Trackside Log for Thursday, December 30, 2010

This evening I heard Canadian Pacific train 246 obtain a clearance from the Hamilton Subdivision dispatcher from mile 36 to the north siding switch Welland. I took my camera along for my walk with Missy and timed it so I could photograph the train at Foss Road.

• 1631 Fenwick - CP 246 south - CP 9713-SOO 6035
  

It is rather dark at this time in December but I managed to eke out a photograph. Of note is that CP 9713 still wears evidence of the Christmas lights used during its employ as the Holiday Train years earlier.

Later in the evening I heard train 247 north obtain their clearance through town. I took Missy out to watch it pass through in the dark before bed time.

• 2303 Fenwick - CP 247 north - SOO 6022-CITX 3095-CITX 3066-ICE 6452

The motive power was from ethanol train 626 from the night of the 27th. Unfortunately all the ethanol trains have been running the Hamilton Subdivision in the dark of late.

Trackside Log for Tuesday, December 28, 2010

This was my first morning back home after Christmas with my family. Missy and I were starting back into our daily routine with our morning walk. Just as we returned home I could hear the sound of a wheezing horn to the north. I dashed inside to get my camera and walked to the back of my property to take a look.

• 0910 Fenwick - CP 246 south - SOO 6038-SOO 6052-CITX 3177
  

I was pleased to see the Soo Line SD60s and the leased SD40-2. CITX 3177 is ex-CEFX 3177, nee BN 6834 and certainly added a splash of colour to the scene.

Trackside Log for Monday, December 20, 2010

I was in the process of getting my day started and heard horns approaching town. I hadn't photographed much for several days so I took Missy down to River Road to have a look at Canadian Pacific train 246.

• 0848 Fenwick - CP 246 south - CP 5691-CEFX 3168-STLH 5593
  

What a motley assortment of SD40-2s. For a cloudy day the photograph worked out rather well.

Trackside Log for Monday, December 13, 2010

Canadian Pacific train 255 rolled into town shortly after Missy and I started our morning walk. Missy and I watched it accelerate over the Foss Road crossing.

• 0800 Fenwick - CP 255 north - CP 6021-CEFX 2786-CEFX 3160-CITX 3083

The colourful consist of a few days ago had returned, albeit without the Delaware & Hudson GP38-2 and with the leased engines reversed.

As fate would have it we encountered another northbound train on our evening walk. This time it was the local running a pair of flat cars loaded with pipe for Cappco in Smithville.

• 1650 Fenwick - CP northbound - CP 8250-CP 8209

Once again we watched the train cross Foss Road.

After switching their cars they returned a while later.

• 1823 Fenwick - CP southbound - CP 8209-CP 8250

Trackside Log for Friday, December 10, 2010

This morning I heard a northbound approaching town so I walked with Missy behind my house to take a look. As the train eased around the curve toward me I was impressed by how colourful the train was.

• 0937 Fenwick - CP 255 north - CP 6021-CITX 3083-CEFX 3160-CEFX 2786-DH 7304
  

The Delaware & Hudson GP38-2 was a rather nice bonus. After a friendly thumbs-up from the conductor Missy and I headed back to the warmth of the indoors.

During the afternoon the snow began to fall. I left the scanner on in the background and eventually heard the Canadian Pacific Hamilton Subdivision dispatcher talking to a southbound. I took Missy over to Sumbler road for a photograph in the snow.

• 1416 Fenwick - CP 246 south - CP 8850-CP 6047
  

Then we headed back home. It's a good thing I live here. Photographing Hamilton Subdivision trains certainly won't keep you busy.

Just as we were returning from our evening walk a northbound was making some noise. We watched it pass by from the back of my property.

• 1640 Fenwick - CP 627 north - CP 5926-CITX 3098-CITX 3090-CITX 3095

Canadian Pacific is back to running the ethanol trains while either I'm not home or it's dark out.

Trackside Log for Sunday, December 5, 2010

Once again, just as Missy and I were returning from our morning walk, we heard horns to the south. We waited behind our house to see train 247 north pass by.

• 0955 Fenwick - CP 247 north - CP 6036-CP 6043-CP 6009-CP 5926

The last SD40-2 was returning from the ethanol train that ran a day prior.

Trackside Log for Saturday, December 4, 2010

Missy and I were just waking up this morning when I heard horns behind my house. I looked out the window and saw an ethanol train rolling through town. I gathered Missy and my camera then set off for Fort Erie to photograph it.

