Comments on: CN 784 a unit train of empty gondolas for Nanticoke idles in the south service track at Paris behind NS 6571, as VIA 73 cruises by led by VIA 6402

By: cpcnguy

cpcnguy — Fri, 25 Jan 2013 00:13:34 +0000

Gents, I had a look in my SOR and CN timetables and I doesn’t say that 6 axle units are prohibited. So this power could have been ran through. I do know in the early years of Rail link running on the hagersville sub, they did experiment with a 6 axle unit. But the 6 axle units are prohibited from hydro, esso, and u.s. steel properties (and I believe Garnet yard also), so the unit would have to be set out daily, then cut back into the consist at night for the Brantford/Paris turn(597), which was time consuming, therefore did not last long.

By: James Gardiner

James Gardiner — Wed, 13 Jun 2012 02:26:34 +0000

The one on 12/1/05 had NS 6731 – NS 8914 and changed crews at Brantford

By: Joseph Bishop

Joseph Bishop — Mon, 11 Jun 2012 21:18:36 +0000

Thanks! I appreciate it. It is surprising that the power did go all the way though…I don’t think the 6 axle units helped out the Caledonia Bridge any either!

By: headtailgrep

headtailgrep — Mon, 11 Jun 2012 15:10:47 +0000

Joseph, I believe the power ran through, there was a few of these trains, one on December 1 2005 with CR-NS for power, and it ran all the way through.

SOR would have had their power assigned to existing trains (Nanticoke switcher, Brantford turn, and Steel Train) and would just order an extra crew to hop on and bring this to Nanticoke for loading.

By: Joseph Bishop

Joseph Bishop — Mon, 11 Jun 2012 13:21:12 +0000

Now that I think about it, I don’t think the bridge at Caledonia could take the weight of a six axle unit…The SOR probably grabbed the train at Paris with several of their units and made the run to Nanticoke.

By: Robbie

Robbie — Mon, 11 Jun 2012 02:26:19 +0000

Thanks Joseph! I’m not sure whether the power ran through to Nanticoke or if it was swapped out with SOR power. From what I can recall, it was a unit train from a USS plant in Gary, Indiana. They ran several that winter, mostly with foreign power leading each way (NS typically), however this was the only one I saw. They changed from a CN crew to an SOR one for the trip down the Hagersville sub, although I’m not sure if it was at Paris or Brantford the other times; this train sat in the service track at Paris all day before the evening or night move to Nanticoke.

Maybe someone else can shed some light on this operation?

By: Joseph Bishop

Joseph Bishop — Sun, 10 Jun 2012 23:56:00 +0000

Good Shot Rob! I don’t know if you would know whether the gondola’s were dropped in Brantford for the SOR or if the NS unit went on the Hagersville Sub all the way to Nanticoke?