Sunday, August 07, 2005

Trackside Log for Sunday, August 7, 2005

It was another beautiful day although it promised to be fairly hot. I decided to head to the CN Dundas subdivision in the Paris area today. Since I was out fairly early and I hadn't photographed many eastbounds at Blenheim Rd. (Eatonia) before I headed there. I heard from the DI dispatcher that CN 392 was on its way so I knew I'd at least catch it.
  • 0920 Eatonia - CN 392 east - CN 5707-CN 2404-NS 9843-CN 5745

Shortly thereafter I heard CP 9720 west get a clearance from Coakley siding on the Galt subdivision to begin/end CTC sign Nissouri with an item four to meet CP 242 east. At the same time I heard CN trains 399 and 271 coming on the Dundas subdivision. The plan was to try to get 399, 271 and 242. CP 9720 was already lost. CN 399 met 392 in Paris so I figured I could catch 399 and 271 before I needed to bolt to the Galt subdivision for 242. I got lucky, it worked.

  • 0937 Eatonia - CN 399 west - CN 5795-CN 2644-IC 6071
  • 0949 Eatonia - CN 271 west - CN 5275-GCFX 6065
  • 1011 Wolverton - CP 242 east - CP 9706

A foreman was putting a track block on the Galt subdivision in Galt for three hours after 242 went by so there was no point hanging around CP. Back to the Dundas subdivision I went. Since Princeton is really nice I went there. Just as I was pulling into town the detector at mile 40 went off. It turned out to be 434 east. I got to the tracks just in time to see it blast through. I didn't note the engine numbers but the second unit was an SD50F. No great loss.

I picked up refreshments at the local variety store and waited. After a while of a very quiet scanner the crossing gates in town activated followed very closely by the detector at mile 40. Something was here and I didn't have much time to get my camera. Behold train 148 east.
  • 1125 Princeton - CN 148 east - CN 5650-CN 2641-CN 5740

CN is pretty slow today. I heard 435 working Brantford so I know it's coming but first was Via 72.

  • 1238 Princeton - Via 72 east - VIA 915

The detector at mile 40 south track went off again with a speed of 20 mph. That would be foreman Crosby doing a track inspection. It now sounded like things would pick up. The RTC wanted foreman Crosby to clear the track for some action. First up was an eastbound.

  • 1306 Princeton - CN 434 east - CN 2403-CN 2591-CN 4707

CN 434 was taking the north service track at Paris Jct. for two westbounds.

  • 1330 Princeton - CN 435 west - CN 2639-CN 5363-CN 5517-CN 4102
  • 1335 Princeton - Via 73 west - VIA 6408/VIA 6401 (both in Spiderman 2 decals)
  • 1345 Princeton - CN 385 west - CN 2645-CN 5289-CN 5249-IORY 4070

The IORY was a brand new ex-SP tunnel motor that I didn't get a good photo of because I only had one frame left on my film. DOH!!! Luckily the battery on my DV camera survived long enough to get the train. Train 331 was right behind 385 but was boring and I didn't photograph it. Now the chase was on. I heard the DI dispatcher tell 385 that it would be recrewed at Gore Rd. in London. So to the 401 I head to catch 385 again in London.

When I got to Airport Rd. in London 385 was just coming into town. I headed to the Gore Rd. crossing and photographed it parked there waiting for a recrew. That was easy.

  • 1455 London - CN 385 west - CN 2645-CN 5289-CN 5249-IORY 4070

Since I drove all the way to London I checked out the CN and CP yards. There wasn't much of interest so I decided to head for St. Thomas and see what NS 327 had run with. On my way out of town I heard 385 had its new crew and was again under way.

In St. Thomas I found the NS power parked by the CN building on the Paynes subdivision where it always is.

  • 1608 St. Thomas - NS 327 - NS 9809-NS 9337

Well I'd about had it for the day and decided to head back home. I took Highway 3 and stopped to photograph the St. Thomas and Eastern's HR-412 in Tillsonburg.

  • 1650 Tillsonburg - STER power - STER 3582

On the way back home I passed through Jarvis, Hagersville and Troy and checked out the abandoned right-of-way of the CN Cayuga subdivision, Michigan Central/New York Central/Penn Central/Conrail Canada Division, and the CN Dunnville subdivision respectively. It's always sad driving through that area. Nowhere is it more depressing though than in Canfield Junction where all three of those now abandoned lines converge. I chose to bypass the junction that day.

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