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Carson McGinness's Railpictures.ca photo upload statistics

Number of images: 169
Total gold: 2702
Number of comments recieved : 298
Number of comments posted : 82
Total views: 254255

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Carson McGinness's 169 photos on Railpictures.ca:

Due to increased road traffic, a newer bridge was was constructed in 1973, further to the north when compared to the original double deck bridge. The lower deck was finally closed to cars in 2021 due to the rapidly deteriorating conditions of the roads surface below, with small holes in the roads surface appearing, you’re able to see the Saskatchewan River below.

The crew told me a story that for one rather impatient individual, the drive to the north was too much of an inconvenience for them.

Someone had driven up the eastern side of the bridge along the service road, aligned their car with the tracks direction and proceeded to let the air out of the tires, allowing the rims to straddle the rails, with the rim acting as the flange on both sides. The individual crossed the upper deck of the bridge, minus guard rails, to the other side and eventually disembarked at the next crossing.

I couldn’t imagine staring down at the river with no barriers on either side in a car, but the crew graciously allowed me to stand on the walkway as we crossed over into Nipawin from the West. The view was downright spectacular, in May in that part of the province, winter seems to hold on just a little longer some years. The May thaw and melt provided a swollen Saskatchewan River, adding to the ambiance of the crossing.

Name:	Carson L McGinness
Railway:	Torch River Rail
Date:	05/20/2026
Location:	Nipawin
Province:	Saskatchewan

1 Comments | 20 Favourites

On the pilot looking West is quite a site.

This river, culminates into one of the signature attractions on the line, the historic “ Crooked Bridge “ over the Saskatchewan River. Construction on the bridge began in 1928 and was completed in January of 1930.

What the bridge is most synonymous and recognized for, is the uncommon double deck girder plate design, incorporating a 16ft roadway directly under the upper railway deck. This is a similar design to the Fraser River bridge in New Westminster, B.C. for comparison. The bridges total length sits at 1,906ft, making it one of the largest steel bridges in Western Canada.

Name:	Carson McGinness
Railway:	Torch River Rail
Date:	05/20/2026
Location:	Nipawin
Province:	Saskatchewan

1 Comments | 18 Favourites

Between Prince Albert and Nipawin, you have two of the most important waterways in the province of Saskatchewan, the North and South Saskatchewan rivers converge. When adding the distance, the Saskatchewan River is roughly 1,939 kilometres long. Both rivers begin in the Rocky Mountains of Alberta, through the province of Saskatchewan, and merge together to flow into Cedar Lake, Manitoba, eventually draining into Hudsons Bay. When you include its longest tributary, the Southern portion, its the fourth longest river in Canada.

For good reason, this helped shape the way in which our First Nations traded, and influential for our early European exploration and trapping, forever shaping the future of the province.

Name:	Carson McGinness
Railway:	Torch River Rail
Date:	05/20/2026
Location:	Nipawin
Province:	Saskatchewan

Comments | 14 Favourites

The scenery and topography varies drastically along the surprisingly short 28 miles of trackage. Most readers would believe the vast majority of the province is composed of the vast wheat fields, but in actuality, roughly 1/3rd is the combination of the mixed and moist grasslands and the Aspen Parkland. The roughly 2/3rds that remain consist of the Boreal low, mid and uplands, also including the Churchill River Upland and the Athabasca Plain as you progress towards the border with the North West Territories.

The White Fox Sub cuts through the Boreal Transition, due to the topographic changes, it provides a remarkable amount of rolling hills and bridges on the preserved stretch of track. Four bridges of various sizes exist along the line, with the hallmark signature of the line being the crossing into Nipawin.

Name:	Carson McGinness
Railway:	Torch River Rail
Date:	05/20/2026
Location:	Nipawin
Province:	Saskatchewan

1 Comments | 21 Favourites

A scene that forever belongs to the past. The crew had brought 1432 to a stop so I could get a virtually unobstructed photo in one of the countless fields that hug the track. Im not sure if theres anything else on this planet that would scream Saskatchewan than a GMD-1 silhouetted against an open sky. The provinces catch phrase, land of the living sky, seems to hold true.

Ticks always seem to find a way, with grass and dry shrubs sparse and no higher than ankle high, they always seem to exist in the weirdest, most secluded places. But then again, where deer exist and graze, so do they. Thankfully, caught the culprit before it could get a bite.

