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About Paul O'Shell


Started my railroad career at CN in July 1969 and retired from the industry 49 years later on March 1, 2018. My area of expertise was railway Work Equipment. Currently reside in Binbrook, ON. I use a Nikon D850, Nikon D7200 (Nikkor Gold Ring 24-120mm, 35mm, 18-140mm, 55-300mm, & 80-400mm) and scan with an Epson V550. Enjoy my contributions. Be safe. Lots more of my photos at: https://www.flickr.com/photos/197431498@N07/albums

Paul O'Shell's Railpictures.ca photo upload statistics


Number of images: 354
Total gold: 3584
Number of comments recieved : 738
Number of comments posted : 717
Total views: 487673




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Paul O'Shell's 354 photos on Railpictures.ca:


Prior to KRC's Pukatawagan Mixed being put together on this cold, clear, March 16th morning in The Pas, the ex-VIA, exx-CN passenger equipment was parked on storage tracks PZ70 & PZ71 at the south end of the station building. The two cars closest to the main on PZ70 (KRC 5649 & KRC 9631) had the on-board generator fired up and were being warmed up to accept passengers and supplies. These two cars would soon be pulled from their resting place by a pair of PRLX locomotives (2265 & 2269), while the remaining two cars on PZ71 (KRC 3248 & KRC 5648) would sit, cold and un-powered. Passenger cars used on the KRC (Keewatin Railway Company) Pukatawagan Mixed are all ex-VIA, exx-CN equipment as follows: Baggage/Coach KRC 5649 ex-VIA 5649, exx-CN 5649 CC&F built 1954 converted to baggage/coach in 1998 Baggage KRC 9631 ex-VIA 9631, exx-CN 9631 NSC built 1955 Cafe/Coach KRC 3248 ex-VIA 3248, exx-CN 3248, exxx-CN 5454 coach CC&F built 1954 Baggage/Coach KRC 5648 ex-VIA 5648, exx-CN 5648 CC&F built 1954 converted to baggage/coach in 1998
Name: Paul O'Shell
Railway: Keewatin Railway
Date: 03/16/2023
Location: The Pas
Province: Manitoba
4 Comments | 15 Favourites
The Hudson Bay Railway H.Q. building is looking mighty impressive on this cold, sunny, cloud-free, mid-day in The Pas, MB. I stayed in the small northern Manitoba town for two days and three nights on my return trip from Churchill, and had nothing but crystal clear skies each day. My walks around the yard, engine terminal, H.Q. building, and downtown station were filled with opportunities to capture some rare, and unique equipment.
Name: Paul O'Shell
Railway: Hudson Bay Railway
Date: 03/17/2023
Location: The Pas
Province: Manitoba
2 Comments | 12 Favourites
It's 12 noon on March 14, 2023 in Churchill, MB. The sky is clear, the sun is bright, but it's -27C feeling like -36C!!! But, on the bright side, it's warmer than my arrival earlier in the morning at 08:30 when it was -31C feeling like -43C!!! VIA 693's consist is parked in front of the stately station building with all the vestibule doors closed. No connection to wayside power for the equipment today as both locomotives have been left running to stay warm and ready for departure later in the day as VIA 690 to The Pas. My entire day in Churchill alternated from 1/2 an hour outside taking photos, to 1/2 an hour in a restaurant, or the community center, or a store, then back out again for more pics. With the light breeze, and ice crystals in the air it was a challenging, but very enjoyable day walking around the station, yard, and town. I'm so glad I have been able to experience this trip and locations in both summer and winter, and would highly recommend the adventure to everyone. :-)
Name: Paul O'Shell
Railway: VIA Rail
Date: 03/14/2023
Location: Churchill
Province: Manitoba
7 Comments | 15 Favourites
So, I took a little trip last week and came across this nice consist along the way!!! VIA 693 from Winnipeg to Churchill (stayed for the day) then boarded the same equipment which became VIA 690 to The Pas. Stayed in The Pas for two days then returned to Winnipeg on VIA 692 and flew home. Another great trip (8 days in total) with nothing but beautiful blue skies and sunshine, coupled with bitterly cold temperatures for my one day in Churchill, and two days in The Pas. Having walked from my hotel to beautiful downtown The Pas (about a mile), and taking photos along the way, I was warming up in the waiting room of the VIA station when I noticed some movement trackside and watched some very familiar VIA blue roll-by! It was the Pukatawagan Mixed being assembled on the mainline in front of the station! Two units, PRLX 2265 & PRLX 2269, KRC 9631 baggage/generator car, and KRC 5649 combination baggage/coach were stationary and boarding passengers, while another locomotive was marshalling a variety of mixed freight cars in the yard behind to tack on the rear of the train. I made my way outside and to the sunny side of the consist to grab some shots then headed back to the station platform for some pics of passengers entraining and other activity. I asked one of the KRC guys if I could climb aboard and have a look through the coach end door, and to my surprise, he said he'd give me a tour of the two cars! He also asked if I wanted to climb up in the head-end but I could hear the engineer in my earpiece urging the crew to hurry up as they wanted to get moving, so I declined. Lots of rare & interesting photos to share! I'll see if I can pretty up one or two of the on-board shots for posting. :-)
