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Caption: 'I've been working on the railroad' .... VIA 693 has backed onto the station track at Churchill, MB and detrained all passengers on this bitterly cold (-29C feeling -39C) March 14, 2023 morning. The track maintenance crew has put their hi-rail vehicle on the track and is ready to begin their patrol and maintenance duties over the 98 mile territory they cover. But, before they do, they need to get the guide wheels on the right side of the vehicle rolling free. It is so cold that the grease in the rail wheel bearings on the shaded side of the truck is too stiff to allow the wheels to spin freely. A little more back and forth movement will eventually free the wheels up and they will be on their way! These two guys (one ex-CN and one HBR) were kind enough to spot the truck in the sun for me then stop and chat for a few minutes about railroading and the challenges they face here in the far north. Just another part of a great visit to Churchill on my winter excursion. :-)
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Paul, what an incredible journey! How good of them to enhance your experience. – Ken
Thanks Ken. Well, they either thought I was crazy for being out in that weather with a camera, or, my nice warm CN toque gave them an indication I was possibly a fellow railroader or foamer.
I introduced myself by saying “I didn’t miss for one minute working on the track in this kind of weather” which opened the door for more conversation about CN and railroading. They made my trip just that much better!
Paul, they must have plugged in their Ford hi-rail, otherwise it probably wouldn’t have started in the deep cold. Sure hope the heater in the truck is working, otherwise it’s going to be a chilly 98 miles ! As always, a very interesting picture and informative caption. Trying to determine what stop/ community is 98 miles along the line from Churchill. Thanks for the posting, John
Looks like a well maintained vehicle. There will be no turning that vehicle off for fuel conservation that day. The yellow plug hanging out of the bumper may be for the block or engine oil heater? That is a heavy duty bumper and hitch for towing rail buggies. I see a VHF and a Sat antenna mounted on the back rack for communications.
There is a yellow block heater/oil pan heater plug hanging down through a bumper opening on the drivers side of the vehicle for cold weather plug-in, but I believe HBR vehicles are kept indoors during winter to ensure they will start and run properly each day. There was an inch or two of snow overnight and the hi-rail truck was void of any which would confirm its indoor storage.
Churchill yard is mile 509.8 on the Herchmer Sub. and Herchmer Siding is mile 412.0 on the Herchmer Sub. That is a distance of 97.8 miles.
Arctic Gateway established a 24-person work camp on a one-acre geocell-reinforced site at the Herchmer siding.