Wednesday, April 9, 2008

My First Road Trip on CNR 4215


Canadian National 4215, Prince Rupert, May 1957. This locomotive is of special interest to me, as this was the first road locomotive I rode from Prince Rupert to Terrance on the so-called “Log Train.”

A fellow by the name of Bill Geddes was running the train, I recall the fireman’s name was “Floyd” and the Conductor was Stan Wozney.

The plan was for me to ride to Kwinitsa in the caboose, and do an end for end with the brakeman, who would give me his seat in the locomotive for the run on up to Terrace.

Of course these guys subjected me to the usual pranks afforded newbies, including the “Exploding Locomotive. This called for a wadded up piece of train order being stuffed into the exhaust port on the brake stand. After setting me up with the notion that one of these locomotives could explode, the brake handle was hit, resulting in a loud “pop” which got the desired result!

We whistled off with about two dozen cars, jogging out of Prince Rupert about 10 miles to the Columbia Cellulose Mill at Port Edward, where we picked up 60 or so empty log bunks, to be delivered to Kitsumkalum Log Reload just this side of Terrace.

CNR 4215 is stripped down for branch line rail operations, with a small fuel tank and Flexicoil trucks.

Railroad Stuff: Canadian National Railways 4215, nee 4597, GMD GP-9, 1,750 horsepower, built London, Ontario June 1957, sn A-1249. Renumbered 4380 in 1984, and rebuilt as GP9RM 7021 in 1991. Wrecked at Coteau du Lac, QC on 6 May 1997 along with GP40 9429, retired 27 August 1997.

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