Name: Paul O'Shell
Railway: Keewatin Railway
Date: 03/16/2023
Location: The Pas
Province: Manitoba
5 Comments | 17 Favourites
The journals on this TH&B outside braced wood boxcar turned boarding car were last repacked 9/66 according to the stencil at the close end. A few new panes of glass and this car could go right back to work. NOT! :-)
Name: Paul O'Shell
Railway: Toronto Hamilton a…
Date: Summer 1976
Location: Hamilton
Province: Ontario
Comments | 9 Favourites
OUCH! Between downtown Hornepayne, ON and Becker (Hornepayne Lumber) a few miles to the east, is Cree Pit. In the late 70's and into the 80's, CN stockpiled new concrete ties here to be used by the then new P-811 Concrete Tie Machine. It was also a storage location for the old wood ties removed from the track after the P-811 had done its job. I was there in the summer of 1976 on a CN Great Lakes Region tie gang and managed to snap some salvaged rolling stock from a recent derailment. CN 565203 built May 1951 sits on cribs of new track ties, and securely tied down on CN 661812 built 1942 at Cree Pit. I'm guessing that load is bound for London, ON and a visit to the CN Reclaim Yard.
Name: Paul O'Shell
Railway: Canadian National
Date: Summer 1976
Location: Cree Pit (Hornepay…
Province: Ontario
4 Comments | 13 Favourites
TH&B 81 in only a few months old when I snapped it sitting in Aberdeen Avenue yard on this sunny spring day. While still wearing hanger brackets to hold oil fired marker lamps, this brand new caboose is also fitted with electric marker lamps at both ends. The diesel fired generator slung under the car body provides the power for interior & exterior appliances. New in December 1973, 81 was scrapped sometime between 1993 & 1995.
Name: Paul O'Shell
Railway: Toronto Hamilton a…
Date: Spring 1974
Location: Hamilton
Province: Ontario
2 Comments | 17 Favourites
It's lunchtime at Hagersville as a trio of CN locomotives sit idling near the new Operations trailers. A pair of North American maps and a line of zebra stripes on this power splits the snow covered ground and the clear blue sky nicely on this cold, clear day.
Name: Paul O'Shell
Railway: Canadian National
Date: 03/06/2019
Location: Hagersville
Province: Ontario
3 Comments | 13 Favourites
Home away from home. There's no one sleeping in this windowless boarding car tucked away in TH&B's Aberdeen Avenue Yard. At least not any railway employees! Box cars and old passenger equipment converted into MoW service were a mainstay of most railroads prior to the introduction of modular housing units mounted on flat cars in the early 1970's. Lots of neat little features on this old car. Outside braced wood construction, roof level hand brake wheel, roof walk, full length car end ladders, single side coupler cut levers, end doors for between car access, and, the smoke stack for the coal or oil stove is still standing. I spent many a night in old cars like this beginning in 1969 and into the 1970's during my early CN days.
Name: Paul O'Shell
Railway: Toronto Hamilton a…
Date: Summer 1976
Location: Hamilton
Province: Ontario
4 Comments | 15 Favourites
'Take a tip. Be safe this trip' TH&B 69 sits in the Aberdeen Avenue yard on this mild, late spring afternoon. A much earlier application of weed killer appears to be taking affect.
Name: Paul O'Shell
Railway: Toronto Hamilton a…
Date: Spring 1974
Location: Hamilton
Province: Ontario
Comments | 13 Favourites
While wandering around the old roundhouse and shop area near the Aberdeen Yard back in July of 1975 I came across a nice clean TH&B 57 taking a break from switching duties. TH&B 57 is an SW-9 from GMD in London, ON with serial number A-123 built in December 1950. Information I have gathered suggests it was sold back to GMD in London, ON in May of 1989. There's those plug-in marker/class lights again!
Name: Paul O'Shell
Railway: Toronto Hamilton a…
Date: 07/12/1975
Location: Hamilton
Province: Ontario
2 Comments | 16 Favourites
VIA #2 The Canadian has a clear signal at Mile 80.7 on CN's Albreda Sub. Canoe River, BC on March 7, 2020. I like the high mast searchlight signals on the main, and the dwarf searchlight signal for the siding. The hot air switch heater has been doing its job as the switch points and more are snow free.
Name: Paul O'Shell
Railway: VIA Rail
Date: 03/07/2020
Location: Canoe River
Province: British Columbia
1 Comments | 10 Favourites
Here is an opposite side view of an post I submitted several years ago of TH&B X 762. While it may not look like it, this bunk car was still in service and was a home-on-the-road for members of the TH&B wrecking crew. This coach along with several others were stored 'ready to go' at TH&B's Aberdeen Avenue yard in this mid-1976 photo. http://www.railpictures.ca/?attachment_id=5871