• 0848 Fort Erie - CP 626 east - CP 5926-CSXT 4503-CSXT 78
  

Thus far I'd only photographed the ethanol trains on Canadian Pacific's Hamilton Subdivision. It was nice to see one on Canadian National's Stamford Subdivision for a change.

I was a bit bored so I actually recorded the entire consist of train 626-560: [show/hide]

1. CP 5926 - SD40-2
2. CSXT 4503 - SD70MAC
3. CSXT 78 - AC4400CW
4. WREX 3003 - Equipped Box Car (buffer)
5. TILX 196101
6. TILX 191279
7. CTCX 731359
8. NATX 302329
9. TILX 197287
10. UTLX 210998
11. TILX 191331
12. TILX 192365
13. NATX 303773
14. TILX 196203
15. TILX 190540
16. NATX 303673
17. UTLX 208195
18. UTLX 208219
19. TILX 197266
20. NATX 302350
21. NATX 302359
22. NATX 302192
23. TILX 196118
24. NATX 303563
25. UTLX 208170
26. TILX 197272
27. NATX 302340
28. NATX 302092
29. TILX 191269
30. NATX 302201
31. TILX 197036
32. CTCX 732902
33. UTLX 208216
34. DBUX 302877
35. CTCX 732901
36. DBUX 303269
37. TILX 197003
38. UTLX 208194
39. DBUX 302889
40. TILX 192504
41. NATX 302273
42. NATX 302255
43. DBUX 302628
44. TILX 198619
45. TILX 196216
46. TILX 198525
47. CTCX 731368
48. TILX 198427
49. NATX 302265
50. CTCX 731371
51. TILX 196054
52. TILX 191347
53. NATX 303768
54. UTLX 208132
55. UTLX 210963
56. TILX 197070
57. TILX 198469
58. TILX 191262
59. CTCX 731153
60. CTCX 731447
61. NATX 302250
62. DBUX 301598
63. DBUX 301636
64. TILX 196085
65. NATX 302101
66. CTCX 731470
67. UTLX 211076
68. NATX 303589
69. NATX 303757
70. NATX 303663
71. CTCX 731480
72. TILX 191321
73. TILX 191259
74. TILX 192375
75. CTCX 731663
76. CTCX 731658
77. DBUX 301565
78. CTCX 731473
79. TILX 191528
80. TILX 192642
81. NATX 303730
82. TILX 190511
83. DBUX 300001
84. TILX 198432

Trackside Log for Sunday, November 21, 2010

I was at home relaxing with Missy for the day. I kept the scanner on in the background on the off chance that something might be running during daylight on the Canadian Pacific's Hamilton Subdivision. Lo and behold a southbound called out the Smithville mile board in the early afternoon. I figured I'd take advantage of the relatively bright day to obtain a photograph.

• 1324 Fenwick - CP 246 south - CP 5956-CP 5935-CP 5919
  

With pictures taken we returned home. That was all there was to be for daylight activity.

Trackside Log for Saturday, November 20, 2010

Once again I was at home with the scanner on. Eventually I heard a southbound call out the Smithville mile board so I took Missy over to River Road for a photograph.

• 1327 Fenwick - CP 246 south - CP 8635-SOO 6039
  

Later on, just as Missy and I were returning from our walk train 247 finally made it out of Welland Yard after several hours of switching.

• 1641 Fenwick - CP 247 north - CP 8831-CP 8802

It was pretty dark by the time it ran through town.

Trackside Log for Friday, November 19, 2010

Today I wasn't heading into work until 1700 so I stayed at home with Missy and turned on the scanner. At about noon I heard a northbound train obtain a clearance from Brookfield East to Smithville on the Canadian Pacific's Hamilton Subdivision. I took Missy over to Welland Yard for a photograph.

• 1304 Welland - CP 627 north - CP 8833-CEFX 1002-CEFX 1027-CP 8761
  

I headed back to Fenwick and the Avondale for some supplies. I was easily able to beat the train to the Farr Street crossing so I took another photograph.

• 1315 Fenwick - CP 627 north - CP 8833-CEFX 1002-CEFX 1027-CP 8761
  

I was hoping to be able to catch this empty ethanol train. It worked out coincidentally that it ran the day I was going to be heading into work late in the day.

Trackside Log for Tuesday, November 16, 2010

Tonight as I was returning from a Hamilton Bulldogs hockey game I happened across a Canadian Pacific southbound at the Highway 20 underpass near home. I drove ahead to check it out.

• 2242 Fenwick - CP 246 south - CP 5959-CP 5798-CP 5933

By the way, Hamilton beat the Toronto Marlies 2-1 in a shoot-out.

