Trackside Log for Wednesday, March 31, 2010

I had just arrived at home for lunch and turned on the scanner when I heard Canadian Pacific train 246 asking a foreman for some track. I determined that the train was just north of me and took Missy up the road for a photograph.

• 1256 Fenwick - CP 246 south - CP 8757-CP 6036
  

After a couple pictures were taken I returned home to eat lunch.

I spent the afternoon working from home and kept the scanner on. Later in the afternoon I heard another southbound call out the Smithville mile board. I let it get a bit closer before taking Missy out for another photograph.

• 1540 Fenwick - CP 426 south - CP 5935-CITX 3078-CP 5775
  

I had previously seen the CITX SD40-2 when it was GCFX 3078 on CSX in Fairport, New York. I wasn't in a very good position to photograph the CITX SD40-2 so I drove ahead to Welland Yard for another shot at the train.

• 1556 Welland - CP 426 south - CP 5935-CITX 3078-CP 5775
  

After a wave to the engineer and a few photographs I turned for home and continued working. Before long it was time for Missy's evening walk. Just as I was thinking about going I heard the sound of a horn approaching. I picked up my camera, got Missy and headed for the Church Street crossing.

• 1712 Fenwick - CP Job 3 north - CP 8250-CP 8246
  

Then Missy and I resumed our walk through the Lions Club park. After our walk Job 3 returned as light power from delivering the pipe load to Cappco in Smithville.

• 1752 Fenwick - CP Job 3 south - CP 8246-CP 8250

This time I just watched it pass by.

Trackside Log for Saturday, March 27, 2010

Today was to be a beautiful day so I set off with Missy to take advantage of it. It had been a very long time since I'd gone trackside around Hamilton and even longer since I'd been west of there. Our first stop was Aldershot for VIA 70.

• 0954 Aldershot - VIA 70 east - VIA 6439
  

After it passed I drove to the Southern Ontario Railway to see if either of their newly delivered CEFX switchers were in action. Shortly after walking onto the Bay Street bridge they fired up one of them, coupled onto a cut of grain cars and set off for the Bunge oilseed processing plant.

• 1033 Hamilton - SOR switcher - CEFX 2019
  

I decided to photograph the train over at the Bunge plant as well. As we arrived I saw the Bunge switcher moving out of the way.

• 1041 Hamilton - Bunge switcher
  
• 1043 Hamilton - SOR switcher - CEFX 2019
  

While waiting to see what the Southern Ontario Railway would do I heard Canadian National train 421 announce it was departing Hamilton Yard. I dashed over to Wentworth Street to see it.

• 1124 Hamilton - CN 421 east - CN 5612-CN 2406-CN 5793
  

Having found what I came for I decided to depart Hamilton for points west. First I stopped off at Copetown and Lynden but very little was happening on the Canadian National Dundas Subdivision. While waiting for some action I heard a westbound obtain a clearance on the Canadian Pacific Galt Subdivision. I knew I could intercept it at Galt so off we went.

• 1306 Galt - CP 421 west - CP 5847- CP 6020-CP 6037-CP 5879
  

Train 421 was dropping cars in Galt so I drove farther west to photograph it again in what passes as scenery at this time of year.

• 1335 Orr's Lake - CP 421 west - CP 6020-CP 6037-CP 5879
  

In the mean time the Hamilton Turn also acquired a clearance so I decided to stick to the Canadian Pacific for it as well. I continued farther west and caught up to train 421 once again while it was dropping cars in Woodstock.

• 1443 Woodstock - CP 421 west - CP 6020-CP 6037-CP 5879
  

I was close to the Lafarge Canada plant in Zorra so I decided to use the overhead conveyor there for a prop with the Hamilton Turn.

• 1514 Zorra - CP Hamilton Turn west - CP 3096-CP 3038
  

I'd heard nothing else on Canadian Pacific so I turned south toward Ingersoll and the Canadian National. As I approached downtown I noticed that Ontario Southland was present. I made my way to the junction of the former Canadian Pacific Port Burwell Subdivision. I arrived just in time to catch Ontario Southland leaving for Salford.

• 1528 Ingersoll - OSR southbound - OSRX 182-OSRX 378
  

I then continued south to photograph the train along the way to their shops in Salford.

• 1533 Ingersoll - OSR southbound - OSRX 182-OSRX 378
  
• 1542 Salford - OSR southbound - OSRX 182-OSRX 378
  

At Salford the Ontario Southland crew put the power away and the chase was over. By this time I was quite near Tillsonburg so I continued on with the Trillium Railway's St. Thomas and Eastern as my next destination.

• 1607 Tillsonburg - STER power - TRRY 1842
  
• 1610 Tillsonburg - STER power - TRRY 1859-STER 3582
  

The former Ottawa Central RS-18s were acquired late the previous year but I hadn't made the trip to Tillsonburg to see them before. It was nice to finally get some photographs. However, the day was getting on so I started to wend my way home. Along the way I stopped at Nanticoke to see if the Southern Ontario Railway was switching the Esso plant. No such luck there, but as I proceeded north I discovered them shoving cars into the yard in Garnet.

