Canadian Railroads > The Train That Wasn't Supposed to Be

In an attempt to protect profits (ahead of employees and customers), CN decided to annul trains 408 and 407, the daily manifests between Moncton, NB and Dartmouth, NS which also pick up local traffic and CBNS interchange in Truro, NS.  To make up for that, Dartmouth traffic would get tacked onto 120/121, while a new 3 day a week 404/405 would serve Truro from Moncton.  Since 404/405 would use the same power and crews as 406 (Moncton-Saint John, NB turn), it was running more like once a week instead, creating backlogs of CBNS cars in Truro, and making customers unhappy.

On June 16, in order to try and remedy that situation, a massive 407 left Dartmouth with 4 units up front (including a replacement switcher for Truro), and a DPU 9000 feet back ahead of the Dartmouth cars.  From a railfan perspective, what made this train attractive was that it was running during the day, rather than on 408's usual nocturnal schedule.  The first image is the train passing the east end of Folly Lake, 23 miles from Truro, at 11:18.

Just west of Truro, the crew cut off the DPU and Dartmouth cars, and tied them down on the main line, while the head end power and 9000 feet of cars proceeded into Truro Yard (second image) at 12:06.  About 10 minutes later, I got an overhead shot of them pulling down an open track to yard the train.  The headlight in the distance is CBNS 305, which was waiting to get into the yard with cars from Sproule Lumber.

GTD



Edited 2 time(s). Last edit at 07/03/20 20:15 by cn6218.

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407 filled up one of the mile long tracks in the yard, and then shoved what was left into two more tracks at the east end, before returning to the yard office to drop GP40-2L 9411, which would be the new Truro switcher.

In the fourth image, CBNS SD40-2s 3366 and 3364 are following them up the one open track with loads of lumber and woodchips.

Once 9411 was dropped and tied down, the crew returned to the rest of their train, coupled onto the DPU, and waited for permission from the RTC to depart.  That took a very long time because of an unexpected track circuit in the next block through Truro, but eventually they got away, and I was able to bag one more shot near mile 24 of the Bedford Sub as they rolled towards Windsor Jct., and ultimately Dartmouth.

GTD

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In the second and third picture there appears to be a 18 inch rubber traffic cone on the last unit in the consist. It appears to be in the old horn location.
What's that all about? 

Got to be more of that "PSR can't be wrong".

PHall Wrote:
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> In the second and third picture there appears to
> be a 18 inch rubber traffic cone on the last unit
> in the consist. It appears to be in the old horn
> location.
> What's that all about? 

I'm not sure what it's about. It was there when the same unit was in Halifax about a month ago. It didn't last long. The Truro crew got rid of it. Probably just an unofficial "decoration".

GTD

cn6218 Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> PHall Wrote:
> --------------------------------------------------
> -----
> > In the second and third picture there appears
> to
> > be a 18 inch rubber traffic cone on the last
> unit
> > in the consist. It appears to be in the old
> horn
> > location.
> > What's that all about? 
>
> I'm not sure what it's about. It was there when
> the same unit was in Halifax about a month ago. It
> didn't last long. The Truro crew got rid of it.
> Probably just an unofficial "decoration".
>
> GTD

Poor man's orange strobe light?

Nice pics!!  I like Pic 1!!

What "managers" plan reality derails.   i.e. no plan survives the first contact with reality!

This why the government should help out the customers...
My other point of view I wish I would have bought stock in CN :):):)
About 10 yearsago I was hired by CN as a track foreman (with one weeks training at "Mac yard and be in charge of 40 to 50 men)  to be assigned in Bellevville when they were putting in the Third mainline in that project with Via and the Federal government if my memory serves me correctly.
I was a railway fan but I backed as I did not feel very comfotable being thrust into this position with so little training..
It was the right decision in my mind... but it broke my heart... and ny wife had health issues and family comes first in my life...
Sorry CN... :(:(:(

I love the final photo, where the track bend is the opposite of the highway, so the power aligns with one part of the highway, and the consist with the other. A neat eye-teaser!
Fred

Really nice set of shots, no. 1 in particular. 

Can I ask what camera you use and how you upload your images to TO?

exhaustED Wrote:
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> Can I ask what camera you use and how you upload
> your images to TO?

I've been using Canon cameras since 1996, currently a 5D MKIII and a 7D.  The lenses are also all Canon.  That first shot was taken with a 300/4L, but the one of the train being assembled back on the main line, was just a humble 50/1.8.

For processing, I use the current Canon Digital Photo Professional that comes with the cameras to convert from RAW, and then the copy of Photoshop Elements II that was free with my Digital Rebel in 2004.  DPP does the conversion and any exposure or colour tweaks, and then I level, resize, adjust contrast (if needed), sharpen and add titles with Elements.  It's not very sophisticated compared to what some people do, but I learned by shooting slides, so I can still get things pretty close to start.

GTD

cn6218 Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> exhaustED Wrote:
> --------------------------------------------------
> -----
>
> > Can I ask what camera you use and how you
> upload
> > your images to TO?
>
> I've been using Canon cameras since 1996,
> currently a 5D MKIII and a 7D.  The lenses are
> also all Canon.  That first shot was taken with a
> 300/4L, but the one of the train being assembled
> back on the main line, was just a humble 50/1.8.
>
> For processing, I use the current Canon Digital
> Photo Professional that comes with the cameras to
> convert from RAW, and then the copy of Photoshop
> Elements II that was free with my Digital Rebel in
> 2004.  DPP does the conversion and any exposure
> or colour tweaks, and then I level, resize, adjust
> contrast (if needed), sharpen and add titles with
> Elements.  It's not very sophisticated compared
> to what some people do, but I learned by shooting
> slides, so I can still get things pretty close to
> start.
>
> GTD

Interesting, thanks very much. The results speak for themselves, really top quality. 

Outstanding group of photos.

Rich