Sunday, November 21, 2010

Trackside Log for Sunday, November 21, 2010

I was at home relaxing with Missy for the day. I kept the scanner on in the background on the off chance that something might be running during daylight on the Canadian Pacific's Hamilton Subdivision. Lo and behold a southbound called out the Smithville mile board in the early afternoon. I figured I'd take advantage of the relatively bright day to obtain a photograph.

  • 1324 Fenwick - CP 246 south - CP 5956-CP 5935-CP 5919

With pictures taken we returned home. That was all there was to be for daylight activity.

Saturday, November 20, 2010

Trackside Log for Saturday, November 20, 2010

Once again I was at home with the scanner on. Eventually I heard a southbound call out the Smithville mile board so I took Missy over to River Road for a photograph.

  • 1327 Fenwick - CP 246 south - CP 8635-SOO 6039

Later on, just as Missy and I were returning from our walk train 247 finally made it out of Welland Yard after several hours of switching.

  • 1641 Fenwick - CP 247 north - CP 8831-CP 8802

It was pretty dark by the time it ran through town.

Friday, November 19, 2010

Trackside Log for Friday, November 19, 2010

Today I wasn't heading into work until 1700 so I stayed at home with Missy and turned on the scanner. At about noon I heard a northbound train obtain a clearance from Brookfield East to Smithville on the Canadian Pacific's Hamilton Subdivision. I took Missy over to Welland Yard for a photograph.

  • 1304 Welland - CP 627 north - CP 8833-CEFX 1002-CEFX 1027-CP 8761

I headed back to Fenwick and the Avondale for some supplies. I was easily able to beat the train to the Farr Street crossing so I took another photograph.

  • 1315 Fenwick - CP 627 north - CP 8833-CEFX 1002-CEFX 1027-CP 8761

I was hoping to be able to catch this empty ethanol train. It worked out coincidentally that it ran the day I was going to be heading into work late in the day.

Tuesday, November 16, 2010

Trackside Log for Tuesday, November 16, 2010

Tonight as I was returning from a Hamilton Bulldogs hockey game I happened across a Canadian Pacific southbound at the Highway 20 underpass near home. I drove ahead to check it out.

  • 2242 Fenwick - CP 246 south - CP 5959-CP 5798-CP 5933

By the way, Hamilton beat the Toronto Marlies 2-1 in a shoot-out.

Monday, November 15, 2010

Trackside Log for Monday, November 15, 2010

While at home working on the computer after supper I heard the horns of a southbound approaching town. I felt like a break so I took Missy out to see the train rumble over the Church Street crossing.

  • 1919 Fenwick - CP 246 south - CP 8785

It didn't take long for the rather short train to clear after which we headed back inside.

After a while the Welland Yard power passed through town with three pipe loads for Cappco in Smithville.

  • 2112 Fenwick - CP northbound local - CP 8250-CP 8209

Upon arrival at Smithville they discovered that it was not possible to deliver the cars because the Cappco spur was blocked by track equipment. So after running around the their train they brought the cars back to Welland Yard.

  • 2210 Fenwick - CP southbound local - CP 8209-CP 8250

Not long after the GP9s returned to Welland Yard train 254 obtained a clearance into the yard. Missy and I went out to watch it pass by in the night.

  • 2318 Fenwick - CP 254 south - CP 8820-CP 8846

Then it was bed time.

Sunday, November 14, 2010

Trackside Log for Sunday, November 14, 2010

Missy and I were just getting up when train 246 south arrived in town. We weren't able to see the train but I turned on the scanner to discover that a northbound was waiting in Welland Yard for it. The northbound was led by CEFX 1049 which I photographed a day earlier. There was much chatter about the length of the northbound. Missy and I headed to Boyle to see this train.

  • 0802 Boyle - CP 627 north - CEFX 1049-CP 9544

It turned out that trains 247 and 627 had swapped power in Buffalo. Train 627 was indeed very long because it was comprised of two empty ethanol trains. The train was 656 axles and made up of two engines, a buffer car, tank cars, another buffer, and a final cut of tank cars for a total of 161 cars. Jinkies! A third locomotive, CP 5790, was added in Hamilton for the journey up the Niagara Escarpment in Waterdown.

Although I kept the scanner on throughout the day, it was silent until about 1230 when I heard a southbound call out the Smithville mile board. I took Missy down to River Road to photograph a loaded ethanol train.

  • 1254 Fenwick - CP 626 south - CP 5833-ICE 6407-ICE 6404-DME 6069

The sky was dull and grey and it was starting to sprinkle but the photographs turned out reasonably well. The scanner at mile 18.3 reported 344 axles for the train. As a side note, DME 6069 is the former SD40 CP 5513.

Later that evening I heard CP 5833 obtain a clearance back onto the Canadian Pacific Hamilton Subdivision at Brookfield. I took Missy out before bedtime to watch it go by again, this time in the dark.

  • 2257 Fenwick - CP 247 north - CP 5833-ICE 6407-ICE 6404-DME 6069

Naturally there were no clouds in the sky while it rumbled through Fenwick in the still of night.

Saturday, November 13, 2010

Trackside Log for Saturday, November 13, 2010

Missy and I awoke this morning to some fairly dense fog. We were just about to embark on our morning walk when the sound of horns in the distance caught my attention. I don't get the opportunity to photograph trains in the fog as often as I'd like so I got my camera and took Missy over to Chantler Road to do just that.

  • 0848 Fenwick - CP 246 south - CEFX 1049-CP 9544

Train 246 was meeting a northbound at Welland Yard. We waited for the northbound for a while but it was taking a very long time to leave. Missy and I returned home for our walk. It happened to work out that train 255 arrived in town just as we were heading home from the walk.

  • 1007 Fenwick - CP 255 north - CP 9664

After the train departed we were unobstructed on our journey back home.

Saturday, November 06, 2010

Trackside Log for Saturday, November 6, 2010

This afternoon I was at home with the scanner on. I was sort of listening to it in the background when my ears perked up. I heard a northbound train call out the Welland mile board with CSXT 645 leading. I got my camera and took Missy over to Farr Street for a photograph.

  • 1402 Fenwick - CP 627 north - CSXT 645-CSXT 7725

Finally I was able to photograph one of the ethanol trains (an empty this time) in nice sunshine. The bonus was the CSX motive power.

Wednesday, November 03, 2010

Trackside Log for Wednesday, November 3, 2010

While Missy and I were returning from our morning walk we listened to the horns of an approaching northbound. We arrived in time to watch it pass behind home.

  • 0850 Fenwick - CP 255 north - CP 9633-CP 9537

After a hearty wave from the conductor on a frosty morning we made our way to the warmth of the indoors.