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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: 213
Total gold: 1670
Number of comments recieved : 380
Number of comments posted : 399
Total views: 384980

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Paul O'Shell's 213 photos on Railpictures.ca:

A beautiful day and location for a mid-morning meet between VIA #2 The Canadian, and a hot-shot CN double stack. Jones is a cottage dotted, heavily forested, part of northwestern Ontario on East Lake between Farlane http://www.railpictures.ca/?attachment_id=49924 and Favel. The dwarf signal at mile 105.8 would be green in less than a minute after this photo signaling our permission to leave the siding and continue eastbound after a perfect meet.

Name:	Paul O'Shell
Railway:	VIA Rail
Date:	03/09/2020
Location:	Jones
Province:	Ontario

2 Comments | 10 Favourites

After boarding VIA #1 The Canadian in Toronto, checking into my room, and getting my safety briefing, I headed to the rear of the train to watch the departure from Union Station in the dome of VIA 88709 Laurentide Park. Prior to getting to the bullet end of the car, and the curved staircase leading to the upper level, one has to pass by the very inviting, well appointed, and well stocked bar area. The attendants here offer top level attention & service to guests in Sleeper Plus and Prestige Class, and they mix mighty fine drinks as well! :-) You can enjoy water, juice, pop, coffee/tea, or just about any kind of adult beverage you can think of, here or upstairs while you watch the scenery of five different Provinces pass by. Not a bad way to spend a few days and nights at any time of the year.

Name:	Paul O'Shell
Railway:	VIA Rail
Date:	12/12/2021
Location:	Toronto
Province:	Ontario

2 Comments | 11 Favourites

All is quiet at the Churchill, MB station platform on this August 3, 2022 morning. No VIA train today. The track forces and railroad contractors have left the terminal for another days work out on the line, and there will be no wayfreight activity until tomorrow. All the other equipment in the yard is powered down and will remain idle for the rest of the day. The station track could use a lift, level, line, and tamp one of these days.

Name:	Paul O'Shell
Railway:	Hudson Bay Railway
Date:	08/03/2022
Location:	Churchill
Province:	Manitoba

Comments | 13 Favourites

The beginning of another cross-Canada journey starts at Toronto Union Station on this wonderful December 12, 2021 morning. Having dropped my bags in the room, completed the passenger safety briefing, and received my vestibule door opening instructions (designated back-up in case of emergency) with the sleeping car attendant, I made my way a few cars back to the tail end of the consist to a nicely refurbished VIA 88709 Laurentide Park. This pleasantly lit and comfortable dome/lounge would be my hangout for the next four days & nights as The Canadian worked its way across Canada. Sleeper Plus class was less than 1/4 full so there was never an issue finding 'the perfect seat' upstairs or down on the whole trip. I was pleasantly surprised when I ran into a friend and former CN co-worker & his wife in the dining car on the first evening of the journey which only added to the pleasure of the trip.

Name:	Paul O'Shell
Railway:	VIA Rail
Date:	12/12/2021
Location:	Toronto
Province:	Ontario

7 Comments | 11 Favourites

My journey from Toronto to Montreal to Halifax and return has reached its final leg as VIA #67 prepares to depart Montreal's Central Station for Toronto, ON on March 7, 2022 with VIA 6414 on the point. My car attendant waits patiently at the first car behind the power for me to finish taking photos, but I was in no hurry as the engineer told me to take my time and get all the shots I wanted. He even offered to take my camera into the cab and take a few shots for me, saying that unfortunately he couldn't invite me up. :-(
This would be another enjoyable trip on my week of great train riding back & forth across Ontario, Quebec, and the Maritimes.

Name:	Paul O'Shell
Railway:	VIA Rail
Date:	03/07/2022
Location:	Montreal
Province:	Quebec

1 Comments | 9 Favourites

HLCX 1046 is the trailing unit of three on yard switching duty on this sunny afternoon in Churchill, MB. The trio of units is making a reverse move after running around a cut of cars on the grain dumper lead north of the station.

Name:	Paul O'Shell
Railway:	Hudson Bay Railway
Date:	08/04/2022
Location:	Churchill
Province:	Manitoba

2 Comments | 16 Favourites

Something I haven't done since the late 1970's is snap a photo looking forward along the side of a revenue passenger train through an open vestibule Dutch door. Just prior to VIA 692's departure from Thompson, MB on August 5 of this year I was able to do just that from the doorway of VIA 8515 Skyline. There is no one left on the platform, and all that remains is for the two step boxes by the coaches at the front of the train to be tossed on board, and the "doors closed & secured" confirmation made before VIA 692 starts to move and continue the journey south to Winnipeg.

