Trackside Log for Monday, August 3, 2009

After another pleasant sleep at The Station Inn in Cochrane I awoke to the final day of my drive around Northern Ontario. Today I had to drive back home from Cochrane: about 800km. After packing everything back into my car and checking out of the hotel I photographed the day's southbound Northlander which was just pulling into the station. It was getting pretty cloudy, but I managed a few photographs.

• 0730 Cochrane - ONR 698 south "Northlander" - ONT 1800-ONT 204 (photo)

The power for the Polar Bear Express also pulled up to the station but it was the same as the day before which I photographed already. The Northlander was headed in my direction so I decided to find a spot somewhere south to photograph the train again. During my drive I found beautiful clear skies. It turned out that the clouds were really only Cochrane and north. I located a nice location in Ramore across from the former Ontario Northland station which is now the fire department.

• 0914 Ramore - ONR 698 south "Northlander" - ONT 1800-ONT 204

Along the way I heard on the scanner that the Northlander was meeting train 213 at mile 35. I scouted a location to photograph the northbound.

• 1000 Bourkes - ONR 213 north - ONT 2105-ONT 1734

As I continued south the clouds once again built and by the time I got to Englehart it was again overcast. Oh well, it was good while it lasted. I stopped in at the Ontario Northland yard there and immediately found an SD40-2 switching in the yard and a southbound parked just north of the station.

• 1050 Englehart - ONR switcher - ONT 1735 (photo)
• 1052 Englehart - ONR southbound - ONT 2104-ONT 1733-ONT 2103 (photo)

I also noticed another SD40-2 parked down at the south end of the yard.

• 1058 Englehart ONR power - ONT 1730 (photo)

The original plan was to stop at North Bay as well, but during the drive the rain began. Since I'd already done rather well photographing the Ontario Northland I decided to forgo North Bay in favour of making my way home.

And then the trip was over. The only annoying part was the weather. I could have done without the repeated rain. At least I was able to get some nice sunny weather in the middle. The ride on the Polar Bear Express was great and I accomplished all my photographic goals. I guess I can't complain too much.