View allAll Photos Tagged Backhaul.
Seems that Minorca likes to load out their chips and fines in September and October through the years. Here is what a CN U718 looked like in September 2007 as it returned to Proctor with the backhaul, passing through Iron, MN on 9/16/07. DMIR 412, 214, and 203 are the power and all these units would be retired either in 2007 or 2008. The 412 and 214 would make until the next year, while the 203 would be retired by CN by the end of 2007.
Late in 1994 through mid-1995, Southern Pacific assigned several new GE C44-9Ws to unit iron ore and coal trains. SP 8150, 8151, and 8166 backhaul iron ore empties from Geneva Steel east through Ironton, Utah, on the road to the Terror Creek coal mine in southwestern Colorado on April 2, 1995.
I'd surmise this is Spalding although I never much could tell where Powers left off and Spalding begin:). Anyway it's a couple BIGs and that's all that really mattered to me. CNW 6702 and 6718 head timetable west but compass east on August 16, 1981 with 117 cars bound for Escanaba. The headend cut of empty coal hoppers are making there way up to Empire or Tilden to get a load of pellets to backhaul to a mill before returning to coal service.
Running on the blocks of a Minntac limestone empty as the morning fog burns off, CN 6006 leads a U718 around the big curve into Saginaw, MN on September 1, 2018. This train brought limestone up to the Minorca Mine and is now bringing 43 loads of chips and fines back to Proctor. Haven't seen this backhaul move this limestone season, but have seen it in the past, usually in September/October.
They came up from Proctor yard in the middle of the night with limestone loads for the Minntac plant and after dumping said loads they spotted their empties at the rock track and picked up the loads of BFT (blast furnace trim or raw crushed taconite rock) for the backhaul return trip to Proctor yard. That second unit looks new. New out of the rebuild shop and new to the property out of Proctor.
I have always been fond of C&O GE locomotives and Sept. 22, 1984 put a smile on my face. A stop at the joint RF&P/C&O station at Doswell, VA proved fruitful. Agent Tommy Boyd informed us that we had two trains on the Piedmont SD, an eastbound Possum Point coal train and westbound No. 795, running hours late and making a rare daylight appearance. Here we see the eastbound coal train at Fredericks Hall, VA, led by B30-7 No. 8267. Coal trains were rare on the Piedmont SD, but one of the exceptions was coal trains destined for Virginia Power's generating station on the RF&P at Possum Point, VA. They were interchanged to the RF&P at Doswell. It always amazed me that C&O would wrench these trains over four mountains, rather than run them down the water level James River line and backhaul them 25 miles to Doswell.
DB Cargo UK Class 66/0 3,300hp Co-Co diesel (JT42CWR) No. 66015
6X11 07.51 Toton North Yd-Dollands Moor Toyota export car train
Cossington, approaching Syston North Junction, Leicestershire
June 11th, 2025
Notes: Freshly repainted lead locomotive with Corollas from Burnaston, near Derby, to Valenciennes in France and Kolin in the Czech Republic. The backhaul returns with Aygo, Yaris, and the new Yaris+ vehicles.
1600 x 1050
Approaching the Canadian border a few hundred feet behind me, EMR Train 908-4 will soon finish the day in McAdam.
Vanceboro is home to 100 or so residents, EMR's MOW office, the US Border crossing, a general store I have seen open maybe 3 times in 5 years, and that's about it.
The winter of 2023 was slightly busier, with the paper mill at Woodland unloading logs on one of the sidings. Due to the unusually warm winter, logging companies were unable to operate many of the dirt logging roads which either washed out, or were impassable due to mud.
As a result the mill began shipping logs from the colder climate of northern Maine by rail. Even with 6-7 day a week service at the mill, the railroad couldn't keep up with log consumption by the chipper. So logs began to be unloaded at Vanceboro and were then trucked to the mill, hence the various log loaders in the yard. Out of view was around 3500 feet of empty log cars, awaiting pick up by 121 later that night. 908 the following day would backhaul some loaded cars from McAdam to be unloaded.
Eastern Maine Railway
Train: 908-4
3/4/2023
Vanceboro, ME
EMR Mattawamkeag Subdivision
Back in the early Eighties, Conrail ran the Empire State Express service, a Roadrailer train that soon died out due to lack of backhaul revenue. The consists were notable for running with GE U36Bs picked up from Auto-Train for power. Twenty years later, CSX experimented with equal success, or lack thereof, evidenced by this shot of Q-162 cruising past Dewitt Yard in August 2001, a bit overpowered by the pair of big GEs that have grown from the last generation.
Suburbans on a mid-80's Cottrell "truck hauler" trailer. Baltimore-based unit with a backhaul from MI.
for Dillon Transport out of their local yard in Tampa. The trailer is called a backhaul double, it carries molten sulphur one way and bulk fertilizer the other, which maximizes loaded miles.
for Walpole Inc. out of Okeechobee, FL. Another feature of the backhaul double is that by running dedicated lanes companies also save money not needing the tanks cleaned as often.
A couple mornings ago I was in the garage when I heard the Fred Flintstone wheel rumble of a set of 7 series ore cars rumbling towards me from Alborn and was able to fire up the Tunnage and make it to the curve.
Otter C-FPEN arrived in Vernon with a piston engine Feb 11, 2004 and left on Apr 25 with a new Garrett Turbine, panorama windows and a Yukon door and a stunning new paint scheme. More of the Otter's history follows as written by Karl E Hayes.
Otter 439 was delivered to Hudson Bay Air Transport Ltd (HBAT) of Flin Flon, Manitoba on 24 May 1963, registered CF-PEN. The manufacturer’s plate in the aircraft says that its manufacture was completed 11 April 1962, so it was evidently in storage for some time before it was delivered. It was flown from Downsview to Flin Flon on 25 May 1963. Also delivered to the company the same day was Otter 438 CF-PEM. These two Otters were ordered as replacements for Otters CF-JOR (212) and CF-KTI (269) which had both been destroyed in a fire at the company’s hangar at Flin Flon on 4 April 1963. HBAT also operated Otter CF-MIQ (336) which had escaped the fire, so with the delivery of PEM and PEN the company’s fleet was restored to three Otters.
