Caption: No one in their right mind would believe what was happening here, but here is the photo as proof. VIA #1 arrived at Sudbury (Jct) on time, but was routed into the passing track for a southbound CN intermodal train. After more than an hour delay, the Canadian was allowed to back out of the siding and proceed forward to make its station stop. It should be noted that the Canadian could have held the main line and made its station stop on time while the southbound intermodal could have passed through the siding without stopping as the last car of the Canadian was well clear of the south switch. As it was the freight proceeded by the station and waiting passengers at slow speed, no faster than it would have if routed through the siding. The opportunity for a good meet lost. So glad I am no longer in railroading as I could not take this madness!!!
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Anything to delay the Canadian ! CN doesn’t care !! And of course if the sb intermodal was an hour late for the meet, there was plenty of time for passengers to board #1. Now if the Transport Board would step in and fine CN $10,000 an hour for delays like this, CN’s RTC’s just might smarten up a bit. Thanks for posting, always nice to see pictures of VIA # 1 & 2. John
The meet would have been perfect. VIA at the south switch as the intermodal was at the north switch. Thanks for your comments.
This is what happens when you allow Wall St to dictate to society. CN and CP despise passenger trains. I believe that upper management make these types of decisions on purpose out of sheer spite.
Sad as it may be, they would not allow a 10,000 plus intermodal train to go through a siding. Either because the siding may have restrictions because of weight or it would take too long to pass all the way through. Passenger trains like this always seem to take a hit when it comes to freight trains. I was the 42 foreman on the Newmarket Sub and VIA #1 called me for clearance through my Rule 42, which I gave him the ok to pass through my limits #1 wasn’t 10 miles out of Toronto Union Station when CP had it stopped for almost half an hour at Davenport Diamond. CP knew damn well what time the train was due, and still lined up a westbound intermodal train in front of the Transcontinental. This scenario plays out all over North America every day. Its definitely not unique to Canada.
Of course the RTC could have held the intermodal train in Capreol, with #1 being OT it would have arrived in Cap 25 minutes later, hardly a delay for the intermodal, which for sure lost time creeping past #1 and passengers waiting at Sudbury Jct. But as said by ngineered4u, “poorer” dispatching decision scenario plays out all over NA everyday.