Canadian Railroads > Day #2 on the north end of the Cartier 22 years ago OTD

Day #2 of our trip started in Baie Comeau,QC. We fortified ourselves with Caffeine and Sugar at Timmy Hortons and headed north on Rte. 389 at 6 AM. We made a quick stop at Manic-5 Hydro Dam and gassed up at the last gas station we knew about until Labrador City. Took some shots of the impressive Manic-5 Multiple Arch Buttress Dam of Quebec Hydro. This dam impounds the Manicougan River. Construction started in 1959 and wasn't completed until 1970. That's a whole lot of reinforced concrete !  Manic-5 was also where the paved highway ended and from there it was dirt and gravel for over 200 miles to the QCM loadout at Mount Wright,QC. About the only opposing traffic on this part of Rte. 389 was Tandem Log Trucks which would barrel down the middle of the highway and pelt us with gravel,small stones and lots of dust. We learned to slow down and get off to the side of the road as far as possible whenever we saw a dust cloud approaching in the distance. I can't believe that we didn't get a cracked windshield on this trip !

---

---

---

We made it up to the remote QCM Crew Hostel and Maint. Base at Love (MP 170). This is the midway point between Port Cartier and Mount Wright. It is also a crew change point. We found northbound Empties (QCM 83,82,42) waiting on a crew at North Love. If my French is any good,I believe the sign in the second shot says End of Siding, North Love. Bottom shot of QCM M636 83 which was bought new in 3-75 and rebuilt by Cartier in 2000. We had way more clouds than sun this day and had to take advantage of the few sucker holes of sun that mother nature gave us.

---

---

---

Next 3 shots of the front end of the freshly rebuilt QCM 83. The Port Cartier Shops certainly made some modifications to the original MLW cab.

---

---

---

That's a lot of dirt road. Should make for a memorable trip

Posted from Android

Top shot showing the QCM facilities at Love. We were cordially invited to the Crew Hostel kitchen for lunch. Had some great tasting Soup, Roast Beef. Potatoes and  Apple Pie. While we were eating a southbound Loaded Train with QCM 48,75,81 pulled in for a recrew. We thanked our gracious hosts for their hospitality and fine meal and got back to railfanning. Got a lucky sucker hole of sun on the southbound Loads parked at the Milepost. Both trains were recrewed and the Loads got on the move passing the waiting Empties.

---

---

---

After the southbound Loads cleared we set up just north of Love to shoot the northbound Empties departing. The clouds were winning and it was getting late in the day when we took our last shot at Rob (MP 240.5). It was too dark to shoot by the time they made it to the loadout at Mount Wright (MP 260).  Stay tuned for tomorrow's installment.  

---

---

---

Thanks for a very interesting trip series. Very enjoyable!

Larry

Excellent set - Many great scenes.
Bob

What a neat trip you guys had!! Really enjoying this series! Looking forward to the next installment!

Fantastic series!  Really enjoying your photos and narrative.

Wow, the picture of the dam would be worth the trip by itself. Very serious road trip, great photos.
Never knew they did the L-shaped widow to their Alcos, interesting stuff.
t4p.