Trains on Trucks

 #1

 The Canadian National Railway CNR, operates a large truck fleet. Some trucks haul inter modal containers for deliveries from railroad hubs. Other trucks are used in the maintenance of the company's infrastructure. They also have an assortment of specialist vehicles that are not seem very often. One of those unique trucks paid a visit to Halifax recently as part of the Port of Halifax's "One Port Day" when many of the port's users had a sort of open house.

CN's safety promotion activity involves a miniature "replica" locomotive called Little Obie, that does not run on rails, but hauls several open "cars" for passengers. The little train criss crosses the country to promote rail safety, and travels in its own special trailer, hauled by a custom Freightliner truck.

The truck is fitted with "fifth wheel" equipment to haul the trailer, and was upfitted out by Auto Truck Corp a specialty vehicle builder. It is actually operated by CN Police, the company's private police force, that has rail safety as part of its mandate.

#2

Trains travel on wheels, and the friction from steel wheel to steel rail leads to wear. Also train wheels develop flat spots from emergency braking.  The banging that results from the latter can be damaging to rails and to the rail cars themselves. Periodically wheels must be replaced and the worn wheels sent off for repair. New or reconditioned wheels ( in pairs, and on their axles and complete with end bearings) are then sent out on flat bed containers to rail rail yards where they are stockpiled for installation when needed. Worn wheel sets are picked up periodically and sent off repair.

I recently spotted one of Atlantic Tiltload's Western Stars with a Landoll tilt deck trailer, complete with special steel frame on the deck, leaving the intermodal terminal with a load of wheels. (By the look of the bearings, the rusty wheels seem to be new - the shiny ones show signs of wear.)

The multi-purpose 'Star is equipped with its own Palfinger knuckle boom crane. 

#3

There are four railroads in Quebec that are isolated and not connected to the CN or CPR's extensive grids. Three were built to connect mines to shipment ports and are "captive". Equipment must be delivered by sea or in the case of two of the railroads, by road. Both the Quebec North Shore and Labrador (running out of Sept-Iles) and the Cartier Railway (running out of Port-Cartier) are accessed by the Quebec highway Route 138. 

Recently the Cartier arranged for rail grinding equipment to be delivered from Europe to Halifax, then to be trucked to Port Cartier. I saw the third unit loaded and ready to roll on June 12.

Thanks to Tony from JNB Heavy Haul, I received photos of the first unit being lifted aboard a week or so ago.

I am assuming that the loads are too large to cross the St.Lawrence by ferry at Matane, so they must go to Quebec City, to cross the river by bridge, then by special permit along the torturous, and hilly, two lane Route 138 all the way to Port-Cartier.

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