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Caption: As of this posting we are a couple of months off 40 years since this photo was taken. It is 35mm negative film, so the quality has gone south, somewhat. It has even been 19 years since Huron Central took over this trackage from CP. In this image, CP 8795 and 8153 have just returned to McKerrow from Espanola and working the big pulp & paper co there; Eddy Matches was once a big employer in Espanola...... The train is rounding the wye at McKerrow and heading east to Sudbury. RS-18 CP 8795 became part of the rebuild program in the 1980s; becoming RS-18u 1833; all the 1800s off the roster by 1998. The 8153, an SW1200RS, was dealt to Rail Trusts Equipment in 2003. I cannot quite make out the markings below the headlights on 8795, but it appears to be "tested (with date)St. Luc", and in smaller print below the first it does read 4-3-71.
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The nose writing was probably the handbrake test date, I’ve noticed CP started stencilling this on units sometimes in the 70′s, and I’ve seen “modern” power like rebuilt Geeps and SD40-2′s with it in recent years too.
As always, thanks, MrDan.
Another great shot Arnold. I note a couple of interesting details in this pic. First, there is a motor car “takeoff” visible on the bottom left. Second, you make out the seat in the open door. This was one of the as built fixed seats. They had two square cushions covered in vinyl. They did not rotate, so backing up, one had to straddle the seat to see in the direction of travel, or sit sideways & strain your neck to see ahead. They also had no height adjustment. The hogger’s seat was however, fully adjustable. These old seats were mostly replaced with adjustable ones before the units were rebuilt into 1800s. It may seem like a small thing, but sitting for a few hours in an awkward position was very unpleasant.
Thanks, Ronald. Small thing, you say? That would have been heelish on neck strain. I can only imagine the complaints.
(I really should have improved this photo before posting…)