CP crosses CN at Shannonville

CP's Montreal-Toronto single-track mainline crosses over CN's Montreal-Toronto double-track mainline at Shannonville, Ontario. The crossing is one kilometre west of Shannonville Road, at Mi 214 CN Kingston Sub and Mi 84 CP Belleville Sub. CN No 308 behind 5631-2504 glides under CP girders at 1045 last Saturday.

The steel bridge creaks and pings as sunlight warms its piers and the plywood shims between its bridge timbers and ties. Blue jays and crows call overhead, a chipmunk chides and dragonflies drone...anymore wildlife and it could be a Disney movie. CN No 149 is planning the unexpected setout of DTTX 680385 into track BY21 in Belleville Yard, with the help of the RTC and the Belleville trainmaster, as he slams by at 1140 behind 2563-2684.

If CP had a freight train nearby, it would look great up on the bridge. Their Belleville Sub crosses back to the north over the CN at Cobourg, Mi 265 Kingston Sub.

CN No 305 is stopped just east of the crossing circuit at Shannonville Road, waiting for 149 to make his move. At 1245, 2257-5699 throttle up to gently lift their 145 cars (34 boxcars, 48 covered hoppers, 45 tank cars, 2 empty bulkhead flats and 16 autoracks) out of the sag, under the CP and into Belleville for a crew change.

VIA No 57: 6439 (three headlights)-8615-4001-4009-4114-4122-4107-4118-4116 pulls into Belleville's VIA station at 1325. 305 waits its turn at a respectful distance for a signal out of the yard.

VIA No 60: 913-8619-4006-4002-4003-4111-4119-4120-4108-4103-4109 will soon arrive, just as 305's tailend crosses the Moira River. 305 is starting to pull:

Is this anything? North to Alaska meets the Mainline of Mid-America in Upper Canada. An Alaskan Agriculture covered hopper with Illinois Central reporting marks, now owned by CN. Here's IC 10152:

Running extra...

PM Stephen Harper on tonight's news riding NB Southern 2318, promoting the government's economic stimulus. Security detail members scampering over newly-spread ballast. Speaking of the economy, empty autoracks being hauled out of Belleville yard this week for loading in Oshawa.

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CN scrapping more of their 640xxx-series blue 5-pak well cars, which have largely been replaced by Trailer Train well cars of various configurations, as well as Wisconsin Central boxcars, non-hicube.

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Debut episode of "Trauma" tonight, opening line "You can never have enough saline, can you Terry?"