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WC train SOGBA is in the siding at Rudyard for a meet and power swap with GBSOA on July 28, 1998. Power short at Steelton the WC has ran SOGBA to Rudyard with 1751, 1750, 1754 and 1752. The units will cut off there train here and pull over the west switch, then back east to get in the clear on the main while the power off GBSOA which is west of the H-40 crossing will cut off and come into town and proceed into the siding and tie onto to SOGBA. At that point the crews will swap there stuff over and then the GBSOA crew will get on the F's and back to there train then head for Steelton. Nothing like a four pack of FP's in freight service.
CP 41B is not too far from Farnham as it passes the station sign for Brookport with CP 1401, CP 7019 & CP 1900 for power.
The Ontario Southland Railway's Woodstock Job is on the approach to Carew Diamond and the interchange at Woodstock with the CP.
Pulling todays train is OSR 6508 and OSR 1594, both wearing the attractive paint scheme of their owner.
It had been quite some time since I had shot the OSR but with a good friend in town, this was the perfect excuse.
Happy F-unit Friday!
Many years ago, in the early 80s, a railfan friend asked me a rhetorical question "So what do you think about the VIA paint scheme?" and before I could answer he stated "It's nice, but..." summing up the feelings of many.
Still, a vintage cab unit in blocky yellow and blue peeling paint in full sun is still a nice sight to behold, regardless of when you view it. Such is the case with ex-CN FP9 No. 6504, speeding into Brockville with Toronto-bound train 55, the Bonaventure, late in the afternoon of 4 June 1985.
Back when the Pioneer Lines had literally tracks of exotic motive power, we see this interesting line up in LaHarpe, IL. Pictured are GP10 471, a former CN SW1200RS lettered for Savage, two former Santa Fe GP20's, and one of Keokuk Junction's famous FP9's. Under new ownership, Pioneer Lines has been tasked to clean house and some of these relics are now history.
Photo by John Eagan
The WC had only a couple of weeks left as an independent company when I shot the OACTI at Cordell on September 28, 2001. A lot of the cool stuff was already going or gone. The AC FP9's had spent most of the summer in storage and the SDL's that had been so familiar in the Upper Peninsula were seldom seen. The pair of SD24's were either working Byron hill pusher service or stored and the lone SD35 was working Wausau. What there was operating still looked good for the most part, 6604 and 3000 have 66 cars rolling along in the beautiful fall sun.
Although Pan Am's FP9's were the stars of the show this past Monday on the Ringling Brothers and Barnum & Bailey circus train's last trip through New England, it was very difficult to shoot that leg of the trip given the lighting. Prior to the handoff of the train from the P&W to Pan Am at Worcester, however, there was an opportunity to shoot the train in proper lighting with another form of interesting power. P&W job WX-1 put the train together and brought it up to Barber Station north of town with B23-7 2201 and "Super 7" B23-7R 2216, two engines that aren't likely to survive too far into the G&W era on the P&W. They obviously don't beat the set of power offered by Pan Am, but it was a great opportunity to shoot a few classics of their own kind.
We are at Vancouver, BC on June 10, 1969, as Canadian National FP9 #6512 awaits the next Super Continental to haul east to Calgary where it was likely to be turned back west. She spent much time in the Canadian Rockies with Bud Dome-liners at her tail, both with the CN and later VIA. But this old girl is now probably the most famous "bull dog" of all on rails today in 2025. Today, not only is the 6512 a star, but, "ahem", also a traitor. This unit is now dressed in the most wonderful paint, still hauling passengers and has probably been in Brian Plants viewfinder more than any other railfan in North America. Today, she is KCS1 leading the way on business trains and holiday specials for CPKC in the central/southern portion of the US. You've come a long way, baby!
Photo by "The Unknown Photographer"
In the namesake town on the subdivision, the covered wagons head past the elevator complex in Elbow Lake on the way back to Calgary. The Soo Line station sign is still here, about the same leveling as the train is at the elevated curve here. While the other guys chased to North Dakota, this would be my final shot. This was certainly a chase to remember!
Having just crossed the KCT diamond and passed underneath the KCT Sheffield Flyover, the FP9 A-B-A set brings KCS train BKCSH-14 south down the KCS Pittsburg Sub as the engineer notches it up for the trip out of town. 11/14/16.
Conventional equipment substituting for VIA's Turbo on train 67 to Toronto at Dorval, Quebec, june 6, 1979.
After chasing the Pan Am OCS from Portland to almost Ayer, Massachusetts, our plan was to cut off the chase in time to get to Ossipee, New Hampshire for a chase of the New Hampshire Northcoast southbound sandtrain which we where told had the newly repainted geep in the lead. After getting several locations in a row of the OCS due to several slow 10MPH slow orders we found ourselves a bit behind, but we figured it was worth getting as much as possible of the classy FP9 lead OCS. When we finally cut off the chase the GPS said we had roughly 2 and a half hours to drive to the pit putting us a bit behind our 3PM goal. Thankfully Brian has lots of contacts and we were assured that we had time to get there by 4. After arriving a few minutes before 4 we scoped the location and after not seeing any sign of the train took a quick break to collect ourselves. Soon after a horn could be heard and the train soon emerged from the pit and the chase was on not more than 15 minutes from the time of our arrival.
