Narrow Gauge Freight in Plaster City


One of United States Gypsum’s very rare narrow gauge Bombardier/MLW DL535Es heads out for its afternoon run to the quarry at Plaster City, Calif., on November 23, 2015. USG operates the last narrow gauge industrial railroad in America, presently running two trains a weekday, one in the morning and one in the afternoon. The total run is 19 miles to the mine.


PHOTOS BY CHARLES FREERICKS


CANADIAN SHORTLINES GLENN COURTNEY


Additional Cars for Aspen Crossing Railway


Aspen Crossing Railway began running tourist trains in June 2015 on 14 miles of the former Canadian Pacific Lomond Subdivision between Herronton and Ar- rowwood, Alberta. Trains are powered by former Parrish & Heimbecker S-3 No. 8454. Four pieces of former Ontario Northland passenger equipment arrived on the property in October. The equip- ment acquired was power generator car No. 206, diner No. 906, dome-lounge No. 902, and diner-observation No. 908.


Goderich-Exeter CTC Installation


Installation of CTC on Goderich-Ex- eter’s line between Silver (near George- town, Ont.) and London, Ont., is nearing completion. The CTC is now operational between station sign Pottersburg in Lon- don and station sign Waterloo Street in New Hamburg.


Worker Lockout Members of Unifor Local 103 were locked out by the Ontario Northland’s management on November 11, 2015. Management presented what it consid- ered a final offer to the union on No- vember 6, 2015, and on November 10 the union informed management that it would not put the offer to a vote of its members.


Ontario Northland 12 JANUARY 2016 • RAILFAN.COM


The workers have been without a contract since the last one expired on December 31, 2014. The 195 locked-out workers are shop workers who do me- chanical work on the railway’s locomo- tives and cars as well as buses used to provide highway bus service. Management has stated that mean-


ingful changes are required to its labor agreements to return the company to profitability and allow it to attract more business repairing locomotives and rail- way cars for outside customers. Manage- ment continues to negotiate with anoth- er 150 workers covered by different labor contracts, which also expired on Decem- ber 31, 2014. Rail and bus service is ex- pected to continue to operate.


IRON ORE ROADS DAVE SCHAUER


Former DMIR and DWP Lines Connected On October 20, 2015, CN Train Q196


(Prince Rupert, B.C.-Memphis, Tenn.) led by CN ES44DC 2335 became the first train over the new second main track on Steelton Hill in far western Duluth. This second track, called Main 1, is in operation from new control point Mission Creek to Steelton Yard. The original line on the hill is now called Main 2 and a realigned portion of this grade near the control point of Gary was cut in starting on October 26. This completes Phase II of the project,


with construction of a second bridge spanning Interstate 35 near Nopeming Junction being the final phase. This bridge will connect the new double track to CN’s former Duluth, Missabe & Iron Range and Duluth, Winnipeg


& Pacific lines at Nopeming Junction and significantly improve movement on the hill. Completion of Phase III isn’t expected for a few years unless business and operating conditions dictate an earlier finish. Work on replacing a large ten-span former Chicago & North Western bridge over the Escanaba River in Wells, Mich., on CN’s Ore Subdivision was nearing completion in mid-November 2015. The original steel truss design is being replaced with a standard deck girder structure supported by steel pilings and concrete caps.


from U.S. Steel Re-Route U.S. Steel is exploring the possibility


BNSF Could Benefit


of routing some of its Minntac pellet production through BNSF’s Allouez (Superior, Wis.) ore facility in 2016 as CN performs dock work. CN would load the trains at the mine and bring the cars to Superior for interchange with BNSF. These moves have run in recent years using BNSF ore cars and CN locomotives. BNSF is currently operating all-rail trains from Minntac in conjunction with CN for movement to Granite City, Ill., but those moves were expected to end in December 2015 when that mill was put on standby status.


Empire Mine Reopens, CN Duluth Furloughs


Cliffs Natural Resources restarted its Empire mine at Palmer, Mich., in late October 2015. This mine and pelletizing plant had been shuttered since late June


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