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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 MoW Work Equipment. Reside in Kelowna, BC. I use a Nikon D850 full frame & Nikon D7200 (Nikkor 24-70mm, 24-120mm, 35mm, 18-140mm, 55-300mm, & 80-400mm) and scan with an Epson V550. Enjoy my contributions. Be safe. Lots more of my photos at: https://www.flickr.com/photos/197431498@N07/albums

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

Number of images: 498
Total gold: 5669
Number of comments recieved : 1058
Number of comments posted : 1045
Total views: 971902

Paul O'Shell has 1 image in the Time Machine

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Paul O'Shell's 498 photos on Railpictures.ca:

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 | 20 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

1 Comments | 17 Favourites

Seeing Terry O'Shell's vestibule shot from VIA #1 The Canadian in May of 1983 http://www.railpictures.ca/?attachment_id=50408 prompted me to look through some old photos of my days riding CN passenger work trains and the Super Continental across northern Ontario when working 'the west end'. This shot taken in the summer of 1977 has me leaning out the open Dutch door of a sleeping car on CN's 'Engineering Special' as it curves around Duchabani Lake heading westbound into Westree, ON. I was hoping to wave to my brother who was working there at the time but instead caught one of his co-workers sitting on the front step of the Signal Maintainer helper's house (another photo). Vestibule shots these days are all but impossible, but occasionally, an opportunity presents itself. ???? http://www.railpictures.ca/?attachment_id=49874

Name:	Paul O'Shell
Railway:	Canadian National
Date:	Summer 1977
Location:	Westree
Province:	Ontario

5 Comments | 18 Favourites

It's pouring rain in Thompson, MB on this dreary August day but, with a photo op calling I stepped off my sleeper VIA 8229 Chateau Viger on the tail end of VIA #692 (Churchill to Winnipeg), to snap VIA #693 (Winnipeg to Churchill) headed up by VIA 6443 which had backed up the Thompson Sub. just minutes ahead of us. The two passenger trains sat about one car length apart, with VIA #692 in front of the station building.

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

7 Comments | 9 Favourites

It's 07:00, the meet is complete, and, as seen from the upper level of VIA 8500 Skyline, VIA #1 has received a clear signal to depart the siding at CN Nakina, ON and continue its westbound journey. As usual at Nakina, there is no shortage of activity around the station, tool house, signal shack, and yard. Local CN track forces, S&C maintainer, Sperry Rail Services, Remcan contracting, and other MoW workers are gathered to complete a job briefing, fire up their vehicles and equipment, and begin another day of 'working on the railroad'.

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

6 Comments | 15 Favourites

A gaggle of CN GMD 1's sits in a deadline at ONR's North Bay yard on this beautiful May 4, 2004 morning. CN 1153, 1116, 1170, 1172 & 1169, are all capped and boarded up waiting their fate. Several of the units, which were last on lease to INCO still have INCO stenciled on the cab sidewall under the running number. My thanks to Seth B. for cleaning up, adjusting, and otherwise making this photo presentable for posting.

Name:	Paul O'Shell
Railway:	Canadian National
Date:	05/04/2004
Location:	North Bay
Province:	Ontario

3 Comments | 15 Favourites

Hudson Bay Railway units HLCX 1083 & HLCX 3840 are shut down in the yard at Churchill, MB next to GREX 2400 material distribution train. All are awaiting their next assignment which is not far off in this busy terminal.

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

Comments | 11 Favourites

It's 06:34 and VIA #1 has arrived in Jasper, AB for its schedule station stop. Here the train will get a head-end crew change, fuel, water top-up, garbage unloading, other regular servicing, and dome car window cleaning. Well, selective dome car window cleaning that is. The Prestige Park car had its upper-level windows cleaned, but not the other three Skyline cars. ????
Looking west along the station platform we see VIA's new policy of buffer cars on mid-50's Budd built car consists in action. VIA 8314 Cameron Manor sleeping car has been tacked on behind VIA 88709 Laurentide Park completely blocking any direct views out of the lower-level bullet lounge windows. Looking at the roof of this trailing car from the upper-level dome windows of the Prestige Park car really diminished the rearward view as well.
I don't have a good feeling about this Band-Aid solution as it relates to the future of VIA's long-distance overnight trains. Hopefully it does not spell the beginning of the end for this very enjoyable and iconic train.