The leaves from last year still line the tracks as the Pan Am OCS winds around Maranacook Lake under newly emerged leaves. Pan Am's pair of FP9s lead the somewhat repainted ST 102, a dome car they had acquired a few years ago, and ST 101 and 100, the normal cars for the pocket sized business train. In a few moments they will be blowing their horns for the crossings in nearby Winthrop, as they continue on to Rigby.
Making the best out of horrible lighting at a location that's hard to pass up, the Pan Am OCS heads east at Pownal, VT on what many speculate may be it's last run.
In an effort to improve the reliabilty of its aging locomotive fleet - pending delivery of new motive power in the form of F40PH-2s from General Motors - VIA Rail embarked on a major rebuild programme for 15 FP9s between 1983 and 1985. The work was undertaken by Canadian National Railways in its shops in Pointe-St-Charles (Montreal) and in Moncton, New Brunswick. The work involved replacement or upgrade of many of the original components. As part of the upgrading, power for traction was raised from 1,750 to 1,800 hp (1,300 to 1,340 kW). The completed units were classified as FP9ARMs and renumbered in the 6300 series. Once VIA took delivery of its P42DCs from General Electric in late 2001 all active FP9s were retired.
CP No. 1, the Canadian, pulls into the station at Thunder Bay on April 3, 1975. Check out all the stripes, and the two Alcos including an RS3 on the adjacent track.
The Branson Scenic Railway "Ozark Zephyer" 2:00 pm trip was routed northward with the former B&O FP9 # 98 leading the way up the route.
The Belle, running as KCS train B-KCSH-25, blasts south out of Amoret on the KCS Pittsburg Sub with the FP9 A-B-A set leading the way.
Today, the train operated out of Knoche Yard in Kansas City, MO bringing company officials on a lunch trip to Amoret, MO, where they were then transported back into town via a transit bus. Here, the train is returning home to Shreveport, LA with one more stop at Hume, MO to pick up some MOW personnel. 1/25/23.
(SEE & HEAR)---Goderich and Exceter, GEXR 4001-1400-3821, about to tackle a 4% grade from the port on Lake Huron, with a load of salt up to the yard at Goderich, Ontario. October 1, 2004. Jack D Kuiphoff © photo
See this and another scene live in my Youtube link.
www.youtube.com/watch?v=qCH5Uo6F_IM
rpn
CN train #146 from Windsor, led by FP9 6540 and F9B 6616, gets the road at Komoka, while train #650 from Sarnia, formed of four RDCs, waits for follow #146 into London.
scanned from an Agfachrome slide
and I ain't talking a MoPar 413, a legend in its own right. We're talking what we came here for, a decent look at those KCS beauties, three FP9's on the head end of the Holiday train. KCS 1 is up front where it belongs as it leads the train out of the siding at Roodhouse, IL and heads down to the staging area where a rather malnourished Santa Claus and a bunch of little kiddies and another bunch of railfans are waiting impatiently for its arrival, even though the train was way ahead of schedule. I don't think anyone objected to that fact, though one gentleman with a camera did voice a concern that there were so many people getting in his planned telephoto picture. I guess he didn't count on all those other little kiddies with cameras.
Action at Brockville Ontario on 27 June 1981: VIA Rail Canada's MLW FPA4 No. 6767 and GMD FP9 No. 6520 pull ahead with Train 44, the Ottawa section of the Capital, which will swing onto the CP branch to Smiths Falls, leaving the remaining coaches of Train 54, the Montreal section, which will be pulled by waiting FPA4 No. 6790 and continue up the CN main.
This was a routine daily occurrence, featuring steam heated coaches and first generation cab units, including the FAs which had vanished many years before on US rails, making a visit to this railfan mecca seem like entering a magical time warp.
Mr. Guss coined the phrase that that I'm a "meat & potatoes" shooter. It's not an insult, but a badge of honor I wear proudly. Don't get me wrong, I love all the imaginative and innovative shots I see, the drone stuff, and wild angles, and I try to think that way when I can. But my heart is as a plain old "wedgie" slide shooter. Give me great light, a nice train and some open space, and I love to get that meat and potatoes shot! Case in point is KCS' business train heading south at Lettsworth, La. It's wide open, there's low evening light, and the train looks great. "I'll have a side order of FP9s with that meat, please!"
Canadian Pacific FP9 #4106 leads the Royal Canadian Pacific over the Fraser River at Cisco on a cloudy September day.
VIA Rail FP9 6306 leads Train No. 1, The Canadian, at Yoho, B.C. on August 25, 1986. This unit has been restored to its original CN number (6520) and CN paint and is operational at the West Coast Railway Association in Squamish, B.C.
The cosmetic restoration of VIA 6309 (made possible by a successful fundraising campaign) is now finished and it is seen coupled to some AMT equipment on a sunny morning. Interestingly enough, sister unit VIA 6302 was leased to the AMT in 1999 and would have been coupled to the same type of car as seen here. Soon VIA 6309 will enter the Angus Pavilion as part of the permanent collection.
