Trackside Log for Wednesday, February 1, 2012

Well, I haven't been very active with the camera of late. The cause is the weather this winter. It certainly hasn't been very motivational. For someone, like me, who enjoys photography in the snow this has been the ugliest winter I can think of.

Nevertheless, today just as I was just leaving home for an appointment I heard a southbound approaching town. I mustered the energy to get my camera and meet the train at Chantler Road.

• 0857 Fenwick - CP 246 south - CP 8819-CP 8632
  

The motive power was pretty boring but I'm encouraged by the fact that I actually photographed something.

Trackside Log for Saturday, January 7, 2012

Today I had an appointment in Onondaga. Since I was going to be very close to Brantford I decided to take along my camera and visit the station afterward. My timing upon arrival at the VIA station was superb. The Southern Ontario Railway was just starting to assemble their train to haul toward Nanticoke.

• 1106 Brantford - SOR 596 south - RLK 4057-CEFX 2015-RMPX 9431
  

Once they had pulled four tracks to build their train I headed south for some more photography. I didn't quite leave in time though. I got stopped at the Colborne Street crossing and had to wait. Once it cleared I made my way to Onondaga for another photograph.

• 1207 Onondaga - SOR 596 south - RLK 4057-CEFX 2015-RMPX 9431
  

My next stop was Forfar Street and the Grand River in Caledonia. A sizable railway bridge crosses the river there that I had previously only photographed one time. Today made two.

• 1232 Caledonia - SOR 596 south - RLK 4057-CEFX 2015-RMPX 9431
  

The last waypoint on my trek homeward was the grain elevator in the subdivision's namesake, Hagersville. While waiting for the train to arrive I wandered around with Missy and photographed a 40' boxcar which has been parked in town for quite a long while.

• 1252 Hagersville - former CN boxcar - CN 72484
  
• 1310 Hagersville - SOR 596 south - RLK 4057-CEFX 2015-RMPX 9431
  

The train began to switch town and I decided it was time to get back home and consume lunch. Considering this train is normally a night operation I feel rather fortunate to have been in the area on a day when it ran in bright sunshine.

Trackside Log for Friday, December 30, 2011

This afternoon I was at home but not really paying attention to the railways. However, I heard some horns approaching from the south and looked outside to see an empty ethanol train cruise behind my house. The power was from the prior day's loaded ethanol train.

• 1300 Fenwick - CP 627 north - CP 6228-CITX 3102-ICE 6418-CITX 2796

Trackside Log for Thursday, December 29, 2011

I was at home organising family photographs and discovered via e-mail that an ethanol train was on its way. I left the scanner on in the background and eventually heard CP 6228 announce the Smithville mile board. I walked over to Foss Road with Missy for a photograph of the former SOO 6028.

• 1537 Fenwick - CP 626 south - CP 6228-CITX 3102-ICE 6418-CITX 2796
  

The train was quite colourful on a dull winter day. Nonetheless, it was the first rebuilt SOO SD60 I'd seen. The remaining roster of SD60s is in the process of being rebuilt and renumbered into the 6200s by CAD in Montreal.

Trackside Log for Tuesday, December 27, 2011

Well, it's after Christmas and the hustling and bustling is over. Marcus and I scheduled the day to meet up and see if Canadian National would present some trains. I picked him up at the Aldershot GO station just after the Maple Leaf departed. While he was getting into my vehicle train 393 cruised through the station. We decided to head it off at Copetown.

• 0947 Copetown - CN 393 west - CN 5708-CN 2689
  
• 1114 Copetown - CN 331 west - CN 2682-CN 2505
  
• 1246 Copetown - VIA 72 east - VIA 905
  

After a pretty slow morning in Copetown that was getting very damp we headed back to Aldershot. While passing by Bayview Junction we noticed VIA train 63 wying their train. We managed to catch it at Lemonville Road heading east.

• 1315 Aldershot - VIA 63 east - VIA 909
  

The dreary weather was not very motivational so we decided to call it a day.

Trackside Log for Friday, December 9, 2011

I had an appointment in Hamilton today at noon. With no other appointments afterward I took Missy to Lemonville Road in Aldershot to see if Canadian National had anything going on.

• 1300 Aldershot - VIA 73 west - VIA 6440
  
• 1342 Aldershot - CN 382 east - CN 2552
• 1426 Aldershot - CN 551 west - CN 7080-CN 7068
  
• 1437 Aldershot - CN 435 west - CN 2558-CN 5627
  

After watching some traffic under the overcast skies Missy and I headed for home.

Trackside Log for Sunday, December 4, 2011

I was out with Missy today on a photographic project. One of my destinations was the Miller Road bridge over what was once the Michigan Central Canada Division Main Line. The track was removed in 2002. I decided to create a panorama from below the bridge. The following photograph is a composite of twenty individual exposures.

• 1229 near Cook's Mills - Miller Road bridge
  

I found the apparatus used for the telegraph wires quite interesting.

Trackside Log for Saturday, December 3, 2011

This morning was a bit chilly, but sunny. The puddles had a thin cover of ice but the warm sun was melting it away. I had the scanner tuned into Canadian Pacific's Hamilton Subdivision and heard a southbound announce the Smithville mile board. I took Missy out to Chantler Road for a photograph.

• 1002 Fenwick - CP 246 south - CP 9732-CP 9680
  

Trackside Log for Thursday, December 1, 2011

I was on my way home from work today and, since the weather was rather nice, I swung by Nanticoke to see if the Southern Ontario Railway was switching Esso. Good fortune was with me as they were just about to cross Concession 3 and head into the refinery to switch.

• 1442 Nanticoke - SOR southbound - CEFX 2015-RLK 4057-RMPX 9431
  

The leased GP20D joins mates 2006, 2014 and 2019 on the Southern Ontario Railway. The other three had been working the Hagersville Subdivision for quite some time so last week's power change was welcome.

Trackside Log for Saturday, November 26, 2011

Today I was roving around the Niagara area on a photography project. One of the subjects I was interested in was the old bridge on the former Niagara, St. Catharines & Toronto spanning Oakdale Avenue in Merritton. When I arrived at the location I quickly discovered that all the brush and trees had been hewn away from the high fill on which the tracks were once laid. I then determined that the bridge was scheduled for demolition in a mere three days.

• 1243 Merritton - former NSC&T bridge
  

While photographing the old concrete bridge I heard air horns to the west. I took a moment to photograph the eastbound Canadian National freight.

• 1253 Merritton - CN eastbound - CN 4784-CN 1444-CN 4140
  

After the train passed I returned to continue photographing the bridge.