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Caption: I have always found this image intriguing because it is probably the longest line of uncovered automobiles I have ever seen on a train.
The occasion was just after the infamous Mississauga Wreck on the Galt sub, and a few trains were detouring down thru Waterdown into Hamilton and running east over the CN to get around the carnage.
I was shooting prints, then elected to grab a slide of all these new autos and as a result have been unable to match up just what power led this train.
One could only imagine vandals using this for moving target practice.
Incidentally, the guys seen on the hillside were out for the wreck detours, just as I was.
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Possible it could be a train lead by CP 5790-5791-C&O 3536 (flying white extra flags) on November 16th 1979, I have a Bill McArthur image here of a similarly long train of open autoracks.
Quite a variety of autos on the train, What’s interesting is that theres even a farm tractor on the front of the top ramp of the third car.
Aye, MrDan: Old “Wild Bill” wasn’t with me on the day of this attached photo, but he no doubt stopped by as often as he could to grab the shot you mention on Nov 16h, a Friday. As for me, I was chained to my work.
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All the white wall tires. You felt like you had made it back then when the family car had a set of white walls in the driveway.
Thats right !! I remember when my old 1967 Fairlane needed new tires and there was no way I was settle for “cheaper” tires without the whitewalls. Today, this is insignificant nonsense. Had my curb feelers, too. Deluxe model. Came with passenger side mirror !!
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Amazing
There’s a lot going on here — the sheer length, the fully exposed loads, and then the context of the Mississauga detour on top of it. It’s one of those scenes that feels almost routine at first glance, but the more you look, the more you realize how rare it actually is. Really exceptional capture.
What a great capture!
Is that a Ford tractor behind the Econoline van on the third autorack from the camera?
GM’s, Mercury’s and Fords all discernable.
Fabulous photo Arnold, usually it was lower priority trains routed this way. This train seems to have higher priority freight than this routing would dictate, the option being London to Toronto on CN. regarding the multilevel cars, in some cases those cars were too high to clear the underside of the Desjardins Canal bridge (York Street?) and had to be switched out at some point before departing Guelph Jct.
Even cars that would clear, often had to be routed onto the “outbound” track against the current of traffic. That was done because, owing to the curvature on the underside of the bridge structure, there was a bit more height available on the outbound track. Usual practice with these trains was to run the power around the train on the other (in this case inbound) track and couple onto the inbound train’s van, set it over and then double the train onto it. The trains was then towed “backwards” the rest of the way on the CN to Canpa, thence back onto CP tracks. This whole bunch of sawing back and forth consumed a lot of time, especially when the move was trying to integrate with the traffic on the busy CN Oakville Sub. On one trip from Quebec Street to Toronto Yard via Hamilton, we were on duty 15 hours. A long time for an “as the crow flies” 124 mile trip
Non-Boy: Yes, we KNEW it was history at the time and the adrenaline was flowing. An extreme event.
Paul: Yep. Cabs. Distinctive protectors on the back of the cabs.
And to Ronald: As usual, some great commentary about how the events unfolded after the Wreck. For the crews it must have been an unprecedented time on the job.
And I am glad the photo was appreciated. It was one of my favourites from the detours.
Oh!! The one lone tractor!!! NOW I see it. Thanks, Paul; for pointing that out. Someone must be in cahoots with the RR to get a special order like that.