Hello old friend 4721...
Across the decades and across the ocean - railways connect us. Not just in the obvious sense of their steel ribbons linking place X with place Y - more than that - the way in which those of us who have a deep and personal connection to trains and or model railways find them a vehicle for our friendships to blossom...
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| Top: Drumheller (AB), August 1989, James Hilton photo. Bottom: Burnside, Dartmouth (NS), February 2024, Chris Mears photo. |
This locomotive, 4721, a humble every day 'standard cab' GP38-2 on Canadian National's roster continues to serve the railroad. Built in January 1973 at the GMD plant in La Grange, Ontario, she is now an impressive 51 years old. In 1989 I watched her and sister 4732 switch the local at Drumheller. The experience left a permanent impression on my 9 year old's mind. Last week, Chris watched her switch Burnside with another step-sister. His relationship with her, and others like her, on the regular switching around Dartmouth and the autoport share how hard she still works with long and heavy trains.
It's always a delight to receive a message or photo from Chris. In this instance though, that realisation of familiarity was intense joy. Telling him as such shared that feeling with him, strengthening our friendship and our understanding of one another's love of model railways, railroads and all that encompasses. Until next time, more soon...
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Hi James
ReplyDeleteInteresting post today. Having photos of the same unit doing the same sort of switching job, but two thousand miles and thirty five years apart must be a bit of a record. It does not look as if much has changed over the years so really good to see I imagine.
I am always surprised at the longevity of diesels in North America and how little comment that gets especially in the UK railroad press. Units still at work and over forty years old seem very common and especially on industrial and short-line operations. When I went to Simpson and Weyerhaeuser in 1999, they were I using diesel forty-five year old “motors” in daily use. Simpson’s diesel were nearly sixty years old when the railroad shut down and when I went to Millennium Terminals in 2015 they were using a seventy year old GE 44-tonner.
Seeing these old units at work I always feel the connection to those who first operated the locos can be quite strong
Best regards
Alan
It isn’t completely unusual in the UK, some of the Class 08s still in use at industrial and wagon repair or depots across the UK must be getting on for 60+ years old and we’ve plenty of Class 37s still roaming. In both cases, as with Nortj America, it is perhaps an equal part these locomotives usefulness and the lack of a modern alternative that keeps them in daily use? Thanks Alan - always a pleasure to hear from you.
DeleteHi James
ReplyDeleteI keep forgetting about the 08's - think it is a throw back to my dislike of them replacing so many "true" industrial locos.
What does still surprise me is the number of diesels built in the1950's and early 60's still at work in the the 2020's. in North America. Must be a testament to early dieselization, the impact of EMD/GE on sales and how resourcful the rebuilders have been
Best regards
Alan
GMD's one and only locomotive plant in Canada was in London, Ontario. It's now a General Dynamics Land Systems plant producing armored vehicles. EMD's locomotive plant was in La Grange, IL.
ReplyDeleteThanks Jim - silly thing is I knew this, and just mixed things up! Thanks for the comment and reading the blog.
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