The CN Christmas Train

I mentioned that CN was running a Christmas train in Winnipeg this year. Well, here it is.

This train was organized by local CN people and will visit Winnipeg, Saskatoon and Edmonton to carry CN employees and their families. Funds raised will benefit local charities. The Winnipeg runs raised $11,000 for the Christmas Cheer Board!

Mark Perry posted some photos in the RailsMBSK Facebook group. You have to be a Facebook member to see them.

The train had E9 CN 103 providing head-end power, four rented VIA coaches, and CN 8925 did the heavy lifting.

I almost missed this train. It was scheduled to run from Symington Yard in Winnipeg out to Diamond on the CN Rivers subdivision and back, twice a night. I went up to Carman Junction to wait for the train. Fortunately I had my scanner with me and I heard CN 8925 mention they were at Waverley - a few miles east of my location. I hotfooted it (OK, drove) over to Waverley Street and I found them just west of the road, waiting for CN 315 to pass. They had to wait for 315 because it was crossing over from the south to the north track in front of them. Once 315 went by, they headed west back to Symington and that's where I filmed them.

CN 5735 was the lead engine of 315 and that was the night photo I was processing earlier.

Taylor Woolston also caught the train, a day later than I did.

PS time is running out to buy a train calendar or grain elevator calendar in time for Christmas!

Some Recent Trains

I wanted to share a few trains I saw recently. I parked near Diamond with my laptop at noon time on the 23rd, hopping out to shoot trains as they went by. Not a bad way to spend a noon hour.

First up was CN 103, which showed up just as I arrived near Diamond. CN 2296 was the lead engine.

CN 8837 was mid-train. Note the "new tire" on the rear of the truck.


CN 8012 was pushing on the rear.


About an hour later, the Canadian came rolling along.


This was still a summer consist with 20 cars... not bad.


About 15 minutes later, CN 104 came rolling in with two SD70s for power. CN 5619 was on the head end...


... and Illinois Central 1039 was behind her. I miss the black IC engines but this doesn't look too bad.


I didn't realize they were meeting CN 199 until I noticed that CN 5619 had her headlights dimmed. I wasn't quite in the right place to catch the actual meet.


Nice to see those BC Rail units still kicking around.


That was the end of trainspotting for me for that day. It was nice to get out and exercise my new lens. I'll have to write about the lens soon. :)

The Grey Cup Train, Part 2

Following on my last post about the Grey Cup train, here are some photos of the interior and the festivities outside.

As I said previously, baggage car VIA 8615 had displays showing the history of (Canadian) football and equipment. The next car was provided by Canadian Pacific, CP 103, and contained displays about the Grey Cup game itself, including an extensive set of Grey Cup rings. This is Henry Burris' ring from the Calgary Stampeders' 2008 victory over Montreal.


Nearby was a ring from the Saskatchewan Roughriders from their 2007 victory over the Winnipeg Blue Bombers. Photographing these was challenging because they were behind plexiglass, which is becoming quite scratched. This is Kent Austin's ring, who won the Grey Cup twice as a quarterback (SK, BC) and once as the head coach (SK).


There is a spot in the car for the Grey Cup to sit in, but as I said before, it was not on the train at this time.


The next car was another Canadian Pacific car, CP 104.


This car had displays for all of the current CFL teams. I tried to explain to this guy that he and his nephew were wearing jerseys for the wrong sport but he was having none of it.


Our Roughrider family had to pose at the Saskatchewan display.


At the end of the car, we faced this obstacle. No entry into the diner for us!


Here is the exterior of VIA 8412 / KENT. This is as far as we were permitted to go to photograph, so I did not get any photos of VIA 8502 or VIA 8208 / CHATEAU DOLLIER.


They did do a nice job decorating the cars.


Back outside the station, there was still a long line waiting to see the train. Note the Canadian Human Rights Museum in the background, still under construction.


We wandered around the displays for a while. Telus had a Fan Cup there, and there were hot dogs for sale, a football toss, a tackling area, and of course the Grey Cup.


We joined the line for the Cup and after about 15 minutes, we had our turn.


Thanks to the CFL, to VIA Rail, to Rona, and all the other sponsors for supporting this great train and display as it travels across Canada. Look out Halifax, the train is coming to see you next!

July 2

Here's a few photos from July 2. This was a holiday here so after hanging around the house for a while, I loaded the kids up and went out to shoot trains. I headed toward CN's Symington Yard but was distracted by CN 103 rolling into the yard from the CN Sprague subdivision. I shot them just north of the Perimeter near Tinkertown. I didn't have much time to set up and I wanted to try a pan shot. This is the best of them.


Continuing on, I passed the yard and headed up to Transcona. CN 114 was rolling through on the main line, passing CN 112 that was sitting in the siding being refueled. 112 had CN 8899 on the head end.

You can see the grain facility on the left and the Fort Garry hotel in the far distance.

Here's CN 114 passing CN 112.

I really wish I have a better telephoto lens! To be fair, this is shot from a bit over half a kilometre away...

I took another shot as they drew closer.


I decided to chase the train. We headed east along the Dugald Road and were able to get ahead of it. I debated with myself whether I would try a grain elevator shot in Dugald but when I saw a nice field of canola, I knew I wanted to shoot the train with the canola in the foreground. Here it is.


I heard that CN 112 was getting ready to roll, so I took a few photos of it but did not wait around. I wanted to see some CP action. I headed north. All was quiet on CP so I had a quick look at the CEMR yard. I saw that CP 1532 and CP 1594 were parked in the CP North Transcona yard, and CEMR had engine 4000 in front of their shops... but more interesting was CCGX 4010 as viewed through their fence.


I'm no expert but I kinda think this is the end of CCGX 4010.


I last saw her in action just about two years ago:


I returned to the Day Street crossing of CP and saw headlights in the distance to the east. I parked and waited for the train.. and waited.. and waited. It was approaching but taking its sweet old time getting there. Finally it revealed itself to be CP 8761.


That was it for the day. I guess that was enough!