The HBAT Otters were used to support exploration camps in the bush. There were usually between eight and ten active camps within a 150 mile radius of Flin Flon. All had to be supplied with food and equipment, crews changed and the camps moved as required. The Otters also provided a year round link to the hydro-electric plant at Island Falls, Saskatchewan on the Churchill River, 65 miles north-west of Flin Flon, and between Flin Flon and Snow Lake, Manitoba, a mining complex 75 miles to the east.
There were also trips for the Otters further afield, to the Northwest Territories. Pat Donaghy flew for HBAT and he recalls such a deployment in CF-PEN in August 1966. The company was prospecting in the district of Keewatin, in the area to the north of the Manitoba border up to Baker Lake. The crews were being supplied by Otters both from Flin Flon and from Baker Lake . On one occasion he was en route from Baker Lake in CF-PEN to Tulemalu Lake with supplies. An American registered Cessna 180 on floats (N5027F) was missing but he spotted the downed Cessna on Yathkyed Lake and landed to give assistance with engine repairs.
This use of the three HBAT Otters continued in the years that followed, until the need for bush aircraft diminished over time. In the 1970s, forest industry logging roads sprang up around the North, opening up areas which were once only accessible by bush plane. This led to the first major cutback in HBAT’s operation in 1976. The three Otters remained in the fleet, but with exploration activity at an all time low due to the economic climate, the Otters were only used sparingly to service the company’s facility at Island Falls, for the odd trip to Snow Lake and to transport line cutters and stakers. As the years went by, the operation became uneconomic and flying ceased in July 1983. The remaining aircraft were sold and HBAT air operations closed down.
CF-PEN had already been sold by then. Its registration to HBAT was cancelled on 2 June 1982 and it was sold to Lac Seul Airways Ltd., of Ear Falls, Ontario to whom it was registered C-FPEN on 21 January 1983. It replaced Otter C-FDDX (165) with Lac Seul and flew alongside the company’s other Otter CF-HXY (67). The Otters were used to fly tourists and guests to fishing lodges during the summer months and were painted in Lac Seul’s attractive red and white colour scheme. PEN was destined to fly for Lac Seul for the next twenty years. After the summer 2003 season, Lac Seul Airways decided to sell PEN and continue operations with HXY. The registration of PEN to Lac Seul was cancelled on 31 March 2004 and it was registered that day to Fast Air Inc., of Winnipeg, Manitoba.
Fast Air, from its Winnipeg base, operated a fleet of Piper Navajos, Beech King Air’s and a Westwind executive jet. The Otter had in fact been sold to Ookpik Aviation Inc of Baker Lake, Nunavut but as this company did not at the time have its own Aircraft Operator’s Certificate (AOC), it entered into a joint venture with Fast Air whereby the Otter would be placed on Fast Air’s AOC, and operated on behalf of Ookpik Aviation. This company had been founded by Boris Kotelewetz after he arrived in Baker Lake in 1966, and started out as an aircraft expediting service working in partnership with several airlines to meet growing air charter needs in Canada’s central Arctic. Mr Kotelewetz also ran the Baker Lake Lodge, so could provide a comprehensive service to anyone using Baker Lake.
Otter CF-PEN had arrived at Vernon, BC in early February 2004, where it was to be converted to a Texas Turbine Otter by Kal Air, conversion # 12. It also had the ‘Yukon Door’ modification and panoramic windows installed, and was painted into a blue and white colour scheme. At that stage of its career it had 10,689 hours on the airframe. It was registered to Fast Air Inc., on 31 March 2004 for operation on behalf of Ookpik Aviation. It departed Vernon on 25 April 2004, to Lethbridge, Alberta and made it from there direct to Winnipeg. In the Fast Air hangar it had avionics fitted and an arctic owl emblem painted on the side. It was put on wheel-skis and on 12 May 2004 departed for the long haul north to Baker Lake, Nunavut, its new base.
The Otter would primarily be used in support of mineral exploration activity year round and some tourism during the summer months. Also based at Baker Lake and flying for Ookpik Aviation was Bell 206 helicopter C-FSMW. PEN would be the only Otter in service in Canada’s Eastern Arctic. A number of incidents were recorded on CADORS in the years that followed:
17 August 2004. Otter PEN landed at an exploration strip 140 miles southwest of Baker Lake. As the Otter was turning in the soft ground at the edge of the strip, a gust of wind lifted the tail. The propeller struck the ground and sustained damage. The engine and propeller were changed and the Otter returned to service.
5 October 2004. After reporting finals for runway 34 at Baker Lake, the pilot of PEN proceeded to land on the ramp instead of the runway. Another aircraft was unloading on the ramp at the time. The pilot said he landed on the ramp because it was too windy to land on the runway.
11 August 2005, at Kugaaruk (Pelly Bay). Three people walked across the runway to the terminal to board the Otter on the ramp for their return charter flight to Baker Lake. They were tourists from Minnesota and were afraid that they would miss their flight, so elected to cross the runway rather than walk around it.
11 April 2007. The pilot of PEN landed on the ramp at Baker Lake, as opposed to runway 16/34 due to cross winds.
26 April 2007. Otter PEN inbound to Baker Lake. Pilot gave incorrect estimated time of arrival and failed to report five miles from the airport.
23 June 2007. Vehicle on the runway at Baker Lake as Otter PEN made its approach.
In August 2007 there was a change to the operation when North Star Air Ltd., of Pickle Lake, Ontario took over from Fast Air as the operator of the Otter on behalf of Ookpik Aviation. The registration of C-FPEN to Fast Air was cancelled on 16 August 2007 and on 29 August it was registered to North Star Air Ltd. At that time, North Star Air flew turbine Otter C-GCQA (77) and it deployed north to Baker Lake to fly for Ookpik Aviation, alongside PEN. Both Otters moved fuel, food and personnel in and out of seven different exploration camps around Baker Lake. North Star Air were associated with Canoe Frontier Inc, an outfitting company catering for tourists in Nunavut, for which the Otters were also used. North Star Air continued to operate PEN on behalf of Ookpik Aviation until its registration of the Otter was cancelled on 16 April 2008, as another re-organisation took place, and Central Flyway Air Inc., took over, to whom Otter PEN was registered on 23 May 2008, again for operation on behalf of Ookpik Aviation.
