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Caption: Not 20 minutes after shooting NS 327 on the Talbot sub in London, NI chirped again on the radio to give 582 a clearance: "Clearance one ohh three to the BNSF 932 South, proceed from Walton to Mile 12.7. Item 7, protect against NS 8349 South between Walton Jct and St. Thomas". What would make one stop chasing a pair of Conrail blue engines down a 15 MPH "Branchline"? This! - was more interesting to me - CR blue was quite plentiful and a regular occurrence. ATSF Warbonnett leading on a Branchline? I'll take it. Pure dumb luck of the draw, and after this shot I had my fill of trains and went home. Oh to do this again...
Photo notes: Nikon D70, 50mm f/1.8, time was 1340. - and I'm trying to fill a few holes in In my Profile Page Map with these two shots :)
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Six-axle power was common on the Talbot until about 5 years ago. CN fixed the bridge in St. Thomas a couple of years ago, but now there’s no real need for six axle power down there anymore.
fixed the bridge how? the only reason six axle power went down to st Thomas was convenience. power came off 386/7 and was used in St Thomas (considering 386/7 had the frames it makes sense). after 434/5 was cut back to London they supplied the power till 5yrs ago, essentially keep the assets used and avoid a pair of yard engines. It was good while it lasted.
.. operationally, and updating to the present day, 509/434 now cycle power (sarnia london, london toronto) and now this yard power in London does the Talbot once per day.
I don’t know what happened in 2004 except to say big power did a run during the day and sometimes yard power did make it down there. Maybe the night job was yard power? There was quite a different operating pattern back then.
This would have been a lot of fun to see on a branchline, indeed. I think 584 is six days a week now (Mon-Sat).
Is it the Talbot Sub, or Spur? I thought it was the Sub, but the Trackside Guide refers to the Talbot Spur extending south from the Dundas.. I have seen a couple of things in the 2019 edition (the only one I have) though that I know to be erroneous, so I know it is not a definitive source by any means. Wish I’d looked at the bungalows but alas, I did not.
Clicked the link in the caption and I see Peter already answered my question about Spur vs Sub over three years ago. Thanks Peter!
Back in these days I believe the Tablot got two switches per day, 582 and 584 at night. I believe 582 is still a thing in London just goes elsewhere… maybe down the talbot from time to time but who knows? I don’t know my london ops all that well. I know they go to Paris once a week..
582 is still based out of London, yes. They don’t go down the Talbot. That is strictly a 584 thing. When 582 leaves London, they switch out the feed place in Ingersoll, some customers in Woodstock (there’s a place that loads scrap gons and I think a place that gets lumber or building materials), and go onward to Stubbes in Princeton. The stop in Paris is to do the runaround for the return trip back west after they work Stubbes.