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Halifax-MontrealLOCOMOTIVE OBSERVATION NOTES
When I was planning my trip one of the questions I kept asking myself was how many trains and locomotives I would actually see. It wasn't that I was particularly wanting to "spot" loco numbers, but rather I was unsure how much operating I would see on a system with which I was totally unfamiliar. I needn't have worried as the ease of observation of trains was virtually the same as in Europe. The main difference I found was that access to the platforms in large city stations was not possible except at train departure times. I was, however, allowed on the platforms at Vancouver just by explaining my interest. At Toronto and Montreal I didn't ask because neither station is really suitable for platform level observation.
The notes on this page are direct scans of my own railway notes. Certain of the codes may need clarification.
Ebd; Wbd; Nbd; Sbd indicate direction of travel Shtng - shunting Empt - empty (coal/sulphur etc.) train ES - Empty stock (passenger) Fr - freight train Grain - Block grain train Cont - Container train Interm - Intermodal train of lorry trailers/containers etc. |
Tkr - Tanker train TOFC - Trailer on flat car train D/stack Cont - Double stack container train Place names in column 2 are often abbreviated The codes CN, CP, Conrail, VIA etc refer to the railway operating company The code in column 4 refers to the loco code e.g. SD40-2
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