Central Flyway Air Inc., of Thompson, Manitoba traded as Venture Air and were the operators of turbine Otter C-FRHW (445). Just as the transition from North Star Air to Venture Air was taking place, an incident occurred to Otter PEN, on 20 May 2008. The wheel-ski equipped PEN was landing with wheels on runway 34 at Baker Lake. The landing roll was normal but as the aircraft slowed it began pitching forward slowly. The pilot was unable to control the pitch with full aft elevator and increased engine power and the propeller struck the runway. Pilot and passengers were uninjured. The engine and propeller were removed for repair. Venture Air brought up their own Otter C-FRHW to Baker Lake to cover for PEN while it was out of action until repaired. Venture Air then operated PEN on behalf of Ookpik Aviation, occasionally bringing RHW back to Baker Lake as well whenever required. This arrangement continued until the registration of PEN to Venture Air was cancelled on 19 November 2008.
At that stage Ookpik Aviation were in the final stages of obtaining their own AOC, so that they would no longer have to rely on other airlines to operate the Otter on their behalf. At long last, C-FPEN was registered to Ookpik Aviation Inc., on 2 April 2009 and operated by Ookpik Aviation itself from then on, continuing to fly from Baker Lake as before. In the years that followed, more incidents were recorded on CADORS:
9 May 2009. After departure from Aberdeen Lake, the pilot felt flutter and turbulence through the rudder pedals and suspected that the tail ski had been damaged. On landing at Baker Lake, the tail ski rotated fully over and the rear ski section was driven into the bottom of the fuselage, puncturing the skin and coming to rest against the aft bulkhead. Due to the rear of the ski being impaled into the fuselage, the aircraft could not be manoeuvred on the ground. Using a portable saw the pilot cut the ski in half and the aircraft could then be taxied. It was repaired and returned to service.
21 March 2010. Otter PEN arrived at Angillak Lake, Nunavut and while preparing to unload a cargo of plywood the pilot released the herc strap and the load shifted, causing him to lose his footing and fall out of the cargo door of the aircraft. While he was falling his hand became trapped between the plywood and the port wall of the aircraft, seriously injuring his hand. The pilot was attended by the assistant loader and was able to fly the aircraft back to Baker Lake for emergency medical treatment.
18 August 2010. Departing Baker Lake with two crew and two passengers, the Otter encountered wind shear and experienced a roll upset to the right. Immediate counter control inputs recovered the aircraft to normal. The rest of the flight was completed successfully. During the return flight the pilot noticed a right turning tendency and upon landing in Baker Lake maintenance found damage to the outboard right hand aileron from striking the gravel runway on take off. The Otter was grounded for repairs, which required replacement of the outboard aileron. Winds at the time of take off had been 26 knots, with gusts to 36 knots.
10 July 2011. The Otter was flying 63 miles south-west of Baker Lake when the pilot advised that he had a warning light for low fuel pressure and requested the company to be notified. Ten minutes later he advised that the warning light had extinguished. The Otter landed without incident.
During summer 2011 Ookpik Aviation had a contract to service an exploration camp at Amer Lake, flying from Baker Lake, on which Otter PEN was used. A look at the type of flights involved shows the work carried out by the Otter:- 7 June, three passengers, camp gear and groceries; 11 June drill gear and groceries; 13 June five flights between 11:30am and 11pm with drill and camp gear; 15 June drill gear, backhaul three passengers, luggage, camp tools and snow machine; 16 June four flights with drill gear; 18 June two flights with drill gear, backhaul skidoo; 21 June two flights, communications gear and supplies; 9 July drill rods, backhaul 22 buckets of samples and ten boxes of incinerator ash; 15 July groceries, backhaul samples, incinerator ash and a passenger; 1 August three flights with drill parts.
Further incidents from CADORS:
10 April 2012. The pilot of PEN elected to take off from the ramp at Baker Lake due to crosswinds.
16 April 2012. C-GNCA a Cessna Caravan of Fugro Aviation was taxying for departure at Baker Lake when it blew a tire on the runway. It was disabled on the runway until towed off 35 minutes later. Approximately 2,500 feet of runway was available. Otter PEN was inbound and the pilot elected to land after being advised of the situation and the remaining runway.
In June 2013 turbine Otter C-GBQC (401) joined the Ookpik Aviation fleet, flying alongside PEN.
25 August 2013. Otter PEN was an hour overdue into Baker Lake. The Rescue Co-Ordination Centre was advised. Canadian North flight MPE478 (a Boeing 737 from Yellowknife to Gjoa Haven) achieved radio contact with the Otter and provided a new estimate for PEN’s arrival.
9 June 2016. Otter PEN informed the Baker Lake Community Aerodrome radio station shortly after take off of an onboard medical emergency involving a passenger. The Otter landed safely and the passenger was taken to the nursing station.
In October 2016 both Otters PEN and BQC were based at Arviat, flying in fuel drums and equipment. As at summer 2018 both Otters continued in service with Ookpik Aviation.
Otter C-FPEN arrived in Vernon with a piston engine Feb 11, 2004 and left on Apr 25 with a new Garrett Turbine, panorama windows and a Yukon door and a stunning new paint scheme. More of the Otter's history follows as written by Karl E Hayes.
Otter 439 was delivered to Hudson Bay Air Transport Ltd (HBAT) of Flin Flon, Manitoba on 24 May 1963, registered CF-PEN. The manufacturer’s plate in the aircraft says that its manufacture was completed 11 April 1962, so it was evidently in storage for some time before it was delivered. It was flown from Downsview to Flin Flon on 25 May 1963. Also delivered to the company the same day was Otter 438 CF-PEM. These two Otters were ordered as replacements for Otters CF-JOR (212) and CF-KTI (269) which had both been destroyed in a fire at the company’s hangar at Flin Flon on 4 April 1963. HBAT also operated Otter CF-MIQ (336) which had escaped the fire, so with the delivery of PEM and PEN the company’s fleet was restored to three Otters.