Name:	Carson McGinness
Railway:	Torch River Rail
Date:	05/20/2026
Location:	White Fox
Province:	Saskatchewan

Comments | 14 Favourites

TRR runs on an on demand basis, majority of the customers are in the community of Choiceland, car storage is also another lucrative business for the railway. Todays job, was to run light along the 28 miles of track to Nipawin and grab 24 tank cars from the CPKC interchange for storage. Afterwards, we would then return to Nipawin with 10 empty hoppers to be returned to the CPKC.

Travelling east, we pass through communities that once housed the iconic wooden grain elevators that scattered the prairies. Garrick still has its siding where the elevator once stood and is used for car storage.

The namesake town of White Fox which gives the subdivision its name still host’s it original Saskatchewan Wheat Pool elevator. A far cry from what once was as White Fox hosted at one point in time, three elevators and a station, is down to one elevator. Thankfully, it has been lovingly cared for and is still used for bulk shipments. On our return, we would drop 12 cars in the siding at White Fox.

Name:	Carson McGinness
Railway:	Torch River Rail
Date:	05/20/2026
Location:	White Fox
Province:	Saskatchewan

1 Comments | 16 Favourites

After switching the yard at Choiceland, we set off towards Nipawin.
A line that always stuck with me that most would describe Saskatchewan, comes from the Canadian show, Corner Gas.

“It’s my first time driving across Saskatchewan, sure is flat.
How do you mean.?
Y’know, flat, nothing to see.
What do you mean, like topographically? Hey Hank, this guy says Saskatchewan is flat.
There’s lots to see, nothing to block your view.
See, there’s lots to see, like the mountains back there, uh, oh what the hell, I could have sworn there was a big mountain range back there, jetting up into the sky all purple and majestic, must be thinking of a postcard I saw.
Hey yeah it is kinda flat, thanks for pointing it out.
Are you guys always this sarcastic?
Nothing else to do”

The crew after letting me disembark, made a few photo runbys over a few of the lines bridge, from what I can recall, there are four standing in total, with the main attraction being the double decked bridge in Nipawin.

Name:	Carson McGinness
Railway:	Torch River Rail
Date:	05/20/2026
Location:	Love
Province:	Saskatchewan

Comments | 17 Favourites

Whats in a name?

The railway has made steady headway from its humble beginnings in 2007. The primary shipment that comes from the TRR is Oats, and the main buyer, Quaker Oats for, you guessed it, granola bars. Railcar shipments in their initial year of operation was projected between 150-200 cars, in actuality they moved 400, with the number of cars growing year over year.

Name:	Carson McGinness
Railway:	Torch River Rail
Date:	05/20/2026
Location:	Choiceland
Province:	Saskatchewan

1 Comments | 17 Favourites

Arriving in Choiceland from my hotel in Prince Albert was a little over an hour drive, I was greeted with warm smiles and handshakes.

The railway runs on an on demand basis, majority of the customers are in the community of Choiceland, car storage is also another lucrative business for the railway. Todays job, was to run light along the 28 miles of track to Nipawin and grab 24 tank cars from the CPKC interchange for storage. Afterwards, we would then return to Nipawin with 10 empty hoppers to be returned to the CPKC.

The crew proceeded to bring the GMD-1 to life without much hesitation from the engine. The engine is kept in extraordinary condition, clean, well maintained and signs of love, especially with the refurbished plow, sporting a freshly repainted white V onto the plow, a signature feature on CNR diesels. After signing the waiver, the crew graciously allowed me to roam and photograph with little to no restriction, allowing for incredible access to what I believe, to be some of the most picturesque trackage in the province.

Name:	Carson McGinness
Railway:	Torch River Rail
Date:	05/20/2026
Location:	Choiceland
Province:	Saskatchewan

6 Comments | 20 Favourites

If you told me that there was a former Canadian National GMD-1 still pulling grain hoppers in the Saskatchewan prairies in 2026, I would have thought I was being being led on a goose chase.

Thankfully, I couldn’t be more wrong.

The GMD-1’s were, in my opinion, the quintessential locomotive of the Canadian prairies. These engines were a unique to Canada only model, with Canadian National and Northern Alberta Railway ( a railroad that was jointly owned between the CNR and the CPR, that would end up buying two from the CNR ) being the main customers. Over time, 20 units would subsequently be sold to Cuba and other units to various U.S. short lines as the CNR began to retire them.

Built from 1958 and 1960, the GMD-1 proved to be versatile and well suited for various roles. The 1000 series units featured the A1A ( six axle ) lightweight trucks which were geared for 65MPH, saw extensive use on the numerous branch lines that sprawled across Canada’s vast prairies.

