Happy new year!
This slide from Greg Brewer shows CN 1765 and the rest of a plow train in the Devon yard in Fredericton, NB in January 1984. You can see that the plow is on the long hood end, which is the Front of an RSC-14.
Like many RSC-14s, CN 1765 noodled around the Maritimes on various branch lines. It did a stint in Newfoundland at the Port-aux-Basques standard gauge yard. As you can see, it was in Fredericton in 1984 and I have a Bill Linley shot of it in Millville near Nackawic in 1983. I also have a record of it in Halifax in September 1990.
CN 1765 holds the distinction of being the power for the last CN train to Woodstock, NB on March 26, 1987. It had just a caboose on the way to Woodstock, and came back with two empty flour cars from Karnes Bakery and a covered hopper. CN service to Woodstock ended on April 1 of that year when ice from the spring flood took out the east span of CP's bridge at Upper Woodstock (credit to Brian Barchard, I think, for this information).
The CN Cyclopedia shows that CN 1765 was built as RS-18 3864 in 1960. It was rebuilt and renumbered in 1975 by replacing the 4-axle trucks with 6-axle (middle un-powered) trucks and reducing the horsepower from 1800 to 1400. She was retired on September 30, 1993 but served a short second life with the Cape Breton & Central Nova Scotia Railway before being retired again in late 1995. CN Lines says she was used for parts, and presumably she has been scrapped.
2 comments:
The switch to A1A-A1A trucks reflected CN's obsession with weight saving on branch lines.
The three axle truck not only spread the weight, but also improved tracking on what CN preferred to call "under" (not poorly) maintained trackage.
Winter photos like this make you yearn for a slab of fruit cake, with almond paste, drizzled liberally with hot rum sauce!
Hi Steve,
Just to verify, the details of RS-14 1765 as power for the last CN train out of South Devon to Woodstock on March 26th, 1987, were presented from my log book.
Some additional information....I observed Extra CN 1765 North through Nashwaaksis ( Fredericton North ) @ 0800 and returning south at the same location @ 1530 hrs.
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