June 14th, 2008
We took a sold out 06:25 VIA #652 from Aldershot to Dorval for a family function on the West Island.
Aldershot, Ontario
(map) This is the region between the (abandonned) Burlington West train station and Bayview Junction.
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VIA #652/#640 J-train with 6411 tacked onto the end for the reverse move backs into Aldershot station at first light.
Burlington West, Ontario
(map) This is between Burlington and Aldershot on the CN Oakville sub, where the CN Halton sub merges in.
Oakville, Ontario
(map) Oakville has a large Ford plant and is the site of the Oakville sub.
Toronto, Ontario
(map) The capital of Ontario, this city has a number of very busy lines and yards on both the CP and CN networks.
Pickering, Ontario
Pickering is the site of Liverpool Junction, where the CN York sub merges in with the CN Kingston sub.
Belleville, Ontario
(map) CN and CP are roughly parallel through Belleville. The CN Kingston sub and the CP Belleville sub head through the city, crossing just East of the city where the Belleville sub swings North to Smiths Falls.
Côteau, Quebec
(map) Coteau is the junction of the CN Valleyfield sub which connects the CN Kingston sub to the CSX Montreal sub, the CN Kingston sub, and the CN Alexandria sub to Ottawa. It is just a few minutes East of the Ontario/Quebec border, just off exit 12 of highway 20.
Ste-Anne-de-Bellevue, Quebec
Ste-Anne-de-Bellevue is the western end of Montreal's West Island.
Dorval, Quebec
Home of Taschereau yard, and popular railfan location Dorval Via station. CN and CP are parallel and busy and Dorval airport is visible in the background.
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CN #369 passes through Dorval station moments after we detrain #652.
June 15th, 2008
We took the express VIA #67 from Dorval back to Aldershot. We saw our first CP olympic unit between Colborne and Grafton on the Belleville sub.
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VIA #60 passes Dorval station while we wait for VIA #67.
Ste-Anne-de-Bellevue, Quebec
Ste-Anne-de-Bellevue is the western end of Montreal's West Island.
Côteau, Quebec
(map) Coteau is the junction of the CN Valleyfield sub which connects the CN Kingston sub to the CSX Montreal sub, the CN Kingston sub, and the CN Alexandria sub to Ottawa. It is just a few minutes East of the Ontario/Quebec border, just off exit 12 of highway 20.
Colborne, Ontario
Colborne is between Cobourg and Belleville on the CN Kingston and CP Belleville subs.
June 21st, 2008
Annual Bayview meet! I've missed the Bayview meet for the last several years as I've usually been away the day it's held, but I got there this year, as did more than a record 40 other local railfans, including most of the 'railfan chat' regulars. The trains were not that prolific, but a good time was had all around. CN 385, 396, 422, 148, 399, 435, and 393 (no photos) plus the usual Vias went through while I was there. CP Galt sub was much busier thanks to some detours and I narrowly missed a 117 car empty coal train coming out of Puslinch on my way home.
Bayview Junction, Ontario
(map) This is where the CN Oakville, CN Grimsby, and CN Dundas subdivisions meet at a great big wye, beside which is the CP Hamilton sub. This location encompasses CN Bayview Junction, Hamilton West, and Hamilton Junction.
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CN #385 passes under Laking Garden bridge on its way to the Dundas sub.
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CN #148 comes off the Dundas sub while CN #422 comes off the Grimsby sub.
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VIA #92 passes Bayview with a P42 and 7 LRCs.
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CN #435 switches Aldershot yard and takes off.
June 22nd, 2008
I went to Guelph Junction for a few hours in the afternoon, catching 6 eastbounds in mediocre weather.
Guelph Junction, Ontario
(map) Technically Campbellville, Guelph Junction is the junction of the Guelph Junction Railway -- currently serviced by OSR -- the CP Hamilton sub, and the CP Galt sub. It is between Milton and Galt on the CP Galt sub.
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An eastbound rack train heads through Guelph Junction.
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CP #158 crosses through the Junction with a pair of GEVOs.
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One of several CP #240s crosses through the Junction.
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CP #138 passes through Guelph Junction with an impressive lashup.
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Another CP #240 heads through the Junction.
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Another CP eastbound heads for Toronto.
June 28th, 2008
We went on an Alco hunting expedition for the Canada Day long weekend, starting with the BSOR, NYLE, and WNYP with a stop at Angola for CSX and NS along the way.
Puslinch, Ontario
(map) This community straddles highway 401 from West of Guelph Junction to Killean on the CP Galt sub.
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CP #244 heads for Toronto with new GO unit 610 on delivery.
Hamburg, New York
Hamburg is just outside of Buffalo to the south-west and is the home to Buffalo Southern's not particularly accessible power line-up.
Angola, New York
(map) In the township of Evans, New York are the towns of Angola and Derby where the CSX Chicago line parallels a somewhat quieter NS track between nearby Buffalo, NY and Chicago, IL. A great spot for shooting both of these is at Sturgeon Point Road, with plenty of warning from talking defect detectors, CTC signals and headlights.
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CSXT Q386 crosses Sturgeon Point Rd.
