Problems in Canada

[Blazeman]

Belleville and St. Lambert blockades dispersed.  CN now trying to figure out where to start.

[CNscale]

A rather strange story was posted on the CBC website this morning:

   Quiet talks brokered by a government desperate to stop a growing economic threat led to two rail rivals coming together with a workaround to bypass the Tyendinaga blockade site.

   ... as a result of what multiple government sources are describing as a very "rare" collaboration between the two rail giants, CN trains have been circumventing blockades using alternate routes — some through the U.S. — to continue deliveries to Quebec and Maritime communities facing shortages of essential goods

   One CN conductor said they witnessed how covert the operation has been. The source said they saw specially trained CN workers use CP engines, with that company's logo on them, to haul unmarked CN cargo.

https://www.cbc.ca/news/politics/cp-cn-arrangement-blockade-1.5474684


I get the feeling the author of that piece decided to spice up the story a bit. Co-operation between railroads to share routes (e.g. to circumvent natural disasters) is nothing new. Routing CN-originated freight via CP at some point may not be common, but also not really newsworthy. "Unmarked cargo" is a bizarre statement, in that I doubt they went through the trouble of removing any freight car markings, and tank cars (which the essential goods -- propane, etc., would be hauled in) are not owned by CN, and hence don't carry the logo. Is that what they meant by "unmarked"?

The fact that CN freight is pulled by CP locomotives while traversing CP routes seems rather normal. Not sure why they would have CN crews operating those locomotives, but I really don't understand why they wouid need to be "specially trained".

[Maletrain]

The fact that CN freight is pulled by CP locomotives while traversing CP routes seems rather normal. Not sure why they would have CN crews operating those locomotives, but I really don't understand why they wouid need to be "specially trained".

I would think that the CN engineers would be familiarized with the unfamiliar CP routes before they were turned loose to operate in CP territory.  Isn't it still normal for engineers to get some sort of apprenticeship on a route before they can take a train on it without supervision?  Or, has that gone the way of conductors and firemen, too?

[Englewood]

In the US, you have to be qualified on a territory, usually by making a couple of trips with someone qualified on that territory.
I think journalists are just lazy these days. The local TV station had a news story a few years back about a runaway train with no one on it. They had filmed a DP engine shoving on the rear. They took that footage down from their website within a few days.

[cv_acr]

Journalist has no idea.

CN trains detouring on CP? Yes.
CN crews? Not likely.
Unmarked cargo? WTF is that even mean?

This sort of detouring isn't as "rare" or "unprecedented" as its made out to be, but CP may have been wanting to keep this one slightly on the down low so the protests don't figure it out and block their parallel line as well, so it hasn't been entirely normal. Unfortunately(?) the railfan community can be a pretty good spy network and it's kinda hard to stealth a 10,000 ton train. Journalist eventually picks up on it from one source or another, and gets all the details wrong.

CN has also been detouring some trains over CSX in the states as well as sending some up a really long route through northern Ontario and Quebec using the Ontario Northland Railway.

[lock4244]

I would think that the CN engineers would be familiarized with the unfamiliar CP routes before they were turned loose to operate in CP territory.  Isn't it still normal for engineers to get some sort of apprenticeship on a route before they can take a train on it without supervision?  Or, has that gone the way of conductors and firemen, too?

All CN detours on CP had CN crews and a CP pilot.

[lock4244]

Journalist has no idea.

CN trains detouring on CP? Yes.
CN crews? Not likely.
Unmarked cargo? WTF is that even mean?

This sort of detouring isn't as "rare" or "unprecedented" as its made out to be, but CP may have been wanting to keep this one slightly on the down low so the protests don't figure it out and block their parallel line as well, so it hasn't been entirely normal. Unfortunately(?) the railfan community can be a pretty good spy network and it's kinda hard to stealth a 10,000 ton train. Journalist eventually picks up on it from one source or another, and gets all the details wrong.

CN has also been detouring some trains over CSX in the states as well as sending some up a really long route through northern Ontario and Quebec using the Ontario Northland Railway.

