Canadian Railroads > CN Heritage Units Invade Edmonton Alberta

After the official roll out in Montreal at the beginning of November, it didn't take long for the first of the 5 CN "Heritage" painted units to reach Edmonton Alberta. 

#1 CN 3008, painted in the Illinois Central "Deathstar" scheme, sits in the siding at Russett Alberta with empty unit crude train U735. After eastbound Q104 passes, the 3008 will continue her journey westward. November 19 2020

#2 CN 3008 rolls past a parked welded rail train at Ryley Alberta. The caboose on the end of the rail train is a rare find in 2020! November 19 2020

#3 CN 3008 passes the leaning elevator at Shonts Alberta, on the Wainwright Subdivision. November 19 2020

-Trevor

 

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 Four days after the IC painted ES44 came west, Edmonton area fans were treated to BC Rail painted 3115 leading Q183

#4 Q183 is a little frosty as it nears Uncas on CN's Wainwright subdivision. November 23 2020

#5 Q183 crosses over range road 225 near Bremner Alberta November 23 2020

#6 CN 3115 rolls through the east end of Edmonton Alberta in style with intermodal train Q183 bound for Prince Rupert BC. November 23 2020

The WC painted GE also made it to Edmonton this past week, unfortunatly I couldn't make it out to shoot it.

-Trevor

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That van is in remarkably good shape, compared to some I've seen.  No grafitti, and it still has the glass!

The IC GE is pretty sharp too.  Looks good in the snow.

GTD

Excellent shots, thanks for posting!  My favorite is the IC heritage passing the caboose.

Very nice, especially the first meet shot.  I wonder what is the deal with the boxcar behind the power on the stack train.  Is that a regular thing?  It looks like it might be some specialty paint job on it.

Andy

AndyBrown Wrote:
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> I wonder what is the deal with the boxcar behind the
> power on the stack train.  Is that a regular
> thing?  It looks like it might be some specialty
> paint job on it.
>
> Andy

That's the autonomous TEST car.  It checks track geometry and other parameters and reports back to headquarters.

There have been a few posts here in the last year about it.

GTD

cn6218 Wrote:
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> AndyBrown Wrote:
> --------------------------------------------------
> -----
>  
> > I wonder what is the deal with the boxcar behind
> the
> > power on the stack train.  Is that a regular
> > thing?  It looks like it might be some
> specialty
> > paint job on it.
> >
> > Andy
>
> That's the autonomous TEST car.  It checks track
> geometry and other parameters and reports back to
> headquarters.
>
> There have been a few posts here in the last year
> about it.

Eight of them now in the fleet, assigned to intermodals in four corridors -- Toronto-Vancouver (2 cars), Chicago-Prince Rupert (4), Chicago-Halifax (1), Chicago-New Orleans (1).  Some have more capability than others.

Lovely work, Trevor! Your drone shot at Russett had me going for a bit, because I knew the knolls that flank the siding aren't as high, and are tighter to the tracks. It also let you stay on the highway side of the train to get ahead of it. Very convenient. Just a question raised by your Russett photo - if you get too close with the drone, do you get caught in turbulence from a stack train? The use of it at Range Road 225 is completely inspired, and eliminates that pesky tree on the west side of the bridge. We ground-pounders have to do the best we can, I guess.
Fred

feclark Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> Lovely work, Trevor! Your drone shot at Russett
> had me going for a bit, because I knew the knolls
> that flank the siding aren't as high, and are
> tighter to the tracks. It also let you stay on the
> highway side of the train to get ahead of it. Very
> convenient. Just a question raised by your Russett
> photo - if you get too close with the drone, do
> you get caught in turbulence from a stack train?
> The use of it at Range Road 225 is completely
> inspired, and eliminates that pesky tree on the
> west side of the bridge. We ground-pounders have
> to do the best we can, I guess.
> Fred

Thanks Fred, I was actually parked on the north side of the tracks at Russett, and stilll had time to crooss and get onto the highway before the U735 pulled out of the siding. No turbulence from the stacktrain, but it was travelling at restricted speed due to a red signal on the other end of Russett. That pesky tree at 225 is "scheduled" to fall down in a localized wind storm before spring.

-Trevor



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 12/01/20 07:48 by tsokolan.

Really like the first shot the best!  They are all good shots.

RC Lundgren
Elgin,, TX

Great pics!!  My favorites are Pics 3 and 6!!