Canada Calling
March 1998

by Bryce Lee

THE ICE STORM

The Island of Montreal and much of southwestern Quebec was affected by a series of severe ice storms which started the evening of Monday January 5 and concluded Friday January 9, 1998. The island and city of Montreal, the entire surrounding region (including upper New York State and New England) were slowly enveloped in ice, darkness, and cold. States of emergency were declared in the southwestern part of Quebec and in 20 municipalities in eastern Ontario.

The first sign of major trouble happened when Via Rail cancelled trains operating between Montreal and Toronto. The passenger service said fallen trees and power lines had blocked the tracks. As well, switches and signalling equipment were frozen. There was still service from Toronto east to Windsor, Ontario. Many roads on the Island of Montreal and surrounding areas were blocked by felled tree limbs and power lines. Highway 20, the main highway towards Ontario from Montreal was closed on January 6, blocked by 8 power pylons that toppled over under the weight of the ice that enveloped them. The Montreal-Rigaud commuter service was closed until further notice and the single train to Rigaud was off until Monday January 12. There was a supplementary announcement on local media that all Montreal-Rigaud service was off until January 14 but this was later extended to Friday January 16. The primary problem was damage to the signals due to the thickness of the ice.

On Thursday, January 8 eastbound ATM train number 16 had a problem. Running about 20 minutes late, the Montreal-bound train was halted by electrical wires about one kilometre west of Dorval station; as many as 400 passengers were then told to disembark and walk to Dorval where they could take a bus to the Lionel-Groulx metro station. The Blainville train was also cancelled on Friday but managed to operate Monday, January 12 to and from Ste-Therese with a reduced schedule; two morning departures from Ste-Therese for Park Avenue and two evening departures from Park Avenue for Ste-Therese.

Amtrak and VIA Rail Canada service into and out of Montreal was suspended after the morning of January 8, with the exception of the two triweekly VIA trains serving northern Quebec. The rebuilt Montreal-Deux Montagnes line (formerly CN) resumed its electric service with four trainsets of M.U.s providing half-hourly service on January 7 for evening rush hour. Ice on the overhead catenary, tracks, and doors of the equipment was the source of this line's problems. Service returned to near normal the next day on January 8, 1998. Le Metro (subway) continued to operate although there were delays. On January 13, it was decided to run fewer trains at a reduced speed and to shut down all downward station escalators in an effort to conserve electricity for the hardest hit areas of the region.

On Friday January 9, there were 30 freights enroute to Montreal from the west due eastward on the Kingston Subdivision. They were all strung out along the Kingston Subdivision, with some in Toronto, Capreol, and Conrail at Dewitt New York. One train at Belleville was deadheading some power to Montreal: 9628, 9549, 9633, CR 6662, 6425, 6443, 6658, 9541, EMDX 187. VIA 15 was stranded out on the Drummondville Subdivision. (6411-6415, 15 cars). The following VIA 15 (6407-6455, 13 cars) was terminated at Moncton January 8, 1998. The so-called Spirit of the North was sent to help on the Kingston Subdivision consisted of three cars to accommodate people, being CN 54954, 59343, and 70742, all three were once passenger cars. They have a work train with 5081 and other cars loaded with gasoline, diesel fuel chain saws, food and people to assist clearing the sub. For the MLW fans, a detoured 312/314 combo went east of Montreal January 8, 1998 with seven M420's: 3556, 3548, 3550, 3512, 3522, 3516, 3533. And he went via the Quebec Gatineau Railway, that is along the north shore of the St. Lawrence River, on former CP trackage.

VIA service between Toronto and Montreal, had not resumed on January 13, 1998 and the "Ocean" between Montreal and Halifax, Nova Scotia, returned to service on January 12 however was rerouted between Montreal and the Quebec City area via Hervey on Canadian National lines north of the St. Lawrence. Amtrak had expected to resume operation of its "Adirondack" to Albany and New York City on January 15 (one set of equipment was stranded in Montreal during the disruption of service). Resumption of any service was heavily dependent on how fast repair crews can repair CTC and grade-crossing signals, and remove debris from the right of way. VIA did lend a hand to the relief effort by sheltering stranded passengers in sleepers on the annulled consist eastbound "Ocean" in Central Station on January 9, 1998.

Before the week was over, more than 8000 military troops from across Canada were in the region to help with the relief effort. Emergency electrical company crews from the northeastern United States, and as far away as Delaware, Michigan, and Nova Scotia arrived to help get power re-established and people back into their homes. The U.S. Air Force assisted flying relief material from western Canada.

