BNSF Switcheroo

Long-time Winnipeg resident BNSF 2756 headed south to the USA for its yearly maintenance and checkup on  Wednesday. Green and white GP39V BNSF 2968 has replaced it. I have yet to see BNSF 2968 but I did catch BNSF 2756 on its way out, quite by accident.

I had stopped by Portage Junction Wednesday afternoon with the hope of seeing some action. I saw CN 5726 was in the Fort Rouge yard with another engine behind it, but I couldn't see the engine coupled onto 5726. The roofline looked a bit odd.

Soon after I arrived, CN 2450 led a westbound freight train through Portage Junction. I took a few shots of CN 2450, the sole power on the grain train. I don't know what happened to this side of the engine but it definitely stands out.


I shot CN 2450 one other time, November 20, 2010, and it had the same "mark" then, so it is not new.

As CN 2450's train rolled on past on the south track, an eastbound CN intermodal came up on the north track. I didn't catch the engine numbers but it was quite a long train. Once the last grain car went through the Junction, CN 5726 pulled out and began shunting. Much to my surprise, BNSF 2756 was the second unit!


These two were the power for train CN 532 to Emerson. BNSF 2756 was online and rumbling away as they put their train together.


I couldn't stay to watch CN 532 leave, but I was glad to get a few parting shots of 2756.

Later, I caught CP 1532 and CP 8205 working the Fort Whyte area with some covered gondolas.


Finally, I saw CN 8898 leading CN 2440 and an eastbound train near mile 10 of the CN Rivers subdivision.


BNSF 2756 has been the Winnipeg engine for almost a full year. It came in mid-January 2011.

Today's Near Misses

I went out to shoot the Canadian today at noon. I wasn't entirely sure where I wanted to get it, but as I was driving I heard that CN 852 had a near miss at Waverley Street here in Winnipeg. That decided it for me. I saw a train was stopped on the north track as I drove along Sterling Lyon Boulevard but as I approached Waverley Street I saw it had started moving. I parked by Cora's as usual and by then the train had cleared the crossing. VIA 1 was just around the corner at Fort Rouge by that point, headed toward me. The signal maintainer was a little bit east of Waverley Street, watching the train to ensure there was no damage.

I saw the Canadian in the distance. As they approached, the crossing lights came on and the gates started coming down... and a pickup truck ran the crossing. I'm guessing the truck had been stopped and saw a gap to move into on the north side of the tracks, so the driver decided to go, probably not seeing the lights. I was watching and they started moving into the crossing after the lights came on. They ended up crossing the tracks while the gates were coming down.


Hello, Floform Countertops!

Fortunately for them there is no gate blocking their exit. They cleared the crossing, and VIA had slowed down anyway so there was no imminent danger... this time.

Here's the intersection in question. Click on the map to go to Google Maps.

The red dot is where the truck was in the photo above. It looks like there is plenty of space between the tracks and Taylor Avenue to the north, except that it's only a few hundred feet.

Oh yes, here's the Canadian in the fog. They have started the short winter trains, alas.


The fog cleared up and BNSF 2756, Operation Lifesaver caboose BN 12580 and 31 cars rolled by shortly afterward.


The story of the CN 852 incident came out later. Apparently a northbound bus was in traffic, stopped on the crossing due to cars between it and the intersection of Grant and Waverley. The crew of 852 likely put the train into emergency, and fortunately the light turned green and the bus was able to clear the intersection before 852 hit the bus. The lights and crossing arms were verified to be operating by the crew of CN 852. The Winnipeg Free Press published an article about it.

This is a dangerous intersection, given that Waverley Street is pretty busy and the track is the CN Rivers subdivision, two tracks that see well over 50 trains a day. I know people have been calling for an underpass like what was done at route 90 just a little ways west, but of course that costs millions of dollars, all from the city or province. I have no doubt that it will eventually get done.

In the mean time, groups like Operation Lifesaver are doing their best to educate the public about safety around trains. Obviously more education is needed!

EDIT: Added the link to the WFP article.

More Recent Trains

I just posted about some VIA trains I saw in May. Here's a grab bag of some other trains I saw in May.

Hmmm, let's see. I spent a bit of time at CN Subway on May 2 and I saw CN 199 heading west, with CN 2601 and CN 2298.


On May 5 I saw the usual BNSF transfer, still with BNSF 2756.

BNSF 2756 has been here for four and a half months... almost a record for BNSF in the past couple of years since long-time resident BNSF 1685 left.

