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Post by Canucks on May 20, 2008 19:45:30 GMT -8
Nice to see the blue and white scheme. What is in between the number boards. It doesn't look like a normal bell.
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Post by CN2972South on May 20, 2008 20:36:54 GMT -8
Nice to see the blue and white scheme. What is in between the number boards. It doesn't look like a normal bell. It's an electronic bell. Sounds close to a real one, but without the moving mechanical parts that require maintenance and can fail. A lot of railroads are switching to these bells and BC Rail was slowly replacing the mechanical bells with these when CN took over. |
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Post by WettCoast on May 20, 2008 21:17:59 GMT -8
Tyler,
Those appears to be relatively new locomotives but without wide-nosed cabs. Did BC Rail choose to by these in preference to wide-nosed? I understood that wide-nosed cabs were considered to offer better crew safety (if you hit something like rocks on the tracks) than the standard design?
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Post by CN2972South on May 20, 2008 21:51:01 GMT -8
Tyler, Those appears to be relatively new locomotives but without wide-nosed cabs. Did BC Rail choose to by these in preference to wide-nosed? I understood that wide-nosed cabs were considered to offer better crew safety (if you hit something like rocks on the tracks) than the standard design? BC Rail didn't really have a choice as to the type of cab they wanted on those particular units. BC Rail bought them second hand from GE in the mid 1990's. GE used them in lease fleets and some units showed up on Burlington Northern before they were sold to BC Rail. After BC Rail got them though, they were overhauled with the horns, lights, and cab amenities(fridge, oven, hotplate, toilet, and air-ride seats) that BC Rail had on their other locomotives. As well the wide-nose cabs have a lot more steel, and put extra weight up front. 6 axle engines spread the weight out, but on the 4 axle engines, with the extra weight of the cab on the lead truck, it makes for a very rough ride for the crews. The 3900's(Dash 8-39B), built in 1987 and 1988 are actually a few years older than the wide-body 4600's(Dash 8-40CM) which were built in 1992 and 1993. |
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Post by CN2972South on May 30, 2008 19:16:47 GMT -8
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Post by Canucks on Jun 15, 2008 19:52:36 GMT -8
I went on the Whistler Mountaineer today and took some photos. A CN GP-9? with a slug. A BCR Dash 8 is in the background  Here is the the BCR unit.  A CN SD70 I think.  |
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Post by CN2972South on Jun 16, 2008 4:54:36 GMT -8
I went on the Whistler Mountaineer today and took some photos. A CN GP-9? with a slug. A BCR Dash 8 is in the background Yep, a GP9. 1957 vintage, I believe. CN has 2 of them running around the yard, both Beltpack/Remote Control units. Yep got that one right too. SD70M-2. Those units are junk. Very noisy in the cab, rough riding, uncomfortable vinyl seats, cheap plastic interiors, a bell that cannot be shut off after whistling for a crossing, and the conductor's desk on those things consists of a flimsy piece of sheet metal(I'm always banging my knees on the d*** thing). Thank god CN decided to send it east through the Fraser Canyon instead of up the BCR. Anyway, hope you had a good trip on the train, with conductor Bob and engineer O-Y you were in good hands. BTW, too bad you weren't there earlier. I was working the night yard that morning(off after the sun came up). Would have given the grand tour... |
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Post by CN2972South on Jun 21, 2008 5:06:26 GMT -8
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Post by CN2972South on Jul 2, 2008 15:54:31 GMT -8
Worked the 05:00 yard on Monday, was able to get a couple pictures. CN GP9RM-GP9 Slug Beltpack(Remote Control) set at North Vancouver. Sitting on the RIP track waiting for a new air compressor.  Recently refurbished SD40-2W 5289, one of the 2 engines that were used on the Squamish Switcher.  |
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Post by CN2972South on Jul 3, 2008 13:04:38 GMT -8
Well 7216 is back in service, shops crew either replaced the old compressor or got it working again.  |
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Post by CN2972South on Jul 16, 2008 19:46:55 GMT -8
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Post by CN2972South on Jul 29, 2008 17:44:56 GMT -8
The Southbound freight train out of Lillooet was stopped at D'arcy for 14 hours due to a broken wheel. It was an old break that finally let go. It's amazing that it stayed on the rail, it could have caused a big mess.   Another shot of the break. The piece that broke off was found 5 miles away.  The other wheel slid for a while until the problem was found. The Road repair truck was called from Kamloops, jacked up the car and changed the wheels, and the train carried on to Squamish, 14 hours late.  |
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Post by Canucks on Jul 29, 2008 19:15:53 GMT -8
Crash National at its best. ;D
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Post by Hardy on Aug 4, 2008 17:30:45 GMT -8
I find that rather interesting. Thanks for posting!
