Caption: "On this day..." 19 years ago, smoke has brought some of the locals out to check on the action trackside: a freight lead by CP SW1200RS units 1271, 8161 and 8156 is stopped near Aberdeen Yard, by the site of the former TH&B Chatham Street shops as 8156 "burns up" (caught on fire) on a warm August day in 2001. The little SW1200RS units originally built in the 1950's for branchline use still held down some local and yard work, but because of their diminutive size it was common in later years to see them working in pairs or trios. By this time they were on their way out, and their numbers continued to dwindle until the last few stragglers were sold off by CP in 2013.
During its final years on CP, 1271 was the only active SW1200RS in the Toronto area, and regularly assigned to Peterborough as the local switcher there (it was sold to GMTX in 2012).
Bill McArthur photo, Dan Dell'Unto collection slide.
|
I miss the SWs. Would see them all the time serving Toyota in Cambridge.
The Woman to middle left looks like she turned up for the ‘show’ in her evening dress. Nice documentation. Thanks for sharing!
Social Distancing, before it became a thing.
Needs spark arrestors.
Awesome image. This might have been one of the last assigned jobs in Ontario to run with three “Pups” as well.
I remember seeing 1271 working Peterborough, got some photos of it! Great shot