The mayoress of Boucherville Quebec, Mme Francine Legault suggested borrowing diesel locomotives from Canadian National for use as emergency generators. She recalled that locomotives had been used as a source of power some years ago in Fermont, at the north end of Cartier Railway in Quebec. CN initially delivered M420W 3502, to the town on the south shore of the St.Lawrence River. The locomotive was lifted off of the tracks by a crane, and placed on de Montarville Street, and allowed to proceed 1000 feet down the street under its own power. The locomotive initially rolled on the edge of the wheel flanges on top of the pavement; the weight of the locomotive eventually cut flange-deep grooves into the asphalt of the street, this locomotives was used to generate electricity for the various local municipal buildings.

On January 14, M420W 3508 was delivered, and this time the locomotive was moved down the same street although not as far as the first locomotive. When it became apparent that M420 3508, loaned to the town by CN to generate electricity for use at a high school shelter, could not be utilized as envisaged, it was decided to leave the locomotive parked on de Montarville Boulevard just up the street from sibling 3502. CN 3502 and 3508 were not needed after Saturday January 17, since electricity had returned to the. The two units were moved back to Taschereau Yard shop, and were shown into the shop for damaged gear cases (I wonder why...). 3502 is now stored serviceable, but may be back at work soon. 3508 is back on the road working. The St.L&H (CP) offered CP Rail SD40 5417 to the city of Lacolle Quebec and the all-white ex-Kansas City Southern unit was modified and running January 14, 1998. The 5417 had been previously been supplying power at the St. Luc diesel shop and had to be chiselled out from its location it was so heavily embedded in ice.

Officials had expected to have power restored to the Island of Montreal by January 14, but areas of the South Shore, an area littered with innumerable downed power lines and trees, and in excess of 200 large transmission collapsed and beyond repair. In some cases it was expected another two to four weeks would be needed to restore power to some rural areas hit by the ice storm.

On Friday January 16, 1998 the ice storm alert level of the St. Lawrence & Hudson Railway was lowered signifying that it would operate closer to its normal level of activity after the destructive storm of the previous week. The railway decided to halt railway operations in Eastern Ontario, Quebec and northern New York on Wednesday night, January 7 when all electrical power was lost, the right of way was obstructed by fallen trees, poles and power lines and switches were encrusted in solid ice. They were extremely proud of their operations team which brought them back to almost full operation in only a week, even though much of the signal system was inoperative and many areas still lacked electricity.

The St.L&H recovery focused on four aspects: restoring the rail system in the storm area; managing the traffic to enable rapid recovery; looking after its employees and their families and contributing to the humanitarian needs of the community. The families of the St.L&H's own employees were suffering the consequences of the storm and power failure in their homes while employees worked extended shifts on the frozen network. The St.L&H established a shelter and provided needed amenities to its families that were subjected to extended periods without power.

Level crossings were operated by special teams located across the area of damage with generators to recharge the batteries of the protective barriers. Electronic train control systems were replaced by special operating rules that allow trains at reduced speeds to be directed verbally and safely by radio or cellular telephone. Montreal normally has about 36 St.L&H freight trains a day leaving or arriving from Toronto and points west including Chicago, or from the U.S. Northeast, i.e. the St.L&H U.S. subsidiary (the Delaware & Hudson) and connecting carriers.

The halt in railway operations caused a backlog of about 60 trains. These were managed so as to avoid congestion in and close to Montreal. They were halted in staging areas extending West to Chicago, Northwest to Winnipeg and South to their New York facilities. As soon as the lines were cleared and temporary control measures established, the traffic began moving again in a systematic controlled fashion. The main line from Montreal west was used to park trains in order as received with other trains parked elsewhere.

Finally, when the recovery appeared to be well underway, the St.L&H undertook to provide help to other agencies. It provided mobile electrical power, including a 400 kw generator to Ontario Hydro in Winchester and was moving a locomotive to provide 900 kw of power to the community of Napierville, South of Montreal. It is also moving firewood from the Sudbury area and military equipment from the Canadian West for troops assisting the population.