The HBAT Otters were used to support exploration camps in the bush. There were usually between eight and ten active camps within a 150 mile radius of Flin Flon. All had to be supplied with food and equipment, crews changed and the camps moved as required. The Otters also provided a year round link to the hydro-electric plant at Island Falls, Saskatchewan on the Churchill River, 65 miles north-west of Flin Flon, and between Flin Flon and Snow Lake, Manitoba, a mining complex 75 miles to the east.
There were also trips for the Otters further afield, to the Northwest Territories. Pat Donaghy flew for HBAT and he recalls such a deployment in CF-PEN in August 1966. The company was prospecting in the district of Keewatin, in the area to the north of the Manitoba border up to Baker Lake. The crews were being supplied by Otters both from Flin Flon and from Baker Lake . On one occasion he was en route from Baker Lake in CF-PEN to Tulemalu Lake with supplies. An American registered Cessna 180 on floats (N5027F) was missing but he spotted the downed Cessna on Yathkyed Lake and landed to give assistance with engine repairs.
This use of the three HBAT Otters continued in the years that followed, until the need for bush aircraft diminished over time. In the 1970s, forest industry logging roads sprang up around the North, opening up areas which were once only accessible by bush plane. This led to the first major cutback in HBAT’s operation in 1976. The three Otters remained in the fleet, but with exploration activity at an all time low due to the economic climate, the Otters were only used sparingly to service the company’s facility at Island Falls, for the odd trip to Snow Lake and to transport line cutters and stakers. As the years went by, the operation became uneconomic and flying ceased in July 1983. The remaining aircraft were sold and HBAT air operations closed down.
CF-PEN had already been sold by then. Its registration to HBAT was cancelled on 2 June 1982 and it was sold to Lac Seul Airways Ltd., of Ear Falls, Ontario to whom it was registered C-FPEN on 21 January 1983. It replaced Otter C-FDDX (165) with Lac Seul and flew alongside the company’s other Otter CF-HXY (67). The Otters were used to fly tourists and guests to fishing lodges during the summer months and were painted in Lac Seul’s attractive red and white colour scheme. PEN was destined to fly for Lac Seul for the next twenty years. After the summer 2003 season, Lac Seul Airways decided to sell PEN and continue operations with HXY. The registration of PEN to Lac Seul was cancelled on 31 March 2004 and it was registered that day to Fast Air Inc., of Winnipeg, Manitoba.
Fast Air, from its Winnipeg base, operated a fleet of Piper Navajos, Beech King Air’s and a Westwind executive jet. The Otter had in fact been sold to Ookpik Aviation Inc of Baker Lake, Nunavut but as this company did not at the time have its own Aircraft Operator’s Certificate (AOC), it entered into a joint venture with Fast Air whereby the Otter would be placed on Fast Air’s AOC, and operated on behalf of Ookpik Aviation. This company had been founded by Boris Kotelewetz after he arrived in Baker Lake in 1966, and started out as an aircraft expediting service working in partnership with several airlines to meet growing air charter needs in Canada’s central Arctic. Mr Kotelewetz also ran the Baker Lake Lodge, so could provide a comprehensive service to anyone using Baker Lake.
Otter CF-PEN had arrived at Vernon, BC in early February 2004, where it was to be converted to a Texas Turbine Otter by Kal Air, conversion # 12. It also had the ‘Yukon Door’ modification and panoramic windows installed, and was painted into a blue and white colour scheme. At that stage of its career it had 10,689 hours on the airframe. It was registered to Fast Air Inc., on 31 March 2004 for operation on behalf of Ookpik Aviation. It departed Vernon on 25 April 2004, to Lethbridge, Alberta and made it from there direct to Winnipeg. In the Fast Air hangar it had avionics fitted and an arctic owl emblem painted on the side. It was put on wheel-skis and on 12 May 2004 departed for the long haul north to Baker Lake, Nunavut, its new base.
The Otter would primarily be used in support of mineral exploration activity year round and some tourism during the summer months. Also based at Baker Lake and flying for Ookpik Aviation was Bell 206 helicopter C-FSMW. PEN would be the only Otter in service in Canada’s Eastern Arctic. A number of incidents were recorded on CADORS in the years that followed:
17 August 2004. Otter PEN landed at an exploration strip 140 miles southwest of Baker Lake. As the Otter was turning in the soft ground at the edge of the strip, a gust of wind lifted the tail. The propeller struck the ground and sustained damage. The engine and propeller were changed and the Otter returned to service.
5 October 2004. After reporting finals for runway 34 at Baker Lake, the pilot of PEN proceeded to land on the ramp instead of the runway. Another aircraft was unloading on the ramp at the time. The pilot said he landed on the ramp because it was too windy to land on the runway.
11 August 2005, at Kugaaruk (Pelly Bay). Three people walked across the runway to the terminal to board the Otter on the ramp for their return charter flight to Baker Lake. They were tourists from Minnesota and were afraid that they would miss their flight, so elected to cross the runway rather than walk around it.
11 April 2007. The pilot of PEN landed on the ramp at Baker Lake, as opposed to runway 16/34 due to cross winds.
26 April 2007. Otter PEN inbound to Baker Lake. Pilot gave incorrect estimated time of arrival and failed to report five miles from the airport.
