Canadian Railroads > Wringing Out the Motive Power on CN

CN usually keeps a pair of large road units (SD75I, Dash-9, etc.) in Dartmouth to cover the gypsum trains between there and Milford, NS.  I've always thought that using relatively new power for a job that only runs 60 miles a day (double that if there is a 513 in the evening) might not be the most effective use of resources.  A trio of less fuel efficient SD40-2s could do the same job and free up the newer power for longer runs.  However, nobody asked for my input.  :-)

But last Saturday, after 511 was finished with the gypsum, CN ran an extra 407 (there was no 408 that morning) to Moncton and back, putting another 400 or so miles on the odometers.

In the first image, 511 is slowing for the switch to the Dartmouth Sub in Windsor Jct. at 11:36.  In the second, at 13:15, the crew has finished putting the loads away at Wrights Cove, and is heading light to Dartmouth Yard.  In the background are the three stacks of the Nova Scotia Power Tufts Cove generating station.

511's crew didn't even get a chance to put the power away in the yard.  They coupled right onto a short (26 cars) 407 that was already in the yard waiting, and handed over the power to 407's crew.  After an SBU test and roll-by, they were on the road to Moncton.  I caught them under sunny skies in Brookfield at 15:21.  With no stop in Truro, they were likely in Moncton about 4 hours later.  The same power came back to Dartmouth on 408, and was ready for the next 511 Monday morning.

GTD

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Real nice trio.
JB

Love the third shot with the barn. 

Your third shot is post-card perfect; what a scene! The first one is also nice work, fitting things in the window through the veggies.
Fred

Chessie Wrote:
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> Love the third shot with the barn. 

+1...!!  Well done....