Milling wheat and high-powered generators were among the critically-needed items being delivered or already provided by the Canadian Pacific Railway (CPR) and its eastern subsidiary, the St. Lawrence & Hudson Railway (St.L&H), as part of the country-wide aid effort for storm-stricken residents of Quebec and Eastern Ontario. A 25-tonne load of wheat was scheduled for pickup at the Manitoba Pool Elevator in Dufrost, Manitoba, by the CPR's Intermodal division for delivery by train and truck to Port Royal Mills of Aurora, Ontario, where it was to be milled into flour and forwarded to Montreal for bread production. The wheat was donated jointly by Manitoba Pool and United Grain Growers. Port Royal Mills is coordinating the wheat donation and free transportation, milling and distribution arrangements with the assistance of the Salvation Army, Distribution Farinex of Boisbriand, Quebec, Blue Star Trucking of Stouffville, Ontario, and RC Trucking Inc. of Montreal. Flour made from the wheat will be delivered to Montreal Pita, Farhat Pita, Andalos Pita and Bakery Rivest of Montreal for further processing and distribution to those in need. Meanwhile, a 12.2-metre (40-foot) CPR containerized generator joined two other high-capacity railway power sources in the war against the cold and dark. It was on loan to the Union des producteurs agricoles at Iberville, Quebec, to help livestock producers in the area prevent further deaths among their animals until regular electrical service can be restored. The generator is normally used to supply power for temperature-controlled containers carrying food and other perishables in railway service, and has been modified by Onan est du Canada to provide up to 200 kilowatts at 120/240 volts.

AFTER THE STORM

VIA Rail says some passenger trains were to begin running again between Toronto and Montreal in both directions the afternoon of January 15, 1998. VIA said it would operate one through train with a running time of 5 hours, 55 minutes. The longer than normal running time was because much of CN's electronically controlled infrastructure east of Brockville, Ontario remained inoperative. Service was disrupted due to ice storms that devastated eastern Ontario and southwestern Quebec. And while the rail line between Ottawa and Brockville remained closed, VIA says it was resuming partial service between Ottawa and Toronto the same day. Service over the Ottawa-Brockville leg was to be provided by bus for at least the first couple of days. Also, VIA was to continue to operate two round-trips daily between Kingston and Toronto, one of which was to be extended as far as Brockville starting that afternoon. But until further notice, service in both directions between Quebec City and Montreal and Montreal and Ottawa remained cancelled. Via Rail's Ocean was to run between Halifax and Montreal by way of Moncton and was to continue to experience two-to three-hour delays both ways. A Via spokesman said electrical systems are still down in many areas of track in Quebec due to the ice storms. There are also fallen trees along the route and level-crossing warning mechanisms are still inoperative in many locations due to power outages. As a result, the Chaleur run between the Gaspe and Montreal will experience some two-to three-hour delays. Via asked all passengers already holding tickets for travel on the Ocean and Chaleur to telephone reconfirm the status of their reservations.

After operating a skeletal service between Montreal and Toronto, on a 6-hour schedule for a few days, VIA resumed full service there on January 20, informing passengers to expect delays of 30 to 60 minutes. Limited service between Toronto and Ottawa, begun late in the week of January 11, was to continue until sufficient repairs have been made to resume normal service. Montreal-Ottawa trains remained suspended indefinitely. These services travel through an area of eastern Ontario that was equally hard hit by the storms; 20 municipalities had declared states of emergency.

Limited VIA service between Montreal and Quebec City resumed January 19, with delays of up to 90 minutes being expected due to ongoing storm-related problems. A portion of this route traverses the area hardest hit by the storms, the "dark triangle," an area roughly between St. Hyacinthe-Drummondville, St. Jean, and Granby. VIA's Montreal-Halifax "Ocean" returned to its normal route via Drummondville, but with delays.

Amtrak's Montreal-New York "Adirondack" had not yet resumed operation as of January 20. Equipment stranded in Montreal for over two weeks left VIA's Montreal shop January 20 for Albany, as a pseudo test run over Canadian National's Rouses Point Subdivision between Montreal and the United States border, which has 32 grade crossings to manually protect until automatic crossing protection can be restored. The duration of this trip and whether CN can deploy generators at some of the crossings to lessen delays will be important factors in determining the resumption of service.

All Montreal public transit, urban and suburban bus, and commuter train routes had returned to near normal with the exception of the diesel-powered Montreal-Rigaud commuter line on Canadian Pacific. Partial service resumed January 19, with three morning arrivals from and three evening departures to Dorion (a bus operated between Rigaud and Dorion). Regular service possibly might resume January 21. Montreal's Metro subway had been unaffected by power disruptions since January 14.

