February 18th, 2008
DETOURS! A wreck at Aldershot East sent three CN freights and countless VIAs over the GEXR Guelph sub. Naturally I spent the day at Guelph station. Last detours were five years previous, almost to the day. The day started with VIA #82 coming through Guelph station ahead of VIA #84-#70, followed by VIA #85, a chase of GEXR #580 down the Fergus sub, VIA #73 and #72 meeting at Guelph, CN #396, CN #394, VIA #75, VIA #87-#83, and CN #392 with 2 UPs to finish it up. In the cold weather, I had finished off all my camera batteries by #392 and my still camera gave out after shooting the lead unit on the train which had CN-UP-UP-CN-CN for power. Re-using an almost-dead battery got me through the end of the evening.
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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VIA #73 waits in the siding for VIA #72 to through Guelph, before backing out and taking off.
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CN #396, the first of three freight detours, passes Guelph station.
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CN #394, the second of three freight detours, passes Guelph Via station in heavy snow.
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Detouring VIA #75 goes through Guelph station.
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VIA #87 combined with VIA #83 comes into Guelph station with 13 coaches and two engines, performs its station stop, reverses back to the viaduct, and enters the siding for CN #392 with CN 2659-UP 3234-UP 2681-CN 5648-CN 5666. CN #392 passes some time later, and VIA #87/#83 backs out of the siding to continue on its trip, now over an hour late after arriving at the station only a bit over half an hour late.
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VIA #82 takes the scenic route to Toronto via the Guelph sub, starting a day of detours.
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VIA #84 tows VIA #70 across the Guelph sub to Toronto.
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A GEXR foreman passes through Guelph station after cleaning the east siding switch.
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VIA #85 performs its station stop on schedule amidst the detours.
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GEXR #580 heads down the Fergus Spur toward Cambridge.
