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Caption: On this spring evening, I came to Paris not knowing what to expect when I tried shooting from the Pittown Road overpass. The signal (behind me) showed green...so I expected a train would be along any moment.
Sure enough...SURPRISE # 1 - Train 76, led by engine 904 came around the bend underneath the Canning Road overpass, and I started to click away. I hadn't realized it until I looked at my camera afterwards, that when the train approached me closer - a banner was draped over the front stating that engineer Dale Pringle was on his last run after 38 YEARS of service between CN and VIA.
Congratulations Dale! Thanks for the short toot of the horn as you passed by...someday if our paths cross I will make certain to ask you what it was like to work for the railway for all those years.
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Sometimes I wish VIA would tell us when this happens so we can alert the photographers.
Every last run deserves to be photographed…
Glad you got this one!
I am a friend of Dale’s and we worked together before he went to VIA. Congrats on your retirement my friend. Well deserved. I could have retired last year, but not ready to hang up my reverser just yet. Thanks for the shot Todd, well done.
Sorry Stephen, sadly VIA and CN tend not to put their employees retirements out to the public. You can be sure it was Dale’s fellow enginners that made that sign.
Phil, Send this to him. I wonder if guys look on sites like this for their last run photos..
I know VIA won’t publish this – just a rhetoric statement really. And yes, I agree, it sure looks like the union puts this on, and rightfully so.
I will send it to him if its ok with Todd?
To be honest very few railroaders want anything to do with trains when they go home. I can think of only a handful of people who are railfans as well as railroaders.
I am sure Dale will like this shot.
Stephen….I wish that CN or VIA would do this more. They used to announce publicly – and I think that this tradition should not be lost in today’s railroading.
Phil…by all means…please go ahead and send it to him. I would be very honoured…also, knowing how you still work for CN…anyway sometime to arrange to get photos taken from the cab?
If not, it’s ok. I know safety is priority too.
Hey Todd, thanks for the permission. I am sure Dale will enjoy the picture.
About for the cab shots, as you know the whole nature of access to the railroads have changed dramatically over the years. I remember as a kid being able to go to Spadina or Agincourt yard and signing a release to take pictures. I wish it was still that way, but our post 9/11 world and safety concerns put a stop to all that. Its not impossible to get you some cab shots, but it all depends on location and timing and since I don’t have a regular schedule it might have to be if you are in the right place at the right time kinda thing
Phil…I am fully aware at how much things have changed in railroading since 911. If people saw me, they always assume the worst case scenario as I look like one of those guys who would cause trouble. But in fact, just the opposite. If people would only ask how long I have been around the tracks and who taught me to be safe…it would be a totally different world.
Nonetheless – we will have to wait for that right place an time for now.
Also, meant to ask and maybe you or Stephen or some other rp.ca user could answer this for me…but what are those strips going through the tracks? There are three ‘speed bump’ looking strips on either track…thought maybe this was for hotbox detecting?
Hey Todd, yes we will find the right time and the right place.
The “strips” as you call them are actually “dragging equiptment detectors”. You will find them at every location where there is a hotbox detector. Often you will hear them say “dragging equiptment” over the mainline channel. There are 2 on the outside of the rails and one in the middle. They go off if something like air hoses or brake lines or rigging fall to close to the roadbed that may cause a derailment on a bridge, turnouts, rail crossing or any type of hazzard to the train or infrastructure. You may also notice along the right of way, “strips” that look like hotbox detectors but are actually wheel impact detectors. These can tell the RTC if a wheel on a train has a flat spot that can actually damage the rail or crack the wheel. I am sure when you watch a train go by you sometimes hear wheels bang on the rail? If the flat spot are too large its very noisy and if the RTC centre finds them too bad they can order a train to reduce its speed or even set off the car and the next siding available. I once had the detector go off at Georgetown when heading east and the wheels on my leading unit were so bad that i had to reduce to 15 mph and set the unit off at BIT.
I didn’t know Dale to any degree, but I recognized the name when it was mentioned recently in one of the CN groups. Unfortunately Dale passed away a few days ago. Another reminder of why photos and photo opportunities for these last runs should not be understated.
Thanks Daniel. Sadly, I just went into my email and saw this last night. I’ve tried to stay away from social media (including emails) while this pandemic has been happening. But I really do appreciate you letting me know. Wish I was able to personally meet him….but also am happy to know he did get to see this photo of his last run.