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Caption: Oba, ON was a busy place at CN in mid-summer 1976. A Regional tie renewal gang was working west on the Ruel Sub, a Car Department road repair car was in town for a wheelset changeout on a work equipment flat car, and CN 70829 Diesel Maintainers Car was also there for a little work on the wayside power plants. This self-contained shop on wheels had a fully equipped work area in one end, and bunk, kitchen & dining facilities (BK&D) in the other. It's about a year and a half since this car was released from CN's Pointe St. Charles shops (HQ 1-75).
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Will those be old recycled caboose trucks on the diesel maintainer car? Don’t see any cables, must be a self contained electrical system. The gang cars they would park in the Redwater siding, when doing track work, typically had a generator car powering several work train cars. Nice photo Paul.
With those leaf spring arrangements I am guessing they are recycled van trucks. There was a diesel generator slung underneath the carbody as well as propane tanks. I was very surprised to see this car come out of the shops without the Crouse-Hinds wayside power outlets found on all newer accommodation and work cars at that time.
Would appreciated seeing any of your work train, crane, OCS car, etc. photos. Permission given to administrator to give you my personal email address.
Another question. I see a 2-way radio antenna on this side of the car. The one at the back looks very much like a TV antenna. Surely, that cannot be its purpose? In 1976, to often you would be out of range to pick up TV. But probably not for AM radio, which would have been nice to listen to.
The radio antenna is for the CN radio installed in the car. It was connected to an external speaker in the working end of the car so communications could be heard inside and out. And yes, that is a good old TV antenna on the lodging end of the car (probably only good for some fuzzy reception of CBC at night).