Caption: Looks like old time railroading already, but at the time it was just another day at Parry Sound CP station. I was killing the morning with agent Jimmy Bell when he turned and informed me that CP 4743 and 4719 was due in a few minutes, and they were going to set off cars in the yard. So I was able to grab this shot of tank cars right behind the head end power before the locos set them off and then backed down the main, picked up their train, and were off toward Toronto. Nothing like this goes on around there today. No industry, no industrial track (shared with CN) and not even any sort of yard left. The station, closed back in the early '90s, if I recall correctly, laid dormant for the vandals, but miraculously escaped destruction and now houses an Art Gallery. I am standing at the station shooting southwest in this image.
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The train man is looking at you as to say “Why are you taking a picture of us pushing these cars.?”
***Yeah, he probably thinks he is a terrible waste of film.
..wait..I can hear him…he’s saying…”_____ foamer!!”
He has one of those big Motorola road radios strapped over his head and shoulder. Great for in the caboose but cumbersome when climbing up on cars. Another photo with lots of memories Arnold. Tanks with friction bearings.
Excellent capture Arnold. Curious if anyone knows , were safety boots (metal toes) a normal thing back in this era?
WOW! Simply fabulous image Arnold. UTLX 196 was built in 1968 and is most likely on lease to Imperial Oil at the time of the photo. Note the following; two compartment tank car with friction bearing trucks (as mentioned), standard (non double shelf) couplers, and ‘Flying P’ insignia. With the introduction of non leaded gasoline, two compartment cars were in demand at the time; one side leaded, the other non leaded. Many thanks for posting!
Hey, I’m glad you liked this!!! So it makes sense to me now. CP hands the cars off to CN (CN 1211, resident switcher) which runs them over to the Esso Storage Tanks on the south side of the harbour opposite the Town Dock. Of course all of that is gone now……….