Canadian Railroads > At the Eastern End of the Dartmouth Sub.

Autoport, a ship-to-rail facility for imported (and sometimes export) automobiles is located at the present eastern end of CN's Dartmouth Sub in Nova Scotia.  Covid has reduced new vehicle imports somewhat, but when things are busy the facility can generate three dozen loaded autoracks each day, which usually leave for Moncton on train 407.  Local 509, the afternoon Dartmouth switch job, will usually make a trip to Autoport to spot empties and pick up whatever has been loaded already, and that is what was happening on July 31, 2002, as GP38-2s 4729 and 4724 pulled a string of racks through the 3-track yard.  The Ultramar tank in the background was once part of a small Texaco refinery, also served by rail.  The refinery was shut down but the tanks remained as a bulk storage terminal, and are now operated by Valero.

Five minutes later, train 509 was running alongside Pleasant St. and in front of the entrance to the Shearwater Air Base.

Two days later, with the power switched out and 4726 leading this time, another 509 was shoving a string of racks into the Dartmouth yard to be picked up by 407 the next morning.  The crew would likely make another trip out to the east end later that night after more cars were loaded.

GTD

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4729 was the trailing unit on yesterday's Z120...the paint job has not stood the test of time!
Just goes to show what 19 years of UV and various nicks and scratches can do.

..jr

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You're to be congratulated for your skill and luck in the second photo. The skill is realizing you need to hit the shutter before they ran into the pole's shadow, and the luck - geez, do you have your own traffic cop? Although I see you just made it, based on the trailer disappearing out of the frame.
Fred

It looks a lot luckier when you can't see all the other shots in that sequence :-)  Even though it was slide film, I still fired off quite a few to get the result you see here.  It was rare enough to catch a train leaving before sundown that I splurged like I did.  Of course, two days later they got away even earlier.

GTD

Thanks Geoff.....but I was hoping for a picture in Upper Musquodoboit!
:)

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