Eastern Railroad Discussion > Another Problem in Quebec...

I have posted a few notes about yesterday's MMA derailment on the Lachine Bridge (Montreal) in the post below, "Weather Advisory." The other thing that happened yesterday was snow, rain, and then a quick freeze à la "The Day After Tomorrow," making a two-inch thick layer of hard ice everywhere. Tonight I saw on TV images of a CN Ultramar train derailment near Quebec City, apparently caused by ice in the track and switches. One locomotive stopped just short of some guy's garage.

On the same newscast, they showed helicopter views of the derailed MMA cars. The train was travelling to Montreal on the track on the west side of the span, and the doublestacks were blown into the gap between the two tracks. The tops of the containers lean out over the river on the east side of the bridge. A CP worker interviewed on the TV said they will try to re-open the line Sunday.

At the Montreal airport, several large MD-11 type aircraft were rotated 90 degrees by the wind, and several light aircraft were flipped.

Ray

http://www.lapresse.ca/article/20060217/CPACTUALITES/60217134/1023/CPACTUALITES with photo and French text.

Anybody remember the ice storm when CN put MLWs on the streets and drove them into 2 towns as emergency power supplies ???


TCS - cool in a bad way

I remember that. CN actually drove the MLWs off the rails right onto the streets. Too bad we Americans werent that smart. Lets hope we never see another storm like that one again.

This is an excerpt from a long and detailed report Bryce Lee made on the 1998 ice storm. I believe it was posted in the TrainsCan newsletter:

"The mayoress of Boucherville Quebec, Mme Francine Legault suggested borrowing diesel locomotives from Canadian National for use as emergency generators. She recalled that locomotives had been used as a source of power some years ago in Fermont, at the north end of Cartier Railway in Quebec. CN initially delivered M420W 3502, to the town on the south shore of the St. Lawrence River. The locomotive was lifted off of the tracks by a crane, and placed on de Montarville Street, and allowed to proceed 1000 feet down the street under its own power. The locomotive initially rolled on the edge of the wheel flanges on top of the pavement; the weight of the locomotive eventually cut flange-deep grooves into the asphalt of the street. This locomotive was used to generate electricity for the various local municipal buildings.

On January 14, M420W 3508 was delivered, and this time the locomotive was moved down the same street although not as far as the first locomotive. When it became apparent that M420 3508, loaned to the town by CN to generate electricity for use at a high school shelter, could not be utilized as envisaged, it was decided to leave the locomotive parked on de Montarville Boulevard just up the street from sibling 3502. CN 3502 and 3508 were not needed after Saturday January 17, since electricity had returned to the area. The two units were moved back to Taschereau Yard shop, and were shown into the shop for damaged gear cases (I wonder why...). 3502 is now stored serviceable, but may be back at work soon. 3508 is back on the road working. The StL&H (CP) offered CP Rail SD40 5417 to the city of Lacolle Quebec and the all-white ex-Kansas City Southern unit was modified and running January 14, 1998. The 5417 had been previously been supplying power at the St. Luc diesel shop and had to be chiseled out from its location it was so heavily embedded in ice."

I never got over to Boucherville to photograph the locomotives personally (I was too much in survival mode as I was without power for 7 days), but I was able to buy good-quality 8 x 10 prints at a trainshow a couple of years later.

Ray

Ray_Murphy Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> This is an excerpt from a long and detailed report
> Bryce Lee made on the 1998 ice storm. I believe it
> was posted in the TrainsCan newsletter:
>
> "The mayoress of Boucherville Quebec, Mme Francine
> Legault suggested borrowing diesel locomotives
> from Canadian National for use as emergency
> generators. She recalled that locomotives had
> been used as a source of power some years ago in
> Fermont, at the north end of Cartier Railway in
> Quebec. CN initially delivered M420W 3502, to the
> town on the south shore of the St. Lawrence River.
> The locomotive was lifted off of the tracks by a
> crane, and placed on de Montarville Street, and
> allowed to proceed 1000 feet down the street under
> its own power. The locomotive initially rolled on
> the edge of the wheel flanges on top of the
> pavement; the weight of the locomotive eventually
> cut flange-deep grooves into the asphalt of the
> street. This locomotive was used to generate
> electricity for the various local municipal
> buildings.
>
> On January 14, M420W 3508 was delivered, and this
> time the locomotive was moved down the same street
> although not as far as the first locomotive. When
> it became apparent that M420 3508, loaned to the
> town by CN to generate electricity for use at a
> high school shelter, could not be utilized as
> envisaged, it was decided to leave the locomotive
> parked on de Montarville Boulevard just up the
> street from sibling 3502. CN 3502 and 3508 were
> not needed after Saturday January 17, since
> electricity had returned to the area. The two
> units were moved back to Taschereau Yard shop, and
> were shown into the shop for damaged gear cases (I
> wonder why...). 3502 is now stored serviceable,
> but may be back at work soon. 3508 is back on the
> road working. The StL&H (CP) offered CP Rail
> SD40 5417 to the city of Lacolle Quebec and the
> all-white ex-Kansas City Southern unit was
> modified and running January 14, 1998. The 5417
> had been previously been supplying power at the
> St. Luc diesel shop and had to be chiseled out
> from its location it was so heavily embedded in
> ice."
>
> I never got over to Boucherville to photograph the
> locomotives personally (I was too much in survival
> mode as I was without power for 7 days), but I was
> able to buy good-quality 8 x 10 prints at a
> trainshow a couple of years later.
>
> Ray
>


I was also out of power for 14 days in St Bruno. I went to see the two M420's in Boucherville. Only 3502 was used as a generator (notice the cables), the other was standby power. Quite a creative way to power up city hall!

Brian

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