Comments on: This little Geep probably has an interesting story to tell about its last assignment: CP GP9 8812 sits at Alyth Yard with her pilot, stepwells, and front walkway packed hard with snow, which is also coating the front of her nose up to the roof, and piled up on top of her short hood and cab roof. Perhaps the aftermath of hitting some deep cuts or driftbusting plowed-over grade crossings at speed along some sleepy unplowed branchline out of Calgary working a local (if it had been on a plow run, there would be traces of a power cable for the plow running from the snowed-over 74 volt plug between the grab irons halfway up the nose). It appears the crew elected to de-train out the back of the cab and rear steps, rather than dealing with shoveling their way out the front. Doug Wingfield photo, Dan Dell’Unto collection.

By: RonaldB

RonaldB — Sat, 14 Mar 2020 23:08:37 +0000

This brings back memories of southern Ontario. To Matt’s question, most times, if you went a short distance without hitting snow, the headlight would ‘burn’ thru the snow sometimes leaving a “light tunnel” a foot deep. I’ve been on trains where we couldn’t even get out the back door & had to be shoveled out or bale out the side windows into a snowbank. This wasn’t on plows, but just mainline trips on trains in the late 70s like 904 or on branches like the Goderich.

By: mattwatson

mattwatson — Sun, 24 Nov 2019 01:16:27 +0000

I’m thinking the headlight wasn’t very effective on this trip.

By: Stephen C. Host

Stephen C. Host — Sun, 24 Nov 2019 01:02:00 +0000

Apologies to Mr. Wingfield then

By: MrDan

MrDan — Sun, 24 Nov 2019 00:31:45 +0000

Silly Steve, most of CP’s GP9′s were western-assigned units (although they did show up in the east from time to time)

By: Stephen C. Host

Stephen C. Host — Sat, 23 Nov 2019 23:51:58 +0000

FRIG – right! I didn’t check the location!! I thought that was Toronto!! hahaha!

Oops!!!

By: mattwatson

mattwatson — Sat, 23 Nov 2019 14:50:59 +0000

Stephen C. Host- In Calgary ?

By: Stephen C. Host

Stephen C. Host — Fri, 22 Nov 2019 07:51:12 +0000

Probably a moonlite