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About Paul O'Shell

Started my railroad career at CN in July 1969 and retired from the industry 49 years later on March 1, 2018. My area of expertise was railway Work Equipment. Currently reside in Binbrook, ON. I use a Nikon D7200 (Nikkor 35mm, 18-140mm, 55-300mm, & 80-400mm) and scan with an Epson V550. Enjoy my contributions. Be safe.

Paul O'Shell's Railpictures.ca photo upload statistics

Number of images: 250
Total gold: 2205
Number of comments recieved : 488
Number of comments posted : 522
Total views: 419545

Paul O'Shell has 1 image in the Time Machine

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Paul O'Shell's 250 photos on Railpictures.ca:

After seeing Seth B's fabulous (as always) post this morning http://www.railpictures.ca/?attachment_id=50903 I followed up on his comment about the numbering and rebuild history of lead unit CN 4609 by searching my files, and came up with this shot of CN 259 (ex-CN 4609, nee-NAR 211 Fort McMurray) at Thornton Yard Vancouver, BC June 6, 2022. Built in June of 1958 as a GP9, renumbered to CN 4609 in 1981, then rebuilt into this slug in 1990, it lives on, and looks good, 65 years later! :-)
Should this photo get posted, it will be my 250th contribution to the RP.ca site.

Name:	Paul O'Shell
Railway:	Canadian National
Date:	June 6, 2022
Location:	Vancouver
Province:	British Columbia

5 Comments | 12 Favourites

Name:	Paul O'Shell
Railway:	Erie Lackawanna
Date:	summer 1976
Location:	Fort Erie
Province:	Ontario

Comments | 17 Favourites

After a brief station stop, AC 154, an EMD GP7 built in March 1951 leads a small passenger train northbound out of Oba, ON in July of 1976. trailing the locomotive was a nice Algoma Central consist that included AC 74 steam generator unit, AC 201 express baggage, AC 209 express baggage, AC 422 coach, and, AC 424 coach. I was working in Oba at the time on a CN regional tie renewal gang and took the opportunity to walk across CN's yard and onto the ACR yard tracks to capture the movement as it continued its journey to Hearst, ON.

Name:	Paul O'Shell
Railway:	Algoma Central
Date:	July 1976
Location:	Oba
Province:	Ontario

1 Comments | 11 Favourites

While working on a CN tie renewal gang stationed in Fort Erie, ON in the summer of 1976, I came across a couple of Erie Lackawanna units idling away in the yard. Here, EL 1210 with its patched road number sits coupled to sister unit EL 1405 on this beautiful mid-summer afternoon. The exaggerated shadow of the single trumpet horn almost looks like it was painted on the short hood.

Name:	Paul O'Shell
Railway:	Erie Lackawanna
Date:	summer 1976
Location:	Fort Erie
Province:	Ontario

2 Comments | 16 Favourites

On a return trip from Golden & Field, BC after putting some new Nordco spike drivers into service for CP Engineering Services, I stopped in at CP's Alyth Yard complex in Calgary, AB. While there, I spotted Sperry Rail Service SRS 141 'E.B. JACKSON'. The rail flaw detection unit was tied down in a stub track waiting its next assignment on this very pleasant mid-June afternoon.

Name:	Paul O'Shell
Railway:	Other
Date:	June 19, 2008
Location:	Calgary
Province:	Alberta

1 Comments | 9 Favourites

No plow? No problem! Coming up on 45 years ago this month, CN 1323 leads the way freight into Jarvis from Hagersville on the west leg of the wye which is the Hagersville Sub. The Roadmaster (my Dad) has inspected the front of the unit and is satisfied that the cuts between Hagersville & Jarvis have been cleared. :-) The Pyle National dual sealed beam headlight with incandescent bulbs produces enough heat to keep the snow melted from the lenses. That won't happen with todays LED lights. The radiator is completely covered so the cab should be nice and warm. While there is not much snow on the ground, the numerous cuts along the route from Rymal in Hamilton to Jarvis can fill in quickly and become major problems if not attended to. CN 1323 taken care of that on this cold January 25, 1978 day.

