Section 1 (July 05, 2003)
Section 2 (July 09, 2004)
Section 3 (August 18, 2005)

The photos on this page are from July 05, 2003.

NAHX 581349, an ACF Centerflow hopper, with a similar one behind.

SRN 4228, a 70-ton 50-foot boxcar.  This looks to have been built by BFF/Whittaker, but I'm not certain.

ATSF 622400 is a slightly less typical boxcar, 60 feet long with an 80-ton capacity.

More varied rolling stock, including UP 60-foot boxcar 354587 and CP Rail container flat 520916 on a container train in the foreground.

TBOX NSC-built 60-foot boxcar 665390 was a real point of interest.  Anyone who's been exposed to mixed freights will surely have come across a classic yellow and black "Railbox" boxcar with the blue and red Railbox logo.  Their "next load, any road" slogan refers to the fact that they are a universal boxcar that can be used on any railroad and don't have to be returned empty to their owners at the end of their journey.  "The nationwide boxcar pool" is written on their sides as evidence of the joint effort between the railroads.  This was a new idea in the 1970s when they were introduced in North America, where previous empty-car movements cut into railroads' efficiency.

Despite different reporting marks, Railbox (RBOX and ABOX) and Trailer Train (TTX) are the same company, and are aimed at providing varying railcars to railroads.  TBOX 665390 is in one of the first series of brand new cars to show that link, with TTX and Railbox logos on its sides. Although original Railbox cars can still be seen (albeit often restenciled or repainted in different railroad colours) none have been built in recent years, with an already large number of fairly modern (1970 and later) boxcars circulating.  I believe this is the first time the Railbox logo has appeared on new boxcars in about two decades.

A close-up view of the capacity data and door markings.

A view of the other end of the boxcar with Trailer Train's logo.

A 2400 DPI scan showing the fine print of the boxcar's specifications and dimensions.  Kodak MAX 400 film made the image a bit grainy.

None of the above views show the size of the yard.  This one, taken from Quebec Street that crosses the yard, does.  Over a dozen tracks are crammed with all types of freight, with an AC4400CW and a GP9M thrown in for good measure.

Away from the main tracks, a quartet of GP9Ms in various CP paint schemes and a newer EMD unit sit, waiting for action.

By chance, a pair of locomotives was switching a few tankers and passed under the bridge before changing tracks.  CP 4657, in the new Beaver scheme, is a GP40-2, a type not commonly seen in CP colours.  CP's turned to the 38-2 series for 4-axle power while the SD40-2 forms the backbone of their fleet along with AC4400CWs.  July 05, 2003.

A view down at the fans.  Two have 8 blades while one has 9--I'm not sure if this is typical or not.

CP SD40-2 5831 in a typical Action Red (minus the "Pacman" or Multimark) scheme.  This unit has a similar mismatched set of fans, with a strangely painted one in the middle, to boot.  Right in front of the first fan (the usual CN and CP location) is a Nathan K3HR2 (the usual CN and CP horn). Both units have grime and soot that always ends up on roofs near the exhaust stack.  It's amazing what we miss from the ground.

Most CP SD40-2s came with the "Snoot", designed to house extra radio equipment, and 5831 is no exception.  SD40-2s and SD40T-2s, with their very long front porches giving ample room for expansion, are the only locomotives so-equipped.

Michael Eby 2005