CP would not allow CN to ship intermodal or automobiles, just carload freight and restricted to 7000'. Although on the first day at least one intermodal carrying CP symbol 145 was run (at night). All other trains were 350/351 while on CN and 700/701 and 702/703 while on CP (there were generally two a day each way. Because they had to use the West Toronto connection between the CP Mactier Sub and the Metrolinx (GO and UPX) Weston Sub (formerly CN Weston Sub) To get between CN's Halton Sub out of Mac Yard and CP's North Toronto Sub, the trains often had some lengthy waits for a slot on the passenger line. Of note, all ran with a CP leader and a CN trailing unit (except one today, Feb27, which was two CP units), so no shots of CN leading on CP during detours.

Other detour routes were Toronto to Montreal via Noranda, PQ., and the ONR to North Bay (mostly or all were intermodal), as well as Western Canada to Montreal via Oba, Hearst, Cochrane, and Noranda on the former Algoma Central north end and the ONR (intermodal and at least one grain train I'm told). A few did, as mentioned, run from Montreal to Toronto via Syracuse, Buffalo, and Fort Erie. One of the intermodal trains on the ONR from Toronto derailed on the ONR at Haileybury. ON.

In the midst of this, CN put crude loads on the ground on the Winnipeg - Ft Francis main, necessitating detours via the NOD (Northern Ontario District) to Toronto, then to Sarnia and Chicago. It's been interesting in the Toronto area to say the least.

The first westbound through the blockade was an over two week old 377 (MTL-TOR carload) with GECX 2038 lead... a unit soon to be repainted as a CN unit in the 3121-3132 series. The previous week a loaded grain was run from Belleville to Toronto in the middle of the night as a 'rust breaker special'. Today at one point there were 30 moving freights on the Kingston Sub, where typically there are eight per day each way. Fortunately there were no pesky Via trains getting in the way... notable as there were still a number of parked trains blocking one of the mains (RTC Mtl has enough difficulty dealing with normal traffic).

[lock4244]

CP would not allow CN to ship intermodal or automobiles, just carload freight and restricted to 7000'. Although on the first day at least one intermodal carrying CP symbol 145 was run (at night). All other trains were 350/351 while on CN and 700/701 and 702/703 while on CP (there were generally two a day each way. Because they had to use the West Toronto connection between the CP Mactier Sub and the Metrolinx (GO and UPX) Weston Sub (formerly CN Weston Sub) To get between CN's Halton Sub out of Mac Yard and CP's North Toronto Sub, the trains often had some lengthy waits for a slot on the passenger line. Of note, all ran with a CP leader and a CN trailing unit (except one today, Feb27, which was two CP units), so no shots of CN leading on CP during detours.

Other detour routes were Toronto to Montreal via Noranda, PQ., and the ONR to North Bay (mostly or all were intermodal), as well as Western Canada to Montreal via Oba, Hearst, Cochrane, and Noranda on the former Algoma Central north end and the ONR (intermodal and at least one grain train I'm told). A few did, as mentioned, run from Montreal to Toronto via Syracuse, Buffalo, and Fort Erie. One of the intermodal trains on the ONR from Toronto derailed on the ONR at Haileybury. ON.

In the midst of this, CN put crude loads on the ground on the Winnipeg - Ft Francis main, necessitating detours via the NOD (Northern Ontario District) to Toronto, then to Sarnia and Chicago. It's been interesting in the Toronto area to say the least.

The first westbound through the blockade was an over two week old 377 (MTL-TOR carload) with GECX 2038 lead... a unit soon to be repainted as a CN unit in the 3121-3132 series. The previous week a loaded grain was run from Belleville to Toronto in the middle of the night as a 'rust breaker special'. Today at one point there were 30 moving freights on the Kingston Sub, where typically there are eight per day each way. Fortunately there were no pesky Via trains getting in the way... notable as there were still a number of parked trains blocking one of the mains (RTC Mtl has enough difficulty dealing with normal traffic).

I should note that the detours on CP were using the same few sets of power flipping back and forth, including one with CP 7028 (SD70ACC rebuild, CP red, nothing fancy) and a CN ET44AC. I think only today did a few sets change one or both units.