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Nice shot! It’s amazing how that unit is almost always assigned up there.
CN 4136 was the Huntsville roadswitcher power for at least a decade (prior to that it was 7068). During one of 4136′s extended service absences in late 2011, 4132 was sent up to cover. I was chatting with 595′s conductor and I asked when 4136 was coming back. He said they liked 4132 much more as it had more power for the steep grades of a couple of the industrial spurs (the Domtar – now Panolam spur at Martins in particular) and it had a microwave, and therefore they were requesting 4132 stay on as the regular power. Obviously that request was granted as 4132 hasn’t spent more than a few consecutive weeks away from here since, and that time it had been at Mac Yard for its week-long servicing and had been scooped to fill in out Belleville way when an urgent need arose.
I always wondered why the same unit in Huntville. Take for example Brantford, especially when the CN operated the Burford spur, the units were always changing. Any idea of the difference of operation? Btw, where are all the gons headed?
Brad – as for the difference of operation I can only surmise it’s the remoteness and the fact that the crew is posted here. unlike southern Ontario where you have maybe 10 or more crews operating out of Oakville for example, as ide from vacation relief it’s always the same bunch and as mentioned before, they like that particular unit. The gons were headed for Washago and from there probably somewhere up or down the Bala Sub to be loaded with ties. Sometimes I see full gondolas heading down that way but I’m guessing these were empty based on the fact I didn’t see any ties peeking over the sides, and returning north today (Thursday) one of them caught on fire to such a degree that it had to be dropped a mile south of Huntsville and covered with fire retardant foam, which probably wouldn’t have happened with an empty one. There were 4 separate fires along the Newmarket Sub today following 595′s passing but I don’t know whether the train actually started the first one or caught on fire going over it, then dripped burning creosote (or whatever it is that’s taken its place these days) up the line.