Ottawa Central RS-18 Cab Ride

Video from a quick cab ride in one of Ottawa Central's RS-18's at Walkley Yard in Ottawa Ont. The locomotive ran back and forth on the old bypass around the yard. Ottawa Central hosted an open house for the public to see trains upclose. May 3rd 2008

*UPDATE* Canadian National has bought the shortline railways that Quebec Railway Corp. operated, in addition to a freight-ferry operation it held a minor interest in, for $49.8-million.

Ottawa Central was one of these properties. The OCR ran between Coteau, Que., where it interchanged with CN, and Pembroke, Ont. It also served Hawkesbury, Ont. Between Coteau and Ottawa, the OCR operated over VIA Rail trackage. Major commodities carried by the OCR included newsprint, salt, forest products, steel wire rod and billets. OCRR was an all-Alco road. Running MLW RS-18's. All these locomotives are now deemed surplus and a couple have been waybilled for Chicago. To certain scrap.

CN's acquisition of Ottawa Central has come under scrutiny as the original transcontinental mainline through Algonquin Park has been abandoned between Pembroke and Capreol. Would CN build a connection with Rail America east of Pembroke to the old CP mainline?

Since 1995, CN has regretted abandoning the old transcon due to significant delays through Toronto. It took three crews to get a train through the Ottawa Valley where it take 5 crews just to get a train from MTL to TOR to Parry Sound, then Capreol.

Category:

Autos & Vehicles

Tags:

• Ottawa
• Central
• OCRR
• RS-18u
• Cab
• Ride
• Walkley
• Yard
• Open
• House
• train
• freight
• engine
• locomotive

[wizehop]

So are you saying the CNR is trying to do what the OVR was doing before the recession hit? and does CN taking this line back mean we will be seeing longer trains to Coteau again?

[ConrailSD70MAC]

unfortunately, CN has applied to discontinue service from outside Ottawa, Kanata, to Pembroke.

Trains are going to by very small for the time being.

If trackage wasn't abandoned through Algonquin Park, we would still be seeing big transcons coming through Ottawa instead of Toronto today.

[thetrainguru]

there is a cp rail locomotive thats wierd cuz its cn owned

[ConrailSD70MAC]

this is before the CN takeover. the CP MLW locomotive was from the New Brunswick East Coast RR. That too was taken over by CN.

[elgoalio29]

What was with the VIA trainset in the yard?

[ConrailSD70MAC]

It was part of a display for the Ottawa Central RR open house at the train yards. It was only a F40PH-2, one VIA 1 class car and a comfort class car. They were off VIA #35 from Montreal.

[BrockRailfan]

That's nice you got a part of a Girl sucking her thumb. Nice video though.

[CountVonBoco]

Canadian National, And this is coming from an American's opinion, is one of the stupidest railroads to ever be around. Can't keep a train on the tracks to deliver a good load of cargo, buying all the cool American Class 2s, And then abandoning its own lines deemed unnecessary at the time, to only find out they need them later on. How brilliant. Bunch of damned idiots there. :/ CN = Shortline Killer.

[thetrainguru]

i live in ottaw but ive only seen the yard once is it good railfanning territory

[fwverwijs]

I just made this a favourite.

For your information, those were my kids in the cab. We were one of the two families: the one with 4 kids. Michelle was the engineer on the way out and William was the engineer on the way back. Elizabeth was the girl sucking her thumb. The engineer offered to let her be the engineer but she was too shy. This was lucky for William.

Was this ever a hoot to watch!