The B-B Flexicoil ( four axle ) truck variants of the initial batch of GMD-1’s ( 1900 series ) were better suited and geared at 83MPH for the local commuter trains. These units also came equipped with an onboard steam generator, denoted with a G in the class designation.

These units would go through three rebuild’s throughout their lives. The most noticeable, would come in the removal of the A1A trucks as those branch lines these engines served, began to become abandoned or upgraded to heavier rail. This saw the reduction of the need to have so many lightweight six axle units. These would be swapped out for the B-B Flexicoil trucks.

Numerous unit found life elsewhere outside the prairies they once called home.
Torch River Rails 1432, ex CN 1432, nee 1602 and when it came off the line in 1958 from GMD, it was numbered 1008. This unit never seemed to have ventured far from home in the west.

Torch River Rail operates on 28 Miles on the former Canadian Pacific White Fox Subdivision. This subdivision once operated from Nipawin Saskatchewan to Sharpe, where it would then join CN and run into the town of Prince Albert.

In April of 2008, Torch River Railway, which consisted of local investors and four municipal government groups, moved forward to purchase the railway from Canadian Pacific. It serves the four municipalities of Nipawin, White Fox, Torch River and Choiceland, where the company is based out of.

Torch River Railways one and only unit is the as mentioned GMD-1, which was acquired in 2007.

I had reached out to the railway in May of 2026 in hopes to photograph one of the last remaining GMD-1’s in service. At the time of writing this, the unit is approaching 68 years old. A phrase I have heard one too many times, “if not now, then when”?

Here, TRR 1432 switches the elevators and bins within the small yard at Choiceland.

Name:	Carson McGinness
Railway:	Torch River Rail
Date:	05/20/2026
Location:	Choiceland
Province:	Saskatchewan

3 Comments | 20 Favourites

Looking a little worse for wear, CPR 4065 rests outside what looks like the Nelson BC shops.
Thanks again to Jacob Patterson for the scanning, corrections are always welcomed trying to place these slides.

Name:	Carson McGinness
Railway:	Canadian Pacific
Date:	04/30/1972
Location:	Nelson
Province:	British Columbia

Comments | 14 Favourites

Pictured is ETR 107 with an impressive cut of cars, date is a rough estimate, ETR 107 acq. 7/1977 (ex DD-GM 113, nee EMD 113) SW1500 EMD 37436 4/1971.

Note the CNR Cylindrical hoppers in the back on the left.

From Old Time Trains: This unit had been a plant switcher first at EMD in La Grange and later at GMD in London.
It had problems with the sharp curves in the GMD plant and was swapped for ETR 102 an SW8

Name:	Carson McGinness
Railway:	Essex Terminal
Date:	01/20/1982
Location:	Windsor Area
Province:	Ontario

1 Comments | 21 Favourites

What I can only guess as London (where the estate was located) and having him been an occasional railfan of the London area, this Eythl Canada tank car looks right at home.

A wonderful write up from Geoff Elliott on these (https://actionhobbiesrailroad.wordpress.com/2015/05/11/geoff-elliott-on-modelling-ethyl-anti-knock-tank-cars/#jp-carousel-1058) helped narrow down either where this was going to, or from.

Eythl Canada had a plant in Corunna, Ontario from 1956-2013 when the plant was closed. Eythl had a rather modest roster of roughly 60 tank cars of different capacities.
https://www.theobserver.ca/2013/10/30/another-business-closure-adds-to-mounting-job-losses-in-sarnia-lambton

Our subject is the smaller of the lot, rated at 3,000 Gallons with 9 tank cars rostered of this style.

Thanks again to Jacob Patterson for scanning these

Name:	Carson L McGinness
Railway:	Other
Date:	08/06/1974
Location:	London
Province:	Ontario

2 Comments | 17 Favourites

Out of a local estate came these slides, beautifully scanned and uploaded by our own Jacob Patterson.

I know little about them as unfortunately, no dates or titles came on the slides, so location and dates are at best, an educated guess.

I can say however that C-Liner is out of Nelson, British Columbia, with more than a feast for the eyes worth of old equipment.

Name:	Carson McGinness
Railway:	Canadian Pacific
Date:	07/30/1972
Location:	Nelson
Province:	British Columbia

Comments | 18 Favourites

Well, that's it. As plain and unassuming as the black paint on the former CP RS-18u, TRY 1859 heads up the Canal Sub one last time before the line would be mothballed to its current state. As far as I am aware, this was the last train to pass over this segment between Merritton and Thorold. The track between Welland to Thorold is still in service as tank cars are still being stored behind Poly.

