Caption: Excerpt from TSB Report - http://www.bst-tsb.gc.ca/eng/rapports-reports/rail/1995/r95s0021/r95s0021.asp On 16 February 1995, at 0349 eastern standard time (EST), a Canadian National (CN) freight train, travelling eastward on tangent main track at Mile 4.2 of the Strathroy Subdivision in London, Ontario, collided with the rear of a stationary freight train. The force of the collision propelled the stationary train eastward where it collided with another stationary freight train. Two employees sustained serious injuries.
Looking west from Hyde Park Road overpass in the daylight of the morning of the crash (apparently) we see the situation at the primary collision site prior to cleanup. The autoracks of eastbound train 272 on the south track look OK, but 2 of its front-end hi-cube boxcars derailed. Three tail-end boxcars and a hopper from train 308 derailed, some are very mangled and the north track is blocked. In the collison, 272's lead engine CN 2105 (Bombardier HR616 cowl) derailed and was spun away from the tracks by the impact with train 308. It was scrapped. Trailing unit LMSX 723 (4 month old GE Dash 8-40CW) continuing forward by the inertia of its train, overtook CN 2105. LMSX 723 derailed but remained in line with the tracks in its original direction, suffering various impacts. It was sent to co-lessor Conrail's Altona PA shops, repaired and returned to service. For more detail, I recommend the TSB report above, very informative and reads well.
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A view some hours later, with the north track clear and a train heading west past the crash site: http://www.railpictures.ca/?attachment_id=36323
Nice series of photos on this incident John.
2105 was subsequently officially retired by CN on October 26, 1995.
Thank you for the comment. So CN 2105 was stored for a while after the crash before final decision on its fate. Within a few years, CN’s entire MLW/BBD fleet was retired. Last time I photographed any HR616′s was 1998-03-15 in dead line outside VIA TMC in Mimico (Islington bridge), along with a bunch of retired M420W / HR616. Lots of good info in “CNcyclopedia”