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| GO 726 waits for a replacement CP crew at the east end of Quebec St. Yard in London, Ontario on June 04, 1988. |
By Peter Mumby.
Over
the last couple of T.T. posts a mini-theme seems to have been
developing - sort of a "Go Transit Equipment in Unusual Locales" type of
scenario. Today's offering features GO 726 at the head of an eastbound
CP freight at London's Quebec Street Yard on Saturday June 04/88. So,
what was that all about?
Throughout
the diesel era CP has often leased off-line locomotives to alleviate
temporary shortages of motive power. In the 1970s units were acquired
from railroads such as BAR or B&M, while in the 1980s we often
encountered equipment of the "rent-a-wreck" variety from various leasing
companies. Beginning around 1984, CP began renting GO locomotives for
use over the weekend, as the vast majority of GO trains were
Monday-Friday operations at that time. A set of three such units would
make a Toronto-Windsor round trip on Saturday, then repeat the process
on Sunday. Periodically, CP locomotives would appear in the mix, but it
was most gratifying to catch the GO power in pure sets. This, then,
explains why a set of GO units would be awaiting a re-crew in London.
Chances are, they were at the head end of train #904, which was on its
way to Montreal, then down into New England. One of my favourite trains
of that era, it normally featured a lot of the 50' boxcars from BAR,
B&M, LVRC, and others that I enjoyed photographing.
The
second train in the photo, Extra Soo 6620 East, illustrates another
common feature on CP Trains of the late 1980s. Beginning around
mid-1985, three unit sets of Soo SD40-2 locomotives started appearing.
Very quickly, this power became intermixed with CP, and later MILW,
locomotives, adding greatly to the colour of that era.
Cool story George! When I was younger I would always hope to see some CP pool power at BM's south Deerfield yard in the early 70's.
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