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

5 Comments | 12 Favourites

For those who want to travel by train to Churchill, MB, there are three levels of comfort and privacy in VIA Sleeper Plus Class. Upper/lower berth, roomette, and bedroom. For a more spartan environment, there is always economy class coach available. While there were two economy coaches on VIA 693 heading north from Winnipeg to Churchill, only one was used for the 16 passengers booked in that class. The car pictured here, VIA 8137, remained empty for most of the trip. While the reclining seats with leg rests look comfortable enough, I'm not so sure I would want to make the trip of 45+ hours in this environment. Fortunately I was able to opt for car VIA 8202 Chateau Bienville which offered a few more creature comforts on the journey. (mapping location approximated)

Name:	Paul O'Shell
Railway:	VIA Rail
Date:	07/31/2022
Location:	Bield
Province:	Manitoba

Comments | 10 Favourites

I remember taking this photo like it was yesterday! Stepping off VIA #1 The Canadian at Sioux Lookout, ON and breathing in the blistering cold fresh air, nose hairs crackling, as I walked the snow covered platform to the head end of the train. Not many passengers ventured off here even though it was a nice lengthy stop with refueling and a crew change. Those that did dare to go out made it a quick 'National Lampoon Vacation' moment, or had a 'power smoke' and got right back on board. Having made the trek all the way up to the power, I now had to make the 20+ car walk back to my sleeping car. Lovin' every minute of it. :-)

Name:	Paul O'Shell
Railway:	VIA Rail
Date:	12/13/2021
Location:	Sioux Lookout
Province:	Ontario

2 Comments | 11 Favourites

Clear signal at 0.7 on the Allanwater Sub. and VIA 6457 & VIA 6456 get a hefty notch bump from the engineer as VIA #1 departs Armstrong, ON to continue its journey west. VIA 88703 Banff Park is tucked in between the power and the baggage/crew car and deadheaded all the way from Toronto to Vancouver on this run. It's a great feeling to be sitting in the Skyline car taking pictures on this beautiful day in Armstrong, then being down in the yard with some Work Equipment machinery as I had done so many times before. ????

Name:	Paul O'Shell
Railway:	VIA Rail
Date:	06/02/2022
Location:	Armstrong
Province:	Ontario

1 Comments | 11 Favourites

CN's Sioux Lookout, ON station is looking grand in this late winter shot. It was rather cool walking in the shadow of VIA #2's consist as I made my way down the platform to grab as many photos as possible during the scheduled stop. Many of the passengers stepped off the train and got right back on after getting a quick breath of the frosty cold air.

Name:	Paul O'Shell
Railway:	Canadian National
Date:	03/09/2020
Location:	Sioux Lookout
Province:	Ontario

3 Comments | 11 Favourites

VIA Rail's Saskatoon, SK station looks fresh and clean in the June 3, 2002 photo. I had stepped off of VIA #1 The Canadian, as I do at every stop, for some fresh air, walking exercise, and photos. Todays weather was amazing and allowed for some great shots at the station, on the platform, and of the CN yard and maintenance complex.

Name:	Paul O'Shell
Railway:	VIA Rail
Date:	06/03/2022
Location:	Saskatoon
Province:	Saskatchewan

3 Comments | 10 Favourites

The ever ongoing exterior restoration of the CN Melville, SK station is evident in this June 8, 2022 photo, as it was during two previous trips on The Canadian in March of 2020, and December 2021. Scaffolding and leaning ladders still adorn the outside of the building behind a Frost security fence as passengers from VIA #2 mill about the puddled platform enjoying some fresh air and leg stretching. Meanwhile, a crew change is taking place up ahead at the lead locomotive. Of note, at the upper right corner of this photo is the original coal oil marker lamp hanger bracket still attached to the end of the Skyline car. I noticed a number of these brackets still adorning a variety of these old stainless steel cars on The Canadian equipment, and cars assigned to the Churchill trains as well. On many cars, these marker lamp fixtures had been removed and patched over with a stainless steel plate.

Name:	Paul O'Shell
Railway:	Canadian National
Date:	06/08/2022
Location:	Melville
Province:	Saskatchewan

5 Comments | 8 Favourites

As much as I would have liked to sneak in a Work Equipment photo for my 200th post attempt, I thought I better stick with what appears to be fan favourites of late ... a Churchill, MB shot. :-) Here VIA 693 has completed its two-day journey from Winnipeg to Churchill and the consist will rest silently for less than 10 hours before VIA 6443 and VIA 6458 are fired back up for a southward trip to The Pas. My journey to Churchill was a great experience, and whether you're a railroader, railfan, nature lover, or just enjoy a travelling adventure, this is a trip I would highly recommend taking, if for nothing else, its uniqueness. I'm looking forward to doing it again in the cold weather months. :-) My thanks to all those who ⭐'d my recent deluge of Churchill trip photos, and for all the kind comments I received.

