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JAMIE'S RANDOM AMERICAN RAILWAY PHOTOS.


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In a few days time I'm going to start posting photos in this thread of photos that I've taken of railways in North and Central America. These will range from 1978 to 2019.  I'll use the same format that I've used in my UK and French threads, of posting about 6 photos per day in chronological order.   In that time frame I've been across the pond about 10 times and have managed to see trains in Alaska, Canada, the USA, Costa Rica, El Salvador, Panama and even Trinidad. As always I will welcome comments and information about the prototypes that I have seen.

 

Watch this space.

 

Jamie

Edited by jamie92208
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If you really want the thread to go downhill I better post a picture. A bit of background might help though.  I was always interested in railways but my interest in American railways really started when i got a book out of our local library at Settle, called "A Work of Giants" which my forgettery can still remember was written by someone called Wesley S Griswold. It told the story of the building of the Union and Central Pacific railroads. For some reason I became interested in the UP and aged about 12 wrote to their HQ in Omaha, asking for some information.  I got a lovely pack of info back by post including a system map and other things.  These were used in a school project about the UP.  I maintained my interest and in the 70's got friendly with Mel Ridley, who at that time ran the model railway shop in the Empire Arcade in Leeds.   He leant me a fabulous bool called, Steam Across the Divide by Ehrenberger and Gschwind. I devoured the information in that and found out that there was a preserved Big Boy in Cheyenne, 4004.   I even subscribed to Railroad Magazine for a couple of years.

 

All this made me want to head west and to see the real thing.  A friend and I decided to go together and started saving, but he got married so that was the end of that for him.  I was still single and was also rather brassed off with my pay scales as a young police officer in Leeds.   Someone told me that if you went to the States it was quite easy to get recruited as an officer over there.  I kept saving, did a few jobs on the side to get extra cash, the pay was bad in 77, and finally went into Thomas Cooks and started to book tickets.   The bloke I dealt with at Cooks remained a friend for many years.   He got me cheap tickets on a charter flight.  I got hold of an Amtrak timetable and started to plan an itinerary that included as many relatives houses as possible, for cheap accommodation, and Cheyenne, Wyoming.  Finally I booked most of my years allocation of Annual Leave and was ready to set off from here.

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My cottage was the 2nd from the right with the open door.

 

Jamie

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Just remember that the US is a big place.  The state of Wyoming alone is as wide as the distance between Rochefort and Geneva.

 

There is also a preserved Big Boy and a DD40X at Omaha, NE.

 

There is a great train museum at Strasburg outside Philadelphia.

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Good morning, another teaser but at least there will be a railway in the photo. My long planned journey started on 2nd June 1978.  I set off from the cottage with my rucksack on my back and walked down to my local station at Woodlesford.  There a DMU, not sure what class, arrived to take me to Leeds.

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At Leeds I changed into a Trans Pennine unit to head to Manchester.

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That's enough for today, got to set off to watch some French trains.

 

Jamie

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35 minutes ago, scottystitch said:

My goodness, you can't leave us on such tenterhooks...for that would be a stretch :P

 

Best

 

Scott.

Having seen  a tenter frame, with it's hooks in the last mill where we used to live, I will probably fall foul of the law against torture.  

 

Jamie

Edited by jamie92208
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Bon apres midi.   We are nearly there.  I've just finished my French Railways thread so here are a few more teasers. After the Trans Pennine unit my next mode of transport was more prosaic, A Leyland Leopard in what I think was SELNEC livery.

1056683642_Slides1978A-1004.jpg.79843f7eb454c9f4e4fd91fbfd333bba.jpg

After that I got a real surprise, my first ever flight was to be on a 747. this was a charter flight operated by Jetsave using CPAir, so there is a railway connection.  As I was one of relatively few solo travellers I was given an upstairs seat and had to climb a spiral staircase to get to the cabin.

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Here is the normally first class cabin, just 16 seats and our own stewardess to look after us and the three flight crew.

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At the time my brother was flying 747 for BA (could it have been BOAC in that year?) and I got talking to the crew.  Once we were out over the Atlantic I was invited up and spent several hours in the cockpit.  No Glass screens on the panel in those days.

1295884491_Slides1978A-1022.jpg.f633232d5c540a3d3ad664df35042fa3.jpg

The 3rd crew member was the flight engineer who had his own panel.  Sorry about the uploader tipping it sideways.

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There was a free bar so it would have been rude not to partake.  I not only had dark hair in those days but was a good bit lighter.

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And it would be remiss of me not to post a picture of our stewardess.

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Hopefully some trains tomorrow folks.

 

Jamie

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Shows how times have changed.