Name:	unknown, Paul O'She…
Railway:	Canadian National
Date:	01/25/1978
Location:	Jarvis
Province:	Ontario

11 Comments | 21 Favourites

Having seen the head end in a previous post, here is the tail end of an Algoma Central passenger train departing Oba, ON in July of 1976. After a brief station stop, AC 154, an EMD GP7 built in March 1951 is leading this train northbound out of Oba headed for Hearst, ON. The consist from front to rear includes AC 154, AC 74 steam generator unit, AC 201 express baggage, AC 209 express baggage, AC 422 coach, and, AC 424 coach supporting the marker lamps. A string of cars can be seen on the CN/ACR connecting track at the left, and a couple of resident dwellings on the right. Note the nuts on the ACR rail joint bolts all face the field side, unlike the CN next door that staggers the bolts & nuts in each joint. Looks like a few tie plates will be replaced in the not-too-distant future.

Name:	Paul O'Shell
Railway:	Algoma Central
Date:	July 1976
Location:	Oba
Province:	Ontario

1 Comments | 13 Favourites

With the head end captured in a previous post, http://www.railpictures.ca/?attachment_id=50588 here is the tale end of the same westbound N&W freight scooting along the Cayuga Sub. through Jarvis ON in the summer of 1976. Caboose NW 557774 is carrying the markers today. Just like the headend crew, one of the tail end crew members stands on the rear platform ready to acknowledge any of us that might be out in my parents back yard. The west backtrack switch, the restricted clearance sign for the elevated freight shed platform at the mill, & the pole line wires are clearly visible along the right-of-way. The wheelbarrow and garden tools by the well tilled garden belong to my dad, a.k.a. the CN Roadmaster stationed in Jarvis at the time. My parents house was less than a hundred feet from the Cayuga Sub. which, unknown to us at the time, was a treasure trove of railroad action waiting to be photographed. That worn path up the side of the hill now leads to a much larger trail where the Cayuga Sub. once was. Norfolk & Western is no more. The Cayuga Sub. is no more. And the garden is no more. :-( My how things change!

Name:	Paul O'Shell
Railway:	Norfolk and Wester…
Date:	July 1976
Location:	Jarvis
Province:	Ontario

1 Comments | 15 Favourites

While on an Atlantic Region road trip in August of 1979 to test a new tie inserter for CN in Halifax, NS, I stopped in for a visit at CN Gordon Yard in Moncton, NB and came across several pieces of idle OCS equipment. Double ended snow plow CN 55696 was sitting in a line with other units (CN Blue Fleet Transportation Dept. accommodation unit to the left, and a scale test car to the right). Information in two recently posted photos of these rare bi-directional plows indicates there were only four of the specialty units constructed by CN at Transcona shops in Winnipeg, MB in 1939. When new, this unit, like other snow plows and flangers was painted box car red, but now sits covered in the once very popular for CN Work Equipment, CN No. 12 orange (CN Spec. 470-9N). Over the years, and before CN began accepting new Work Equipment in industry standard MoW yellow paint, a few locomotive cranes received this paint treatment as well. I do not recall any Jordan spreaders being painted No. 12 orange.

Name:	Paul O'Shell
Railway:	Canadian National
Date:	August 9, 1979
Location:	Moncton
Province:	New Brunswick

1 Comments | 15 Favourites

After a brief station stop, AC 154, an EMD GP7 built in March 1951 leads a small passenger train northbound out of Oba, ON in July of 1976. This Algoma Central consist includes AC 154, AC 74 steam generator unit, AC 201 express baggage, AC 209 express baggage, AC 422 coach, and, AC 424 coach. The CN Oba station on CN's Ruel Sub. can be seen at the right of the photo. I was working in Oba at the time on a CN regional tie renewal gang and took the opportunity to walk across CN's yard and onto the ACR yard tracks to capture this movement as it continued its journey to Hearst, ON.

