 4112 and 9590 dragged the train into Dartmouth.  Although there was still an SBU on the rear end, because there were "dangerous" cars next to the power, they had to operate as a transfer, restricted to 15 mph, all 16 miles!  They're shown here in Windsor Jct., nearing mile 16 of the Bedford Sub.  Still another 12.5 miles to go until Dartmouth Yard.

505's slow pace threw a wrench into 511's plans.  The loaded gypsum train, returning from the Milford mine, had to wait at the approach to Windsor Jct. (so as to not block any crossings) until 505 was clear of mile 7 on the Dartmouth, and they could get a proceed.  35 minutes after 505 had gone by, BCOL 4641, in grubby CN paint but still sporting it's dual ditch lights, rolled past towards the Dartmouth Sub with the loaded train.

GTD

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Nice images and story. We got snow in Weymouth today. Took me a moment or two to register the ditch / corner lights and number 4641. Attached image of 4641 in better color and on home rails.
Doug

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Yup, that's an improvement for sure.

GTD

Ugh, CN sure ruined that nice C44-9W!!!! Great shots of some great power though.

Great bunch of photos as always. I don't get the speed restriction? Down here in the USA there are no restrictions on dangerous intermodal? This is thinking your first photo is the train in question? Strange how rules of operation differ between the two countries. I see dangerous tank cars with out cover cars next to the power all the time up there in train photos?
JB

3rdswitch Wrote:
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> Great bunch of photos as always.

Nobody is more surprised than I am that the second one rated IOTD!


>I don't get the
> speed restriction? Down here in the USA there are
> no restrictions on dangerous intermodal? This is
> thinking your first photo is the train in
> question? Strange how rules of operation differ
> between the two countries. I see dangerous tank
> cars with out cover cars next to the power all the
> time up there in train photos?
> JB


Regarding transfer speed, it was the second train (505 with the GP9) that had to operate at transfer speed.  When they picked up the tail end of 120, there were tank cars (likely propane, placard 1075) right next to the power.  I gather that was the reason for the speed restriction.  They did do a transfer brake test, which may just be confirming that the last car's brakes work properly, rather than the whole train.  Perhaps that is why they could only run at 15 mph.  I'll have to ask an expert about that next chance I get.

GTD

Thanks for the clarification, as a retired railroader, was just curious.
JB

Those CN GP9rms are nice rebuilds, far better than the CP CP9us!! I wish our railroad here in the US would get some second-hand GP40-2LWs, would go well with our ex-CN SD40-2Ws.

3rdswitch Wrote:
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> Thanks for the clarification, as a retired
> railroader, was just curious.
> JB

I got an explanation.  Not sure if it's CROR rules in general or specific to CN.

If ALL the cars are carrying dangerous goods, the movement can be a train and run at normal speed.  That might be lower than maximum freight speed depending on the area it travels through.  For instance if a train has any dangerous cars, maximum speed from mile 20 into Rockingham yard is 30 mph rather than the posted speed of 45.

If not all the cars are dangerous, and a dangerous car is next to the power, the movement must be operated as a transfer, and is limited to 15 mph.  Rearrange the cars, and then it can operate as a train under the normal rules.

Doesn't seem logical to me, but I don't write the rules, and I don't have to work under them either.  Just a casual observer.

GTD