Some of the hardest hit areas from the recent ice storm in northern New York State were communities on Conrail's Montreal Secondary between Syracuse and Montreal, so on January 13, 1998 Conrail operated a relief train out of Syracuse at 17:30, which arriving in Watertown New York at 20:00. The train, which originated on the Susequehanna at Utica, was powered by NYS&W B40-8 4006 and Conrail C40-8W 6283 and consisted of ex-Norfolk Southern coaches 803 and 802, NYS&W coaches 508, 507, and 505, and Conrail gondolas 62759, 62734, 62161, 62070, 62135, and 62197. The coaches were intended to be used as a camp train for volunteer relief works and the gondolas were loaded with much needed supplies. An empty Conrail acid train from Syracuse to Watertown on January 13 was the first freight on the line since January 8 and had to stop and manually flag all grade crossings. Conrail rerouted freight that normally takes this route to the Canadian National at Buffalo New York for the duration instead.

PASSENGER NEWS

The husband of a woman killed in the Via Rail crash near Bigger, Saskatchewan last fall is suing Via C$20-million. Seymour Kaplan maintains Via recklessly disregarded the safety of it's passengers. Kaplan, of New York City had been married to Diana Joan Kaplan, 56, for 15 months. She was the only fatality in an accident which injured 65 passengers. He is seeking general and punitive damages from Via Rail and its employees. Lawyers for Via argued in court, that they don't yet have all the information they need for their defense against the accusation. On December 31, a judge agreed. Via has been given until the summer of 1998 to file its statement of defense. If the company receives all the reports and information it needs any earlier, it must file sooner.

A second lawsuit stemming from the Biggar accident has also been filed against Via Rail. Philadelphia resident Irwin Robinson, 68, is seeking unspecified damages for his injuries during the late-night September 3, 1997 accident. Robinson was travelling to Toronto from Vancouver aboard Via's The Canadian along with 192 other passengers and a crew of 29 when it derailed. Robinson suffered two broken ribs, a punctured lung, a broken collar bone and back injuries, as well as post traumatic stress problems. He recovered in Saskatoon until December 10, 1998 when he returned to Philadelphia. Robinson's lawsuit alleges that Via failed to make adequate safety checks, particularly on the axle of the second locomotive which failed and led to the crash. Crown-owned Via has admitted its employees shut off an on-board warning device which indicated a bearing on the axle was overheating. Four employees were suspended after the derailment.

The new head of the Ontario Northland Transportation Commission says he's ready to cancel the Northlander passenger train if ridership doesn't improve. Dick Grant was appointed to head the provincially-owned agency in January 1998. He says something has to do be done to staunch the losses in passenger rail service. The Northlander runs daily between Toronto and Cochrane, also providing service to North Bay, New Liskeard, Kirkland Lake, and a bus link to Timmins. In 1996, the service lost over C$3-million.

Amtrak and VIA Rail Canada's new North America Rail Pass went on sale January 27, the first pass designed for travel in both the United States and Canada for one low price. The 30-day pass with unlimited stopovers allows travel along 27,000 miles of scenic railways in the U.S. and Canada, with more than 900 destinations from which to choose. Connecting terminals are in Montreal, Toronto and Vancouver. At long last, United States and Canadian residents can buy a pass to see their own continent comparable to the Eurail passes they have enjoyed abroad.

The introductory off-peak fare for the new North America Rail Pass is US$450 and C$625 (January 27-May 31, 1998). Fare during peak season (June 1-October 15) will be US$645 and C$895. Fares apply to all customers ages two and over. No other discounts will apply.

The North America Rail Pass is for coach/economy class travel and can be purchased at any Amtrak or VIA ticket office, through travel agents or through Ticket By Mail (1-800-USA-RAIL for U.S. citizens, 1-800-561-8630 for Canadian citizens). Travellers may upgrade to first-class sleeping accommodations (Amtrak/VIA), Custom Class, Club Service (Amtrak) and VIA 1 (VIA) for an additional charge. All segments of travel will require a reservation. To minimize the chance of encountering sold-out trains, it is recommended that all reservations be made when the pass is purchased. Some restrictions apply. Details are also available at www.amtrak.com and www.viarail.ca.