Name:	Carson McGinness
Railway:	Trillium Railway
Date:	03/01/2024
Location:	Thorold
Province:	Ontario

4 Comments | 16 Favourites

Finally, after years of being evaded, or outright just missing the plow jobs across Southern Ontario, luck was finally on my side. After burning through two sets of power, 182 suffering mechanical problems having not even reaching McBeth Rd before being swapped for OSR 102. On the second attempt, a "loud bang" was heard, retiring the second set. Finally hearing "go warm them up", having the F units on a plow extra was a treat, myself not seeing them run since 2021. OSR made quick work of both the Port Burwell Spur and the St Thomas Sub. CN as well the same day would run a spreader from Stratford to London, unfortunately, not leaving until almost 16:00 due to a bulb issue...

Name:	Carson McGinness
Railway:	Ontario Southland
Date:	02/18/2025
Location:	Belmont
Province:	Ontario

5 Comments | 24 Favourites

After flagging the stop, CN901 accelerates towards Huntsville to fetch the spreader. Things would only go sideways from there. Once arriving, 901 would tie down in the yard as workers attempted to get the Spreader to function. It would take them almost two extra days before being able to use it and start plowing on the Newmarket.

Name:	Carson McGinness
Railway:	Canadian National
Date:	12/03/2024
Location:	Gravenhurst
Province:	Ontario

2 Comments | 16 Favourites

Good things come to those who wait. Cottage country this last week received a walloping of lake effect snow, with several locations breaking 100CM + of accumulation. Gravenhurst would receive the most with the township reporting 140CM. For us in the GTA only receiving a measly 5cm last night, the chance of a plow running along the Newmarket was fairly high. Thanks to a few friends giving me tips, CN 901 was supposed to run to Huntsville to fetch the Jordan Spreader. Leaving incredibly early to be in Washago for 901's departure, all hands were on deck to plow Highway 11, the plow drivers all things considered did a phenomenal job, even the side roads were fairly well maintained. I surely thought I would get ditched somewhere but, I was happily mistaken.

My luck, the sun broke through, clouds receded giving way to spectacular conditions, even if it was for just a SD75I and a Dash 9, it made for a spectacular chase.

Name:	Carson McGinness
Railway:	Canadian National
Date:	12/03/2024
Location:	Washago
Province:	Ontario

2 Comments | 14 Favourites

No hiding NOVA 2450's heritage with those original boards. Built for the Southern Pacific, 2450 is the first of SP's & SSW's fleet of 240 SW1500's and has faired very well since being built by EMD almost 60+ years ago.

Today, 2450 is at LDS getting its usual routine inspection.

The refinery produces 1.8 billion pounds of ethylene per year and another two billion pounds of related products, so the speed limit is probably a good idea. Ethylene has a number of uses in the chemical industry (think of the many uses of ethylene glycol) and is a key component in products used in agriculture to hasten the ripening of fruit. ( Beachburg Blog )

Name:	Carson McGinness
Railway:	Other
Date:	02/01/2024
Location:	Sarnia
Province:	Ontario

1 Comments | 11 Favourites

A massive thank you to the workers at LDS who were able to accommodate me during their busy day and give me the full guided tour. GTW / LDSX 4620 sure has been around the country quite a bit recently in the last few years. Previously out in Saskatchewan at Stewart Southern Railway parked in their potential " to be used " (<a href=http://www.railpictures.ca/?attachment_id=49678><b>http://www.railpictures.ca/?attachment_id=49678</b></a>) worked its way to LDS for a fresh overhaul and lease. From the Beachburg Blog Spot: Luckily, for rail enthusiasts in this area, the roundhouse was kept intact when Lambton Diesel Specialists (LDS) took over the facility in 1992 and assumed the diesel servicing operations from CN. The actual turntable is long gone, but some of the bays are still there (most boarded up) and are used for rehabbing locomotives from a number of railways. Also, the old windows have been replaced with renovations still taking place. Neat to note, some interior walls are braced with former 40' Wood boxcars with original Canadian National markings and notes for grain and other bulk quantities written on the planks.

Name:	Carson McGinness
Railway:	Other
Date:	02/01/2024
Location:	Sarnia
Province:	Ontario

4 Comments | 13 Favourites

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Carson McGinness's Map:

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