• 1726 Garnet - SOR switcher - SOR 5005-RLK 4095-RMPX 9431
  

After a few photographs at Garnet I continued my drive toward home but stopped off at my sister's home for a visit. All in all it was a beautiful day. Missy had a great time. I know because she's now contently sleeping behind me as I write this.

Trackside Log for Friday, March 26, 2010

I was just returning from walking Missy and heard the scanner in my truck talking. I opened the door in time to hear the Canadian Pacific Hamilton Subdivision dispatcher issue a clearance for a southbound between station name sign Welland and station name sign Brookfield East. I quickly determined that the train was very near so I got my camera and drove to Chantler Road for a photograph.

• 0841 Fenwick - CP 246 south - CP 9570-CP 9576

After the pair of rather pathetic looking AC4400s passed by I returned home to get ready for work.

Trackside Log for Monday, March 22, 2010

I was at home sick today. Late in the morning I was on my way out to the local Avondale for some food when I heard a southbound approaching. I picked up my camera and intercepted the train on my way to the store.

• 1126 Fenwick - CP 426 south - CP 9562-CEFX 1023

After a photograph and my Avondale trip I returned home.

Trackside Log for Sunday, March 21, 2010

I was at home working with some of my photography when I heard the sound of horns approaching. The sun had come out so I got in my truck to take a photograph. As I was leaving my house I could see that there were a pair of trailing SD40-2s in the consist so at least it wasn't solid GE motive power. I arrived at River Road with a few minutes to spare.

• 1523 Fenwick - CP 426 south - CP 8780-CP 6073-CP 5916

I got a bit lucky. A minute or two after the head end passed over River Road one of the few clouds in the sky obscured the sun.

Trackside Log for Saturday, March 20, 2010

For several years Canadian Pacific has assigned a pair of GP38-2s to Welland Yard. A couple months ago a pair of GP9s were assigned to the yard and have been swapped out for different units frequently. I hadn't had a chance to photograph them yet so when I noticed the pair heading light toward Smithville this morning I decided it would be a prime opportunity to photograph them on their return trip. I turned the scanner on and waited until the detector at mile 27.8 was activated.

• 1047 Fenwick - CP Job 2 south - CP 8246-CP 8250

I like seeing the GP9s back in town. Hopefully Canadian pacific will continue to assign them here.

Trackside Log for Saturday, March 13, 2010

Very soon after my shower this morning I heard the sound of horns approaching from the south. Although the weather was rather grim it wasn't raining so I took my camera to the Church Street crossing to have a look.

• 0752 Fenwick - CP 427 north - CP 8829-CP 8847
  

Apparently I turned to leave too quickly. The last two cars on the train were scale test cars but I was too far away for a photograph. Oh well. At any rate I returned home to wait for Sam to arrive. We were heading to Montreal for the annual St. Patrick's Day Parade.

Once she arrived we were on our way. Our route was through New York with a detour to see the Wellsboro and Corning. En route we stopped off in Lakeville, New York to have a peek at the Livonia, Avon and Lakeville.

• 1152 Lakeville, NY - LAL power - WNYP 451-LAL 320-LAL 321-LAL 319
  

After a series of photographs Sam and I were back on our way. The next stop was the Bath and Hammondsport in Cohocton, NY.

• 1251 Cohocton, NY - B&H power - IBCX 2028
• 1252 Cohocton, NY - B&H power - NYSW 3674
• 1252 Cohocton, NY - B&H power - SIXX 77-NYSW 3660
• 1253 Cohocton, NY - B&H power - BH 4

After a very wet drive we arrived at my primary quarry: the newly acquired former Quebec North Shore and Labrador SD40-2CLCs. Four of these were recently purchased by the Wellsboro and Corning. Upon arriving at Wellsboro Junction, Pennsylvania I discovered three of the four SD40-2CLCs. That's not bad.

• 1438 Wellsboro Junction, PA - WCOR power - WCOR 309-WCOR 301-WCOR 302
  

Also in attendance was the power for the Tioga Central tourist train.

• 1443 Wellsboro Junction, PA - Tioga Central power - TIOC 506-TIOC 14-TIOC 62
  

My mission was accomplished. I had to drive a long way to photograph something that spent some time in my own back yard. I didn't get a chance to photograph the former QNSL SD40-2CLCs when they were in Hamilton, Ontario at Railcare getting relettered for WCOR. So catching then on their new home rails was good. At that point Sam and I drove on to Montreal and checked into the Residence Inn for the night.

Trackside Log for Monday, March 8, 2010

I'd just gotten home from visiting friends and taken Missy out before bed when I heard the sound of northbound horns approaching. I decided to take Missy for a short impromptu walk to the crossing on Church Street to have a look.

• 0001 Fenwick - CP 427 north - CP 9631-CP 9656

After the very short train passed by I returned home for bed time.

Trackside Log for Saturday, March 6, 2010

It was a bright sunny morning so after returning from my morning walk with Missy I turned on the scanner. It wasn't long before I heard a train call out the mile board at Boyle. I got my camera and headed to Chantler Road for a picture.

• 0855 Fenwick - CP 246 south - CP 8848-CP 6001

I was happy to see something other than GE power on the train. The next train however was all GE.

• 1117 Fenwick - CP 427 north - CP 9562-CP 8643

The lighting wasn't great but it was still a beautiful day so what the heck.