Trackside Log for Monday, May 31, 2010

This afternoon I had just gone out the door to take Missy for her walk when I heard horns toward the north. I turned around, got my camera and drove down to Chantler Road. When I got there I peered down the tracks and could see the southbound stopped behind my house. I didn't have my scanner with me but I figured it was stopped for the conductor to inspect the train for a hot wheel. When the hot box detector at mile 28.7 finds something that's where the trains stop. After a short while the train proceeded and I got my photograph.

• 1657 Fenwick - CP 426 south - CEFX 1028-CP 5941
  

The skies were beginning to cloud over but light was still quite plentiful. I then returned home for Missy's walk.

Trackside Log for Monday, May 24, 2010

Today was Victoria Day and a day off. Missy and I were just returning from our morning walk when I could hear a train approaching from the north. We sprinted home to get my camera and then drove over to Chantler Road for a photograph.

• 0828 Fenwick - CP 246 south - CP 5957-CP 9553-CP 5913
  

Then we went home so Missy could flop on my floor and rest.

That evening, just as I was on my way to Hamilton for a Bulldogs game I was stopped at the Church Street crossing for a southbound.

• 1823 Fenwick - CP 426 south - SOO 6046-SOO 6049

After it cleared the crossing I was on my way to, sadly, watch Hamilton lose to the Texas Stars.

Trackside Log for Sunday, May 23, 2010

Today's goal was to meet up with some folks in Georgetown to see Shane who was back in Ontario for a visit. I began my trek from Fenwick after Missy's walk and stopped off at Aldershot to see if anything was pending. At Lemonville Road I could see an eastbound signal lit so I waited around for what turned out to be train 382.

• 1011 Aldershot - CN 382 east - CN 2287-CN 5793
  

Odds were that not much else was pending so I continued on my way north toward Georgetown. I made one more stop along the way in Guelph Junction to check out the Canadian Pacific Galt Subdivision. Unfortunately nothing was happening there so I continued to Georgetown to meet up with everybody. Amid the chatter several trains turned up.

• 1228 Georgetown - CN 435 west - CN 2539-CN 5691
  
• 1329 Georgetown - CN 148 east - CN 5627-CN 2677
  
• 1347 Georgetown - GEXR 432 east - GSCX 7369-FEC 709-GSCX 7362
  
  
• 1400 Georgetown - CN 422 east - CN 2271-CN 8801-CN 5618
  

The gathering was gradually waning throughout the afternoon until only Shane and I were left. After train 422 Shane had to leave so I called it a day as well. On my way back south I stopped off at Guelph Junction again but, alas, nothing was on the way this time either. Missy and I drove back home.

Trackside Log for Wednesday, May 19, 2010

I was at home listening to the scanner while working with some of my photography. Not long before sunset I heard train 254 south obtain a clearance from mile 23 of the Hamilton Subdivision to station name sign Brookfield East. I collected Missy and my camera and headed to one of the few locations with enough light left for a photograph this late in the day: River Road.

• 2022 Fenwick - CP 254 south - CP 9555-CP 9520
  

After the train drew past I returned home to tune into the third game of the semi-final series between the Hamilton Bulldogs and the Texas Stars.

Trackside Log for Monday, May 10, 2010

Just before I took Missy for her evening walk I saw the pair of GP9s assigned to Welland Yard pass behind my house headed for Smithville. They were headed to Cappco to lift empty pipe cars. After our walk I waited for their return.

• 1822 Fenwick - CP southbound - STLH 8225-CP 8206
  

After photographing the pair of GP9s and their two flat cars I returned home.

Trackside Log for Sunday, May 9, 2010

Today was Mother's Day. Missy and I drove to Copetown to see what Canadian National might run along the Dundas Subdivision before going to visit my mom and sister. We arrived at about 1000 and waited... and continued to wait. At long last an eastbound appeared in the distance.

• 1204 Copetown - CN 148 east - CN 2526-CN 8863
  

Next up were the two mid-day Via trains.

• 1313 Copetown - VIA 72 east - VIA 919
  
• 1315 Copetown - VIA 73 west - VIA 918/VIA 6448
  

After the two passenger trains I drove to Binbrook to visit my family.

Trackside Log for Wednesday, May 5, 2010

Very shortly after returning home today I heard the sound of air horns through my window. I picked up my camera and took Missy over to Farr Street to see the pending northbound.

• 1708 Fenwick - CP job 2 north - CP 8206-STLH 8225
  

Mere minutes after the train passed by the sun was obliterated from the sky by approaching storm clouds. Once in a while you get lucky. After taking Missy for her evening walk, which beat the rain, the train returned from Cappco in Smithville.

• 1819 Fenwick - CP job 2 south - STLH 8225-CP 8206

By that time the weather had turned quite dark and wet with a thunderous background.

Trackside Log for Sunday, May 2, 2010

I woke up fairly early this morning to take Missy for her walk. Not long after we returned I heard the sound of horns approaching from the north. I got my camera and drove over to Chantler road for a photograph before the rain began.

• 0803 Fenwick - CP 246 south - CP 8835-CP 8511
  

Wow. What a tiny train. I returned home and listened to the train switch Welland Yard on my scanner. After a little while I decided, although the weather was suboptimal, that I would head over to the yard to photograph 246 leaving. I wanted to use the opportunity to experiment with my new 70-300mm lens.

• 0856 Welland - CP 246 south - CP 8835-CP 8511
  

Considering the circumstances, I was pleased with the results. The photograph above was shot at 200mm.

Just after the train passed by Philips Road I met another railfan and chatted for a while before taking Missy back home.