Another former VIA Rail Canada car has been refurbished to serve as "private varnish" in the USA. Former VIA/CN 2092 "HAY RIVER", a 10 roomette and 6 double bedroom sleeper that was built by Pullman Standard in 1949 as NYC 10223 'SCIOTO RIVER", and acquired by CN in 1965, is now the private car of Tom Whitted, the CEO of IPA Southern in Easley, South Carolina. He acquired the car a few years ago at the auction of New Georgia Railroad equipment. It has been converted it to a six double bedroom lounge configuration and renamed "The Palmetto State" PPCX 800032. After significant work, the car is newly certified to operate on Amtrak trains. The car's maiden voyage on Amtrak was a holiday journey from Atlanta to Washington and return, with the car carrying the markers on The Crescent in both directions. The car was spotted at the bumping post of track 11 at Washington Union Station while the Whitted's and their guests enjoyed the holidays in Washington DC.

SHORTLINES

The West Central (Saskatchewan) Road and Rail Committee is in the process of setting up their own short line railway. They've hired a consultant to help draw up a business plan. They hope to use that plan to solicit financial support from local governments. Rob Lobdell has been a driving force behind this move to a short line railway. Lobdell says when it comes to purchasing the CN trackage, everyone, not just farmers should share in the cost. That is why he's hoping the twelve rural municipalities in the area will support the plan. He noted local governments will have to decide if they will spend the money on road infrastructure or rail lines; either way taxes will increase. He noted without the rail line, farmers won't have the opportunity to get into value added processing, like seed plants and flour mills. The farmers have about four months to raise at least C$10-million dollars which is the estimated amount required to purchase buy the 465 kilometres of track.

Rail service on the Algoma Central line between Sault Ste Marie and Hearst returned to normal on Wednesday January 14, 1998. The line was closed after 5 cars on a 60 car freight train left the track near Franz, 300 kilometres north of the Sault on Saturday, January 10. No one was injured. Three of the five cars carried Steel tubing from Algoma Steel while the two other cars were empty. Officials are still trying to determine the cause of the accident.

Unionized workers at the Ontario Northland Transportation Commission have voted in favour of a strike after contract talks stalled. Members of the Canadian Auto Workers Local 103 gave their union leaders a strike mandate of 85 per cent January 14, 1998. The union represents 220 Ontario Northland railway and bus workers in eight Northern Ontario communities, including Kirkland Lake, Timmins and North Bay. The vote does not prevent a return to negotiations between the union and the company. If a federal conciliation officer appointed to meet with the parties next month can't broker a deal, the workers could strike in March. Relations between the transportation commission and the union have been strained in recent years. The company locked out its workers for almost three months in 1994 and the union went on strike for six days in 1992.

Two low-density railway branchlines in Saskatchewan are being offered for sale by Canadian Pacific Railway (CPR), in accordance with Section 143(1) of the Canada Transportation Act (CTA), the railway announced January 21, 1998. CPR is offering for sale to the shortline railway market the following: a 115-km (71.5-mile) section of the Assiniboia subdivision, between Pangman and a point just east of Assiniboia and the 104-km (65-mile) Wood Mountain Subdivision, between Ogle and Mankota.

Trains are expected to continue into Barrie Ontario from points south as the city has worked out an interim agreement to lease the railroad line that connects Barrie and Bradford. Canadian National ceased running freight on the CN Bradford to Barrie line at 11:59 pm Sunday, January 25, 1998. The railway between Barrie and Meaford on the other hand was mothballed two years ago by Canadian National, The City of Barrie hopes to ensure service on this line by having a connecting track placed on the Canadian Pacific's Toronto to North Bay main line which would enable interchange to take place with Collingwood to the north and Barrie to the south. Presently CN wants to dismantle the remainder of the Newmarket Subdivision as quickly as possible. There is another lease agreement for the City of Barrie to use the track while negotiations continue for its acquisition and a short-line operator, Cando Contracting Company, is providing interim freight rail service with a CCGX GP9 1000 (ex-QNS&L 157) as negotiations with Cando continue for an operating agreement. The company also wishes to lease a CN unit, since CCGX 1000 is not yet fully equipped for cabooseless lead use. The locomotive is painted dark gray, with yellow railings and safety features, and Cando Contracting Co in yellow lettering on each side of the body.

