Trackside Log for Saturday, December 15, 2012

Today was unexpectedly a busy day for the Canadian Pacific's Hamilton Subdivision. First up was the Hamilton Turn, train 540 south, headed toward Welland Yard. At the same time empty ethanol train 641 north was pulling into the yard.

• 1000 Fenwick - CP 540 south - CP 5978-ICE 6420-CP 5964
  
• 1012 Welland - CP 641 north - CP 5941-DME 6200-DME 6365-ICE 6453
  
• 1015 Welland - CP 540 south - CP 5978-ICE 6420-CP 5964
  

It took several hours for both train 641 and train 540 to switch Welland Yard. The plan was that both trains would be combined for the journey north to Kinnear Yard. During this activity train 255 north waited at Brookfield from about 1000 until train 641/541 departed at about 1300.

• 1313 Fenwick - CP 641/541 north - CP 5941-DME 6200-DME 6365-ICE 6453-CP 5964-ICE 6420-CP 5978
  

Train 246 was also delayed at Vinemount from about 1030 until 1330 when the empty ethanol train met it. Eventually it made it to Fenwick.

• 1416 Fenwick - CP 246 south - CP 9623-CP 85xx-CP 9556-CP 6050
  

During the confusion in Welland Yard it was announced that an empty wind turbine train was also getting ready to depart the yard. After train 246 pulled in, it was able to leave. It tripped the detector at 270 axles.

• 1458 Fenwick - CP DIM005 north (empty wind turbine train) - CP 9594
  

This wasn't a very efficient day for the Hamilton Subdivision. Two trains were parked for three hours each and an empty ethanol train had to wait for a local to switch the yard. Train 255 finally passed through Fenwick at approximately 1600 after working the yard.

Trackside Log for Wednesday, December 5, 2012

Today Sam was going to be visiting with her friend in Syracuse. Since they were going to be spending their time engaged in knitting interests, I decided to leave them to their own devices and find someplace trackside to see what CSX as doing. The weather wasn't great, but it was relaxing. It took quite a while before anything rolled down the tracks, but eventually a quick trio arrived.

• 1306 Jordan, NY - Amtrak 63 west - AMTK 110
  
• 1312 Jordan, NY - CSX eastbound - CSXT 7693
  
• 1323 Jordan, NY - CSX eastbound - CSXT 5331-CSXT 5225
  

Just after the third train passed by I got a call from Sam asking me to meet her at her friend's house. That signalled the end of my time trackside. By the time we departed Syracuse for home it was dark.

Trackside log for Tuesday, December 4, 2012

Sam asked me along on a short trip to Syracuse, New York to visit a friend. The idea was to drive leisurely there with a few photographic diversions. I decided to follow the Falls Road line in search of anything interesting. In Medina we encountered the Medina Railroad Museum and their New York Central painted E8s and former Waterloo-St. Jacobs passenger equipment.

• 1157 Medina, NY - power - RPCX 4068-RPCX 4080 with coaches RPCX 5735, RPCX 2143 and RPCX 761
  

Next we headed back toward the CSX mainline and had some time to park trackside to wait for any traffic that might be in the area.

• 1414 Churchville, NY - Amtrak 64 east - AMTK 110
  
• 1428 Churchville, NY - Amtrak 63 west - AMTK 43
  
• 1458 Churchville, NY - CSX eastbound - CSXT 5377-CSXT 860
  

The weather was getting darker and we were due in Syracuse for about 1700 so after the intermodal train we drove straight to our destination.