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CSXT Q274 heads for Buffalo.
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An NS eastbound intermodal crosses Sturgeon Point Rd.
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Another NS eastbound heads for Buffalo.
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NS #309 pulls out of the siding after meeting two eastbounds.
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A UP-powered CSX train heads for Buffalo with 3 transformers behind one.
Gowanda, New York
Gowanda is the home of NYLE's excursions and is the interchange point between the BSOR and the NYLE.
Falconer, New York
Falconer is the home of the Western New York and Pennsylvania's shops near Jamestown.
June 29th, 2008
We started our day out in Medina, scoping the Falls Road toward Lockport to chase a winery excursion train back to Medina. From there we caught CSX Q364 at the small town of Corfu and went off to the other side of Rochester to check out the OMID at Sodus. Finding nothing there, we headed up to Lyons until we got rained out and headed to Henrietta for the night. At our hotel, we looked up the address of the Rochester and Genesee Valley Railroad Museum which Laura had found in the Rochester Visitors' Guide earlier in the day. We went off in the evening to see if we could find them, hours after their scheduled closure. We found the museum and started photographing the equipment parked out front. Moments later, LV 211, the museum's RS-3M, came down a hill and the crew were as surprised to see us as we were to see them. Checking that museum out definitely paid off.
Medina, New York
Medina is along the Falls Road about half way between Buffalo and Rochester.
Lockport, New York
Lockport is the junction of the CSX and the Falls Road just to the east of Buffalo.
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A Falls Road winery excursion pulls out of Lockport yard.
Middleport, New York
Middleport is between Lockport and Medina on the Falls Road.
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It's the sweet sound of a Genesee Valley Alco as the Falls Road winery excursion crosses a rural road west of Middleport.
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The Falls Road winery excursion throttles up as it heads through the small town of Middleport.
Medina, New York
Medina is along the Falls Road about half way between Buffalo and Rochester.
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The Falls Road winery excursion pulls into the museum at Medina station, unloads its passengers, and heads back west to run around.
Corfu, New York
Corfu is a small town just to the east of Batavia on the CSX main.
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CSXT Q364 heads through Corfu Station.
Sodus, New York
Sodus is the home of the Ontario Midland.
Lyons, New York
(map) Lyons is a few miles South of Geneva, New York, linked by an NS track from the town's ex-Conrail CSX main line to the Finger Lakes Railway.
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A CSX intermodal passes eastbound through Lyons.
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AMTK #64 heads east.
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CSXT Q112 passes through Lyons.
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CSXT Q114 passes through Lyons.
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CSXT Q364 heads east.
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A westbound CSX manifest heads for Rochester.
Industry, New York
Industry is the home of the Rochester and Genesee Valley Railroad Museum along the LAL.
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Just 3 minutes after we arrived at the Rochester and Genesee Valley Railroad Museum, LV 211 came down the museum track grade that I had moments earlier thought could only handle trackcars.
June 30th, 2008
Using information from the fine folks at the Rochester and Genesee Valley Railroad Museum, we returned to Sodus first thing in the morning and asked at Ontario Midland's office what the itinerary was for the day. We found the northbound OMID outside Newark as it departed the interchange at about 10:30 and then took off to Avon to find the Livonia, Avon, and Lakeville where we expected to find them switching. They had already taken off and so we headed back to Henrietta to find them and some lunch at MacGregor's, whose parking lot backs on to the LAL-CSX connecting track. After CSX Q377 and Q393 passed, the LAL came back southbound, and we headed back to Avon to get them returning to town, the tracks being too fast to chase. From there we headed home, catching CP #426 and #155 near Guelph Junction and GEXR #432 at Wellington Rd 29 back in Guelph. A perfect end to a perfect trip.
Newark, New York
Newark is the junction of the Ontario Midland and the CSX.
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The Ontario Midland leaves Newark for Sodus.
Henrietta, New York
Henrietta is a large suburb of Rochester to its immediate south.
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CSXT Q377 passes the junction with the LAL.
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CSXT Q393 heads west through Rochester.
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LAL 425 and 420 leave Rochester for Avon.
Avon, New York
Avon is between Lakeville and Henrietta on the LAL.
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Livonia, Avon, and Lakeville's southbound stops to switch Barilla on its way through Avon.
Flamborough, Ontario
(map) This is a community at the top of the Hamilton sub between Waterdown and Guelph Junction. It is technically part of Hamilton, as a result of the amalgamations.
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CP #426 leaves Guelph Junction southbound.
Guelph Junction, Ontario
(map) Technically Campbellville, Guelph Junction is the junction of the Guelph Junction Railway -- currently serviced by OSR -- the CP Hamilton sub, and the CP Galt sub. It is between Milton and Galt on the CP Galt sub.
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CP #155 leaves Guelph Junction.
Guelph, Ontario
(map) The city of Guelph is my home town and is just East of Kitchener-Waterloo on the GEXR Guelph sub, and the Ontario Southland Railway/Guelph Junction Railway track, the other end of which is at Guelph Junction.
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GEXR #432 crosses Wellington Road 29 with HLCX 6522 on point.
