Sunday, October 18, 2009

Oddities in Winnipeg

I drove by CN's Symington Yard just before noon today, and I saw two unusual sights in the yard just south of the hump.

Ex-CP SW1200 8131 was sitting there by itself. I understand 8131 has been dead for quite some time.
CP 8131, Winnipeg

GO Transit bilevel car 2499 was very near 8131. This is probably the same GO car I saw yesterday on the end of a freight. The last time I saw I saw a GO car in Winnipeg (Boxing Day 2007), it was coming from the Bombardier plant in Thunder Bay, Ontario.
GO 2499 in Winnipeg

A more normal sight was a freight at the south end of the yard, presumably getting ready to head out on the Sprague subdivision. CN 5776 and 2648 were at the head of a container train.
CN 5776 and 2648 in Winnipeg
Note the ubiquitous Canada geese in the field. They are everywhere in Winnipeg!

2 comments:

jddc.trains said...

8131 looks familiar to me for some reason. I may have seen it here in Calgary in the past, but not 100% positive on that.

Why are GO train cars in Winnipeg? Does Winnipeg have a GO system or are they on the way another location?

If the geese there are anything like the ones in Calgary, contrary to all beliefs, they do not fly south in the winter. Rather they fly back and forth from feeding grounds to bodies of water for the night and back again. It's quite funny to see a flock flying north in the dead of winter!

Canadian Train Geek said...

I think CP 8131 was dead in Ogden Yard for quite some time.

Bombardier has a plant in Thunder Bay, and the only rail access is CN's line to Winnipeg. GO ordered 20 new cars this spring, so this must be one of them on its way to Toronto.

There are a couple of small ponds near my house, and every night they fill up with geese. Step out any night and you can hear the honking!