February 7th, 2009
We got an early start, leaving Guelph at 6:30, and chased a plow run from Stratford to Goderich on the GEXR. We then returned to Stratford to shoot some parked Class 66s (in tarps) and some KCS units in the yard, then headed to Zorra where we reported a defective crossing and shot CP 153, 138, T69, and 245. From there we went to Ingersoll and shot VIA 76 and CN X368, an army move that I did not know was coming. We chased that to Creditville and called it a (good) day.
Stratford, Ontario
(map) Stratford lies between Kitchener-Waterloo and London on the GEXR Guelph sub and is the home of Cowie junction, where the GEXR Goderich sub begins.
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A GEXR plow extra runs from Stratford to Goderich with us in hot pursuit.
Sebringville, Ontario
Sebringville is the first town north of Stratford on the GEXR Goderich sub.
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GEXR 518 Plow extra heads through the first community out of Stratford.
Mitchell, Ontario
(map) Mitchell is between Seaforth and Stratford on the GEXR Goderich sub.
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GEXR 518 Plow extra crosses two crossings in Mitchell.
Dublin, Ontario
Dublin is between Stratford and Goderich on the Goderich subdivision.
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GEXR 518 Plow extra heads through the community of Dublin, clearing its way northward.
Seaforth, Ontario
(map) Seaforth is the last town before Clinton and Clinton Junction on the GEXR Goderich sub.
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GEXR 518 Plow extra passes an elevator south of Seaforth and comes to a stop for a coffee break in town.
Clinton, Ontario
(map) Clinton is the junction of the GEXR Goderich and Exeter subdivisions, a few miles south of Goderich.
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GEXR 518 Plow extra passes through a snow-filled cut at low speed and then crosses the connection with the Exeter sub at Clinton.
Goderich, Ontario
(map) Goderich is the site of the shops for the GEXR and hosts a port and salt mine.
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GEXR 518 Plow extra enters Goderich yard ending our chase, and the crew set about removing the caked-on snow from the plow.
Stratford, Ontario
(map) Stratford lies between Kitchener-Waterloo and London on the GEXR Guelph sub and is the home of Cowie junction, where the GEXR Goderich sub begins.
Zorra, Ontario
(map) Just outside of Ingersoll is Zorra Station. It contains a large Lafarge plant and the CP Galt sub.
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CP #153 heads through Zorra at low speed.
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CP #138 heads east at restricted speed on a 509.
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CP T69 London Pickup follows a few minutes behind 138.
Ingersoll, Ontario
(map) The CN Dundas, the CP St. Thomas, and the OSR Port Burwell subs are very active through Ingersoll, with the CP Galt sub just to the North in Zorra.
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VIA #76 rushes through Ingersoll Via station with CBC unit 6403 leading.
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CN X368 with army equipment catches us by surprise at Ingersoll station.
Creditville, Ontario
(map) The CN Dundas sub heads through this community locked between the 401 and the 403. The track is perfectly straight for several miles and with binoculars several signals can be seen at once far into the distance.
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CN X368 army move meets a westbound just out of sight to the west.
February 14th, 2009
We started our day in Rouses Point, New York, where we found the D&H quite quiet. We crossed Lake Champlain over to St. Albans, Vermont, where the NECR showed equally little sign of life, so decided to follow the VRS through Rutland to get to Brattleboro, our destination. Not long after leaving Burlington, we heard two extras being set up to meet in Chester, Vermont. Being two hours from there we had lots of time to wonder if we'd see it, and along the way we were distracted by an SBU blaring around New Haven, Vermont. We knew we were near a train on the Rutland-Burlington line but after trying to find it unsuccessfully for a while, we pushed on, ultimately reaching Chester about an hour after the meet had taken place. We caught the westbound in the woods about 5 miles out of town, but didn't get ahead of the eastbound until Bellows Falls, where the train was headed.
St. Albans, Vermont
(map) CN and NECR (New England Central Railway) meet at St. Albans. Amtrak's Vermonter originates here at 06:35 and returns at 20:45. There is a large yard in the town and the station is sufficiently well lit for readable night shots without a tripod or flash in the winter.
Chester, Vermont
Chester is on the Green Mountain Railway line between Rutland and Bellows Falls.
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Extra CLP 306 west heads along the side of a dirt road about 5 miles west of Chester, Vermont.
Bellows Falls, Vermont
(map) Vermont Rail System member Green Mountain Railway meets the NECR at Bellows Falls. There is purported to be a GMRS Alco RS-1 here, as well. It is directly across the river from North Walpole, New Hampshire.
