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Caption: One thing about hanging around in Fort Erie between the International Bridge and as far west as 'Duff' back in the late 70s and early 80s where the yard becomes the single track westward was you just never know what power you might see roaming around. Transfers from the States utilized whatever was available, it seemed. In this case it is CR 7431, 3813 and 5820. Note that the middle unit is cabless (GP9B) These units were seen, but rather infrequently. In this image, the trio has dropped off tonnage for Canada, and will return stateside with CR 5820 on the lead after it picks up US-bound traffic.
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Thanks for sharing this!
The 7431 and 5820 are GMDD-built units. These are two of the four (along with 7429 and 7430) based in Buffalo and assigned to the joint Toronto-Buffalo freights that involved pooled resources from CP, TH&B, and (depending on the year) NYC/PC/CR.
The joint freight was FT-1 and TF-2 under PC and early Conrail; at some point Conrail changed these to symbol freights BUCP and CPBU (sources differ on when – sometime in the 1978-1980 window). On alternate days, the power was provided by TH&B and PC/CR; CP provided the cabooses. During the day the power on each end was often used on transfer runs and locals, like this one, and famously the CP “Starlite” between Agincourt and Hamilton.
I have seen many photos of a GP9B being used with FT-1/TF-2 power. As unusual as they were, I think this might have been a fairly regular assignment for them under PC and early CR.
Thanks for this great history lesson, Jakob. I did observe the aforementioned locomotives thru Bayview at times, inc the 3813 but never understood the ‘pattern’ to “this day I see them, this day I don’t”.