Pop-up Post: One Day in July 2025, Freight Cars

After a day trackside in the Greater Napanee area, I realized I had a greater number of photos than would fit in one post. A redundancy of rolling stock. A plethora of pictures. A surfeit of scenes. Therefore, I hereby present freight cars photographed on July 26, 2025 at Townline Road, east of Napanee and Vista Drive, west of Kingstonin this pop-up format. Each train's cars of note are listed by reporting marks and notes.

No 271 

CSX/TTGX 983533 with colourful graffiti (top photo) and 'patchwork' WRWK 300151:

TTGX 704022 Ferromex monster graffiti:

TTGX 694409 BOOG graffiti with a bonus Conrail:

No 368 

AIMX 20076 scrap metal bathtub gondola:

Ety bulkhead flats CEFX 816620-816617:

SPL flat SOXX 20501:

As mentioned in the pop-up post of train photos from this day, I caught four pairs of consecutives! Consecutive AITX 100008-100009:

Wheel flats CN 618076 and AOKX 44125:

CGAX 9361:

ubiquitous Irving lumber:

TTGX 953376 CANAS BOKS graffiti:

No 372

the first of morons GACX 2720:

GATX 12369-12368 consecutive (take my word for the left-hand one but it was consecutive!):

CRDX 20498 another MORON:

CMBX 101160 rusty scrap metal bathtub gondola:

RTAX 23048 and 23061 with aluminum ingot loads:

ONT boxcar 7762:

No 369 

Wheel flats CN 48961 and AOKX 44079:

Ex-Rock IC ?789001 covered hopper:

LATX covered hopper 7004:

IMR/RMI is a joint venture of ArcelorMittal and Triple M Metal. Scrap gondola IMRX 2377:

No 306 WFRX 320056 and 320062 formerly Gondola Connection:

Running extra...

Soldier first. Strathcona second. Female CAF member third. Viral internet sensation regardless. This Lord Strathcona's Horse (Royal Canadians) private is one of a large contingent that provided the King's Guard mounted at Horseguards Parade in London during an apparently scorchingly hot July. Uniforms were provided by the regimental association, horses by the Household Cavalry. But the sentries themselves were all-Canadian. Only the second Canadian unit after the RCMP, and the third to include female sentries. 

Watching now-hundreds of these videos on YouTube and elsewhere has become another hobby and a study in sociology! While the British sentries yell "Make way for the King's Guard!!" the Canadians rarely raised their voices. On occasion, one nudged his mount right or left to get closer to tourists staying outside the painted 'white box' that separates 'look at me!' instagrammers from soldiers on duty. At least three times, I saw a sentry pay respect to a veteran with a sword salute. One explained his medals. Most said quietly, "Move out of the white box". One said, "Outside of the box! Thank you."

This private was the only one who added "Please" each time - as in "Stay out of the white box, please." Hey, it's the internet so commenters gotta comment. But really - never appropriate to comment that she's not a real soldier/playing army/looks unhappy/suggesting physical reasons for that - resulted in a large number of return comments, thank goodness. 

There are other troopers in work uniforms nearby, as well as uniformed well-armed London Police to really deal with obnoxious tourists, and they often do. This is a ceremonial guard, and a Policeman with a full clip is much more of a guard to the Realm than a Canadian with a sword most unlikely to slash or run anyone through! But in all cases, no matter their gender(!), they have done themselves and their country proud over the past 125 years! Serving in all our country's wars from the Boer War to Afghanistan, the regiment's motto 'Perseverance' is second only to Lord Strathcona's original suggestion, 'Craigellachie'. Hmmm, heard that one somewhere before...

First past the post...

My good wife convinced our granddaughter to pose with me in front of CPR 1095 'The Spirit of Sir John A' across from City Hall today. She also took the photo. We took in a stories-and-songs kids' session in the City Hall amphitheatre then visited with the ducks and geese at Confederation Basin. I wonder what a two year-old thinks of this big, black 112 year-old (whose renovation and relocation was paid for by us Kingston taxpayers and with significant volunteer involvement)?!