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Caption: Four matching CN SD40's put their combined 12,000 horsepower to work, splitting the signals at "Mile 30" north of Milton as they motor upgrade with a dedicated unit ore train in Northern Ontario-Hamilton service.
These "shorty" cylindrical ore hoppers were built by National Steel Car for ore unit train service in three batches: 1967 and 1973/1975. The 1967 cars were 2000 cuft units assigned to Temagami ON and used in unit train service between northern Ontario and Hamilton. The later orders were slightly larger 2300 cuft cars for operation out of Bruce Lake. The hoppers were all designed for automatic loading and unloading, with wheels on the roof hatches that contacted rubbing rails to open and close roof hatches for loading, as well as automated or manual unloading capabilities. CN and Ontario Northland both bought batches and pooled them together for ore train operations (note the ONR's blue & yellow paint and chevrons on the 2nd and 3rd cars).
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Just talking about these cars yesterday 2/11/15 and wondering what became of them after the Sherman Mine-Dofasco run ended.
Some where apparently sent out west for cement service. Not sure what happened to the bulk of the fleet.
Thanks for this one Bill. It take me back to hours spent in Bracebridge waiting for a rare sighting. It’s still the best unit train Ontario has ever had.
The same cars were used on limestone service from Cadomin to Edmonton Alberta, so they may have gone there.
did anyone get a picture of an ore car? They are hard to find online.
While similar in appearance, the same cars were not employed between Cadomin and Edmonton. The rock limestone cars were designed, built (in Oakville, Ontario)and leased from Procor Ltd. A handful of the CN/ONT taconite cars were conveyed to MOW service, but I believe that the balance were scrapped.
Nice one! Just shot there today, it’s amazing how things grow in ivwr the decades. I guess the newer signals are a bit more to the east from these ones.
I’m still waiting to see a shot of this train down in the Industrial basin of Hamilton
that would have been something.
Cdntrainphotog:
There are some photos of the CN and ONT ore cars here:
http://canadianfreightcargallery.ca/cgi-bin/image.pl?i=cn346020&o=cn
MrDan:
If you’re thinking of the cars with Inland Cement markings, they’re not these CN/ONT cars, but similar cars built new for PROCOR/Inland.
The cars weren’t all scrapped though, here’s some survivors:
http://www.rrpicturearchives.net/showPicture.aspx?id=652076
http://canadianfreightcargallery.ca/cgi-bin/image.pl?i=crdx900266&o=crdx
Very nice ! That was always my favourite train.