Scoot ahead to May 26. I saw CN 106 in the afternoon around mile 9 of CN's Rivers subdivision. This was a grab shot.


Anyway, the interesting unit is the second one, SD70 IC 1004.


A few minutes later, I saw CEMR switching at Oak Bluff. CEMR 4000 and CCGX 5232 were doing the honours. This was a long telephoto shot, as you can see.

Note that CCGX 5232 used to be ANY 5232 (Athabasca Northern).

I mentioned I was in Portage la Prairie this past Saturday. There was a CP train doing some switching in the yard there by the old CP station. SD90 CP 9135 and faded SD40 CP 6040 were putting a grain train together.

Local switcher engine CP 3021 is locked away in its cage in the background.

When I was leaving Portage on the 28th, I saw a CP train heading east through the town. I got ahead of it on the east side of Portage and ended up shooting it at High Bluff in the rain.

I was leaning against the utility box (on the far side from the tracks) to keep steady and try to keep out of the rain.

There... now you're up to date.

PS Happy Glorious First of June!

Ho Hum

Today's Canadian was a pretty ho-hum train, on a ho-hum day.

Two engines, nine cars, as usual (full consist). I did note that someone left a hatch open on the nose of 6419. I wonder what that is for? Gas cap? Is the SERVICE ENGINE SOON light on in the cab?


Here's the video.


They were off and running for the west.


Little did I know that VanBilly1 was just east of me filming the same train at Waverley Street. Here's his video.


Shortly after they left, BNSF 2756 pushed two gondolas and a dozen tank cars over to Fort Rouge, headed by their caboose BN 12580. Here's VanBilly1's video of it at Waverley Street.


EDIT: Added Billy's videos.

Canada Geese

The Canada Geese have arrived in Winnipeg for their yearly honkfest. Witness these two geese frantically flying out of the way of the Hudson Bay.


VIA had just finished crossing over from the south to the north track, and would accelerate up to track speed (40 MPH) after crossing the St. James diamond.


Just prior to that, BNSF Manitoba brought their engine, BNSF 2756, and one gondola back from the CN Fort Rouge yard. They did the same maneuver, crossing from the south track to the north track, then taking the switch to their yard.

VIA Rail With Rocky Mountaineer

I was out running errands at noon and figured I'd try to get the Canadian at Portage Junction today. When I arrived there, the sun was shining, the sky was blue, and BNSF 2756 was ready to head back to their yard "running light" (with no cars).


I positioned myself to look straight down the mainline track. The nice thing about Portage Junction is that you can get fairly close to the tracks without trespassing. Soon I saw a headlight in the distance as the Canadian ran past Fort Rouge.

Here they are, passing under the signal tower.


Notice the big hump behind the engine? It was Rocky Mountaineer car RMRX 9527.


I shot each car as it went by, to record the car numbers. A gentleman in Skyline 8517 was chuckling at this idiot standing on a snowbank with a camera.


They rounded the corner at Portage Junction and headed toward Waverley Street and points west.


Full consist

See Also

• More Rocky Mountaineer cars
• Rocky Mountaineer Car on the Canadian
• Two Rockies on the Canadian

BNSF 2756 In Motion

I was running errands in Winnipeg this past Friday, and I drove by BNSF's yard since I was in the area. As it happens, the BNSF train was ready to head out to Fort Rouge to do their exchange. I circled around and got to the crossing at the right time to video the train going over Taylor.

BNSF 2756 pushed two tank cars and their caboose, BN 12580, decked out in the full Operation Lifesaver colours.

Oh, here's a video of BNSF 2756 in Minot, ND back in August 2010. It is leading with BNSF 2978 trailing. Interestingly, 2978 was also a Winnipeg resident back in January 2010!

New BNSF Unit

Winnipeg has a new BNSF engine. Thanks to a heads up from a local railfan, I went to the BNSF yard shortly before noon on Thursday to see the new unit, GP39E BNSF 2756. It and the "old" unit BNSF 3028 were both in the BNSF Manitoba yard on Lindsay Street. BNSF 3028 was put into the engine house and then 2756 followed.

It doesn't look a lot different than former Winnipeg resident BNSF 2743, seen here in September 2009, also a GP39E.

It looks like the horns are in slightly different spots, and BNSF 2756 has a horizontal white stripe between the green and black.

Presumably BNSF 3028 will be going home today or tomorrow on CN train 532.