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C&E extra 204 east arrives at Bellows Falls diamond and switches its train into the interchange at North Walpole on the NECR.
February 15th, 2009
We woke up to the sound of horns and heard NECR #611 heading through town. We chased it to the main crossing in Vernon.
Vernon, Vermont
(map) Vernon is directly on the border with Northfield, Mass and has the NECR Palmer sub and its detector at mile 116.
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NECR 611 crosses highway 63 in Vernon.
February 17th, 2009
We left Brattleboro on the morning of the 16th and went to NMH, where I caught up with some of my old teachers and classmates for most of the day. In the late afternoon, we cut across Mass. to the Hoosac tunnel in Florida, but the Guilford gods did not love us and no trains were forthcoming, although a local railfan reported a Bow coal empty was supposed to be on its way. We slept in Utica that night and on the 17th we started the day there, shooting the Mohawk, Adirondack, and Western and an NYSW unit from afar that came in by surprise. We chased the MHWA to Rome, where we followed the wrong spur and took a while to find it out in the industrial park on the east side of town. From there we chased CSX Q091, the ultra-high priority vegetable train to Lyons, catching it only once at Syracuse yard, and there only barely. From Lyons, where we missed Q091 by about 7 minutes, we headed up to Geneva to see what we could find on the FGLK, and chased the Lyons job back to Lyons before heading out to the Rochester and Genessee Valley Railroad Museum south of Rochester and finally completing our trip by getting back to Guelph a few minutes past 10pm.
Utica, New York
(map) Utica is the home of the New York, Susquehanna, and Western Railway shops, a scenic railway, the CSX, and at least one more shortline operator, situated about an hour West of Albany.
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MHWA 805 switches Utica yard as an NYSW unit briefly sticks its head out and CSXT Q135 passes through. We chased it to Stanwix, where it met Q626, and into Rome where, after losing track of it by following the wrong spur, we found it switching an industrial park on the east side of town.
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CSXT Q135 passes through Utica Amtrak station followed immediately by MHWA 805's departure from its yard.
Stanwix, New York
Stanwix is the home of Reber Rd, a decent spot to sit and watch the CSX line between Utica and Rome. The Mohawk, Adirondack, and Northern runs over the CSX from Utica to Rome by this point.
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MHWA 805 crosses Reber Rd on its way into Rome.
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CSXT Q626 crosses Reber Rd with a Conrail trailing.
Rome, New York
Rome is between Oneida and Utica on the CSX. Its industrial tracks are serviced by the Mohawk, Adirondack, and Northern.
Syracuse, New York
Syracuse is between Rochester and Utica on the CSX Buffalo line, and is also the connection point for the CSX Montreal sub which goes to Coteau near Montreal.
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CSXT Q091 Vegetable train with 3 UP GEVOs pulls to a stop at the west end of Syracuse yard to get around Q157.
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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CSXT Q157 heads through Lyons.
Geneva, New York
Geneva is the home of the Finger Lakes Railway, due south of Lyons.
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FGLK's Lyons job leaves Geneva for Lyons, and crosses a field just north of I-90.
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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FGLK's Lyons job passes through a field on its way to Lyons a mile or so north of I-90.
Industry, New York
Industry is the home of the Rochester and Genesee Valley Railroad Museum along the LAL.
February 21st, 2009
We went to Ingersoll for a wedding and stopped at the station for a few between it and the reception.
Ingersoll, Ontario
(map) The CN Dundas, the CP St. Thomas, and the OSR Port Burwell subs are very active through Ingersoll, with the CP Galt sub just to the North in Zorra.
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An eastbound is followed by CN #148 shortly after we arrive at Ingersoll station. In the heavy snow we didn't hear either of them come until I saw the headlights in my rearview mirror.
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VIA #76 zips through Ingersoll station.
February 22nd, 2009
We heard about an EMD move of Egyptian Class 66s and went to Guelph station for them. We got the GJE leaving southbound and then began the waiting game. After several hours, we received word that the train was stopped in Stratford and went home, and immediately got word it had left. Trevor and I headed up to Breslau to get it and then chased it back to Guelph before calling it a day.
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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The Guelph Junction Express crosses the Speed River on its way to Guelph Junction.
Breslau, Ontario
(map) This is a small town between Guelph and Kitchener-Waterloo on the GEXR Guelph Sub.
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GEXR X432 with Egyption Class 66s crosses a field near Breslau. I had to do both still and video on this one as my videographing wife could not join me, so the video quality is a bit... unlike most of my stuff.
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.