Trackside Log for Monday, November 15, 2010

While at home working on the computer after supper I heard the horns of a southbound approaching town. I felt like a break so I took Missy out to see the train rumble over the Church Street crossing.

• 1919 Fenwick - CP 246 south - CP 8785

It didn't take long for the rather short train to clear after which we headed back inside.

After a while the Welland Yard power passed through town with three pipe loads for Cappco in Smithville.

• 2112 Fenwick - CP northbound local - CP 8250-CP 8209

Upon arrival at Smithville they discovered that it was not possible to deliver the cars because the Cappco spur was blocked by track equipment. So after running around the their train they brought the cars back to Welland Yard.

• 2210 Fenwick - CP southbound local - CP 8209-CP 8250

Not long after the GP9s returned to Welland Yard train 254 obtained a clearance into the yard. Missy and I went out to watch it pass by in the night.

• 2318 Fenwick - CP 254 south - CP 8820-CP 8846

Then it was bed time.

Trackside Log for Sunday, November 14, 2010

Missy and I were just getting up when train 246 south arrived in town. We weren't able to see the train but I turned on the scanner to discover that a northbound was waiting in Welland Yard for it. The northbound was led by CEFX 1049 which I photographed a day earlier. There was much chatter about the length of the northbound. Missy and I headed to Boyle to see this train.

• 0802 Boyle - CP 627 north - CEFX 1049-CP 9544
  

It turned out that trains 247 and 627 had swapped power in Buffalo. Train 627 was indeed very long because it was comprised of two empty ethanol trains. The train was 656 axles and made up of two engines, a buffer car, tank cars, another buffer, and a final cut of tank cars for a total of 161 cars. Jinkies! A third locomotive, CP 5790, was added in Hamilton for the journey up the Niagara Escarpment in Waterdown.

Although I kept the scanner on throughout the day, it was silent until about 1230 when I heard a southbound call out the Smithville mile board. I took Missy down to River Road to photograph a loaded ethanol train.

• 1254 Fenwick - CP 626 south - CP 5833-ICE 6407-ICE 6404-DME 6069
  

The sky was dull and grey and it was starting to sprinkle but the photographs turned out reasonably well. The scanner at mile 18.3 reported 344 axles for the train. As a side note, DME 6069 is the former SD40 CP 5513.

Later that evening I heard CP 5833 obtain a clearance back onto the Canadian Pacific Hamilton Subdivision at Brookfield. I took Missy out before bedtime to watch it go by again, this time in the dark.

• 2257 Fenwick - CP 247 north - CP 5833-ICE 6407-ICE 6404-DME 6069

Naturally there were no clouds in the sky while it rumbled through Fenwick in the still of night.

Trackside Log for Saturday, November 13, 2010

Missy and I awoke this morning to some fairly dense fog. We were just about to embark on our morning walk when the sound of horns in the distance caught my attention. I don't get the opportunity to photograph trains in the fog as often as I'd like so I got my camera and took Missy over to Chantler Road to do just that.

• 0848 Fenwick - CP 246 south - CEFX 1049-CP 9544
  

Train 246 was meeting a northbound at Welland Yard. We waited for the northbound for a while but it was taking a very long time to leave. Missy and I returned home for our walk. It happened to work out that train 255 arrived in town just as we were heading home from the walk.

• 1007 Fenwick - CP 255 north - CP 9664

After the train departed we were unobstructed on our journey back home.

Trackside Log for Saturday, November 6, 2010

This afternoon I was at home with the scanner on. I was sort of listening to it in the background when my ears perked up. I heard a northbound train call out the Welland mile board with CSXT 645 leading. I got my camera and took Missy over to Farr Street for a photograph.

• 1402 Fenwick - CP 627 north - CSXT 645-CSXT 7725
  

Finally I was able to photograph one of the ethanol trains (an empty this time) in nice sunshine. The bonus was the CSX motive power.

Trackside Log for Wednesday, November 3, 2010

While Missy and I were returning from our morning walk we listened to the horns of an approaching northbound. We arrived in time to watch it pass behind home.

• 0850 Fenwick - CP 255 north - CP 9633-CP 9537

After a hearty wave from the conductor on a frosty morning we made our way to the warmth of the indoors.

Trackside Log for Sunday, October 31, 2010

I had the scanner on in the background while at home relaxing. It was rather quiet but in the morning I heard a southbound train announce the slow order between mile 36 and 39. Missy and I meandered our way over to River Road to see what it was.

• 1041 Fenwick - CP 246 south - CP 5612-CITX 3058-SOO 6040
  

CITX 3058 is formerly GCFX 3058 and originally CP 5628. It was also rather nice to see SD40-2s again.

