Canadian Railroads > 507 at Birch Cove

Local 507 is heading west out of Rockingham with GP9RM 7025 on September 6, 2002.  In the background is Bedford Basin, and off in the distance are the Canadaian Coast Guard base in Dartmouth, Tufts Cove power plant and A. Murray MacKay Bridge spanning Halifax Harbour

The covered hopper is likely grain for the Windsor & Hantsport, while the SOO hopper may be going to the WHRC as well to be loaded with gypsum.  The boxcar is a bit of a mystery, although there was a building supply outfit at Bedford Quarry for a short while.  It's also possible it must be unloaded from only one side, and will be turned on the wye at Windsor Jct. before coming back to Rockingham.

GTD

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Good stuff as usual.

I have photos of Soo Line hoppers spotted at the kitty litter plant in Milford so it could be going there. I will have to check my photos and see if any were taken around the same time as yours!

Andrew C

andrewcastle Wrote:
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> Good stuff as usual.
>
> I have photos of Soo Line hoppers spotted at the
> kitty litter plant in Milford so it could be going
> there. I will have to check my photos and see if
> any were taken around the same time as yours!
>
> Andrew C

Open hoppers? 

I've seen some covered hoppers more recently in Milford, but rail service is rare there now unless there is more than one car at a time.  I was thinking that the SOO hopper might have been in the CN pool by way of Wisconsin Central, but I can't positively remember anything other than the CN hoppers going to WHRC for gypsum.

GTD

One of the prettiest GP9RM scenes I've seen.
Fred

Thanks Fred.  It was a nice little spot for a few years, but is now overgrown with pine trees and Japanese Knotwood, completely obscurring the tracks.

GTD

Here are three photos of Soo hoppers in Milford dated June 1999.

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Here are three more. The first two are not dated, the third was August 2004. During that period the cat litter plant recieved quite a variety of covered hoppers, the Soo Line cars were the only open hoppers I remember seeing there. 

It's quite rare to see cars parked in Milford now.

Andrew C

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Sure looks like it could have been going there in my picture.

On a related note, I just heard that an extra 515 is on its way to Milford right now to spot a load and pull two empties.  They should be waiting there for 407 and 120, which are likely converging on Alton.

Update:  With some time between 407 and 120 at Milford, 515 went all the way to Sandy Cove (about 10 miles farther east) to run around their two hoppers.  The two hoppers were indeed open ones, and had CAAX reporting marks  They are shown here entering the main line again from the west end of the siding at Sandy Cove.

In another unusual move on October 12, 2017, while 511 was waiting for the rest of their hoppers to be filled with gypsum at the Milford mine, they went a few miles farther west to pick up an empty hopper at Sun Ray Industries (the kitty litter plant).  It had the same reporting marks, CAAX, as the two hoppers today.  The hopper was lettered Coloured Aggregates Inc.on the side.  Sun ray is owned by Shaw Resources, which has a large landscaping division, and I wonder if this might be loads of decorative stone for landscaping or concrete work.  In the final picture, 511's power was almost back to the mine to pick up their train.

GTD



Edited 2 time(s). Last edit at 05/01/21 18:32 by cn6218.

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