Name:	Paul O'Shell
Railway:	VIA Rail
Date:	10/22/2022
Location:	Jasper
Province:	Alberta

2 Comments | 11 Favourites

Canadian Forest Products Limited (CANFOR) American Hoist & Derrick model 408-CD locomotive crane, serial No. 2338 (order No. J-1638) is seen on the railroad when new in 1948. I do not have a location to map as there was no information on the photo retrieved from the cranes master file, but I will assume it is near Woss, BC.
This logging railroad crane was delivered new in January 1948 and was equipped as follows:
Engine: Caterpillar D17000 174 hp @ 950 rpm
Starter: gas & electric
Boom: 50' log loader
Outriggers
Tagline
Track Clamps
53 cfm air compressor
Side rods
It was scrapped in Woss, BC June 1985

Name:	unknown, Paul O'She…
Railway:	Englewood Railway
Date:	spring 1948
Location:	Woss
Province:	British Columbia

2 Comments | 19 Favourites

VIA 6437 with VIA 6401 trailing, is ready to lead VIA #15 The Ocean on its journey from Halifax, NS to Montreal, QC on this cold, drab, rainy, March day. The consist of passenger equipment is a mix of ex-CP Budd built stainless steel cars, and European built Renaissance cars. The trip to Halifax a few days earlier on VIA #14 was my first-time riding the Renaissance equipment, and specifically a Renaissance sleeping car. While I enjoyed the trip and the experience in this equipment, I realized I much prefer the classic Pullman & Budd built cars from CN and CP passenger trains of decades gone by. This is a trip I will take again, only next time in the summer months to get a different view of the Maritime landscape.

Name:	Paul O'Shell
Railway:	VIA Rail
Date:	03/06/2022
Location:	Halifax
Province:	Nova Scotia

Comments | 9 Favourites

CNR's first batch of sixteen 4-8-2 Mountain types were delivered in 1923, were designated as Class U-1-a, and assigned road numbers 6000 through 6015. These steam locomotives had 26 x 30 cylinders, 73" drivers, a 210 psi boiler pressure, and exerted 49,588 lbs. of tractive effort. They weighed in at 354,110 lbs. and were used on express passenger trains between Montreal and Toronto.
Here we see CN 6015 Mountain type, but we don't see the mountains in Jasper, AB on this cold, windy, overcast, and snowy morning. The Jasper VIA station is at the left, and VIA #2 The Canadian is at the right of this magnificent steam locomotive.
For those in on the 'park bench' thing, there is one at the fence line in front of the locomotive. :-)

Name:	Paul O'Shell
Railway:	Canadian National
Date:	03/07/2020
Location:	Jasper
Province:	Alberta

1 Comments | 12 Favourites

The railway was aggressively adding to its fleet of Engineering Work Equipment cranes in 1957 by adding six new units. CN 50394 was the third unit built in the 1957 order, and was delivered new to Winnipeg, MB that year. All six machines were Wellman 30 ton capacity locomotive cranes. CN had received two new Wellman's the year before in 1956, and would acquire five more in 1958, and close out the decade with one Wellman DE-400 40 ton capacity unit in 1959. (map coordinates are the CN Work Equipment Repair Facility in Winnipeg (Transcona), MB as the photo location is unknown).

Name:	unknown, Paul O'She…
Railway:	Canadian National
Date:	circa 1960's
Location:	unknown
Province:	Manitoba

6 Comments | 23 Favourites

A major snowstorm overnight dumped a foot of snow in the Maritimes but the VIA maintenance crews in Campbellton, NB have the platform cleared up pretty nice for the arrival of VIA #14 The Ocean. I have stepped onto the platform from my Renaissance sleeper car to get some fresh air, sunshine, and a few photos during this regular station stop. While I much prefer VIA's Budd built stainless steel equipment, the Renaissance cars were an interesting and enjoyable change on this trip.

Name:	Paul O'Shell
Railway:	VIA Rail
Date:	03/03/2022
Location:	Campbellton
Province:	New Brunswick

Comments | 15 Favourites

VIA #2 The Canadian and VIA #5 The Skeena sit nose to nose at Jasper, AB on this cold, damp, windy, and lightly snowing March 7, 2020.
The Canadian is making its regularly scheduled stop for all on-board services, head-end crew change, fuel, and dome car window washes, while The Skeena is made ready for its journey to Prince Rupert, BC.
No. 2 would make it into Toronto several days later right on schedule, and only a few days before the initial round of Covid restrictions and cancellations began to fall into place. It would be a full 21 months from this date before I would be able to ride the Canadian again.

Name:	Paul O'Shell
Railway:	VIA Rail
Date:	03/07/2020
Location:	Jasper
Province:	Alberta

1 Comments | 9 Favourites

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