In the afternoon I once again heard a southbound call out the slow order. This time I knew what the train was. This was train 626, an ethanol unit train from the Dakota, Minnesota and Eastern. Several of these trains have run over the Canadian Pacific Hamilton Subdivision but this is the first that a) has been in daylight and b) I've been home for. Missy and I returned to River Road for a photograph.

• 1611 Fenwick - CP 626 south - CP 9739-CP 9547
  

While watching the train roll past I photographed it behind one of the few remaining relics of the Toronto, Hamilton & Buffalo Railway.

• 1618 Fenwick - TH&B crossbuck at mile 23 of the Hamilton Subdivision
  

The weather was sub-optimal but I was finally able to photograph one of the ethanol trains.

Trackside Log for Thursday, October 28, 2010

I was just getting ready to take Missy for her walk this morning when I heard some horns approaching from the north. It was a rather dark, cold and windy morning but I thought I'd try for a photograph anyway. The reward was a consist devoid of General Electric locomotives.

• 0824 Fenwick - CP 246 south - CP 6080-CEFX 3173-CP 6046
  

A maintenance of way crew has been replacing ties between mile 23 and mile 26 for the last few days. Consequently train 246 crept by at about ten miles per hour. I didn't bother waiting for the end of the train but instead drove back home to take Missy for her morning walk.

Trackside Log for Saturday, October 23, 2010

This morning while walking Missy I could hear the distant rumble of GM prime movers. After about 10 minutes train 626 came into view.

• 0720 Fenwick - CP 626 south - SOO 6049-CITX 2794-CEFX 3184-CITX 3072

I wasn't in any position to photograph it but it was too dark anyway.

The plan for the day was to meet up with Marcus and photograph the Credit Valley Explorer between Orangeville and Snelgrove. The original goal was to commemorate the last Canadian Pacific run of the Moonlight to Orangeville on September 28, 2000. I was three weeks late but oh well.

We met at his house and headed off to Orangeville to check out the train. When we arrived it was loading passengers.

• 1040 Orangeville - OBRY Credit Valley Explorer south - CCGX 4009
  

Our first destination was Cataract. This is the former junction of the Canadian Pacific Elora and Orangeville Subdivisions as well and the location of a large limestone quarry. Here you can see the train run along the edge of the cataract at the ruins of the Cataract Electric Company.

• 1150 Cataract - OBRY Credit Valley Explorer south - CCGX 4009
  

After our long but fruitful wait we drove out ahead of the train and caught up to it in Inglewood.

• 1212 Inglewood - OBRY Credit Valley Explorer south - CCGX 4009
  

Once again we made our way south to find another location to photograph the train while the sunshine held out. We settled on King Street near Cheltenham where we could photograph the Niagara Escarpment in the background.

• 1225 Cheltenham - OBRY Credit Valley Explorer south - CCGX 4009
  

We followed along again and photographed the train one more time in Snelgrove just before the GP9 switched ends to return north.

• 1232 Snelgrove - OBRY Credit Valley Explorer south - CCGX 4009
  

Now that the train was returning north we headed back to Cheltenham for one last photograph of the train.

• 1256 Cheltenham - OBRY Credit Valley Explorer north - CCGX 4009
  

By now the clouds had moved in so we called off the chase of the Credit Valley Explorer. Marcus and I then headed into Brampton to the station to see if there was any activity on the Canadian National's Halton Subdivision. As we were arriving we heard on the scanner that three trains were converging on town. Nice timing!

• 1346 Brampton - CN 435 west - CN 2439-CN 6020
  
• 1401 Brampton - CN 422 east - CN 8868-CN 8888-CN 2326-CN 2327-CN 2330-CN 2324-CN 2329
  
• 1421 Brampton - CN 382 east - CN 5698-BCOL 4616
  

Train 422 was a nice bonus to see the five new ES44DCs on delivery. Nothing else was imminent so we departed for lunch and the Credit Valley Railway hobby shop. All in all it was a pretty good day. I wasn't expecting much from the weather but we were fortunate to have some decent sun for the Credit Valley Explorer.

Trackside Log for Wednesday, October 20, 2010

While walking Missy this morning I could hear odd sounding horns from the south. Just as we were returning home I could hear them one concession away. We walked back behind my house to see what belonged to those horns. Before long a Canadian Pacific maintenance of way truck towing two gondolas of ties pulled around the bend.

• 0915 Fenwick - CP maintenance of way north - CP E06012 (truck)

The truck was loaded with new ties although I'm unsure where they were being placed.

