Trackside Log for Sunday, March 26, 2006

The morning was very nice, a few clouds and lots of sun. I decided I wanted to catch the Maple Leaf so I headed to Merritton for 1000 and wound up seeing a bonus CN train too.

• 0946 Merritton - CN 332 west - CN 2544
• 1005 Merritton - Via 97 east - AMTK 706

The goal was to visit friends in Binbrook for the afternoon so I wandered about for the morning seeing whatever showed up. Now that the Welland Canal is open for the 2006 season I drove along it through Thorold and dropped by the Abitibi paper plant. As luck would have it, the switcher was just leaving for Allanburg with a cut of boxcars.

• 1021 Thorold South - Abitibi switcher south - Donohue 2

In Port Robinson I espied the CSL ship Spruceglen and photographed it. Earlier I'd heard CP train 256 get a clearance from Kinnear to Welland so I dropped by the yard.

• 1100 Welland - CP 256 south - CP 9759-CP 9605

CP was having problems with their communication towers and the crew had to get a clearance by phone. I headed to Fort Erie where I heard that CN 339 had parked its train for a recrew. My timing was on fire since NS train 369 was just pulling through the yard as I arrived in town.

• 1139 Duff (Fort Erie) - NS 369 west - NS 2749-NS 9825-NS 9637

Sure enough, CN 339 was parked by the International Bridge so I took a couple shots.

• 1148 Fort Erie - CN 339 east - CN 2675-CN 2452

If I wanted to get to Binbrook in the early afternoon I'd have to head out so off I went. All in all not a bad morning. I saw a little of everything.