The Guelph Junction Railway is now operating on a portion of the former Canadian Pacific Railway Goderich Subdivision. The line from Guelph Junction which is just west of Campbellville, Ontario in the Region of Halton, is owned by the City of Guelph and has been for over 100 years. CP's 99 year operating lease for the line expired December 31, 1997. For the record, the last CP operation to Guelph, Ontario was with CP GP9u 1614 on December 31, 1997. Ontario Southland Railway, is the designated operator of the Guelph Junction Railway. Currently operating with a former CP RS-23 numbered 504 (formerly CP 8044). OSR is running not only the GJR (owned by the city) but also the CP owned section from Norwich Avenue to Woodlawn Road and then onwards to the CN interchange. The city is negotiating with the CP to buy this section. OSRY uses 161.535 as their frequency. They also perform switching service at the Petro-Canada refinery at Clarkson (just east of Southdown Road in Mississauga); and use the same frequency.

The Ontario L'Orignal Railway has repainted their two former Goderich-Exeter GP9's and caboose. They are very dark blue with bronze lettering. They lost their Shakespearean names and are now named Champlain and Butler. Their caboose is numbered 2000 and is named Millennium (pun).

The Hudson Bay Railway north of The Pas, in Manitoba has experienced failures with their own power, and requested leased power. CN sent five GMD-1's, 1606, 1607, 1608, 1610, 1611, of which three failed. CN then sent five M420Ws 3500's that had been stored inside at Transcona Shops In Winnipeg. The 3510, failed, and froze. It is now retired and enroute back to Montreal. The 3530, 3540, 3541, and 3575 are now all working north of The Pas. Two GMD-1's, 1606 and 1608 also remain leased to the Hudson bay Railway.

A number of M420W 3500's are leased: 3539 and 3567 are still leased to RaiLink Southern Ontario on the spur to Nanticoke out of Brantford, and they wish to keep them until at least June of 1998. CN has also leased three M420Ws to the Quebec Gatineau Railway: 3515, 3538, and 3558. CN still has six or seven in Montreal for repairs that may be leased elsewhere.

The former Intercolonial from Moncton, New Brunswick to Mont Joli, Quebec was transferred to the Quebec Railway Company as of 0200 Monday January 26, 1998. They'll use the current CN power for now, and were to receive five former CP RS18's 1819, 1849, 1859, 1864, 1866 as of January 30, 1998, and will have their own road power come June. Until June, CN units will still have to handle through trains.

Sighted January 26, 1998 at 07:25 CBNS train #306 with ex-IORY, exx-BN, nee Frisco GP50's 3108 and 3109 straddling a 2000-series unit (ex-CN C630M), followed by two more Cascade Green units numbered 3102 and 3107. Two more GP50s were expected as well. Indiana & Ohio GP50's 3100, 3102, 3104, and 3107 are now enroute to the CBNS, to join 3108 and 3109 which went there last September. These are 3500 HP units. Doesn't look too good for the big MLW's in lead position, or much longer at all, if this keeps up.

The Carlton Trail Railway in Saskatchewan is still leasing CN 1400, 1402, 4703, 4704, 4711, until they get their fleet of Geeps running, and there. Five are still in the USA. They'll have 11 Geeps eventually, although one is ex-MidSouth for parts only, and ex-SP 3372 that went there may be for parts only too.

CANADIAN NATIONAL RAILWAY

A new community group will look at the future of the former Canadian National properties in Moncton, New Brunswick. Canada Lands, the Crown Corporation that's cleaning up the site, has already had some input from the public. The group hopes the public will tell them what is to be done with the land. The soil is contaminated with lubricants, oils, and gasoline which Canada Lands is optimistic about making useful again. The community group which is composed of students, business people and municipal officials, will determine how the lands may be best utilized. It is hoped the lands can be used for business, housing and recreation. The group hopes to have made a decision of the lands by the end of April 1998.

The Board of Directors of Canadian National Railway Company declared January 21, 1998 a first-quarter 1998 dividend on the Company's outstanding common shares. A quarterly dividend of twenty-six-and-one-half cents (C$0.265) per share will be paid on March 26, 1998, to shareholders of record at the close of business on March 6, 1998. The previous quarterly dividend was twenty-three cents (C$0.23) per share.

Canadian National Railway Company and GEC ALSTHOM AMF Transport Inc. of Montreal have signed an agreement whereby GEC ALSTHOM AMF Transport Inc. will manage the maintenance and repair of 50 of CN's upgraded SD40-3 high-horsepower locomotives at CN's locomotive reliability centre in the railway's Thornton Yard at Surrey, British Columbia. All 50 locomotives are dedicated to coal service in western Canada. As with similar maintenance agreements now in place at CN's locomotive reliability centres in Edmonton, Winnipeg, and Toronto, the maintenance work will be performed by CN employees under the direction of the contractor.