Trackside Log for Thursday, October 14, 2010

I had just walked out the door to head to work this morning when I heard horns approaching from the north. By the time I got to the Foss Road crossing the signals were activated. I watched train 246 pass by me.

• 0939 Fenwick - CP 246 south - CP 6034-CP 5917-CP 6080

Once the way was clear I continued to work.

Trackside Log for Tuesday, October 12, 2010

Tonight I was getting ready for bed and heard on the scanner that train 254 south was on the way. Then it hit me. Why not photograph the train's lights illuminating the scenery behind my house with a long exposure. So I got Missy and my tripod and walked to the back of my property and set up for a photograph.

• 2243 Fenwick - CP 254 south - CP 9574-CP xxxx
  

In the dark I couldn't see the number of the second engine. But, I was quite satisfied with the effect of the photograph.

Trackside Log for Sunday, October 10, 2010

This morning I decided to take Missy trackside on the Canadian National Dundas Subdivision. The choice was based on the report that train 148 departed Chicago with a pair of BC Rail C40-8Ms for power. I pulled into the former site of Copetown station in time for VIA 70.

• 0916 Copetown - VIA 70 east - VIA 6414 (Lotto Québec)
  

After that it was total dullsville for more than two hours. Missy and I wandered around and relaxed until at long last an eastbound presented itself.

• 1127 Copetown - CN 392 east - CN 5740-CN 5546
  
• 1243 Copetown - CN 331 west - CN 2643-CN 5543-CN 5554
  
• 1245 Copetown - VIA 72 east - VIA 902
  

Then the foamers started showing up. On the positive side I took it to mean that train 148 was on the way. First up, however, was VIA 73.

• 1307 Copetown - VIA 73 west - VIA 6452
  
• 1328 Copetown - CN 148 east - BCOL 4623-BCOL 4605
  

I waited around for a while longer to see plenty of nothing. It got rather boring so Missy and I departed and headed generally toward my family. Somewhat arbitrarily I made the decision to visit Garnet to see if the Southern Ontario Railway was up to anything. As I approached their yard I saw their train parked at the south end. I was able to easily photograph it from the road.

• 1522 Garnet - SOR 596 south - CEFX 2014-RLK 3873-RMPX 9431
  

After a few photographs I resumed my meandering drive to visit my family.

Now that I look back at it I'm not surprised that I don't bother to drive to the Canadian National tracks much any more. A total of three freights in six hours is not inspiring.

Trackside Log for Saturday, October 9, 2010

Not long after returning from MIssy's walk this morning I heard a southbound Canadian Pacific train on the scanner announce the Boyle mile board. It was a beautiful sunny day for a change so I took Missy over to Chantler Road to see it.

• 0900 Fenwick - CP 246 south - CP 9675-CP 9590
  

After the relatively long string of autoracks cruised by we returned home.

Trackside Log for Thursday, October 7, 2010

The crossing signals at Foss Road were activated this morning as I approached them on my way to work. Moments later train 255 north passed by.

• 0855 Fenwick - CP 255 north - CP 6017-SOO 6051-SOO 6034

Unfortunately, without my camera, I didn't get a picture. Oh well, it was fun to watch roll by.

Trackside Log for Sunday, September 26, 2010

It had been two weeks since the last time I ventured trackside. I was at home working with some of my slides and turned on the scanner. It didn't take long before I discovered that three trains were going to converge on Canadian Pacific's Welland Yard that morning. I decided to take my camera out and see what I could photograph. Once I heard the first northbound train pass the detector at mile 18.3 with 372 axles I drove to Chantler Road to photograph it passing the old wooden barn there.

• 1001 Fenwick - CP 255 north - CP 9675-CP 9510
  

Then I drove over to Philips Road to see the meet between trains 427 and 254.

• 1024 Welland - CP 427 north - CP 9573-CP 8849

I waited quite a while for train 254 to make a move but gave up and photographed it in front of the yard office.

• 1117 Welland - CP 254 south - CP 8528-CP 9533
  

Since train 427 began switching the yard and nothing else was happening I headed back home. A while later I heard a southbound call out the Boyle mile board so I went back out to see it.

• 1307 Fenwick - CP 426 south - CP 8751-CP 9853
  

Train 427 was still in the yard so I once again returned home. Eventually I heard it obtain its clearance out of the yard so I dashed over to Farr Street to see the train for a second time.

• 1342 Fenwick - CP 427 north - CP 9573-CP 8849
  

After stopping at the Avondale in town for a snack I returned home yet again. That was all there was for daylight trains. It sure is nice to have trains 426 and 427 back again.