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About Paul O'Shell

Started my railroad career at CN in 1969 and retired from the industry 49 years later on March 1, 2018. I use a Nikon D7200 (Nikkor 18-140mm, 55-300mm & 80-400mm), a Sony DSC WX-50, a JVC GZ-HM320BU camcorder, and scan with an Epson V550. Enjoy my contributions. Be safe.

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

Number of images: 157
Total gold: 883
Number of comments recieved : 200
Number of comments posted : 229
Total views: 262709

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Paul O'Shell's 157 photos on Railpictures.ca:

Further to my comment on Liam MacDougall's photo capturing a GO train at Danforth between Main Street and Victoria Park Avenue ( http://www.railpictures.ca/?attachment_id=42149 ), here is a glimpse of the CN Danforth Work Equipment Shop that once occupied the grounds where all the townhouses now sit. This photo was taken on the new shops official opening day of June 5, 1956. The 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 rollup doors into the building at boxcar door/flatcar deck height. It became a small repair and storage facility when the new shop opened. After each season of rail replacement, tie replacement, ballast gangs, surfacing crews, and general Engineering projects, most equipment on the Great Lakes Region was returned to the Danforth shop to be repaired/overhauled for the next production season. Through the 1960's and 70's the yard tracks were home to the fleets of Engineering accommodation and 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, and repaired here. With the ever increasing quantity, size and 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 and 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.

Name:	CNR photo, Paul O'S…
Railway:	Canadian National
Date:	June 5, 1956
Location:	Toronto
Province:	Ontario

3 Comments | 15 Favourites

Further to John Pittman's submission of a John Parnell photo depicting a CP track motor car, here is the CN version of the same car. CN 131-52 is a Woodings Railcar model CBI 2-man inspection track motor car. I captured it while on an inspection trip to CN's P-811 concrete tie laying gang on the Caramat Sub west of Hornepayne, ON on June 19, 1985. The Woodings Railcar CBI (2-man inspection car), and the slightly larger CBL (4-man section car) were direct competitors to the Fairmont MT-19 (2-man inspection car) and MT-14 (4-man section car) models. By the late 1980's and into the early 1990's, track motor cars were becoming the exception and not the rule as more and more hi-rail vehicles were introduced to Engineering Track, S&C, B&B, Welding, and other groups within CN Operations.

Name:	Paul O'Shell
Railway:	Canadian National
Date:	6/19/1985
Location:	west of Hornepayne
Province:	Ontario

12 Comments | 17 Favourites

The first VIA #2 'The Canadian' to travel east from Vancouver to Toronto after removal of the recent railway blockades is seen sitting at CN Hornepayne, ON mile 0.0 Caramat Sub. on a very chilly -17C March 9, 2020 at 23:30 hrs. Had #2 been on time I would have snapped this photo around 18:00 hrs. but running 5+ hours late, this was the only opportunity to capture, maybe for the last time, this once hustling and bustling passenger station, crew change point, division office building. A February 19, 2020 application by CN to the Minister of the Environment and Climate Change to demolish the structure has been submitted and the formal process has begun. I last photographed Hornepayne station on December 18, 2001 as seen here http://www.railpictures.ca/?attachment_id=20428 and was surprised to see it still standing 19 years later. I plan to make the east to west journey on VIA #1 'The Canadian' in a few months and will hopefully, at that time, be able to capture, in daylight, what's left of the Hornepayne station.

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

2 Comments | 11 Favourites

Just inside door 16 and over the pit in Building H at CP's Weston shop is CP 414225, an American Hoist & Derrick model 830 DE locomotive crane, serial number L-3663, built new for CP in June of 1965. The crane is in for some operator maintenance training and and a complete under car body inspection including gear cases, traction transmissions, and traction motors. In the shop on the same track behind the crane are snow plow CP 401034 and Jordan spreader CP 402877. It's a busy time in the shop readying all this work equipment for winter.

Name:	Paul O'Shell
Railway:	Canadian Pacific
Date:	10/20/2015
Location:	Winnipeg
Province:	Manitoba

1 Comments | 8 Favourites

Here is the operators view from the control stand area through the open front door of Jordan spreader CP 402877. The new hydraulic controls have yet to be put to work in this newly refurbished 1953 built unit as the finishing touches are being made inside Building H at CP's Weston Shop complex. In one month less a day this machine will be off loaded at Banff, AB then moved to Lake Louise, AB for its winter assignment.