The 2024 edition of the now CPKC Holiday Express crosses the massive Mississippi River bridge along the Meridian Speedway as they enter Vicksburg, Ms. After being stuck behind a parade of heavy eastbound trains the KCS 1 and company are now very late to their showtime in Jackson, Ms. At the time of this photo they were only two hours away from their start time with over an hour runtime left to the state capitol. When the tail end of their short train clears the 10mph permanent speed restriction over the river engineer Steve Harner will notch his three FP9's up for the climb out of town on the tortuous grade from the river. They'll make the showtime at Jackson beginning what ultimately becomes a multi-week tour of the KCS System south of Shreveport for the holiday express.
Thanks for looking!
Amid heavy fall colors Algoma Central train #2 from Hearst should be arriving in Sault Ste. Marie, Ontario within the hour, seen here approaching Heyden with a pair of FP9's and four cars - October 3, 1998.
CPKC 40B departs St. Paul Yard with CP 2816-1401-4107 for power. Too bad the F units weren't leading, but you can't win them all I guess.
Catching an F working the Mead yard at Trout Lake was a fairly common sight until the SOO started retiring the wagons in mass after 1978-79. I honestly never expected to see a wagon of any kind ever work the yard at Trout Lake after that, but WC brought back some classic's with there fleet of F/FP45/FP7/9's and catching them became common working the Soo Yard-Gladstone jobs. 1751 and 6506 set a car over after stuffing Mead with empties on April 18, 1998.
The Pan Am OCS is seen crawling past the signals and station at Eagle Bridge at 10mp as the trees begin to show their fall colors.
PAR OCS
PAR FP9-A #1
PAR FP9-A #2
CP 4106 and 1401 are now running around their train moving eastward while the RCP crew works to prepare the train for the trip back to Calgary.
The Kansas City Southern Railway "Southern Belle" business passenger train with the FP9 A-B-A consist languishes at the former pig ramp on Track 202 at CPKC's Knoche Yard following a round trip to Amsterdam the previous day. With no rested crews available to take it south, it'll spend all day here in Kansas City, leaving town before sunrise tomorrow morning on the return trip to Shreveport, LA.
Yesterday's trip was operated for KC Current, a women's soccer team that is sponsored by CPKC and whose stadium is named after the railroad. 10/12/24.
Keokuk Junction Railway power runs light to Bartonville, Illinois, to pick up some “hot cars” needing to go west to Laharpe on the afternoon of April 7, 2016. EMD FP9s Nos. 1750 and 1752 and GP20 No. 2003 do the honors on this former TP&W route.
Crossing the the 1900 Chicago & Alton Missouri River Bridge on the KCS Mexico Sub in Glasgow, MO is the KCS FP9 A-B-A set on KCS train B-KCES-25 heading to East St. Louis, IL for the Verizon Indycar Series Bommarito 500 at the Gateway Motorsports Park in Madison, IL. 8/25/17.
KCS 1 south has the hammer down as they roll south through Lettsworth, Louisiana, in "peak" Louisiana fall colors. The Christmas train has had no issues keeping track speed all the way out of Shreveport, and soon the train will be rolling onto the Morganaza Spillway as they continue south to Laplace for their Wednesday show behind the railroads shiny FP9 passenger motors. These particular FP9's were built in the mid 1950's for CN rail. The lead KCS 1 was built in January of 1955. There was a sense of style in the EMD catalog in the 1950's that will never be present again....
Thanks for looking!
It's 07:09 am on September 1, 2024 and CP 1401 leads the CP Business Train westward having just taken the light at Sunalta.
It's a challenge shooting westbound trains leaving the city in the mornings, but I selected this spot knowing the buildings would likely assist in blocking out some of the backlighting from the rising sun. Glad I was right.
VIA FP9 6531 leads train No. 2, the Canadian, near Terrace Bay Ontario on July 7, 1984. Lake Superior shimmers in the distance. No. 6531 is a survivor - it became Algoma Central 1755, then Pioneer Railcorp 1755 and was used on the Gettysburg Railroad.
CSX 118-119, FP7, F7b, with a eastbound OCS on the CSX Keystone sub at Draketown, Pennsylvania. October 13, 1987. Jack D Kuiphoff photo
rpn, tp
KCS FP9 2 sits in Godfrey, IL with the 2018 Holiday Express. This is the first time in 7 years this train has visited the St. Louis area.
Pan Am OCS (Office Car Special/ Business Train). Pownal VT mp 430.3 at the old B&M searchlight signals.
(SEE & HEAR)---Ontario Northland, ONR #1520 with the southbound Northlander at Callander, Ontario. September 17, 1993. Jack D Kuiphoff photo © video
See this live in my Youtube link.
www.youtube.com/watch?v=dYwS8k_wosk
FB 10/19/2025
From September, 2011, I chased the KCS business train south out of Kansas City, and first shot it blasting through the metropolis known as Merwin, MO. This community hugs the KS/MO border between Drexel and Amsterdam on the KCS Pittsburg Sub. The train was the B-KCSH-01, which had previously toured the ex-Gateway Western across Missouri.