2016's Favourites, Part I

I'm coasting into the Christmas break this year and with good reason. I am about to start a new job and have already finished Christmas preparations at the homestead. So, in the spirit of things winding down, I thought I would go through my posts this year and share a few of my favourite images with you. This post covers the first half of the year. I will cover the second half of the year next week.

This first shot was taken shortly after the new year. Ottawa had just emerged from one of the freakishly warm Christmas seasons in recent memory, so the site of snow was a welcome site for me. I made sure to find some time to take shots at the end of Cedarview Road in Barrhaven to get some winter shots of this passing westbound Via Rail corridor train. Later on in the year, I took a shot from the same point of view and was surprised with how different the view was. For example, there are a number of homes behind that train that are obscured by the snow flying in the train's wake.

Later on in January, I began to experiment with shooting around Twin Elm, a rural hamlet that is crossed by the Smiths Falls Subdivision. I found myself at the Twin Elm Road crossing a few times with my baby daughter, since I was on parental leave and these rides in the car would calm her down when she refused to nap in the afternoon (ahh, the memories).

This was my favourite image from these meets with Via Rail corridor trains. This shot was taken of an eastbound corridor train right around sunset. The sky really made this shot work, even though the light was less than ideal. It did take a fair bit of editing to get this shot to look like this.

My efforts in catching up with the Arnpior Local (The Arnprior Turn) on the Beachburg Subdivision were largely fruitless, although I did catch the train one time on the way back from an appointment. I caught this tiny consist on a snowy March morning at Northside Road in Bells Corners. I almost missed the train, so I had to fire off some blind shots as I drove along Northside and focused on the road. This was my favourite shot from that meet.

On the March Break, my family spent a few days in Toronto as a little vacation. We stayed in a condo near GO Transit's North Bathurst Yard. From our 37th floor perch, I captured countless images of commuter trains, Via J-Trains, and the Union Pearson Express. I took a few trips trackside and caught this shot of the UP Express. I think this shot really captures the essence of downtown Toronto. You can see the Bathurst Street bridge, a pedestrian bridge to Front Street, numerous trackside signals, a gantry, condo buildings and a whole lot more.

Those days in Toronto were filled with all sorts of opportunities. I decided to make the most of the time there and get shots of GO Trains from a variety of vantage points. Here is a shot of an eastbound consist with a Metrolinx painted car first in tow. You can just see the North Bathurst Yard to the right of the shot with a few trains waiting for rush hour.

As I mentioned, being on the 37th floor next to the tracks offered some unique opportunities to get shots that I wouldn't otherwise ever be able to get. Here we see two eastbound Via Rail consists heading to Union Station, one led by an F40 and another led by a P42. Note the contrasting paint schemes.

In the midst of all the family fun, I was able to get a few minutes at Roundhouse Park, right across from the Rogers Centre. I was able to capture a few cool images, like this olive green clad Canadian National geep.

In April, I was visiting a friend in Richmond when a late season snowfall dusted the area. I was surprised when I approached the Ottawa Street crossing to see this maintenance of way consist on the spur. I later learned it was used by Via Rail for a number of their area track improvement projects over the course of the summer. If you look closely, you can just make out the snow falling over the swamp next to the tracks.

In June and July, I began to experiment with the area of the Smiths Falls Sub which crosses beneath Highway 416. This shot below is probably my favourite because it also captures a storm headed north toward the city.

Here's another shot from the same shoot with a little more of the train crossing beneath the highway.

In Part II, there were a number of shots I managed to get outside of Ottawa and a few other surprises.

Another railway mystery

So, here's another mystery to present to the experts out there. I've come across this locomotive several times at the Lambton Diesel roundhouse in Sarnia, Ont. I was looking at it more closely the other day when I realized I didn't know much about it. It has an odd paint job.

Here's a shot of the switcher, hiding behind a collection of spare axles and parts, taken October 2013. The unit is obviously near the end of the line. At first glance, you can see that it is a General Motors SW model. You can make out the GM logo and the Electro-Motive logo on the cab, not to mention the Canadian Auto Workers logo to the side. The locomotive carries the No. 1. And then there's the inscription on the bottom of the hood.

The mystery engine parked near the roundhouse in Sarnia. Check out the shark fins!

Here's a more recent shot of the switcher, sandwiched in between the old Nova Chemicals 2003 genset locomotive and CN 7516, which is being used for parts. Not much to learn from this photo, which was taken by my brother this past November.

Last December 22, I made my annual visit to the Sarnia area and took some time to snap a few shots around Sarnia Yard. I was lucky enough to have a clear vantage of the engine from an access road near the old CN roundhouse. You can clearly make out the inscription on the hood, which reads "Quality Built Locomotives for the 21st Century." That suggests to me that this was the old switcher that was used at the old GM Diesel plan in London, Ont. That plant, as most rail enthusiasts know, was closed in 2013. Another curious feature on this engine is the style of trucks. They look much older than the trucks I've seen on SW1200s.

Compare the trucks on the engine above with the trucks on this SW1200, which was crossing Front Street in Sarnia in 1993.

 

The trucks on the GM Diesel switcher remind me of the trucks on this old MLW unit, from CP's Windsor Yard in 1991.

 

 

On Aug. 18 last year, I noticed that the trucks resemble some of these trucks that were lying around in front of Lambton Diesel switcher 0176. Does this mean that the old GM Diesel unit has modified trucks or were the trucks replaced? Are they simply just an older model used on early GM diesels? My guess is they are simpler an older model of trucks.

 

 

In many ways, the unit looks very similar to an SW1200, but a few of the features, including its trucks, modified smoke stack, hood vents, fuel tank, and sharp slant between the hood and the cab make me think it's an earlier model. Anyone have an idea what model this engine is and where it's from? I'm sure someone with an old Trackside guide can help.

 

Read about my first railway mystery here.