23 June 2007. Vehicle on the runway at Baker Lake as Otter PEN made its approach.
In August 2007 there was a change to the operation when North Star Air Ltd., of Pickle Lake, Ontario took over from Fast Air as the operator of the Otter on behalf of Ookpik Aviation. The registration of C-FPEN to Fast Air was cancelled on 16 August 2007 and on 29 August it was registered to North Star Air Ltd. At that time, North Star Air flew turbine Otter C-GCQA (77) and it deployed north to Baker Lake to fly for Ookpik Aviation, alongside PEN. Both Otters moved fuel, food and personnel in and out of seven different exploration camps around Baker Lake. North Star Air were associated with Canoe Frontier Inc, an outfitting company catering for tourists in Nunavut, for which the Otters were also used. North Star Air continued to operate PEN on behalf of Ookpik Aviation until its registration of the Otter was cancelled on 16 April 2008, as another re-organisation took place, and Central Flyway Air Inc., took over, to whom Otter PEN was registered on 23 May 2008, again for operation on behalf of Ookpik Aviation.
Central Flyway Air Inc., of Thompson, Manitoba traded as Venture Air and were the operators of turbine Otter C-FRHW (445). Just as the transition from North Star Air to Venture Air was taking place, an incident occurred to Otter PEN, on 20 May 2008. The wheel-ski equipped PEN was landing with wheels on runway 34 at Baker Lake. The landing roll was normal but as the aircraft slowed it began pitching forward slowly. The pilot was unable to control the pitch with full aft elevator and increased engine power and the propeller struck the runway. Pilot and passengers were uninjured. The engine and propeller were removed for repair. Venture Air brought up their own Otter C-FRHW to Baker Lake to cover for PEN while it was out of action until repaired. Venture Air then operated PEN on behalf of Ookpik Aviation, occasionally bringing RHW back to Baker Lake as well whenever required. This arrangement continued until the registration of PEN to Venture Air was cancelled on 19 November 2008.
At that stage Ookpik Aviation were in the final stages of obtaining their own AOC, so that they would no longer have to rely on other airlines to operate the Otter on their behalf. At long last, C-FPEN was registered to Ookpik Aviation Inc., on 2 April 2009 and operated by Ookpik Aviation itself from then on, continuing to fly from Baker Lake as before. In the years that followed, more incidents were recorded on CADORS:
9 May 2009. After departure from Aberdeen Lake, the pilot felt flutter and turbulence through the rudder pedals and suspected that the tail ski had been damaged. On landing at Baker Lake, the tail ski rotated fully over and the rear ski section was driven into the bottom of the fuselage, puncturing the skin and coming to rest against the aft bulkhead. Due to the rear of the ski being impaled into the fuselage, the aircraft could not be manoeuvred on the ground. Using a portable saw the pilot cut the ski in half and the aircraft could then be taxied. It was repaired and returned to service.
21 March 2010. Otter PEN arrived at Angillak Lake, Nunavut and while preparing to unload a cargo of plywood the pilot released the herc strap and the load shifted, causing him to lose his footing and fall out of the cargo door of the aircraft. While he was falling his hand became trapped between the plywood and the port wall of the aircraft, seriously injuring his hand. The pilot was attended by the assistant loader and was able to fly the aircraft back to Baker Lake for emergency medical treatment.
18 August 2010. Departing Baker Lake with two crew and two passengers, the Otter encountered wind shear and experienced a roll upset to the right. Immediate counter control inputs recovered the aircraft to normal. The rest of the flight was completed successfully. During the return flight the pilot noticed a right turning tendency and upon landing in Baker Lake maintenance found damage to the outboard right hand aileron from striking the gravel runway on take off. The Otter was grounded for repairs, which required replacement of the outboard aileron. Winds at the time of take off had been 26 knots, with gusts to 36 knots.
10 July 2011. The Otter was flying 63 miles south-west of Baker Lake when the pilot advised that he had a warning light for low fuel pressure and requested the company to be notified. Ten minutes later he advised that the warning light had extinguished. The Otter landed without incident.
During summer 2011 Ookpik Aviation had a contract to service an exploration camp at Amer Lake, flying from Baker Lake, on which Otter PEN was used. A look at the type of flights involved shows the work carried out by the Otter:- 7 June, three passengers, camp gear and groceries; 11 June drill gear and groceries; 13 June five flights between 11:30am and 11pm with drill and camp gear; 15 June drill gear, backhaul three passengers, luggage, camp tools and snow machine; 16 June four flights with drill gear; 18 June two flights with drill gear, backhaul skidoo; 21 June two flights, communications gear and supplies; 9 July drill rods, backhaul 22 buckets of samples and ten boxes of incinerator ash; 15 July groceries, backhaul samples, incinerator ash and a passenger; 1 August three flights with drill parts.
Further incidents from CADORS:
10 April 2012. The pilot of PEN elected to take off from the ramp at Baker Lake due to crosswinds.
16 April 2012. C-GNCA a Cessna Caravan of Fugro Aviation was taxying for departure at Baker Lake when it blew a tire on the runway. It was disabled on the runway until towed off 35 minutes later. Approximately 2,500 feet of runway was available. Otter PEN was inbound and the pilot elected to land after being advised of the situation and the remaining runway.
In June 2013 turbine Otter C-GBQC (401) joined the Ookpik Aviation fleet, flying alongside PEN.
25 August 2013. Otter PEN was an hour overdue into Baker Lake. The Rescue Co-Ordination Centre was advised. Canadian North flight MPE478 (a Boeing 737 from Yellowknife to Gjoa Haven) achieved radio contact with the Otter and provided a new estimate for PEN’s arrival.
9 June 2016. Otter PEN informed the Baker Lake Community Aerodrome radio station shortly after take off of an onboard medical emergency involving a passenger. The Otter landed safely and the passenger was taken to the nursing station.
In October 2016 both Otters PEN and BQC were based at Arviat, flying in fuel drums and equipment. As at summer 2018 both Otters continued in service with Ookpik Aviation.
One of the last Brigadiers with a three axle trailer. Baltimore, MD, about 1990. This truck is about to pickup a backhaul at the GM plant.
Ron Adams shot this backhaul of NJ built GMs on I78, near Allentown, PA. The GMC 9500 is about ten years old when this was taken.