Name:	Paul O'Shell
Railway:	Algoma Central
Date:	July 1976
Location:	Oba
Province:	Ontario

3 Comments | 19 Favourites

With white flags flapping, N&W 3671 and N&W 3661 pull a freight westbound along the Cayuga Sub. through Jarvis ON in the summer of 1976. The headend brakeman gives a friendly wave as all the crews did when they went by the back of our house. The west backtrack switch, the restricted clearance sign for the elevated freight shed platform at the mill, and the pole line wires are clearly visible along the right-of-way. The wheelbarrow and garden tools by the well tilled garden belong to my dad, a.k.a. the CN Roadmaster at Jarvis. Our house was not much more than an auto parts car length from the Cayuga Sub. but it still didn’t prompt me to take many photos when I lived there, or all the times I came back to visit my parents. That worn path up the side of the hill now leads to a much larger trail where the Cayuga Sub. once was. My how things change!

Name:	Paul O'Shell
Railway:	Norfolk and Wester…
Date:	Summer 1976
Location:	Jarvis
Province:	Ontario

7 Comments | 22 Favourites

Following up on an earlier post showing the new CN Danforth Work Equipment Shop that opened on June 5, 1956.

http://www.railpictures.ca/?attachment_id=42224

Here is a view from the rear of the new shop that same opening day.

Tucked between Main Street and Victoria Park Avenue, the CN Danforth Work Equipment Shop & Yard occupied the grounds that is now all townhouses. This new state of the art facility replaced a much older and smaller facility on the same property. The old shop was built on a foundation that had the large doors into the building at boxcar door/flatcar deck height. It became a small repair & storage facility when the new shop opened. After each season of rail replacement, tie replacement, ballast gangs, surfacing crews, & general Engineering projects, most equipment on the Great Lakes Region was returned to the Danforth shop/yard to be repaired/overhauled/stored until the next production season. Through the 1960's and 70's the yard tracks were home to fleets of Engineering accommodation & work service cars, including red fleet boarding cars, tool cars, coach cars, tanks cars, machinery flats, white fleet units, etc. They were all stored, stocked, & repaired here. With the ever increasing quantity, size, & complexity of work equipment machinery, a new repair facility was constructed in Capreol, Ontario in the late 1970's to take some of the workload from the Danforth shops. The value of Toronto real estate made the railway property at the Danforth complex very appealing, & the yard, Steel Bridge shop, and once modern Work Equipment shop would soon be gone to make way for the townhomes that are present there today. A plan to relocate the work being done at Danforth to a facility in St. Thomas, ON inherited in the CASO takeover never materialized.

Memories galore here! After a few summers working as a student on CN extra gangs, then a year on the section in Jarvis, ON in 1971, my CN Work Equipment career began at Danforth shop in 1972 as a machine operator. I went on to serve my apprenticeship as a heavy equipment mechanic here, was Regional Supervisor Work Equipment Operations from 1984-1987, and Superintendent of Work Equipment Repair Facilities in 1990. Doesn't seem that long ago! :-)

Name:	CNR, Paul O'Shell c…
Railway:	Canadian National
Date:	06/05/1956
Location:	Toronto
Province:	Ontario

Comments | 15 Favourites

Name:	Paul O'Shell
Railway:	Canadian National
Date:	November 1976
Location:	Jasper
Province:	Alberta

3 Comments | 16 Favourites

VIA 693 (Winnipeg to Churchill) with VIA 6443 & VIA 6458 for power sits on the station track with its tail end cars zig-zagged across yard tracks on this rainy afternoon in Thompson, MB. Meanwhile, about one car length ahead, VIA 692 (Churchill to Winnipeg) is occupying the platform area in front of the VIA station. Both trains had met at the wye switches on the Thicket Sub. and backed up the line to the station one behind the other. Just one of many unique experiences encountered on my week-long trip from Winnipeg to Churchill and return. I'm sure glad I made this trip before VIA added the 'buffer car' to the tail end!

