New Home for Former Virginia Central (ex-CPR) 4-6-2 Locomotives: Winnipeg!

In 2015 I reported that two former CPR G5 4-6-2s, belonging to the defunct Virginia Central, had made their way to Winnipeg.

At the time, the future of the units was uncertain. Now I can report that they have been purchased by Manitoba’s Vintage Locomotive Society, which runs the popular Prairie Dog Central steam excursion train.

The two units, numbered 1238 (built in 1946) and 1286 (built in 1948), spent over 40 years in Virginia before coming back home to Canada.

On their way to Winnipeg. Jeff Keddy photo.

They were part of Jack Showalter’s Virginia Central tourist railroad in Covington, Va., from the 1970s to 1990s.

After Showalter’s death in 2014, the locomotives were purchased by an anonymous buyer from Alberta.

They made their way to Winnipeg on the CPR's Emerson Sub. for storage at the Prairie Dog Central.

Being unloaded in Winnipeg. Morgan Turney photo.

And there they sat for the longest time, with no news about their disposition.

But now I’ve learned the Vintage Locomotive Society bought the units back in 2017.

According to Paul Newsome, General Manager of the Vintage Locomotive Society, there are no firm plans for the units at this time.

The reason for that, he says, is “because as a practical matter it is not yet possible to work on them the way we had to for seven years when we rebuilt No. 3.” (The Society’s vintage 4-4-0 unit.)

Also, he says, “there are a few other matters that we need to deal with before we make any firm decisions.”

I asked Paul what would need to be done to bring the two locomotives back up to running condition.

“The engines were put away running and were well maintained in storage,” he says.

“However, there would still be a fair bit of work to fully inspect them and renew whatever parts need renewing. Most definitely they would be completely re-tubed. Beyond that, though, a thorough inspection would reveal what work would need to be done.”

In other words, stay tuned! Maybe one day you can come to Winnipeg and ride behind a restored CPR 4-6-2.

A Grand Time in Grand Forks—North Dakota and British Columbia

June found me visiting Grand Forks—North Dakota, and B.C.

Grand Forks, ND is home to a busy BNSF mainline.

Grand Forks, BC, is home to the Grand Forks Railway, a very short shortline—just 3.7 miles.

While in North Dakota, I took a few shots of BNSF power near the old roundhouse.

That included a visitor from B.C.

While in B.C., I took some photos of the GFR.

While the BNSF is well-known, the GFR is probably unknown to most.

It operates former CPR trackage in its namesake town in southern B.C.

The GFR was created in 1993 after the CPR abandoned the line connecting Grand Forks to Castlegar to the east in 1991.

Today it is owned today by International Forest Products, which owns the mill the railway serves, and the Regional District of Kootenay.

The railway has two locomotives; SW8 #6073 (originally owned by the CPR) and SW1000 #86, in GMTX livery.

At the time of my visit, #6703 was partially under a tarp; it looked like #86 was handling switching duties.

Without a direct Canadian railway connection, the GFR interchanges with the Kettle Falls International Railway south of town near the Canada-U.S. border. The KFI then forwards traffic to the BNSF.

Once on the BNSF, I suppose cars could then make their way east to the other Grand Forks, in North Dakota, thus completing the circle.

His First (and Maybe Last) Byline in Trains Magazine

It only took seven years (or more).

That was my first thought after reading the end of an article by William S. Kuba in the January, 2019 issue of Trains Magazine.

The article was about the time Kuba went AWOL from the army while watching trains.

At the end of the article, it was noted that Kuba, a railroad photographer and historian known for his photos of Iowa railroading, had died Nov. 23, 2012 at the age of 75.

It also said this was his first Trains byline.

That means it took at least seven years before his article was published.

So congratulations to Kuba—it isn’t easy to get published in Trains.

Too bad he isn’t alive to see it.

Cover of the January issue with
William Kuba's article.

Now, before anyone jumps up and down on the staff at Trains, as I have written about before (about the Model Railroader cover “curse”) there’s a perfectly good explanation for this.

Magazines like Trains, Model Railroader, Railroad Model Craftsman and others can receive dozens of unsolicited submissions each year.