Name: Paul O'Shell
Railway: Toronto Hamilton a…
Date: Summer 1976
Location: Hamilton
Province: Ontario
Comments | 15 Favourites
TH&B 53 is an NW-2 from EMD in LaGrange, IL with serial number 5705, built in January of 1948. It was sold to Atlas Specialty Steel in Welland, ON for scrap in May of 1988. I captured it around the Aberdeen Yard complex back in the summer of 1974.
Name: Paul O'Shell
Railway: Toronto Hamilton a…
Date: Summer 1974
Location: Hamilton
Province: Ontario
4 Comments | 15 Favourites
TH&B 66 sits in the Aberdeen Avenue yard on this sunny and warm late spring day. Information gathered from http://www.thbrailway.ca/ suggests that TH&B 66 was built by American Car & Foundry in Berwick, Pennsylvania in 1918. It was rebuilt into a bay-window style van in 1968. It was damaged by fire and sold to the Port Stanley Terminal Railway in Port Stanley, Ontario in 1983.
Name: Paul O'Shell
Railway: Toronto Hamilton a…
Date: Spring 1974
Location: Hamilton
Province: Ontario
3 Comments | 17 Favourites
TH&B 26, an International hi-rail boom truck sits next to the Aberdeen yard tool house inside the gate just off Studholme Rd. A nice versatile maintenance vehicle with hi-rail gear, extra crew compartment, squirt-stick hydraulic boom & outriggers, and dump box.
Name: Paul O'Shell
Railway: Toronto Hamilton a…
Date: Spring 1974
Location: Hamilton
Province: Ontario
3 Comments | 15 Favourites
TH&B X 763 at Aberdeen Avenue yard in Hamilton, ON in early summer 1976 doesn't look so bad for 52 years old. Although that fresh coat of yellow paint certainly helps obscure some of life's blemishes. From information I've gathered (on the internet), this car was built by C.C.&F. in 1924 as baggage car 51. It was converted to MoW service and renumbered to X 763. It was retired from service in 1984 at 60 years old Having gone through at lot of my old photos since retiring 5 years ago, I look back now and wish I had splurged for another roll or two of film, and captured so much more of what was out there!
Name: Paul O'Shell
Railway: Toronto Hamilton a…
Date: Summer 1976
Location: Hamilton
Province: Ontario
Comments | 17 Favourites
During my tenure as CN's Regional Supervisor Work Equipment Operations in the mid-1980's, I was able to renew the fleet of Work Equipment Field Maintainer vehicles with new, purpose-built service trucks. CN N175464, a 1985 Ford F-350 XLT had only been in service a few short months when I snapped this photo. These well equipped (at the time) vehicles had an air compressor, diesel fired welding machine, oxy-acetylene equipment, tool chest storage compartment, component bins and racks, and plenty of space for spare and repair parts. They certainly stood out amongst the crowd in their bright CN Orange No. 12 Work Equipment paint. Behind the truck is a plethora of vintage CN rolling stock from the era. 40' box cars in Work Equipment tool car service, a wood sheathed box car converted to a generator car, a Work Equipment machinery flat, an insulated and heated water transport tank car, a transfer van, and a Transportation Department 'Blue Fleet' accommodation unit. Oh, the good old days! :-)
Name: Paul O'Shell
Railway: Canadian National
Date: 05/17/1985
Location: Capreol
Province: Ontario
1 Comments | 18 Favourites
The 'Hold For Heavy Repairs' stencil says it all. TH&B box car 3645 appears to have been in an altercation and has suffered some damage to one end. It is now sitting at the former TH&B yard at Aberdeen Avenue in Hamilton, ON. Note the Canada Centennial logo to the right of the partially open door. A little sheet metal repair and some paint and this car will be hauling loads in no time. :-)
Name: Paul O'Shell
Railway: Toronto Hamilton a…
Date: Summer 1976
Location: Hamilton
Province: Ontario
3 Comments | 16 Favourites
Recently back from another cross-Canada and return trip on VIA 001 & 002 The Canadian (January 25-February 3). Only had about 6-8 hours of sunshine on the whole journey. Not a lot of well-lit photos to post. So, I'm reaching back to March of 2020 for this clear sky and sunshine photo of VIA's Pacific Central station in Vancouver, BC. I would be boarding VIA 002 in a few short hours on what would turn out to be one of the last, if not the last departing cross-country trip for The Canadian for quite some time to come. I arrived in Toronto on March 10, 2020, and Covid lockdowns began a few days later. For such an imposing exterior presence, this impressive looking structure has a very small main hall, with an equally small waiting room and check-in area. The bulk of the buildings main floor is office and commercial space to either side of the front center entrance.
Name: Paul O'Shell
Railway: VIA Rail
Date: 03/06/2020
Location: Vancouver
Province: British Columbia
1 Comments | 10 Favourites
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