Most unusual! I heard CN 595 saying they were going to hold at Martins for a meet with 697 and thought "why the heck not head down at least to Falkenburg, 697 won't be by for at least 90 minutes?". Then I heard "ONR 697 - 2105 North, mileboard to Martins". What the???! A six-axle led Northlander running an hour and a half early, that's just something I've got to see! I knew I'd never catch it before Huntsville, having to clear the snow off my car first, so I headed for the highway and got ahead of it at Old North Road, just in time to see the 3 motor deadhead move of a military charter from Moosonee to Washago whiz by on it's return to North Bay. The other two locomotives were typical Northlander power - GP38-2s 1806 and 1800 which had apparently both given up the ghost earlier just south of Cochrane with the train loaded with troops from CFB Borden on winter training.