With just 12 issues per year, limited space in print, and commitments to columnist, regular departments and assigned articles, they can use only a fraction of them.

And so they sit—until there’s room, it fits a theme, there’s a page or space to fill, or an expected article drops out for some reason.

I have some experience with this as an author. An article I wrote about a scenery method for Model Railroader waited four years before being published.

On the plus side, it was paid for right away when the magazine accepted it.

In that time, anything could have happened to me or my layout. (Leading to speculation about the “curse.”)

I also know this from the other side, when I was Associate Editor at Canadian Railway Modeller. 

Since CRM was bi-monthly, that magazine had an even bigger challenge when it came to space. Articles could wait a long time before being published. (Although never seven years!)

Of course, that’s no consolation for poor William S. Kuba. (Although he at least got his payment before he died.)

Who knows? Maybe Trains has another article or two from him, waiting to be used. Maybe he will be published posthumously again.

At least he made it into Trains Magazine. And that’s not something most of us can say—dead or alive.

New Book By Steve Boyko Celebrates a Half-Century With Trains (and Mountains!)

My friend Steve Boyko—owner of the long-running Traingeek.ca blog—has a new book out.

Called Passing a Half Century: A 50th birthday trip through Alberta and British Columbia, Steve wrote it to mark his passing the half-century mark.

With 143 pages and over 200 photos, the book takes readers on a trip through those two provinces, including visits to the Canadian Museum of Rail Travel, the Revelstoke Railway Museum and the Three Valley Gap rail museum.

I’m always impressed when someone writes and publishes a book, so I sent Steve some questions. Plus, he interviewed me back in 2015—now it was my turn to interview him!

Why did you write the book?

I originally shared the story as a series of blog posts. I thought some people might prefer to read it as a single, longer story, and I also felt I might reach a different and wider audience if I put it on Amazon. The jury is still out on that!

In a larger sense, I wrote the original blog series because I like to tell stories and share my photography.

Why Alberta and B.C.?

There were a few reasons why I chose Alberta and British Columbia. My wife and I both love the Banff- Lake Louise area and the Rockies in general. I love photographing trains in the mountains. I had never been through the Crowsnest Pass.

The most important driver, though, was to visit the Museum of Rail Travel in Cranbrook, BC. My father visited that years ago and recommended it to me. I had always intended to go, and this was my chance.

Did anything surprise or jump out at you from the visit?

The most surprising thing, to me, is how well the trip went. Except for the wildfires spoiling our chance to visit Waterton Park, everything went pretty much according to plan.

I was surprised at how much CP traffic there was between Cranbrook and Golden. I hadn’t expected much. Given how little CP traffic there is around Winnipeg, I am often surprised by the traffic that goes between Vancouver and Calgary.

What was your favourite railfan spot?

The Crowsnest Pass. There are a lot of great locations with a lot of variety. My favourite photograph of the whole trip was made at Sentinel.

I assume you visited some locations for the second or more times. What changes did you see? 

I’ve been on the section between Calgary and Pincher Creek before. I didn’t see any changes there, but I went out of my way to photograph three grain elevators I hadn’t seen before (De Winton, Azure, and Raley).

I’ve also been on the section between Field, B.C. and Calgary several times. One change was that I couldn’t visit Morant’s Curve this time, because the highway next to it was being rebuilt. I understand it is much better and safer now. Unfortunately, Parks Canada didn’t chop down any trees, so the view is still not as good as years past.

The Spiral Tunnels were more overgrown than I remembered from my previous visits, too.

What do you hope the reader comes away with from the book?

I hope readers gain an appreciation for how beautiful Alberta and British Columbia are, especially the mountainous areas. I never get tired of visiting there.

How did you become interested in trains in the first place?

I visited the Salem and Hillsborough Railroad in New Brunswick in 1998. That really provided the spark that ignited my interest in trains that has become an obsession. I think it was something that had laid dormant in me for a long time and just needed a little push to come to the surface.

Over time I’ve become “better” at railfanning—finding trains and better locations to photograph them in – but the interest hasn’t faded.

Any general observations from a half-century (or thereabouts) from chasing trains?