Name:	Paul O'Shell
Railway:	Canadian Pacific
Date:	10/20/2015
Location:	Winnipeg
Province:	Manitoba

Comments | 7 Favourites

CP 402877 is a Jordan Type A, broken wing, mid-height plow spreader, serial number 864, built in 1953. It is pictured here inside CP's Weston Shops in Winnipeg, MB on October 20, 2015. This unit has just undergone conversion and upgrading from an air powered spreader to full hydraulic controls and operation and is waiting to be stenciled, tested, and loaded onto a Work Equipment ramp car for transport to Banff, AB where it will be unloaded on November 19, 2015, then moved to Lake Louise, AB for its winter assignment.

Name:	Paul O'Shell
Railway:	Canadian Pacific
Date:	October 20, 2015
Location:	Winnipeg
Province:	Manitoba

1 Comments | 9 Favourites

October 20, 2015 finds snow plow CP 401034 inside Weston shops in Winnipeg, MB waiting assessment to determine its future at CP. On the same track behind the plow was Jordan spreader CP 402877 which had just been upgraded to hydraulic controls from the original air controlled plow and wings. On the same track in from of the plow over an inspection pit was CP 414225, an American 825 DE locomotive crane receiving a detailed inspection and servicing. A great day at the shop if you're interests lean towards Work Equipment. :-)

Name:	Paul O'Shell
Railway:	Canadian Pacific
Date:	October 20, 2015
Location:	Winnipeg
Province:	Manitoba

Comments | 5 Favourites

On September 20, 2016 while at Agincourt Yard assisting CP Work Equipment in preparing Ohio crane CP 414222 for shipment from Toronto to Winnipeg I captured plow CP 401028. At the time, the plow was coupled to Jordan spreader CP 402894 and parked on a stub track near the locomotive service facility. A year earlier on October 20, 2015 I was at CP Weston shops in Winnipeg where they had several plows inside being evaluated for potential repairs. I'm not sure if a plow refurb program was ever undertaken. I do know that several Jordan spreaders were refurbished and upgraded to have hydraulic controls instead of air cylinders.

Name:	Paul O'Shell
Railway:	Canadian Pacific
Date:	September 20, 2016
Location:	Toronto
Province:	Ontario

3 Comments | 4 Favourites

Name:	Paul O'Shell
Railway:	Canadian National
Date:	December 1988
Location:	Charny
Province:	Quebec

2 Comments | 11 Favourites

Since there is a bit of a TH&B crane theme going on as of late, I offer up this photo of TH&B X-755 that I snapped in the early summer of 1974. This crane is an American Hoist & Derrick model 830 DE (30 ton capacity), serial number J-3066, delivered new to the railroad in January of 1952. When new, it was equipped with a GM 6-71 diesel engine producing 145 hp at 1600 rpm, a 50' 2-piece boom with a 15' removable extension, a 20" double sheave hook block, a tagline winder, outriggers, a cab heater, lights, and, a windshield wiper. When CP acquired the TH&B, X-755 went to their Work Equipment Department and became CP 414226. It received CP's standard locomotive crane paint scheme of black on black on black (carbody, upper structure, and boom).

Name:	Paul O'Shell
Railway:	Toronto Hamilton a…
Date:	Summer 1974
Location:	Hamilton
Province:	Ontario

1 Comments | 12 Favourites

In contrast to Mr. Thomson's photo of Ontario Northland's Jordan spreader ONT 528 sandwiched between two boxcars at Cochrane, ON, here is sister machine ONT 529, sn 888, blt 1957, also a Type A, but with straight side wings, low front blade, and front operators cab. It is also sandwiched between two boxcars, only this one's in North Bay, ON.

Name:	Paul O'Shell
Railway:	Ontario Northland
Date:	09/24/2014
Location:	North Bay
Province:	Ontario

2 Comments | 5 Favourites

I snapped AC 9521 in Oba, ON 14 months after Mr. Mooney shot sister AC 9520 at Hawk Jct.

Name:	Paul O'Shell
Railway:	Algoma Central
Date:	11/00/1976
Location:	Oba
Province:	Ontario

1 Comments | 10 Favourites

Further to Mr. Mooney's photo of Sulphur Springs station and the two pieces of equipment on display taken November 14, 1983, here is a close-up view of the CN & CP units that still reside at the location 34 years later. The CN baggage car is ex-CN 15844 oil electric Doodle Bug built by NSC in 1931. The coach is ex-CP Business car CP 3 'Manitoba' built in 1929.

