Comments on: On a crappy smoggy spring day in Toronto, a drag of ore cars drifts downgrade on CN’s York Sub and under the Yonge Street bridge. Brake shoe smoke is quite evident as the train slows for the 15 mph turnouts and curve at Doncaster as it will head north on the Bala Sub to Sudbury for more slag. Power for the train was a matched set of GP40-2(W)s 9461, 9460, and an unknown third 9400.

By: Aitch

Aitch — Mon, 10 Apr 2023 18:13:53 +0000

@ngineered4u: Thanks for those great operational details ! I always planned to see 719 in action but it ceased operation before I really gave it some focus. I do remember seeing the cars parked on the connecting track. Those short ore cars looked great piled high with crushed limestone.

By: First954

First954 — Mon, 10 Apr 2023 17:30:41 +0000

Thanks guys for the comments. I have a shot of what you describe ngineered4u, but it probably won’t pass quality. I’ll give it a try and see what happens.

By: ngineered4u

ngineered4u — Mon, 10 Apr 2023 17:12:04 +0000

@Aitch. The north end crew that operated 719 used to leave the train in the Newmarket/York connecting track for the south end crew. I used to operate this train as 718 and we would come out of Mac Yrd with the caboose on the point. We would “kick” the caboose and conductor (on the handbrake) into the connecting track, then the RTC would give us a light up to Snider North where we would back onto the loads, make sure that the caboose was tied on, do a brake test and then shove the train out of the connecting track on to York 1 or 2. We would then head west on the York Sub and south on the Uxbridge Sub at Hagerman to Millikens where we would pick up the empties, spot the loads and then head back to the connecting track and leave the train for the north end crew to take back to Uhtoff. Ahhh the good old days!

By: Aitch

Aitch — Mon, 10 Apr 2023 15:48:26 +0000

What a great image ! CN also used these ore cars on a limestone turn from Mac Yard to Uhthoff. think it was numbered 719.