Comments on: Here’s one of those slides I’ve been thinking about scanning for a while, and then Mr. Mooney beats me to it. A few weeks after he photographed 5 new VIA GEs in CN’s Niagara Falls yard, I photographed NS 445 with NS 9350 shoving VIA 914, 912, 913, 917, 915 and 916 at CN Clifton on their way to being interchanged to CN.

By: smithgl

smithgl — Mon, 03 May 2021 13:38:14 +0000

Great shot, Rob. I believe NS handled all the VIA deliveries this way – as power moves only, with no freight to block your shot!

After interchange, CN would handle them on the normal Niagara Falls to Mac Yard freight 448 over night… I stayed up to catch one or two of these moves… I think they went right through to Toronto… not sure where they went from there.

By: ngineered4u

ngineered4u — Mon, 03 May 2021 00:29:15 +0000

Thx for the update Stephen. I forgot about the NS running along the Stamford, Grimbsy and Dundas Subs and I have chatted with Canadian based crews at “The Fort” . I assumed the train came across at the Falls but it looks like they came across the Stamford and are backing up towards the NF

By: railwayguy

railwayguy — Mon, 03 May 2021 00:15:40 +0000

Very nice picture Rob. In my opinion, this was the best VIA colour scheme for these units. Think of all the different paint schemes have they had in the last 20 years. Thanks for posting, John

By: Stephen C. Host

Stephen C. Host — Sun, 02 May 2021 21:51:39 +0000

No Phil. All operating from Fort Erie in this timeframe with NS St. Thomas crew. Still has a couple St Thomas crew on the job today but its now mixed with buffalo boys.

They went the long way as that is what the wabash agreement allowed: welland sub was part of it as well as joint access to nf yard.

By: ngineered4u

ngineered4u — Sun, 02 May 2021 18:53:09 +0000

Great pic! Interesting that the NS brought them to NF and NF’s connection to the USA is on CSX trackage once over the bridge? I wonder if it was an NS unit with a CSX crew?

By: Stephen C. Host

Stephen C. Host — Sun, 02 May 2021 18:05:09 +0000

Cool. I believe it… I’ve heard similar chatter on the radio because Fort Erie was full… let’s hope it happens and we can be there to catch it, that would be grand.

By: jknott86

jknott86 — Sun, 02 May 2021 18:00:39 +0000

I was credibly told one of the hoggers on the job has been to Port Rob a couple of times but I didn’t ask a timeframe as to when.

Closest I got was an attempt to wye power at Robbins. They had their light from CN and everything, but CP rejected them.

By: Stephen C. Host

Stephen C. Host — Sun, 02 May 2021 17:55:47 +0000

Very. NS 445 ran to NF yard approx daily in this era though, it was by 2004 it was cut back to Fort Erie.

I’d like to know if there was EVER a run to NF (not after the yard was removed around 2009?) or Port Rob for 369 (current cn symbol for it, NS symbol always changing). I just don’t know enough about it or never really heard about it in all these years going to Fort Erie for NS since it was cut back.

By: jknott86

jknott86 — Sun, 02 May 2021 17:21:34 +0000

Neat. What a cool move.

By: rsmith

rsmith — Sun, 02 May 2021 17:16:47 +0000

NS interchanged them to CN at Niagara Falls yard. They were reversing in my photo. CN must have hauled them to Toronto to hand over to VIA, but I don’t recall how.