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Post by yvr on Aug 20, 2008 15:45:28 GMT -8
Here's one for BC Railcndr.
For the newer GE and GM locomotives do you have a photo of the location of the microwave, and one of the lav. Are there certain personnel designated to clean and sanitize these units? And hopefully that's not you! Also what if the engineer has to use the lav while the train is in motion? Are you deemed a qualified operator while he leaves the control stand? Perhaps you can tell us what procedures are followed.
Thanks YVR
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Post by CN2972South on Aug 20, 2008 21:10:39 GMT -8
Here's one for BC Railcndr. For the newer GE and GM locomotives do you have a photo of the location of the microwave, and one of the lav. Are there certain personnel designated to clean and sanitize these units? And hopefully that's not you! Also what if the engineer has to use the lav while the train is in motion? Are you deemed a qualified operator while he leaves the control stand? Perhaps you can tell us what procedures are followed. Thanks YVR On the newer units the microwave oven is located in the nose behind the control stand and right across from the toilet(which is in the nose behind the conductor's work station). On older units the microwave was right beside the conductor's desk. No we don't clean the toilets, they're done by the shop staff when the locomotives are serviced. If the engineer has to use the facilities, he may have the conductor keep an eye on things or he may even stop the train. |
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Post by CN2972South on Aug 25, 2008 23:17:52 GMT -8
CN 2290 in North Van after bringing a special train south from Whistler.  |
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Post by Retrovision on Aug 27, 2008 0:44:44 GMT -8
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Post by Canucks on Aug 27, 2008 11:11:52 GMT -8
Awesome photo Retro! Perfectly timed and framed, you must have waited a while for a chance like that.  |
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Post by CN2972South on Sept 11, 2008 23:53:50 GMT -8
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Post by Ferryman on Sept 12, 2008 6:45:28 GMT -8
Thanks Tyler.
This one has my favourite Airchime K5LA horn on it. It always makes me stop what I'm doing to look over while I'm at work.
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Post by CN2972South on Oct 10, 2008 5:53:09 GMT -8
Read last night on the BC Rail Locos yahoogroup that BC Rail C40-8M 4615 has emerged from C.A.D. in Montreal in the CN website paint job with BCOL written on the cab. Drawing by Michael Eby traniax.neti65.photobucket.com/albums/h237/enr3870/bcol4615.jpg[moderator edit: 1,024px wide picture changed from an IMG to a weblink. ....just a bit outside] |
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Post by corporalrabbinoff on Oct 17, 2008 11:19:39 GMT -8
What does BCOL stand for? I know BC stands for British Columbia, what about the OL?
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Post by CN2972South on Oct 18, 2008 16:59:39 GMT -8
Worked as a brakeman on a 2 day work train out of North Vancouver. We dumped ballast rock around the Whistler and Pemberton areas, between McGuire and Pemberton. I snapped this after using the can on the second unit, heading north up the Cheakamus Canyon.  |
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Mill Bay
Voyager 
Long Suffering Bosun
Posts: 2,887 
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Post by Mill Bay on Oct 18, 2008 22:44:19 GMT -8
That's a really good one, Tyler... what reasons are they dumping the ballast for?
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