 

No cockpits visits anymore.

 

CP Air was purchased in 1987 and was used to form Canadian Airlines, and that in turn after getting into financial trouble was absorbed into Air Canada in 2000.

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Good afternoon.  It's still the 2nd June 1978 and we have landed at Toronto airport. I couldn't resist taking a photo of a BA 747, due to my family connection with them.

1058755812_Slides1978A-1033.jpg.4c90519c841cf3e291b80eda9b5178df.jpg

I  went out with my uncle and aunt the next day and also went up the CN tower and saw the two roundhouses but the film got ruined in my camera.  I had to take those photos again the next year but that story is for another day.  However having seen the roundhouses I headed downtown on what was probably Monday 5th June and after subway and tram rides went to the CN Roundhouse on Spadina Avenue.  I asked at the office if there was any chance of having a look around.  To my amazement they said yes.  I was asked to sign a blood chit (Insurance waiver) and told to wander round but stay safe.  The first thing I saw was the turntable with various units near it. A switcher and some Budd RDC's in the background.

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The first thing that caught my eye was a steam loco in the roundhouse.  The preserved 4-8-4 6060 looking massive to my eyes.

1165397956_Slides1978A-3002.jpg.dba76815b9daaa9f0f77797f07a57cc1.jpg

I was free to get in the cab and take some photos.  I was surprised to see 1 gauge glass plus a set of try cocks.

1714016900_Slides1978A-3004.jpg.439186d711edd21d96c4f842bbfa29eb.jpg

This was the view of three of the stalls, a VIA (Ex CN) FPA on the left and what I think is an Ontario Northland F unit on the right.

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A road switcher, which I think is a GP7 or 9 came onto the table.

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Not a bad start to my trip.   

 

Jamie

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Good evening again. Better late than never the saga carries on. I think it was the 5th June 78. I'm still wandering at will around the CN Roundhouse at Spadina Avenue. What appear to me to be a VIA, ex CN F unit, a CN FPA4 and a GP9.

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Some more CN units and a VIA ex CN FPA4.

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Then a CN FPA and a GP with RDC's in the background.

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Next the Ontario Northland F units emerged onto the turntable.1596868770_Slides1978A-3010.jpg.4df73233e42d1ad99b06e5e9eb0fbd82.jpg

Snd backed off towards their next assignment.

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After leaving the shed I went past the base of the CN Tower and a GO Transit set went past 

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One rather happy bunny set off back towards my Uncle and Aunts house.

 

Jamie

 

 

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3151 (along with 3154 in the earlier photo) are Alco RS18u types.

 

As an aside and by complete coincidence I was reading the new issue of Railfan & Railroad and a GP9 from the same batch as a couple of those featured so far, 4100 has only just been finally retired by CN.  That one more than paid for itself I reckon!

Edited by John M Upton
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54 minutes ago, John M Upton said:

3151 (along with 3154 in the earlier photo) are Alco RS18u types.

 

3151/3154 are MLW RS-18's (the MLW RS-18 being the Canadian equivalent of the Alco RS-11), rebuilt by CN for their Tempo Train service (both the Tempo RS-18 and coaches offered by Rapido a couple of years ago)

 

The RS-18u was the result of a CP rebuild program to give their units an extended life with a low nose.

 

https://rapidotrains.com/master-class/mlw-rs-18/mlw-rs-18-master-class

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Thanks to @mdvle and @John M Upton for thoat info. I've never really researched Canadian diesels so that very useful.  I must start to update the metadata on my slides with all this info. It's amazing to think that thiese are all from over 40 years ago.  I bought my scanner specif8cally to get my photo snd slide collection into order but it sat, hardly used, in the shed for 2 years. Then came lockdown.  At leadt one good thing has come out of the current situation.

 

Jamie

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Good evening, just.   We are still in 1978, I think it's the 6th June but don't have any detailed notes, just memories.  After a few days getting my body clock adjusted my rail adventure was about to start.  I took the bus and subway downtown and walked down to Toronto Union Station. An imposing building with trolleybus and tram wires outside.

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Even the passageway to the platforms looked good.

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I thought however that the interior was rather shabby. This though was going to haul my train to Windsor. I now am probably correct in saying that it's an ALCO RS18.

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Also in the station was The Northlander.  I think these units. were ex NS

1100073573_Slides1978A-3022.jpg.f58544782eae6ff4c28aca0229493340.jpg

A couple of hours later we were in Windsor, via London. There we all got taxis to Detroit via the tunnel. My first sight of freight stock including Conrail and I think Norfolk and Western cars.  They presumably were waiting to head through their tunnel.  We of course were about to take the road tunnel.