Name:	Paul O'Shell
Railway:	VIA Rail
Date:	08/02/2022
Location:	Churchill
Province:	Manitoba

5 Comments | 11 Favourites

VIA #693 continues to roll north on the morning of August 2, 2022 getting ever closer to Churchill. After sitting in the Skyline dome sipping fresh made coffee and watching the sun rise for the passed hour & a half, I made my way down to the dining area of VIA 8515 Skyline to enjoy another cup of coffee and the smell of grilling bacon coming from the cars kitchen. It's now 06:48 and the train is around Mile 469.3 Chesnaye, MB, 2 hours & 10 minutes (40 miles) south of Churchill. I see the cars windows weren't cleaned overnight while I enjoyed a few hours sleep in VIA 8202 Chateau Bienville, but it didn't take away from the beautiful scenery outside as we rolled north. It almost looks like a wallpaper image covering the windows. Those tripod telegraph poles have dotted the trackside for many hundreds of miles of this great journey. In a few more minutes the VIA car attendant will be setting a plate full of scrambled eggs, bacon strips, hash browned potatoes, and fresh fruit slices in front of me for my final meal on this northbound run. Damn, retirement is great! :-)

Name:	Paul O'Shell
Railway:	VIA Rail
Date:	08/02/2022
Location:	Chesnaye
Province:	Manitoba

3 Comments | 10 Favourites

Exhaust gases from the trio of HBR yard switchers blur the steel framework of the Churchill grain elevator conveyor towers as they continue to sort the consist from this mornings wayfreight arrival. A tugboat and a couple of American crawler cranes on a barge sit at the left of the photo, while vehicles and equipment from The Official Tundra Buggy Company fill the maintenance yard on the right. Photos don't seem to convey just how huge this grain elevator complex is.

Name:	Paul O'Shell
Railway:	Hudson Bay Railway
Date:	08/04/2022
Location:	Churchill
Province:	Manitoba

1 Comments | 18 Favourites

It's not the Stairway to Heaven but it sure was an enjoyable climb every time I went up into the dome level of VIA 8515 Skyline on VIA #693. It's 05:38 and the train is 3 hours & 20 minutes (67 miles) south of Churchill, MB. There's no one else in the Skyline car but me and a VIA on-board attendant who was making a fresh carafe of coffee. A fresh cooked breakfast is still an hour and a half away. There's not much to look at outside as we rumble north, but it's amazing how interesting every mile of barren, tree pegged tundra and mirror like lakes can be from this elevated vantage point.

Name:	Paul O'Shell
Railway:	VIA Rail
Date:	08/02/2022
Location:	M'Clintock
Province:	Manitoba

3 Comments | 13 Favourites

It's 06:59 as VIA #1 departs Nakina, ON on June 2, 2022. I was up at 05:00 this morning to catch a view of some of the locations I worked at back in the late 1960's through the 1990's on the 'west end'. Other than the yard being gone, Nakina looks about the same as it did back then. Plenty of equipment around for the always ongoing track maintenance work. As seen from the dome of VIA 8500 Skyline, the Nakina station is holding up much better than the former crew hostile. Great memories riding The Canadian through northern Ontario.

Name:	Paul O'Shell
Railway:	Canadian National
Date:	06/02/2022
Location:	Nakina
Province:	Ontario

2 Comments | 13 Favourites

VIA 6443 was the lead unit on VIA #693 when it backed into Churchill, MB station on Tuesday morning August 2, 2022. All the passengers and baggage have been off-loaded, the hotel and tour company vans have all departed, the VIA on-board crew has retired to their lodging location, and the VIA maintenance personnel have completed their work by plugging VIA 6443 into the 480 volt wayside HEP supply. This transfusion will continue until later in the day when personnel return to disconnect it, fire up VIA 6443 & VIA 6458 and their respective HEP generators in preparation for a 19:30 departure of the train as VIA #690 to The Pas.

Name:	Paul O'Shell
Railway:	VIA Rail
Date:	08/02/2022
Location:	Churchill
Province:	Manitoba

2 Comments | 14 Favourites

VIA 693 has boarded and is only minutes away from a 12:05 on-time departure. Sitting in the Winnipeg, MB train shed, the only step box left on the platform for boarding is at the vestibule door of my sleeper VIA 8202 Chateau Bienville. The reflectorized red paddle stuck in the knuckle indicates last car in the train. The VIA on-board Service Manager Don was most accommodating to me and all the other passengers on this trip. He kept us informed of upcoming stops where we could get off and stretch our legs, get some fresh air (or have a smoke), and/or take some photos (which as you can tell by my many recent posts, I always did) :-) Departing Winnipeg on this last day of July there was in a light rain for the first couple of hours which took away the opportunity for some clear well lit shots from inside the train. By the time we reached Dauphin however, the sky had cleared, the sun was out, and things were looking up.

Name:	Paul O'Shell
Railway:	VIA Rail
Date:	07/31/2022
Location:	Winnipeg
Province:	Manitoba

2 Comments | 13 Favourites

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