Name:	Paul O'Shell
Railway:	VIA Rail
Date:	08/05/2022
Location:	Thompson
Province:	Manitoba

Comments | 10 Favourites

As viewed from VIA 8515 Skyline, the VIA station waiting room at Wabowden, MB is nothing more than a cement block below the HBRY station name sign behind the radio equipment bungalow. Wabowden is sandwiched between Pipun and Lyddal, and only a few hours (by train) south of Thompson, MB.

Name:	Paul O'Shell
Railway:	VIA Rail
Date:	08/01/2022
Location:	Wabowden
Province:	Manitoba

2 Comments | 9 Favourites

CN #1 The Super Continental has arrived in Jasper, AB on this frigid November day and is in the process of being fully serviced during this multi-hour station stop. New head-end crew, fuel, water, ice, and everything else that came with a division point stop back in the mid-1970's. From left to right in this photo there is so much to see. The CN Jasper station, a CN supply truck, a CN fuel truck and driver, baggage tug and attendant, CN 6513 GMD FP9A, vans, snowplows, white fleet units, Jasper Auxiliary cars, the CN roundhouse, and the mountains. One rule back then ... “Kindly flush toilet after each use except when train is standing in station.”

Name:	Paul O'Shell
Railway:	Canadian National
Date:	November 1976
Location:	Jasper
Province:	Alberta

5 Comments | 17 Favourites

Warm & wobbly. It's April 20, 2010 and springtime near Minaki, ON in northwestern Ontario, but it's a hot day on the track. The combination of full sun, disturbed ballast, changing of track ties, and the movement of machinery over warm rails has resulted in a series of sun kinks through this curve on CN's Redditt Sub. It was quite the feeling when the rail began to 'snake' under the wheels of the ballast regulator I was in as it rounded the curve in this picturesque rock cut area. Even as I was taking photographs of the initial kinks the rail continued to flex in additional locations. It wouldn't be long before the regulator and a production tamper teamed up to methodically get the track section back to where it was supposed to be. Just another day on the track with a production tie gang. :-)

Name:	Paul O'Shell
Railway:	Canadian National
Date:	04/20/2010
Location:	Minaki
Province:	Ontario

2 Comments | 21 Favourites

A crappy day, crappy location, and a crappy camera have resulted in a crappy photo. But I think the subject matter might be the redeeming quality of this pic.

IOC 518 is an electric, remote-controlled locomotive and was at the leading end of a fully loaded ore train heading for the dumper building at the Iron Ore Company of Canada's Carol Lake Pellet Plant in Labrador City, NL.

I was putting a new snow clearing machine into service for the IOC/QNS&L on this blustery November 2, 2005 day and was in the machine's cab getting warmed up when the ore train appeared from around a sharp curve in the track. The automatic horn was blowing every few seconds announcing the movement. I was much more focused on the task at hand (and rightfully so) than taking photos of my surroundings, which haunts me to this day.

Bill Purdy's photo shows a much newer, cleaner, well photographed, similar locomotive http://www.railpictures.ca/?attachment_id=50291

Name:	Paul O'Shell
Railway:	Quebec North Shore…
Date:	08/02/2005
Location:	Labrador City
Province:	Newfoundland and …

4 Comments | 16 Favourites

Name:	Paul O'Shell
Railway:	Canadian National
Date:	11/28/2008
Location:	Dock Siding
Province:	Ontario

3 Comments | 13 Favourites

Exactly 19 years ago today CN 1436 GMD1 Class GR 12b sits outside the Saskatoon, SK diesel shop on a very cold November 27, 2003. While putting a new snow fighter into service for CN I had the opportunity to wander through the shop and yard in between operator training sessions.

Name:	Paul O'Shell
Railway:	Canadian National
Date:	11/27/2003
Location:	Saskatoon
Province:	Saskatchewan

Comments | 16 Favourites

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