A missing beam is being blamed in the collapse of a railway bridge that killed two workers in northwestern British Columbia last fall. The CN bridge crashed into a gorge south of Terrace during repair work. Two men died and a third lost a leg and suffered other injuries. A Workers Compensation Board investigation found that a wooden crossbeam was removed from the trestle frame just before a crane was wheeled onto the bridge. The contractor on the site, Scott Steel of Edmonton, contravened two health and safety regulations. He said the contractor failed to ensure the structural integrity of the bridge before the crane was allowed on it. In addition there were insufficient written instructions on the bracing of the wooden bridge.

CANADIAN PACIFIC RAILWAY

It's not perfect but Canadian Pacific president David O'Brien says the rail system has moved light years in resolving problems with grain shipments. A year ago, the railways were criticized for not being able to deliver grain to waiting ships in Vancouver. O'Brien says the unloads in Vancouver are a bit below what he had hoped but things have improved dramatically. He says 1997 was the "winter from hell", adding CP Rail will probably spend about C$1 billion this year improving its rail system.

Brimming with record profits in 1997, transportation conglomerate Canadian Pacific Ltd. is now casting its eyes on new acquisition possibilities, including some in Asia. Chairman David O'Brien said after reporting the year's results that CP Ltd., owner of Canada's second-biggest railway, also wants to expand its shipping, energy and hotels divisions. In fact CP Hotels announced an agreement to buy two large hotels in the Toronto area, to bring to twenty-eight the Canadian properties in its stable of four-star Canadian hotels. The Asian crisis has pushed down coal prices by five per cent and is a factor in the sagging world price of crude oil, which is hurting subsidiaries Fording Coal and PanCanadian Petroleum.

The Montreal-based holding company earned a record C$1.26 billion in 1997, as its transportation, energy and hotels divisions rode the thriving Canadian economy. In 1996, CP made a profit of C$869 million. Revenues reached C$9.56 billion, up from C$8.5 billion the year before, propelled by record results at the railway, ships, coal and hotels divisions, offset by weaker energy profits because of dropping oil prices. CP Rail had a record operating profit, but its net profit was down from 1996 because of taxes and interest charges. CP Rail achieved an operating ratio of 81.4 per cent for the year, meaning the percentage of its revenue spent on expenses. In the last quarter this dropped to 77 per cent, compared with 79.5 per cent for its rival Canadian National.

INDUSTRY NEWS

The 1998 edition of the 664-page Canadian Trackside Guide will be available in mid-March. The Guide lists locomotives of CN, CPR, VIA, regional railways and industrials; preserved equipment; cabooses; urban rail transit equipment; passenger cars; radio frequencies; non-revenue equipment; detailed subdivision listings; railway reporting marks; maps of major Canadian cities detailing rail lines, and more. Order your copy today direct from the Bytown Railway Society, P.O. Box 141, Station A, Ottawa, Ontario, K1N 8V1, Canada: C$25.15 to Canadian addresses (except New Brunswick, Nova Scotia, and Newfoundland & Labrador); C$27.00 to addresses in New Brunswick, Nova Scotia, and Newfoundland & Labrador; US$21.50 to addresses; C$26.50 (surface) or C$35.50 (air) to international addresses. All prices include shipping and applicable taxes.

The Newfoundland Transportation Museum in St. John's is facing the end of the line. The group that owns the museum has declared bankruptcy and its assets will likely be sold to settle the debt. Problems started during the summer of 1997. That's when the Newfoundland Transport Historical Society began renovating its small museum and railway exhibit in Pippy Park. Several rail cars were restored, a dining car was converted into a restaurant, and washrooms were installed. The society budgeted more than C$200,000 to do the work. The museum found more money was spent on items than what was planned. New roofing cost C$14,000 on two cars for which the original budget was C$3000. As a result of this and other cost overuns the society ended up about C$90,000 in debt. The volunteer group had little success when it approached a number of organizations for help. So when some creditors began legal action last fall, the society filed for bankruptcy. Assets like the five cars that make up the railway exhibit and other artifacts from the province's transportation history will likely be sold.

