Old Time Trains

Canadian National Railways

This great scene stars a pair of CLC F-M powered C-liners running as Extra 9300 West coming off the High Line about to pass under Bathurst Street bridge heading towards Mimico Yard. Two Alco powered switchers behind. Bathurst Street yard at left and Spadina Coach Yard at right. Coal tower in background and beyond Spadina Avenue bridge is Spadina roundhouse in all its smokey glory! Jim Parker photo with digital restoration by Ron Visockis.

Three builders (CLC, GMD and MLW) of CNR units are represented on Extra 2210 getting orders hooped up.

RS-3 3900 (ex CV 1859 one of two units transferred to CN 1/1958) Alco 80747 9/1954
Mount Royal, Tuesday 6/18/1963. Rod Peterson/Joseph Testagrose Collection

No.81 departing Central Station at 4.40 P.M. to Grenville passing through Mt.Royal.
This was one of the few trains allowed to operate through the tunnel without electric locos.
This was the last RS-3 on CNR. Retired 11/1973

Too much smoke, too little train! Coteau, QC February 7, 1976 Ron Visockis

FP9A 6510 leads a set of A-B-B-A covered wagons stopped at Jasper, AB 7/12/1973 Joseph Testagrose collection

"Clear order board" 6542 leads a passenger train through Dorval, Que. 4/19/1974
George Hamlin/Joseph Testagrose collection

Station in left backround is CP's Dorval also displaying two clear boards.

CPA16-5 6700 first of 6 A and 6 B C-Liners leads a short passenger train. Location and date uknown. CLC 2850 12/1954
Joseph Testagrose collection

A brand new FPA-2 6706 leads a short train at Ste Anne, Quebec 5/10/1955. MLW 79197 3/1955
First of 6 A (6706-6711) and 6 B (6806-6811) units. Later renumbered 6750-6755 and 6850-6855
Joseph Testagrose collection

6710 and matching B unit lead a long train leaving Hope, BC 7/1955 Dave Salter/Joseph Testagrose collection

4107 eastbound on the Dundas Sub. M.56.2 Monroes passing the vast plant and limestone quarry of Beachvilime (formerly Chemical Lime). Owned by STELCO it supplied the steel mills in Hamilton as well as Consolidated Sand & Gravel.
Beachville, ON 9/21/1987 Garland McKee/Joseph Testagrose collection.

1783-1782 (ex 3888 and 3886) in a scenic view near Mahone Bay, NS 5/25/1987
Tom Nemeth/Joseph Testagrose Collection

A great prairie branchline scene. 1600 leads two others with a long consist of grain hoppers.
Odessa, SK 6/15/1998 Leslie Kozma/Joseph Testagrose Collection

Another prairie branchline scene with 1604-1608 plus a third unit either setoff or to be lifted. Gray,SK 5/27/1991

Matched set of covered wagons leads passenger train likely the Super Continental.
FP9A 6515 2nd of nine unit order 89 mph sg GMD A1045 1/1957

9162 (ex 9140) leads another A unit on north BC line freight between Prince George and Prince Rupert.
Part of F7A rebuild program 9150-9199 1750 hp 16-567BC

View from the cab of a covered wagon. Station was later relocated and became a local museum.

9000 (2nd) leads an extra freight through Bayview Junction. 10/12/1956 George Corey/Joseph Testagrose Collection

9000 (2nd) leads an extra freight in Montreal. 1/1949 Alan Toohey/Joseph Testagrose Collection

GP9 4131 (GMD A1293 10/1957) is exiting Symington yard in Winnipeg MB with a solid train of empty wooden 40-foot boxcars destined to be loaded with grain going to elevators at Thunder Bay ON. 9/15/1963 Peter A. Cox
Note 4100-4133 built with Flexicoil trucks and geared 89 mph. Later changed to Blomberg trucks and 65 mph.

F7A 9179 (ex 9120 GMD A396 11/52) with modified roof air intake for plow service and GP9 4594 Bill Thomson
Note: 9179 last of 30 F7A units remanufactured 1972-74 at Transcona upgraded from 1500 hp to 1750 hp.

FPA4 6779 leads a MLW and a GMD B unit on a Pool train on CPR. Montreal West 6/26/1962 Peter Cox

9028 and 9029 first F7A (A203) and first F7B (A204 both 4/1951) on No.9 at Jasper, AB. 9/12/1968 Peter Cox
Note: There were 14 A and 14 B units numbered even and odd in sequence. A very unusual numbering system.
These were 65 mph freight units that required a steam generator car when used in passenger service as seen here with the
covered wagons recently repainted in new CN colour scheme while the SG car is still in old green, black and gold paint scheme.

6504 with first diesel powered passenger train through Brockville just coming to a stop. Two views.
Recorder and Times February 8, 1955 Brockville Museum

6504 FP9A 89 mph gearing. GMD A634 11/26/1954 about to take water. Note hose on the ground.

One year old FP9A 6534 (GMD A1304 5/58) and a F9B hauling Number 4 Continental. Turcot West. 6/21/59 Bob Krone

The engineer of CNR RS-10 3821 is about to snag orders as an outbound freight departs Turcot yard late on a Sunday afternoon. This train proceeded up the line that connects with the CPR and runs to Joliette and Shawinigan Falls.
November 10, 1957 Bob Krone

Fairbanks-Morse H-16-44 1600 hp unit leads Extra 2217 at Cantic, Que. 10/1962
Last of 18 units. CLC #2879 5/1955 Mat Herson/Joseph Testagrose collection.

3151 and 3152 leading one of the Tempo trains at Windsor. 5/18/1980 John Lameck/Sam Beck Collection

Central Vermont

Central Vermont time freight with a pair CLC covered wagons at Amherst, Mass. in a siding with a freight for New London.
The train is in the hole for the steam fan trip I was riding between New London and Amherst. Edward Ozog, Oct. 14, 1956.

CV 4551 GP9 in fresh paint, running Extra at New London, CT 6/1/1976 Tim Darnell

CV 451 running Extra 4556 and 4548 83mph GP9's EMD 3/57 at Palmer, Massachusetts. July 1961.

Grand Trunk Western

GTW 4916_4910_4130 lead westbound Maple Leaf from Dearborn Station in Chicago to Toronto. Behind it is Santa Fe's Texas Chief just arrived. It would be hauled by covered wagons painted in the famous Warbonnet paint scheme used only on ATSF passenger trains such as on outbound Grand Canyon (below). June 6, 1962 Bob Krone

ATSF 30C F3A flying green flags leads the Grand Canyon westbound out of Dearborn Station. June 6, 1962. Bob Krone