Load Shift

I was heading home on Tuesday, June 28 when I noticed a train heading east on the Rivers subdivision. I was not able to photograph the head end, but it was CN 840 on the north track. They stopped short of Waverley Street.

I waited for 311 but I heard that someone doing an rollby inspection of the train reported that something was amiss with the tenth car. They stopped to do an inspection and determined that it was a load shift and carried on.

I saw them cross Kenaston Boulevard with lone unit CN 2634 working hard to bring the train back up to speed, and the conductor gave a nice wave as they passed by.


After the engine was a beat up old CN gondola, then two flatcars with an odd dimensional load.



This is probably why CN 840 had to stop. There are rules for how two trains can meet/pass when one train has a dimensional load. I found some rules in these CP GOIs. It depends on the width of the load. In many cases one train has to stop and the other may pass by at a slow speed such as 10 MPH, and I think that's what happened here.

After these two flat cars were three bulkhead flat cars full of pipe, another gondola, then two flatcars with these giant pieces of steel.


Here's the offending car, ICG 295420, with a shifted load of pipe.


You can see the load did shift to the rear, and whomever was inspecting the train was concerned about the pipes getting loose and puncturing the tank car behind it. The conductor checked it out and was satisfied that there was no danger of that, so they carried on.

This is why trackside inspections are done!

The Canadian Today, and more

Today's Canadian was very prompt, rolling into view at St. James Junction at 12:14. She had three-eyed VIA 6434 leading and 6408 trailing, both Spiderman-2 units.

They had 19 cars: baggage 8616; coaches 8118, 8104, and 8103; Skyline 8509; diner Louise; Skyline 8512, sleeper cars Drummond Manor, Dawson Manor, Cabot Manor, Blair Manor, Chateau Lasalle, and Chateau Salaberry; Skyline 8503; diner Emerald; sleepers Osler Manor, Laird Manor and Christie Manor; and Tremblant Park bringing up the markers.


Just after they passed, CN 303 was heard passing through Fort Rouge. There was some discussion about meeting CN 114 east of Diamond, as 303 apparently had a dimensional load and the rules say that either one of the two has to be stopped, or they both have to proceed at 10 MPH. I believe 114 ended up stopping.

CN 303 had Dash-9 2624 leading and IC 1009 trailing.

I think this was the dimensional load they were talking about, about six or so cars back from the engines.

It says "CB Energy Recovery" on it. It's a HSRG, a Heat Recovery Steam Generator. These are used to make steam from gas turbines or other waste heat sources.

NB Southern Tank Train, take 2

Bob Boudreau took some photos of the "real" NB Southern tank train Tuesday. He had sent a link to his photos from Sunday's test train, and they informed him the train was headed to Harvey. He found it near Westfield Beach and followed it to around Nerepis. They had a hi-rail truck ahead of the train to jackhammer a few rock outcroppings. The train itself had NBSR 2319 leading with eight bulkhead flats (7 with tanks and the last one empty) and caboose NBSR 422990 trailing. Ah, a train with a caboose.

Here it is at Westfield Beach:


Farther on down the line:


Thanks for posting your photos, Bob!