The Reading T-1 2100 currently at the Ohio Railway Museum was sold (well above the US$250,000 asking price) to a consortium led by Thomas Payne of Edmonton, Alberta. The locomotive will be used on a tourist rail line in Canada, and will be moved sometime in the spring of 1998 to Hamilton Ontario for construction of a new tender and then later conversion to an oil-burning locomotive. The exact location for the operation of the locomotive has not yet been determined.

MOTIVE POWER

Canadian National:

Lease power: EMDX GP40: 182, 187, 190, 193, 195, 196, 197; HATX GP40: 425, 426, 427, 428; HLCX GP40-2W 4290; HLCX SD40: 5001-5006; NREX: SD40 869, 870, 872, 878, 882, 886, 889, 892; LMSX C40-8W: 715-739; Conrail SD40-2s: 6425, 6426, 6429, 6430, 6433, 6434, 6435, 6438, 6439, 6440, 6441, 6443, 6444, 6446, 6448, 6449, 6450, 6452, 6453, 6459 6466, 6470, 6479, 6482, 6484, 6492, 6499, 6513; CR SD45-2m 6654, 6655, 6657, 6659, 6661 (SD45-2m 3000 HP); CRSD45-2: 6656, 6658, 6662-6666; GCFX SD40u: 6030-6057.

Three CN units have been retired all on January 23: SW1200RS 1346, from collision damage, M-636 2338, which will not be repaired, and M420W 3510, which froze while enroute to lease on the Hudson Bay Railway.

New GE's delivered to CN are now up 2523-2576 inclusive. They go up to 2602 when done. The order is expected to be completed by the middle of February, ditto for CPR's new GE's as well. GM SD75M 5765 has not yet been delivered. It was at AMF for painting but is now enroute to GM at Macmillan Yard, and after further outfitting, will be delivered to CN there. It would appear CN is not happy with their most recent order of locomotives from GM. Lack of pulling power, electrical and turbocharger problems as well as computer programming errors are some of the problems reported. Makes one think perhaps GE might be better value eh?

Other:

Indiana & Ohio GP50's 3100, 3102, 3104, and 3107 are enroute to the Cape Breton & Central Nova Scotia, to join 3108 and 3109 which went there last September. These are 3500 HP units. Doesn't look too good for the big MLW's in lead position, or much longer at all, if this keeps up. CN GP9u 4135, damaged in an accident at Buffalo November 15, 1997, is still at Altoona, PA being repaired. The Carlton Trail Railway in Saskatchewan is still leasing CN 1400, 1402, 4703, 4704, 4711, until they get their fleet of Geeps running, and there. Five are still in the USA. They'll have 11 Geeps eventually, although one ex-MidSouth is for parts only, and ex-SP 3372 that went there may be for parts only too.

All 18 of the remaining GTW hi-nose GP9/18's are now stored in Battle Creek and will be retired and disposed of soon. Four previously retired units have been sold to RaiLink; GTW 4134, 4135 4139, 4703. They were sold through a dealer in Detroit, possibly known as Detroit Railway Supply. These may be used on the new Central Western-Great Northern Division, which starts March 1, 1998, and consists of all of the present former Northern Alberta Railway north of Smith, Alberta, including the line to Hay River, N.W.T.

As of February 4, 1998 both CN & CP had the same number of active MLWs active on their roster 47! I'd expect both roads to have either leased or disposed of all their MLW units by the end of 1998.

The pace of newly created shortlines is increasing; expect at least another 10 to be created or in the process of being created by the end of 1998. Some will have familiar operators, others not. Get shots of what you see out there now. This goes for track, equipment, anything.

This column is running about five days late, my apologies. In this column is the note about The 1998 Canadian Trackside Guide. Extensively updated yearly it is a credit to the Bytown Railway Society and the editors David Stremes and Earl Roberts. This is the reference book I use, you should too! Oh, Bytown also issues an excellent monthly publication, "Branchline"; it too is well worth the money. Same contact address as above.

Credit for this March 1998 Canada Calling goes to the following who may supplied some information, however small: Bruce Acheson, Will Baird, Peter Bowers, Gerry Burridge, Bruce Chapman, Jack Deasy, M. Folemsbee, Stan Feldman, Tim Green, C. Bruce Hollet, Dave Hooton, Vernon Ikeda, Ken Jones, Joseph F. Kazmar, Andrew Kirk, Doug Page, Erick Pelletier, Mike Polsgrove, Carl Perleman, John Read, Earl Roberts, Jim Sandilands, Bob Scheurle, Bob Thompson, Maurice Wagner.

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