During the mid-1990s the SP had an interesting operation that saw them take ore pellets from Northern Minnesotra all the way to Geneva Steel in Utah. Those same trainsets of hoppers would be used to backhaul coal loads east. One of them went to Determan's in Clinton, IA on the Soo/CP. The trains ran with sets of SP's then-new AC4400CWs. When the loads got to Determans, two of the locos would become free-runners on the Soo/CP, while one remained with the trainset until it was unloaded. After it was empty, they would run to Chicago for interchange to the Wisconsin Central so they could go north to get more ore pellets. So from February 10, 1996 here is CP train #898 coming under the CC&P at Genoa, IL. SP 308 leads103 steel hoppers eastward at 10:52 a.m. on this Saturday morning.
Non-Teamster division of Leaseway, STI hauled cars off the rail in York, PA. This is a backhaul of Corsicas out of Wilmington, DE. "STI" was Strategic Transportation Inc. Beretta behind the cab.
Trans-West, based in Lachine, Quebec, operates 150 power units, and 250 refrigerated trailers, and hauls loads from the Quebec area to the west coasts of Canada and the United States, as well as Florida, then backhauls produce to Quebec and Ontario. Photographer - Andre Pichette
The Reading Blue Mountain and Northern Railroad, with its corporate headquarters in Port Clinton, is a privately held railroad company serving major businesses in nine Eastern Pennsylvania counties, (Berks, Bradford, Carbon, Columbia, Lackawanna, Luzerne, Northumberland, Schuylkill and Wyoming). The railroad runs about 400 miles from Reading PA to Mehoopany PA and it also operates the 7 mile rail line from Towanda to Monroeton in Bradford County. We offer both freight services and passenger excursion operations and we currently employ over 200 employees.
The company began operations in September of 1983, starting as a 13 mile short line, operating a state-owned branch line between Hamburg and Temple PA. Named The Blue Mountain & Reading, we were successful in rehabilitating the line, and providing service to freight customers. A passenger excursion business was also developed.
Within a few years, the BM&R took on the operations of 3 more state-owned branch lines, to provide reliable freight service to many eastern Pennsylvania Industries.
In December 1990, Conrail was looking to sell off over 150 miles of branch lines in the Anthracite Coal Regions. The BM&R took on this challenge, and expanded the company, changing the name to Reading Blue Mountain and Northern. Operations began on December 15, 1990.
The first few years saw massive amounts of work to repair the badly neglected trackage, and to develop a steady pattern of service for the many industries that relied on rail service.
In July of 1992, Conrail sold some additional track near Hazelton, to serve the Jeddo Coal Company. This would allow the bulk of all remaining rail shipments of Anthracite coal to be funneled through Reading. At the same time RBMN also acquired the connection from East Mahanoy Jct. to Oneida and the line to Delano from Schuylkill County.
In order to have better control over the supply of empty hopper-cars for coal shipments, in 1995 RBMN began to purchase a fleet of cars, starting with 265 cars dedicated to Quebec Iron & Titanium Service. By the end of 2013, RBMN has purchased over 1000 freight cars.
The RBMN had been operating from several former Conrail offices around the system. In late 1995 these offices were combined into a new corporate headquarters at Port Clinton.
As Conrail continued their program of spinning off rail lines that did not fit into its core network, the Reading Blue Mountain & Northern expanded again. In August of 1996, RBMN acquired a portion of Conrail’s Lehigh Division. Comprised of over one hundred miles of mostly ex- Lehigh Valley Railroad trackage, the Lehigh rail line stretches from the southern foot of the Pocono Mountains at Lehighton through Wilkes-Barre and Scranton and onward to Wyoming County. To connect its two divisions, RBMN negotiated trackage rights over the Carbon-County owned 18-mile railroad between Hometown and Jim Thorpe.
In the fall of 1996 Conrail announced an intention to merge with CSX. After a fierce fight over the future of Conrail, CSX ultimately agreed to split Conrail with its main rival, Norfolk Southern Railway. On June 1, 1999, NS took over all of the portions of Conrail that connected with RBMN.
To meet the demands of this expanded traffic base, in 2001 RBMN purchased a fleet of high horsepower six-axle locomotives, and retired some of the older units that had begun to wear out. RBMN was now entirely an EMD powered railroad.
In August of 2001, RBMN completed negotiations with NS and Procter & Gamble to take over exclusive service to P&G’s largest manufacturing facility, at Mehoopany, PA. Working with NS we were able to provide P&G with an excellent service and rate package, which ensured that inbound raw material continued to move by rail.
In November of 2001, RBMN reached an agreement to take over the ownership of the track within the Crestwood Industrial Park. With this agreement in place, we were able to guarantee good long-term rail service to the many customers located there.
Having worked to ensure a steady stream of customer business along our Lehigh Division, we turned our attention to reaching agreements for the use of the line as a key transportation corridor. Both Norfolk Southern and Canadian Pacific were interested in using the Lehigh Line as a north-south corridor for goods moving from the Northeast and Canada to the New York City market via Allentown, as well as points south and east of Reading. In June of 2002, we entered into a trackage rights agreement with NS, and in August 2002 we renewed a prior agreement with CP. Combined, these two carriers use the Lehigh Line to move over eighty thousand carloads a year.
In the summer of 2002, RBMN began a critical step to enable the direct physical connection of our two Divisions without the need to run over any foreign track. In July, we entered into a long-term lease of two abandoned railroad bridges over the Lehigh River from the Pennsylvania Department of Conservation and Natural Resources. With that agreement in place, we were able to turn our attention to restoration of the bridges and rail infrastructure, and the necessary work along the Lehigh River to connect the railroads. The project would culminate in the opening of the bridge in November of 2003.
The two Divisions were now connected and the Lehigh Line had a solid business base from both on-line customers and overhead trackage rights revenues. RBMN had begun restoring the yard at Penobscot in 2000, which resulted in an agreement made in May of 2003 to have NS deliver inbound interchange cars there, allowing greatly improved car cycle time.
