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Caption: The former Canadian National Railways station in Armstrong, built in 1932. This structure is no longer standing. This was my first trip to Armstrong as a railroad employee, I was waiting to catch an eastbound and detrain at Ferland to join a Turnout Replacement Gang. In the yard, a work train with ballast cars, most likely full of slag, preparing to go to work, maybe to the Allanwater Sub.. To the left and mostly out of sight is the Maintenance of Way "Special" having arrived a day or so before.
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What a classic shot at a CN terminal from the mid-80′s! Lots of memories there. Back in the day when tie renewal gangs cut marked for replacement ties in three pieces to remove them from the track (Nordberg tie axe, Kershaw tie saw, Fairmont tie shear). With nowhere to pile the tie butts, the Pyke tie handling cranes have had to place them in piles along the station platform. I know many of these creosote soaked hardwood stubs will be carted off to be used as fire wood by local residents. That GP9 and b&w baggage car might also be for the P-811 concrete tie machine consist which would have been working the west end around that time. It would also require a slag train with it.
Neat, it is usually an orange CN van or panel truck parked, not a 1/2 ton.
Thanks for the comments. The pick-up most likely was assigned to the Work Program Foreman or Supervisor. Good eye on the baggage car, I checked another photo and the MOW Special baggage car which were painted in grey, are one track closer to the station with no power coupled on.
Certainly much better than todays simple sign station in front of CN Crew building. I am guessing there are few passengers get on or off at this stop what with highway connection to the Trans-Canada highway. Such a shame that so many of these historical good looking structures throughout Northern Ontario and across the Prairies are gone rather then being preserved at least as community/ tourism centres. Thanks for posting, John
Very cool photo with the old CN pick-up in the foreground.
If I recall the Automotive Services (now Fleet Management) numbering system correctly from back then;
CN N174689 Ford F-150 conventional cab
CN
N Engineering
1 leased vehicle
7 truck
4 1984 model year/year acquired
689 sequential vehicle number