Name:	Terry O'Shell
Railway:	Canadian National
Date:	6/28/2017
Location:	Dundas
Province:	Ontario

Comments | 10 Favourites

On a cold and crisp December 18, 2001 I was in Hornepayne, ON putting a new snow clearing machine into service for CN. After going through basic training with the operator and mechanics I wandered around the yard to snap a few photos. While the weather was not cooperating with adequate lighting or warmth, I made the best of my time capturing what I could because it was quite evident that with each passing year there would be less and less to shoot in the once thriving division point. The two roll up doors on the end of the house provide access to the Work Equipment repair area where MOW machines are serviced, repaired, and often stored during the winter. The two silver roll up doors seen in the middle of the photo provide access to the under roof turntable within this unique structure.
A great view of the turntable can be had by viewing Craig Allen's photo from 01/01/2000 http://www.railpictures.ca/?attachment_id=13460
From where I was standing to take this shot of the roundhouse, I turned 180 degrees to capture this view of the deteriorating Hornepayne station http://www.railpictures.ca/?attachment_id=20428
I'm guessing that 16 years later in 2017 the entire area looks even more depressing.

Name:	Paul O'Shell
Railway:	Canadian National
Date:	12/18/2001
Location:	Hornepayne
Province:	Ontario

2 Comments | 10 Favourites

The only thing left of the former CN Cayuga Sub where the Jarvis, ON station once sat is a little bit of overgrown roadbed behind the new Tim Horton's coffee shop. It is quite a dramatic change from the image presented in Arnold Mooney's January 1980 photo from almost the same vantage point 37 years earlier.<a href="http://www.railpictures.ca/?attachment_id=28074"> Click Here For Arnolds Photo </a>

Name:	Paul O'Shell
Railway:	Canadian National
Date:	09/24/2017
Location:	Jarvis
Province:	Ontario

10 Comments | 7 Favourites

Before hi-rail vehicles were common place at CN, Engineering field supervisors in most departments were assigned a car or truck to perform their duties. This 1976 Dodge D-100 Club Cab Custom was the daily driver for the Roadmaster (my Dad) in Jarvis, ON. The club cab was a Dodge innovation in 1973 and made it the work truck of choice for a number of years with all that 'extra space'. There were no creature comforts in these company assigned vehicles. Bench seat, manual windows, no A/C, no cruise control, and no cab insulation. A bare bones work truck. I added the roof top revolving light that I brough over from the Work Equipment shop at Danforth (Scarborough, ON) and remember the mounting bolts protruding right into the cabin because there was no headliner!

Name:	Paul O'Shell
Railway:	Canadian National
Date:	Spring 1976
Location:	Jarvis
Province:	Ontario

2 Comments | 14 Favourites

I captured Cartier X-24 at the Port Cartier shop complex 11 years ago today. This unit is a Jordan Type A 3-175, s/n 900, built in 1960 with medium front blade, straight side wings, front cab, high rear platform and pneumatic cylinders. X-24 was parked nose to tail with sister X-23, s/n 899, built 1960 that has been highly modified from its original look as seen at http://www.railpictures.ca/?attachment_id=5712

Name:	Paul O'Shell
Railway:	Cartier
Date:	March 28, 2006
Location:	Port Cartier
Province:	Quebec

Comments | 8 Favourites

CN 1324 idles away behind the Burlington, ON station on this warm June day in 1976. Sad that only a couple of these CN SW1200's are still in use today in Ontario.

Name:	Paul O'Shell
Railway:	Canadian National
Date:	June 1976
Location:	Burlington
Province:	Ontario

Comments | 13 Favourites

On this dreary May 1975 afternoon, C&O GL6 sits patiently outside the roundhouse in St. Thomas, ON hoping for something to do before someone decides it no longer has any use. This Jordan spreader was built around 1924 and is a standard 2-180, translating to center cab, low front blade, articulated side wings and pneumatic cylinders. It is an early front braced riveted design, and may have been rebuilt from a knuckle type unit.

Name:	Paul O'Shell
Railway:	Chesapeake and Ohi…
Date:	May 1975
Location:	St. Thomas
Province:	Ontario

1 Comments | 9 Favourites

A major component of keeping the roadbed clean and able to properly drain is ballast undercutting. Back in the 80's, 90's and 2000's, CN had several Plasser RM-76 UHR ballast undercutters across the system. CN 50553, s/n 203, built in 1981 is seen here sitting in the Transcona Work Equipment Yard after a long season of undercutting, waiting its turn to go through the shop for necessary repairs before once again heading out for another work program.

Name:	Paul O'Shell
Railway:	Canadian National
Date:	12/11/2002
Location:	Transcona (Winnipe…
Province:	Manitoba

3 Comments | 6 Favourites

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