By the time RBMN celebrated its twentieth anniversary in the fall of 2003, we were a very successful shortline. We had built solid traffic bases on both our Lehigh and Reading Divisions, and we had put in place an excellent operation with upgraded track, locomotives, and freight cars. We were gaining a reputation for customer service and attention to detail. Evidence of our customer focus became clear to all when, in 2002, the rail industry publication Railway Age chose the Reading Blue Mountain & Northern Railroad as Regional Railroad of the Year. We won the award by creating an innovative sand/stone backhaul move, which involved three railroads and took thousands of trucks off the highway. We followed that up in 2004 when we were awarded a Marketing Award from the NS Agriculture Products Group for our outstanding business development.
In 2005, RBMN took a big step forward to expand its passenger excursion business. With the acquisition of the Lehigh Line and the new connections between Jim Thorpe and the Lehigh River Gorge, RBMN was now positioned to offer the region a quality tourist attraction. In May of 2005, the Lehigh Gorge Scenic Railway was born. Every weekend and holiday from May to Christmas, hundreds of visitors to Jim Thorpe board our passenger coaches for a ride into the Gorge.
As our operation and business expanded, the need to upgrade facilities grew as well. In the spring of 2006, we proudly opened our brand new Penobscot Yard office building.
As RBMN grew, so did its commitment to its employees. Along with regular pay increases and profit sharing checks, the Company decided to offer its employees the best health care plan in the region, and with no deductibles! RBMN also decided to go smoke-free and instituted a policy of not hiring smokers.
With a solid freight business in hand and a growing passenger operation underway, Andy Muller decided to begin the renovation of his steam engines. At the end of 2007, No. 425 was back in service, pulling passenger trains and occasionally the company Office Car Specials, to take thousands of guests on steam excursion trips throughout our operating territory.
The RBMN system expanded again in 2009, with the addition of the seven mile Towanda line near the New York state border. This line is located in the heart of the Marcellus Shale region.
In 2011 RBMN again was recognized by Railway Age as Regional Railroad of the Year for the development of port operations for the export of anthracite coal.
In 2012 Reading & Northern entered into an agreement with CAN DO to purchase the rail assets of the Humboldt Industrial Park in Hazleton, the region's largest rail-served industrial park. Reading and Northern ultimately took over service to this park and its 11 new customers on Jan 1, 2016.
The Reading and Northern was recognized in 2015 again when we were named the Regional Railroad of the Year by Railway Age Magazine. This is the third time we have won this prestigious award and we are the only railroad ever to have achieved this recognition three times.
We were pleased to hear in 2016 that we were the winner of the American Short line and Regional Railroad Association's Marketing Award. This is the third time we have won the award which recognized our rapid establishment of our railroad operated transload and storage warehouse in Old Forge PA. This facility was set up and running in record time to meet our customer's stringent requirements.
All of these awards are in recognition of our strong and effective development efforts in attracting new business and customers to the Reading and Northern Railroad. These efforts are continuing and we look forward to additional success and recognition in the years to come.
Elkton, MD, 1986. Dixie transport with a backhaul of BMWs. These trucks hauled Nissans out of the Nissan plant in TN. Bumper sticker says," If you don't like Hank Williams, you can kiss my ass."
After spending about an hour and a half at the Buttonwood Interchange, the Luzerne-Susquehanna crew is seen returning northbound with a handful of cars for various customers.
This GMC belonged to an O/O working out of the Port of Balto. This load of early 1990's Jeep Wranglers is a backhaul from FT Erie or Buffalo. Dual-drive tractor and Delavan quickloader.
Looking reminiscent of ore moves and backhauls from WC days long gone, CN 3069 shoves hard as the DPU on U72481-24 in one if the few snowy scenes in January 2024.
LH 463 with D-AIML "Hamburg" was early, to have departed before 4:50PM and evidently had to have been an empty flight given the amount of thrust it needed to lift off. Merry Christmas!
An image of an Iridium flare over the spires of St Peter's Church, Brighton.
Even over the few seconds needed to capture the transit of the satellite, it is possible to discern the blurring of the stars caused by the rotation of the earth. The little fine wiggles of the flare are probably the result of vibration caused by road traffic close to the camera and tripod.
Because the Iridium Flares are dim compared to an urban environment this image has been presented as part of a pair of images on the photostream. One is un-retouched, the other has the flare emphasised in comparison to the surrounding environment.
Iridium flares are narrow sunlight glints off the door sized, flat, shiny, phased array antennae of passing Iridium Communications Satellites. They tend to be brightest just after dusk, or just before dawn.
The image was captured in an urban environment. Without special tripod astronomical calibration (accurately setting the altitude - how high up to angle the camera, and the azimuth - how far round from north to angle the camera), it is difficult to point a camera accurately at the anticipated location in the sky where the flare will appear . Consequently the temptation is to set a wide angle of view to avoid missing the event, and hence often a smaller image results.
I try to use a protractor to draw a line through a landmark on a Google Map printout to help set up the camera, and also to estimate the altitude angling for the camera. The flares only last a few seconds.
A constellation of 66 satellites - the Iridium network embraces the earth at a fast and low altitude, orbiting pole to pole. They are used to enable satellite mobile phone communications in remote locations such as, for example, Antarctica. The constellation includes its own network "backhaul" - relaying signals from satellite to satellite until contact can be made back to the appropriate earth location.
It is possible to predict when Iridium flares will appear - assuming good visibility. The excellent "Heavens Above" website normally gives good predictions - provided that the location of the observer is accurately supplied. (Sometimes the individual satellites need to re-manoeuvre back into place as a consequence of slight atmospheric drag - which can temporarily throw off projected locations).
The Iridium constellation lays claim to being the the first one to share an accidental "satellite crash" with another satellite. The event on the 10th February 2009 (Iridium 33 colliding with Cosmos 2251 at over 26,000 miles an hour) is spectacularly re-enacted on YouTube.