You can spend a lifetime observing and chasing trains and never learn everything about trains and the people that run them. There is so much variety in the locomotives, the cars, the track, the signals, the roadbed, the people, the railway companies. It’s a vast hobby with room for everyone of all interests.

Also, trains are cool.

Anything else to add?

Stay safe out there. I love making photographs, but a great picture is not worth risking your life for.

Also, it feels a little weird to be answering the questions instead of asking them! Thanks for the opportunity.

VIA Rail Selects Manufacturer for New Trainsets

VIA Rail has made its choice, and that choice is Siemens.

The German company has been awarded a $989m contract to build a fleet of 32 push-pull inter-city trainsets to enter service on the Québec City - Montréal - Toronto - Windsor corridor.

The trainsets are expected to arrive in 2022.

Each trainset will consist of one locomotive and five coaches, and a non-powered cab unit at the end.

The coaches will feature LED lighting, USB ports, wi-fi, wide seats, quiet zones, cycle storage, flexible luggage space and 'the latest in food service equipment'.

Accessibility features are to include multiple spaces for wheelchairs and mobility devices, braille seat numbering, companion seating, at-seat emergency call buttons, large accessible toilets and integrated lifts for mobility devices.

The trainsets will be manufactured at the Siemens facility in Sacramento, CA.

The trainsets will be maintain in VIA Rail facilities in Montréal and Toronto. They are expected to have a 30-year service life.

VIA Rail intends to withdraw some of its life-expired existing stock starting next year.

Train Watching in Toronto

A business trip recently took me to a convention in Toronto.

The convention was held at the Metro Toronto Convention Centre—a great place for watching trains.

The convention centre spans both sides of the busy downtown mainline trackage leading to nearby Union Station.

Union Station is home to three railways: Go Transit, the commuter line that serves the Greater Toronto Area; VIA Rail; and the Pearson UP Express, which connects downtown to the airport.

To get from one side of the huge convention centre to the other, you need to cross the tracks on a bridge. This is a great place to be during the morning and afternoon rush.

Photography isn't the best, since you have to shoot through windows and there can be a glare. But hey: Trains!

There are other nearby uncovered bridges and spots where you can stand on to take photos, if the weather is good. (Or even if it isn't.)

And you can also walk outside and see an early GO Transit car at the nearby John St. Roundhouse and railway museum.

A walk to the west down Front St. takes you to the storage tracks where GO trains tie up between the morning and afternoon trips.



In other words, it's a great place for a convention for a railfan.

The Essex Terminal RR Visits the M & M Sub.

The Essex Terminal Railway (ETR) visited the M & M Sub. last month, in the form of ETR GP9 102.

The unit was built by owner Morgan Turney, who dropped by one evening with his grandson from Australia to run some trains.

But before getting to the unit itself, a bit about the ETR.

Incorporated in 1902, the ETR is an Ontario shortline that runs about 35 kilometers from the east side of Windsor to Amherstburg. It interchanges with CN, CP and CSX.

It provides rail services for about 15 customers engaged the lumber, steel, agricultural, scrap metal, alcohol, and liquid petroleum gas sectors, as well as serving a transload facility.

Not the 102, but sister 108.

Morgan became familiar with the ETR when he worked in the area in the mid-1980s. About that time the ETR was updating their locomotives, including the paint scheme.

“This included their new company logo that, for its time, looked very modern and 'sporty' with its 'chopped' nose - a somewhat recent modification for a GMD Geep,” Morgan says.

He took a special shine to ETR 102—it was the last GP9 built (for the ACR, as 172 in 1963) at GMDD's plant in London, Ontario, about 190 kilometers from Windsor.

As a result, Morgan decided to replicate the unique unit. He started with an undecorated Athearn GP9. After lowering the nose, he used an airbrush to prime and then paint the model using Floquil TTX yellow and black paint.

After applying the Highball decals and finishing it off with Dullcote, “I had myself a convincing model of ETR's 102,” he says.

As for the prototype ETR, the railway currently has four units on its roster, but the 102 isn’t among them. It was sold to the Ontario Southland in 2016.

But it lives on with Morgan, and for one night on the M & M Sub.