|
Caption: Last CN Passenger service at Palmerston. Operating as extra 6101, former train number 672 - the southbound RDC-1 passenger car from Owen Sound - is seen positioned on the Newton Sub side of the station on Saturday, October 24, 1970 for the final time. Arriving at 0655h, the Railiner will await the arrival of Extra 6354, formerly train 668 (RDC-2) from Southampton. Both will be combined and having met extra 6118 (RDC-1), the former train 662 from Kincardine, will depart at 0715h for the trip to Toronto (formerly train 658) via the Fergus, Guelph, Halton, and Weston Subs. Extra 6118, which had arrived at 0700h from Kincardine, will too depart at 0715h for Stratford.
I believe the official last runs of the RDC service to Owen Sound, Kincardine, Southampton, and Goderich was the evening of Fri Oct 23, 1970. Although the Sat runs to Toronto (and Stratford) carried passengers, they were no longer operating as scheduled trains, hence the extra flags. Daylight Saving time ended early Sunday morning, Oct 25, 1979, and CN and CP would bring out their winter timetables at this time change.
Scan and editing by Jacob Patterson.
More shots from this date:
Extra 6101 arriving at Palmerston
Extra 6354 arriving at Palmerston
All three RDCs lined up at the station
|
Fantastic image! I’m jealous of anyone that got to spend time Railfaning the branches in Southern Ontario. I so wish I had made it to these areas before abandonment but unfortunately got into the hobby just as they weee vanishing. I wonder what all the gondolas in the yard were for. Unless there for storage.
Fantastic image. Being born in Palmerston, alot had changed as a kid, teen and later adult upon my many return trips. The Newton side of the station would become single tracked. I assume due to less traffic of both freight and the cessation of passenger service as evidenced in this photo. The Queens Hotel (just visible on the right) is being demolished (from damage due to a fire?). And as for the ‘storage’ of the guns…mid to late 80s it was CN’s classic boxcars that were found in the yard. By that time all trackage from King Street was removed. The Newton came out early 90s I believe. And the station? Thankfully saved and restored.
Incredible photo John. This is awesome you were able to capture these final runs by the station.
Fantastic series John. Stuff like this is absolutely spectacular and truly belongs in a book.
Marcus, I believe the gons were used to load gravel out of the pit in Durham. I’m not sure off hand when that service ceased.
Thank you for your nice comments. After much discussion with Jacob Patterson and some research, my caption needs correction. It appears the last timeline scheduled trains took place on Fri evening Oct Oct 23, 1970, but these CN RDC trains continued to operate as extras for another week with service ending Sun Nov 1, 1970.
The CN #12 orange Work Equipment machine sitting off the rail on the station platform is a hydraulic tie spacer built by Bert Pyke Ltd. in Oshawa, ON.