Trackside Log for Sunday, January 11, 2009

It was a beautiful sunny day with snow all over the ground. This is the kind of day that explains why I like winter. I hadn't been to Fort Erie to see the Norfolk Southern transfer, train 369, in quite a long while so I decided to head there for a while. En route I heard on the scanner that Canadian National train 339 was at about Port Robinson so I met up with it at House Road in Stevensville.

• 1108 Brookfield - CN 339 east - CN 8011-IC 2716

Then I continued on to Fort Erie where I photographed the train again while setting off cars for Norfolk Southern to lift later that day.

• 1200 Fort Erie - CN 339 east - CN 8011-IC 2716 (photo)

Lo and behold, Norfolk Southern crossed the International Bridge soon after.

• 1218 Fort Erie - NS 369 west - NS 8910-NS 9580

I'd accomplished what I wanted for the day so I headed back home but not before catching NS 369 pulling across Pettit Road to shove its train back into the yard.

• 1237 Duff (Fort Erie) - NS 369 west - NS 8910-NS 9580 (photo)

I like it when I accomplish what I set out to do.

Trackside Log for Sunday, January 4, 2009

I found out last night that Canadian National would be running an ethanol train through Niagara today. The ethanol was destined for Dunkirk, New York. Through IRC this morning I discovered the train had made it to Glenridge by 0855 or so. I drove out to House Road in Stevensville for a photograph. First I'd have to wait for it to work Port Robinson though.

• 1111 Stevensville - CN 704 east - CN 5758-IC 1033-IC 1007

Later in the day while listening to the scanner at home I heard that train 704 tied down in track 99 in Fort Erie.

Trackside Log for Saturday, January 3, 2009

I hadn't been to Merritton in an age and the day was beautiful and sunny with snow on the ground. Perfect. Merritton Road bridge over the Canadian National Grimsby Subdivision had been replaced recently so I wanted to get a picture of it. I've spent a lot of time there before and have many photographs of the old iron bridge. The new concrete structure doesn't have the same charm but at least it will accommodate busses and fire trucks better. I arrived on the scene just in time for the Maple Leaf.

• 1005 Merritton - VIA 97 east - AMTK 24
• 1111 Merritton - CN 339 east - CN 2727-IC 2703-IC 1038-CN 5601

Train 339 was interesting in that three of the four locomotives (2727, 2703 and 1038) are in fact Illinois Central power. Alas only 1038 is so painted.

• 1432 Merritton - VIA 92 west - VIA 915

Well, that was about all the traffic I was likely to see for the day since business is pathetic on Canadian National these days. I decided it was time to return home.

Trackside Log for Tuesday, December 30, 2008

I took the days between Christmas and New Year's Day off. This day found me relaxing at home a bit. The weather was cloudy but I still felt like photographing something. When I heard Canadian Pacific train 427 get a clearance out of Welland Yard I figured, "Why not?" I quickly got over to Sumbler Road and awaited its arrival.

• 1043 Fenwick - CP 427 north - CP 8654-CP 6010 (photo)

After the typically short train passed I returned home satisfied with what turned out to be my last digital photograph of 2008.

Trackside Log for Monday, December 29, 2008

I love vacation days. OK, who doesn't? I spent this day at home relaxing with the scanner on again. Canadian Pacific ran a pair of trains over the Hamilton Subdivision in daylight this day.

• 1242 Fenwick - CP 254 south - CP 8575-CP 9547
• 1550 Fenwick - CP 246 south - CP 9780-CP 8572

I miss the SD40-2s now. They're very uncommon these days. Ten years ago the only locomotives found on wayfreights were SD40s. As boring as they were in those days I still love the sound they make.

Trackside Log for Saturday, December 20, 2008

I was at home this Saturday and had the scanner on while puttering about the house. In the afternoon I heard some communications from Canadian Pacific Job 2 indicating that they were running down to Port Maitland. I wasn't in time to photograph the train on the way there, but I could see it on the return trip. I found them in Dunville and then staked out a suitable location for the first photograph.