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My first encounter with US Immigration was interesting, as well as the heavily armed police officer on point duty with a shotgun by his side as he directed traffic coming out of the tunnel.  The official didn't smile till he'd checked that my name was not in the huge black book, no computers in those days.   Then a ride through a very run down city to the Amtrak station which I believe used to be Michigan Central.  A hug and run down building then an absolute dump of a station with clouds of dust everywhere from lorries going through where some of the platforms had been.   However there was a train there, destination Chicago with my first F40 on the point.

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That's it for tonight folks.

 

Jamie

 

 

 

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40 minutes ago, jamie92208 said:

I thought however that the interior was rather shabby.

 

They are close(?) to finishing a decade long rebuilding of Union Station - including adding a glass attrium to the middle section of the train shed which you pictured.

 

Quote

This though was going to haul my train to Windsor. I now am probably correct in saying that it's an ALCO RS18.

 

Close - MLW RS-18

 

MLW (Montreal Locomotive Works, later bought by Bombardier), was the Canadian subsidiary of Alco.

 

Quote

Also in the station was The Northlander.  I think these units. were ex NS

 

Mostly correct.  The 4 ex-TEE trainsets were bought from NS (3) and SBB (1).

 

5 of the coaches were returned to The Netherlands in 1998 for restoration.

 

Quote

A couple of hours later we were in Windsor, via London. There we all got taxis to Detroit via the tunnel. My first sight of freight stock including Conrail and I think Norfolk and Western cars. 

 

Correct, Norfolk & Western.

 

Quote

to the Amtrak station which I believe used to be Michigan Central.  A hug and run down building then an absolute dump of a station with clouds of dust everywhere from lorries going through where some of the platforms had been.

 

Yes, Michigan Central Station.  Amtrak left in 1988.  Building is still there though the train shed is long gone.  Ford actually recently purchased it and will be restoring it to use as offices after it was left abandoned by its owners for decades and the usual vandalism happened.

Edited by mdvle
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On 20/05/2021 at 17:32, jamie92208 said:

After leaving the shed I went past the base of the CN Tower and a GO Transit set went past 

 

Engine is a GP40TC, one of 8 built for the launch of GO Transit in 1967, and a frequent request to be made in model form.  Later sold to Amtrak.

 

Coach is one of the Hawker Siddeley Canada coaches.

 

On 20/05/2021 at 17:32, jamie92208 said:

260108828_Slides1978A-3013.jpg.57d1d8128e6c8a1543c42d021756c505.jpg

 

 

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20 minutes ago, Johann Marsbar said:

Thanks to everyone  for the very helpful replies.  I think that I've seen a documentary about the restoration of the station in Detroit. It looks like a great project.   

 

Jamie

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Good afternoon. The Tardis has just left Detroit on what I think was 6th June 1978

The train left Detroit on time and headed for Chicago.  On the way we stopped at Kalamazoo and the station sign read. "Yes there really is a place called Kalamazoo". 

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We arrived in Union Station quite late so I got a taxi to my hotel.  y mate at Cooks had got me a cheap voucher for the Hilton and I ended up on the 21st floor with a view west over the city.

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Next morning after breakfast, I avoided the 2000 conventioning members of the loyal order of the Moose (Not a pretty sight) and walked out the front.  This was what greeted me. Illinois Central Electrics pn the line headed south from, IIRC , Randolph Street.

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There was also the El running not far from the back of the hotel.

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In the morning I went on a bus tour which included the science and Industry museum then after lunch headed for Union Station to catch the San Francisco Zephyr.  I got there a couple of hours early and initially was refused entry to the platforms but managed to persuade the staff of my peaceful intentions. I was then allowed to walk down to the end of the platform.  Before I set off to the south side I managed to see this Rohr (I think) turboliner on the north side.  Sorry about the rather blurry hand held photo but I thought it worthwhile to put in.

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Then down the southern platforms and what I think was an Illinois Central switcher.

1479597435_Slides1978A-3036.jpg.67b2611dbbeb35fbb90e92edb1946139.jpg

That's it for today.

 

Jamie

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45 minutes ago, jamie92208 said:

Before I set off to the south side I managed to see this Rohr (I think) turboliner on the north side.  Sorry about the rather blurry hand held photo but I thought it worthwhile to put in.

95458743_Slides1978A-3035.jpg.37872a31a22ec155b0c4840af2a41115.jpg

 

 

This is the RTG Turboliner, built by ANF (French company)

 

The second batch was by Rohr and are known as RTL - this version is being made by Rapido and is currently in tooling, order deadline to be announced.

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