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.

Trackside Log for Sunday, September 12, 2010

I was at home digitising some of my slides with the scanner on in the background. After quite a while with no activity on the Canadian Pacific Hamilton Subdivision a recrew for train 255 in Welland Yard called up the dispatcher to get a work clearance. They needed to remarshall their train. I decided to take Missy down to Hewitt Road to photograph them before they left. I had to wait for the train to back in its entirety onto the main track over Hewitt Road. At 444 axles it took quite some time.

• 1612 Welland - CP 255 north - CP 9627-CP 9620
  

Luck was on my side and a very brief period of sunshine in an otherwise cloudy day illuminated the scene long enough for me to take a couple photographs.

Trackside Log for Saturday, September 11, 2010

This evening was the barbecue for the Binbrook Fair volunteers. The day was supposed to be relatively nice so I decided to take Missy out for a drive before we went to Binbrook. Our first stop was in Copetown to see what was going on. Nothing was moving around except for VIA train 70.

• 0926 Copetown - VIA 70 east - VIA 6428
  

Since nothing else was in the area I continued westward to Paris. Once there I obtained some breakfast and headed for Paris Junction. Before long the training train, number 310, appeared from behind some parked tank cars. At the same time train 148 arrived. I got hosed for photographing the intermodal train. Oh well.

• 1022 Paris Junction - CN 310 east - CN 5539-CN 2448
  
• 1024 Paris Junction - CN 148 east - CN 8816-CN 5613

Nothing else seemed to be pending so I started heading west again. Right around Etonia I noticed a dirty yellow train across the fields. I turned around and headed back to the junction to catch the eastbound rail grinding train.

• 1145 Paris Junction - eastbound Loram rail grinding train - RG 309
  

Once again, nothing else was around. The morning was agonisingly quiet on the Canadian National's Dundas Subdivision. So off to Woodstock I drove. Just as I was arriving at the Canadian Pacific station there, I noticed that Ontario Southland was in town setting off cars for interchange. First I was able to photograph them in front of the station.

• 1235 Woodstock - OSR eastbound - OSRX 378-OSRX 503
  

Next I moved a little west to photograph Ontario Southland setting off what I soon discovered was the first half of their train in the interchange tracks.

• 1303 Woodstock - OSR eastbound - OSRX 378-OSRX 503
  

After waiting for them to lift the second half I watched them spot those cars as well.

• 1330 Woodstock - OSR eastbound - OSRX 378-OSRX 503
  

While Ontario Southland lifted their traffic for the return westbound trip Canadian Pacific's Hamilton Turn pulled through town.

• 1357 Woodstock - CP Hamilton Turn west - CP 3031-CP 3114
  

Since Ontario Southland took over the Canadian Pacific St. Thomas Subdivision on December 15, 2009 I'd never managed to photograph them running on it. I took the opportunity to chase them from Woodstock to Ingersoll.

• 1407 Dorland - OSR westbound - OSRX 503-OSRX 378
  
• 1419 Beachville - OSR westbound - OSRX 503-OSRX 378
  
• 1440 Ingersoll - OSR westbound - OSRX 503-OSRX 378
  

During the whole time I was in Woodstock and Ingersoll a single Canadian National freight passed through. I was pretty frustrated with CN so I started heading back to Binbrook. I took the scenic route via Tillsonburg, Delhi and Jarvis but didn't find anything interesting to photograph. Oh well, off to the barbecue!

Trackside Log for Friday, September 10, 2010

I was at home working with my slides this evening when, to my astonishment, train horns could be heard from the north. Considering how rare a train after work and before dark is these days I got my camera and drove ahead of the train to River Road for a photograph in the late day sunlight.

• 1906 Fenwick - CP 254 south - CP 8718-CP 9726
  

The late light and a few clouds in the sky looked nice.

Trackside Log for Tuesday, September 7, 2010

Just as I was getting getting out of bed this morning I heard a southbound train approaching town. I gathered Missy and my camera and drove to River Road for a photograph in early morning light.

• 0749 Fenwick - CP 246 south - CP 9702-CP 9570
  

The locomotive consist looked very familiar. It was the same pair of AC4400CWs that I'd photographed two days before.

Trackside Log for Sunday, September 5, 2010

This morning I was at home scanning some of my slides. I had the scanner on and heard Canadian Pacific train 246 issue a track release from the north siding switch Smithville. I waited until the train got closer to town before I drove to Chantler Road for a photograph on a beautiful clear September morning.

• 0847 Fenwick - CP 246 south - CP 9702-CP 9570
  

Back to the slide scanning.

Trackside Log for Saturday, September 4, 2010

I was installing a new hard disk in one of my computers when I heard Canadian Pacific train 246 blow for the Canboro Road crossing in town. It was a pretty cloudy day and I figured I had about a one in three chance of getting the train in sunshine. I thought I'd give it a go. I got Missy and my camera and drove over to River Road again.

• 1201 Fenwick - CP 246 south - CP 9616-CP 9627
  

Hey, I got lucky. The sun was shining just long enough for a photograph and then it was gone again.

Trackside Log for Friday, September 3, 2010

This morning I was just about to get ready for work when I heard the horns of a southbound Canadian Pacific train. I had some time so I got Missy and my camera and drove to River Road for a photograph. The sun was out although the forecast was predicting rain later in the day. I figured I should probably take advantage of the sunshine I had.

• 0828 Fenwick - CP 246 south - CP 8853-CP 9756
  

After the photographs were taken Missy and I returned home so I could get to work.

Trackside Log for Wednesday, September 1, 2010

While walking Missy this morning train 246 rolled through town. I didn't get a photograph but was able to watch it pass behind my house.

• 0825 Fenwick - CP 246 south - CP 8853-CP 9517

It wasn't terribly exciting, but then again, every train can't be special.