Train Spotting

[DSCToronto]

Great views. Interesting detail is the presence of a passenger coach, which dates from the days when the Toronto chapter of the CRHA stored preserved equipment down that way. That was long before we hd a roundhouse museum down tht way.

- Paul

That area has really changed, here it is from Streetview in 2015 and 2023

 

[Bordercollie]

Via trains staged at the Bathurst North yard on Saturday afternoon, October 18, prsumably due to ongoing Metrolinx Go project weekend track works.

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When I saw them they were idling so there must only be wayside power for GO.

 

[Bordercollie]

That is correct, it was because access to the TMC was blocked off.

For the same reason, the equipment for the Canadian was deadheaded to and from CN's MacMillan Yard.

Dan

If they got a flat wheel or bad bearing what would they do if they can't access TMC that night?

 

[smallspy]

When I saw them they were idling so there must only be wayside power for GO.

GO uses a different HEP standard than VIA. They are not compatible with each other.

If they got a flat wheel or bad bearing what would they do if they can't access TMC that night?

Depends on how bad it is.

If it needs to be replaced immediately, they may hold the train out-of-service until they could once again access the TMC. Or if time was of the essence, they could operate an emergency move to the MMC overnight. Or maybe in a pinch, they could come to an agreement with Metrolinx or CN to use their facilities.

But seeing as how it's never been an issue up to now, all we can do is speculate.

Dan

 

[just east of the creek]

In North Bay on business and took a few minutes to visit some childhood memories and check in with an old friend……looking still quietly abandoned, along with some units….

…..from the original Northlander? No change from last year. At least one of these should be on full display in front of of the NB museum - the old ONR station, partnering with the waterfront.

 

[Bordercollie]

In North Bay on business and took a few minutes to visit some childhood memories and check in with an old friend……looking still quietly abandoned, along with some units….View attachment 708013View attachment 708014View attachment 708015View attachment 708016View attachment 708017View attachment 708018 …..from the original Northlander? No change from last year. At least one of these should be on full display in front of of the NB museum - the old ONR station, partnering with the waterfront.

They should at least cosmetically restore the TEE unit.

 

[just east of the creek]

They should at least cosmetically restore the TEE unit.

Absolutely.

Restoring it to working condition would be a real draw, and running excursions north bound or southbound would add to the draw. The challenges of restoring to a working order are large, and fundamentally begin with $.

Cosmetically restoring and maintaining it would be a very good step as well, combined with moving it to a more prominent site as opposed to the city works yard. A site in front of the NB Museum, which was the ONR station a block away would be achievable. There is certainly room.

 

[lenaitch]

Absolutely.

Restoring it to working condition would be a real draw, and running excursions north bound or southbound would add to the draw. The challenges of restoring to a working order are large, and fundamentally begin with $.

Cosmetically restoring and maintaining it would be a very good step as well, combined with moving it to a more prominent site as opposed to the city works yard. A site in front of the NB Museum, which was the ONR station a block away would be achievable. There is certainly room.

A slight pedant but the city museum is the old CP station. Until they built their new (ish) station, the ONR used the CN station on 2nd Ave.

Spending money to restore either of them would be s pretty tough sell for a publicly funded entity. There is a private group trying to raise money to restore 503 although I don't know if they are making any progress. No clue what it would cost other than guessing - a lot.

Actually operating an artifact is matter of much debate in the museum world with most landing on the side of 'not'. The Canadian Warplane Heritage Museum, in spite of its name, is not considered a museum by the larger history and heritage community. The operating costs regulatory hurdles and liability insurance of operating a restored locomotive would be off the dial, that's why most heritage entities that operate anything are private.

No museum has a lot of money unless they have benefactors with deep pockets. The city museum is no different. It gets to spend as much money as council give it, and a municipal council is always cognizant of property taxes. Even if one of them was gifted to them fully restored, it then becomes a matter of paying for site prep, movement, insurance, and on and on. They were pretty much guilted into taking the Dionne homestead when they really didn't want it.

 

[just east of the creek]

A slight pedant but the city museum is the old CP station. Until they built their new (ish) station, the ONR used the CN station on 2nd Ave.

Spending money to restore either of them would be s pretty tough sell for a publicly funded entity. There is a private group trying to raise money to restore 503 although I don't know if they are making any progress. No clue what it would cost other than guessing - a lot.

Actually operating an artifact is matter of much debate in the museum world with most landing on the side of 'not'. The Canadian Warplane Heritage Museum, in spite of its name, is not considered a museum by the larger history and heritage community. The operating costs regulatory hurdles and liability insurance of operating a restored locomotive would be off the dial, that's why most heritage entities that operate anything are private.

No museum has a lot of money unless they have benefactors with deep pockets. The city museum is no different. It gets to spend as much money as council give it, and a municipal council is always cognizant of property taxes. Even if one of them was gifted to them fully restored, it then becomes a matter of paying for site prep, movement, insurance, and on and on. They were pretty much guilted into taking the Dionne homestead when they really didn't want it.

Your points re 503 are well taken and I believe pretty much spot on. And I must have had ONR running in a continuous loop through my mind re station names. Certain members of my family would be appalled!! Anyways, casual conversation with family members revealed no information re fundraising and I missed a chance to bring it up with the local MPP the other day. Not that there is not a group working to get something moving.

Seeing as how you mentioned the topic and the fact that the last of the Dionne quintuplets passed away very recently, you mentioned the word guilt. And you were correct. There is a large segment of popular local opinion of certain age groups and status that have wanted to have the entire very troubling story of the Dionne family swept away, into the dustbin of history and quietly forgotten. And not just locally, although the story is NB centered. The Dionne homestead was the latest most recent example of this - 70 or so years after their birth. Having said that, and once the decision was made, and the homestead moved, the museum board appears to be bringing some light to the story. A very very sad and troubling historical reality, which I discussed with my mother, born the same time in North Bay, this past week. I’m not sure she was really enthused to discuss memories.