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Caption: Southbound ACR passenger #2 with ACR 1761 and 1756 provides the power as seen rolling over the Bellevue Trestle; (located roughly half way between Heyden and Searchmont) this pleasant spring morning. It has been announced that the federal government, in another miserable move contradicting how they claim to "aid Northern development", is pulling out support for this lifeline passenger service, effective the end of March 2014. One wonders what those living along this isolated line are going to maintain a link with the outside world. So, effective very soon, images of this nature will be no longer possible. The only activity left will be the daily CN freight and the Agawa Canyon Tour train.
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Great shot! I hope that the people can reverse the decision like they did in ’95. Either way, I’m going up in early March to get a few shots of the train (among other things).
This is what happens when people allow themselves to be deceived by our current government & their lobbyist entourage of trucking consultants posing as pseudo experts on passenger rail with the aim of dismembering it. See my comments in the Chronicle Herald about the possible loss of The Ocean: http://thechronicleherald.ca/business/1182786-taylor-passenger-train-travel-could-go-off-the-rails . In the end, the mayors, mp’s & good citizens of the towns along these routes will have to decide if they want to acquiesce to our air & asphalt-minded federal government & become flyover towns, becoming stranded & isolated from the net economic benefits that passenger rail brings. Or that they want to stand up & fight to preserve an essential service that has the ability to serve far more city pairs than air ever could. Hiawatha Pete. http://northamericabyrail.info
Further to my last post, my comments in the Chronicle Herald can be found in the comment section below the article, not in the article itself.
To those interested: The government is by the rich for the rich. The rest of us, well, we can go buzz off. If the rich don’t see money in railroads, we are going to lose railroads. It is as simple as that. Why offer railroads when government can reap huge returns on fuel taxes in trucking, no matter what the costs? Never lose sight of the fact government is not doing for you what you ask, but rather what they see fit to benefit themselves. Period. Just like when members get elected. What they promise and what they deliver are total opposites, As in Ontario’s current government. No wonder so many of us get lost in our delightful hobby of railroading.
OOPS!!! Slight slip of the fingers!! The caption SHOULD read 1756 is leading 1761, of course. After all, 1761 is “B” unit. (now toiling on the Keokuk Jct. Rwy in the USA)