Tuesday's CN 406 train to Saint John had a surprise at the end of it. Ex CN passenger car Metis was the second last car on the train. Matt shot it in Rothesay just before it arrived in Saint John.
There is much speculation about why it was on this train.
Metis was listed on Ozark Mountain's For Sale page but is now listed as sold. The Metis is now listed on American Rail Excursions' web site. There is lots of information on the car there, including a floor plan.
I found two videos of Amtrak trains with the Metis on the end of the train. It looks like they were both taken in January 2010.
The real gem, however, is THIS video featuring stills and video showing the outside and inside of the Metis, and another private car, the Virginia City. The video was taken in early 2009 when the Metis was owned by John Tyson, a reporter in Reno, Nevada.
There was a blog entry about Tyson and others renting private rail cars.
Thanks to Matt for the video and to Wendell Lemon for the "heads up" and information on the car.
EDIT: I understand that NB Southern Railway has purchased the Metis.
3 comments:
I suspect the Metis is second-to-last in the freights because they don't want it in the middle (strength issues?) and you can't have it right on the tail?
Hi Mike, there are specific rules on where passenger cars are to be marshalled in freight trains. I don't have the rules right in front of me but it is part of the rules of how trains are to be put together. There are rules for things like dangerous goods cars, cars with loads that can shift (like rails or pipes), etc.
Back when there were still wooden cabooses or passenger cars in use, there were rules that said they had to go last because their frame was not strong enough to go in the middle or front.
Saw this car passing through Pickering, Ontario around 8:15 am Sunday Sept 19th. I was driving to work, so I couldn't get any shots of it.
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