• 1509 Anderson Road, Moulton Station - CP job 2 east - CP 3097-CP 3032
• 1527 Putman Road, Marshville - CP job 2 east - CP 3097-CP 3032
• 1533 Farr Road, Marshville - CP job 2 east - CP 3097-CP 3032

After having photographed the train along the former Michigan Central tracks I returned home happy. I don't often get the chance to photograph Canadian Pacific on this section of track. I'm usually at work.

Trackside Log for Saturday, December 13, 2008

I decided that Copetown would be a nice place to visit for a while this day. I got there later in the morning after the two Via trains and things were pretty dead until after noon at which time things improved markedly.

• 1226 Copetown - CN 385 west - CN 8013-CN 5708
• 1239 Copetown - CN 148 east - CN 2254-IC 1018
• 1309 Copetown - VIA 72 east - VIA 917
• 1330 Copetown - VIA 73 west - VIA 6409
• 1401 Copetown - CN 393 west - CN 5748-IC 1008

I hadn't heard any talk on the scanner of any other pending trains so I took my leave.

Trackside Log for Saturday, November 29, 2008

I woke up this morning and determined that it would be a great day to visit Fort Erie, even if it was rather cloudy. I got my gear together and headed out. I first ran across Canadian Pacific Job 1 at Brookfield just returning from Canadian National's Southern Yard.

• 0932 Brookfield - CP job 1 - CP 3032-CP 3097

Then a little farther east I ran across Canadian National train 338 west.

• 1004 Stevensville - CN 338 west - CN 2608-CN 2647-CN 2435-CN 2501-CN 2658

While waiting for 339 in Fort Erie I heard the hot box detector in Stevensville go off. Two alarms were recorded so it was going to be a while before the train got to me. According to the conductor the wheels on one car were blue. Not good. The car was part of the set-off for NS 369 so it became their problem.

• 1209 Fort Erie - CN 339 east - CN 2650-CN 5791-CN 2691

After an hour of futzing around with their train, 339 was finally ready to go. By now, however, the sun was starting to come out. Beauty!

• 1310 Fort Erie - CN 339 east - CN 2650-CN 5791-CN 2691
• 1340 Fort Erie - CP 246 east - CP 9604-CP 95xx
• 1356 Fort Erie - NS 369 west - NS 9796-NS 9868

After Norfolk Southern train 369 cleared the International Bridge I called it quits for the day. There wasn't likely to be any further traffic anyway. I headed out to the west end of the yard and photographed 369 again...

• 1406 Duff - NS 369 west - NS 9796-NS 9868

...and continued on home.

Trackside Log for Saturday, November 22, 2008

Today I figured I would make the drive to Copetown and the Canadian National Dundas Subdivision to see what traffic might show up for the afternoon. Based on the time of my arrival I expected the pair of lunchtime Via trains to be first but I was wrong. An eastbound freight snuck in before them.

• 1300 Copetown - CN eastbound - CN 5349-IC 6001
• 1305 Copetown - VIA 73 west - VIA 6453
• 1325 Copetown - VIA 72 east - VIA 6431
• 1400 Copetown - CN 385 west - CN 5627-CN 2564
• 1425 Copetown - CN 393 west - CN 5644-IC 1039-IC 6071

After 393 passed I heard on the scanner that train 435 would be working Aldershot shortly. I drove down to take a look at it and managed to find a couple other trains first. I also noticed that the longtime Aldershot landmark, Aldershot Cold Storage, was in the process of being demolished. It was kind of sad to see so I made sure that I photographed train 422 passing by one last time.

• 1454 Aldershot - CN 547 west - CN 7018-CN 4129
• 1619 Aldershot - CN 422 east - CN 5377-CN 5363-CN 4130
• 1551 Aldershot - CN 435 west - CN 8021-CN 2409-CN 253-CN 7260 (photo)

The light was diminishing quickly so I called it a day.

Trackside Log for Saturday, November 1, 2008

Once again I had the scanner turned on while at home and waited for any activity on the Canadian Pacific Hamilton Subdivision. It turned out to be a very good day. Both trains in the morning were powered by SD40-2s. That is a rare event these days.

• 0957 Fenwick - CP 427 north - CP 5919-CP 6044
• 1150 Fenwick - CP 246 south - CP 6046-CP 6060

The weather was pretty cloudy, but I was able to photograph the two trains anyway.