Afghan children sit next to a gas pump along a convoy route used by U.S. Marines with Combat Logistics Regiment 2, Regional Command Southwest in Helmand province, Afghanistan, Oct. 22, 2013. The Marines pushed out to Forward Operating Base Musa Qala to conduct resupply and backhaul operations during a five-day mission. (DoD photo by Cpl. Paul Peterson, U.S. Marine Corps/Released)
The MOL Northern Juvenile, capable of carrying 8,800 twenty-foot equivalent units, set a record today as the largest container ship to ever call on Jacksonville. The ship, which transited the Suez Canal from Asia before reaching the U.S. east coast, loaded and offloaded cargo at JAXPORT’s TraPac Container Terminal at Dames Point.
More than 1 million containers move through Jacksonville's public and private marine terminals annually. Jacksonville boasts the widest shipping channel in the Southeast U.S., wide enough for two ships to pass at the same time and offers worldwide cargo service from more than 40 ocean carriers, including direct service with Europe, Africa, South America, the Caribbean and other key markets.
Florida is now the nation’s third most populous state – and more than 60 million U.S. consumers live within a one-day truck drive of Jacksonville’s port. JAXPORT terminals are serviced by three U.S. interstates (I-10, I-95 and I-75), and the city has 36 daily train departures via three railroads: CSX, Norfolk Southern, and Florida East Coast. The port’s equal balance of imports and exports provides backhaul opportunities, saving money and maximizing transportation costs.
JAXPORT has invested $600 million in recent infrastructure investments in everything from cranes to docks to rail and a newly authorized project to deepen the federal shipping channel.
The MOL Northern Juvenile, capable of carrying 8,800 twenty-foot equivalent units, set a record today as the largest container ship to ever call on Jacksonville. The ship, which transited the Suez Canal from Asia before reaching the U.S. east coast, loaded and offloaded cargo at JAXPORT’s TraPac Container Terminal at Dames Point.
More than 1 million containers move through Jacksonville's public and private marine terminals annually. Jacksonville boasts the widest shipping channel in the Southeast U.S., wide enough for two ships to pass at the same time and offers worldwide cargo service from more than 40 ocean carriers, including direct service with Europe, Africa, South America, the Caribbean and other key markets.
Florida is now the nation’s third most populous state – and more than 60 million U.S. consumers live within a one-day truck drive of Jacksonville’s port. JAXPORT terminals are serviced by three U.S. interstates (I-10, I-95 and I-75), and the city has 36 daily train departures via three railroads: CSX, Norfolk Southern, and Florida East Coast. The port’s equal balance of imports and exports provides backhaul opportunities, saving money and maximizing transportation costs.
JAXPORT has invested $600 million in recent infrastructure investments in everything from cranes to docks to rail and a newly authorized project to deepen the federal shipping channel.
The MOL Northern Juvenile, capable of carrying 8,800 twenty-foot equivalent units, set a record today as the largest container ship to ever call on Jacksonville. The ship, which transited the Suez Canal from Asia before reaching the U.S. east coast, loaded and offloaded cargo at JAXPORT’s TraPac Container Terminal at Dames Point.
More than 1 million containers move through Jacksonville's public and private marine terminals annually. Jacksonville boasts the widest shipping channel in the Southeast U.S., wide enough for two ships to pass at the same time and offers worldwide cargo service from more than 40 ocean carriers, including direct service with Europe, Africa, South America, the Caribbean and other key markets.
Florida is now the nation’s third most populous state – and more than 60 million U.S. consumers live within a one-day truck drive of Jacksonville’s port. JAXPORT terminals are serviced by three U.S. interstates (I-10, I-95 and I-75), and the city has 36 daily train departures via three railroads: CSX, Norfolk Southern, and Florida East Coast. The port’s equal balance of imports and exports provides backhaul opportunities, saving money and maximizing transportation costs.
JAXPORT has invested $600 million in recent infrastructure investments in everything from cranes to docks to rail and a newly authorized project to deepen the federal shipping channel.
The MOL Northern Juvenile, capable of carrying 8,800 twenty-foot equivalent units, set a record today as the largest container ship to ever call on Jacksonville. The ship, which transited the Suez Canal from Asia before reaching the U.S. east coast, loaded and offloaded cargo at JAXPORT’s TraPac Container Terminal at Dames Point.
More than 1 million containers move through Jacksonville's public and private marine terminals annually. Jacksonville boasts the widest shipping channel in the Southeast U.S., wide enough for two ships to pass at the same time and offers worldwide cargo service from more than 40 ocean carriers, including direct service with Europe, Africa, South America, the Caribbean and other key markets.
Florida is now the nation’s third most populous state – and more than 60 million U.S. consumers live within a one-day truck drive of Jacksonville’s port. JAXPORT terminals are serviced by three U.S. interstates (I-10, I-95 and I-75), and the city has 36 daily train departures via three railroads: CSX, Norfolk Southern, and Florida East Coast. The port’s equal balance of imports and exports provides backhaul opportunities, saving money and maximizing transportation costs.
JAXPORT has invested $600 million in recent infrastructure investments in everything from cranes to docks to rail and a newly authorized project to deepen the federal shipping channel.
The MOL Northern Juvenile, capable of carrying 8,800 twenty-foot equivalent units, set a record today as the largest container ship to ever call on Jacksonville. The ship, which transited the Suez Canal from Asia before reaching the U.S. east coast, loaded and offloaded cargo at JAXPORT’s TraPac Container Terminal at Dames Point.
More than 1 million containers move through Jacksonville's public and private marine terminals annually. Jacksonville boasts the widest shipping channel in the Southeast U.S., wide enough for two ships to pass at the same time and offers worldwide cargo service from more than 40 ocean carriers, including direct service with Europe, Africa, South America, the Caribbean and other key markets.
Florida is now the nation’s third most populous state – and more than 60 million U.S. consumers live within a one-day truck drive of Jacksonville’s port. JAXPORT terminals are serviced by three U.S. interstates (I-10, I-95 and I-75), and the city has 36 daily train departures via three railroads: CSX, Norfolk Southern, and Florida East Coast. The port’s equal balance of imports and exports provides backhaul opportunities, saving money and maximizing transportation costs.
JAXPORT has invested $600 million in recent infrastructure investments in everything from cranes to docks to rail and a newly authorized project to deepen the federal shipping channel.