Comments on: One for the archives. Pulled awhile ago from somewhere, this 40 year old gem. Old 3×5 photo, produced on 35mm film on my parents camera. I suppose this was my very FIRST railfan photo. All at 8 years old, having just lived in Stratford for not even a week on this hot August evening in 1985. Initially, glad I photographed 4566, a high nose GP9 working the yard in Stratford. Wasn’t just that, it was the change of scenery. Going from living in the small farming community of Petrolia, to ‘big city’ Stratford. It seemed bigger to 8 year old me, but the yard was something you could explore back then. But, to get this photo, just out of sight to the left of me was one of the poles holding up the adjacent roof, which joined the main station building and that of the express building. Nearly ran into it running sideways, parents camera in hand…taking the photo of 4566. Of note, 4566 was part of the rebuild program that saw CN not only chop the high nose to a minimum, but would also renumber these beauties mid to late 80s and into the 90s. It was built by EMD / GMD, built for freight service only with flexicoil trucks to go on any ‘secondary’ line within the CN network…making it lightweight. I would assume it ran west to Goderich, and north up the old Newton to Palmerston and beyond. http://www.railpictures.ca The BEST Canadian photos on the Internet, eh? Sun, 05 Jul 2026 19:41:47 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.1 By: First954 http://www.railpictures.ca/?attachment_id=59433#comment-69145 First954 Sun, 05 Jul 2026 18:35:15 +0000 http://www.railpictures.ca/wp-content/uploads/2026/07/Edited-CN4566_GP9_Stratford-1985-001.jpg#comment-69145 CN 4566 does have an interesting history. It was built by GMD in London, Ontario in 1957 as a standard GP weighing in at 247,000 pounds. It has the distinction of being the first GP9 to lose its green and yellow paint for the "new" black and red of the 1960s. CN 4566 does have an interesting history. It was built by GMD in London, Ontario in 1957 as a standard GP weighing in at 247,000 pounds. It has the distinction of being the first GP9 to lose its green and yellow paint for the “new” black and red of the 1960s.

]]> By: awmooney http://www.railpictures.ca/?attachment_id=59433#comment-69144 awmooney Sun, 05 Jul 2026 17:54:20 +0000 http://www.railpictures.ca/wp-content/uploads/2026/07/Edited-CN4566_GP9_Stratford-1985-001.jpg#comment-69144 NO, Todd. I didn't think it was worth looking at. :o) NO, Todd. I didn’t think it was worth looking at. :o )

]]> By: Todd Steinman http://www.railpictures.ca/?attachment_id=59433#comment-69143 Todd Steinman Sun, 05 Jul 2026 17:43:38 +0000 http://www.railpictures.ca/wp-content/uploads/2026/07/Edited-CN4566_GP9_Stratford-1985-001.jpg#comment-69143 Thanks gents....and @L. Parks, you could be correct. The information I pulled is of course, half 'human' and half 'AI' today off the old net, so it kind of pieced together the information....however, any other contributors please also chime in to better confirm information that you're aware of. @awmooney.....not that I've had the time yet, but did you ever post your first photo??? Thanks gents….and @L. Parks, you could be correct. The information I pulled is of course, half ‘human’ and half ‘AI’ today off the old net, so it kind of pieced together the information….however, any other contributors please also chime in to better confirm information that you’re aware of.

@awmooney…..not that I’ve had the time yet, but did you ever post your first photo???

]]> By: L. Parks http://www.railpictures.ca/?attachment_id=59433#comment-69142 L. Parks Sun, 05 Jul 2026 16:18:46 +0000 http://www.railpictures.ca/wp-content/uploads/2026/07/Edited-CN4566_GP9_Stratford-1985-001.jpg#comment-69142 I love the unit number and the story behind the photo. Perhaps that may be the heavier blomberg B truck, not the lighter 2 axle felxicoil? The blomberg M (with snubber on 1 axle) is found under many -2 GP loco's. And of interest, the blomberg X (which has a longer wheelbase than the others) is found under some Ontario GO units. :-) I love the unit number and the story behind the photo. Perhaps that may be the heavier blomberg B truck, not the lighter 2 axle felxicoil? The blomberg M (with snubber on 1 axle) is found under many -2 GP loco’s. And of interest, the blomberg X (which has a longer wheelbase than the others) is found under some Ontario GO units. :-)

]]> By: awmooney http://www.railpictures.ca/?attachment_id=59433#comment-69141 awmooney Sun, 05 Jul 2026 16:14:12 +0000 http://www.railpictures.ca/wp-content/uploads/2026/07/Edited-CN4566_GP9_Stratford-1985-001.jpg#comment-69141 This is interesting. It makes me wonder how many of us recall our exact first railroad photo. I do, and still have it. It was at Bayview, no train in it but work equipment on the old helper track, taken March 4, 1974. This is interesting. It makes me wonder how many of us recall our exact first railroad photo. I do, and still have it. It was at Bayview, no train in it but work equipment on the old helper track, taken March 4, 1974.

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