Comments on: This image, on this day, as I enter this to RP, it is exactly 48 years ago. It is snowy and cold…….hey, its February; and the daily “Pulp train” is making its way thru to Niagara. The power is CN 9543, 5518, 9551, with two vans behind; 79594 and 79760. There were 46 cars on this train and van 79797 brought up the rear. This train was so distinctive (more so in the summer when you could smell the fresh logs) that I would write in my notes “The Pulp Train” and neglect to record the actual train number. Me bad.

By: Dave Brook

Dave Brook — Tue, 17 Feb 2026 01:36:08 +0000

FWIW, it wasn’t a unit pulp train. Port Robinson was the first setoff spot for this train most days, so the pulp: 20-40 cars usually was up front. Traffic for the US was behind.

By: Ian Malenfant-Picard

Ian Malenfant-Picard — Tue, 17 Feb 2026 01:19:48 +0000

Great capture Arnold! Its crazy to think that the pulp and paper industry was massive enough to justify unit trains!

By: Aitch

Aitch — Sat, 14 Feb 2026 19:23:55 +0000

Fascinating info ! Thanks very much, sir !

By: Dave Brook

Dave Brook — Sat, 14 Feb 2026 19:17:11 +0000

433 is a fun one, as it had connections. KO37 was a transfer that went from Mac Yard to SAcarborouggh to lift from the GM plant. It set off Fort Erie/ Niagara Falls traffic at the Don….which was lifted by 415…Toronto- Oshawa -Sarnia, which set off it and KO37′s Fort Erie traffic at Aldershot. 415 was considered a hotshot ordered around 1930. KO37 was very popular ordered for 1730 and all done by 2230 (connections for the west coast’s hotshots 3 hours later). 415 changed crews at Mimico usually around midnight, so 433 would likely be ordered around 2300.

Pulp on 433 would mean that 470 from North Bay was really late, or the hump really backed up, and they missed those connections….the same way one in a while 431 got stuck lifting 415′s traffic because 433 got in ahead of it.

Consider quite a bit of salt with all that..the recollections from 40 years ago, and how all the puzzle pieces went together.

By: Aitch

Aitch — Sat, 14 Feb 2026 19:01:27 +0000

@Dave Brooks: Thanks for those operational details. Do you remember the order time for 433 ? Also, any ideas as to why a 433 would on occasion carry pulp traffic ?

By: awmooney

awmooney — Sat, 14 Feb 2026 18:44:17 +0000

Thanks, guys. Yes, I remember 431, 432, 433 and just could not pin which of the two odd numbers was given the pulp train. For sure that train sure smelled nice in warm weather. The aroma should have been bottled.

By: Dave Brook

Dave Brook — Sat, 14 Feb 2026 18:37:40 +0000

@Aitch…there were 2 daily Fort Erie trains in those days….431-436 had Toronto crews, 432-433 had Fort Erie crews. 431 was ordered around 1030am, 432 around 9am. The return depended on how good a trip the original had or whether a little rest(6-8 hours) was taken at one end or the other.

By: Dave Brook

Dave Brook — Sat, 14 Feb 2026 18:35:08 +0000

Pulp loads mean it’s 431 to Fort Erie.

By: Aitch

Aitch — Sat, 14 Feb 2026 18:32:39 +0000

This image really jolts my nostalgia-meter. The sweet aroma of pine as this train passed was a special treat. I’ve seen many images identifying the pulp train as 431. On a few occasions in the mid and latter 80’s I did see it hear it identify itself over the scanner as 433 which was also a daily train to Fort Erie. Not sure why though, but it happened.