Today I was on my way home from work which takes me past the old Niagara, St. Catharines and Toronto yard at Yale Crescent. At first I was surprised to see two boxcars and the Trillium Railway's ex-CP caboose parked in the yard. Farther along I saw why, TR 110 was beside Berryman Avenue with two tank cars. One of them was derailed. It appeared that while trying to deliver the car to Kemira at the end of the spur they derailed the lead car (the train was pushing the cars).
Stupid me didn't have my cameras so I rushed home to get them and came right back. Eventually they got the car rerailed and cut it off. I assume the plan is to fix the track and the deliver the car later. I figured this would be a great opportunity to photograph Trillium on this piece of track. To this point I'd never had the fortune of actually finding them working St. Catharines. So I first photographed them at the intersection of Yale Crescent and Berryman Avenue which is where the derailment occurred.
They had to lift the two boxcars and caboose left in the yard and so while they did that I moved to photograph them just south of the yard between Eastchester Avenue and Queenston Street.
At this point things got very interesting. I was hoping but wasn't convinced that they'd head up to Thorold on the Townline Spur but figured the more likely thing to do was head back across the CN Grimsby subdivision and back to Welland. Oh ho! They took the track to Thorold. This was my lucky day! I've been trying for years to catch Trillium on the Townline Spur. First I headed over to the old factory alongside the NStC&T track at the corner of Glendale Avenue and Merritt Street in Merritton.
After that though I headed to my primary goal, the street running portion along Townline Road East in Thorold. Trillium runs down the centre of Townline Road East for two blocks.
Then I snapped some more photographs as they delivered their two loaded boxcars and lifted four empty boxcars at the Interlake Paper plant at Merritt Street and Townline Road East. I was however really kicking myself for not bringing my video camera along. Oh well.
After switching the paper plant I expected them to head back down to Merritton but apparently the derailment did in the crew. They tied up the train on the track beside Front Street North and that was that.
So, no more photos for me. I shouldn't complain though. I think I blew away about 25 frames or so at them. That's one more item on my railfan list of things to do that I've checked off. This was a good day.
Brian Switzer 09/08/2005 18:33:54
Just an update, but I went by the spur where Trillium derailed the tank car. The derailment was at an old level crossing which has been removed and the track repaired. The car has been delivered.
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