Throwback Thursday - Permission Granted

July 16, 1986 finds GTW 5808 and friends ready to back on to their southbound train at St Albans, Vermont.

By Peter Mumby.

In a couple of other posts ( April 19/18, February 27/20 ) I have mentioned my visit to St Albans, Vermont of July 16, 1986.  At that time I went in to the office seeking permission to take photos on the property.  The gentleman I spoke to engaged me in conversation by asking me where I called home.  I said I lived in London, Ontario, suspecting that he might not have a very good idea of where that was.  On the contrary, he mentioned that he had been assigned to the area for a short time as a CN employee.  I don't know whether this had any influence on his decision, but I was granted permission to visit the shop tracks, and a memorable group of images were exposed.

In today's photo, GTW class GR-20a GP38AC number 5808 has been coupled together with CV GP9 units 4924, 4923, and 4551 in preparation for the next southbound train.  By 1990, 5808 had been re-lettered for the Central Vermont, although it retained the blue GTW colour.